Lisa Nandy Rejects Rumours Of Keir Starmer Succession Planning As ‘Absolute Nonsense’

Posted on 19/06/2022 by Boris Clair

Lisa Nandy has dismissed speculation that Keir Starmer is lining up a successor to lead the party if he is forced to quit as “absolute nonsense”.

Nandy, the shadow levelling up secretary who is often touted as a future Labour leader, said she had not spoken to Starmer about plans to secure a replacement if Durham Constabulary fine him for breaching Covid rules.

Although he has insisted he did not break any rules, the Labour leader has promised to step down if he is issued with a fixed penalty notice over a takeaway beer and curry he ordered with campaigners in the city last year.

Nandy was responding to reports in the Sunday Times that Starmer — who has been battling days of negative headlines and briefing — has told potential rivals to put campaign teams in place to continue to ensure his work in rebuilding the party does not go to waste.

According to the newspaper, Starmer told allies: “I will not let this party become a basket case again. I will not let our hard-won gains be squandered so we will need to be ready in the unlikely event that the worst comes to the worst.”

But asked about the report on Sky News, Nandy said she had only spoken to Starmer twice in the last couple of days about “how we persuade this government to lift a finger to avert a crisis on the railways”.

Presenter Sophy Ridge joked: “Are you a bit worried he’s been talking to Wes Streeting and not you?”

Nandy replied: “No, I’m not worried that he’s been talking to anybody about succession planning, because I know that he’s been talking to all of us about how we rid this country have a government that has held us back for the last 12 years and finally start to deliver for working people — that is the conversation that we’re having in the Labour Party at the moment.”

And asked separately on Times Radio whether she was plotting her own leadership bid behind the scenes, Nandy said: “Not true. Not true at all. I’ve not been having fundraising dinners, I haven’t been launching some kind of leadership bid.

“The only job that I am going after right now is Michael Gove’s and I am determined that I’m going to get it. Not because of my wishes for myself, but because I’m ambitious for this country. And I know that we could do better than this.”

The Labour Party confirmed on Friday that both Starmer and deputy leader Angela Rayner have now returned their questionnaires to Durham Constabulary.

The prospect of a looming fine is just the latest headache for Starmer.

The Labour leader has endured days of negative headlines and briefings from members of his own shadow cabinet who have accused him of “boring voters to death”.

One told the Times: “Is he exciting? No, of course not — that isn’t why we ended up with him.

“But there is a big difference between not being Mr Razzmatazz and boring everyone to death . . . to loads of my constituents he just doesn’t exist in their minds at all.”

In return Starmer was forced to tell his shadow cabinet not to brief the press that he was boring, in an exchange one colleague described as “ironically very boring”.

However, Starmer has been defended by former prime minister Gordon Brown, who told him to “ignore” the negative briefings against him.

Asked by the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme what his advice would be to the Labour leader, Brown replied: “To ignore this because what’s exciting about the possibility of Keir Starmer’s leadership is he will have a plan for Britain.

“He will show how we can get back growth, he will show how we can get living standards rising again and he will show how we can have a fairer society that deals with climate change.

“Keir Starmer was the director of public prosecutions. He’s been a great public servant over many years and I think he will make a great prime minister.”

Next week Starmer will be put to the test in a key by-election in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, where the former Tory MP was forced to stand down following his conviction for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy.

Recent polls have put Labour 20 points ahead of the Tories for the contest on June 23.

However, internal polling cited in the Sunday Times suggests that lead could in fact only be around eight points.

Exclusive: Labour Accused Of Blocking Corbyn Supporter From Crunch By-Election

Posted on 12/05/2022 by Boris Clair

In response to the report, Corbyn said allegations about anti-Jewish racism on his watch had been “dramatically overstated” by his political opponents.

Corbyn was reinstated as a Labour member in November 2020 but he still does not have the party whip, meaning he sits as an independent MP.

Hemingway told HuffPost UK: “I’m a committed anti-racist and I think anti-Semitism is a scourge that should be eradicated.

“I’ve never hid the fact that I supported Jeremy Corbyn for leader and I voted for Rebecca Long-Bailey to be deputy…but I have always respected Keir’s right to lead the party.”

Hemingway also pointed out that as soon as the EHRC report was published he called for the party to adopt the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism in full.

HuffPost UK understands that Loto wants either Kate Dearden, who works for the Community union, or Simon Lightwood, a former staffer for ex-Wakefield MP Mary Creagh, to be the party’s by-election candidate.

Both are known to have supported Remain in the EU referendum, which some local sources say may be a disadvantage in a seat that voted to leave the EU by 66.3 per cent.

When Dearden confirmed via Twitter that she was standing in the by-election, her post was retweeted by Deborah Mattinson, Starmer’s director of strategy. The retweet was later undone.

Other candidates who have confirmed they want to stand for Labour in Wakefield include Sam Howarth, who used to work for Starmer’s ex-political secretary Jenny Chapman, and who now works for Dan Jarvis MP.

Wakefield councillor Michael Graham has also confirmed he is seeking the Labour nomination, as is law student Jakob Williamson.

One Labour insider told HuffPost UK: “Loto have seen Jack’s tweets and they are not happy.

“They are going to put it down to two names: Kate and Simon. And they are going to keep Jack off.”

A local source said: “The most important thing is that we have a candidate that can withstand a by-election.

“You’ve got to have a candidate that is fireproof.

“Keir Starmer simply cannot afford to lose this — end of. He’s got to win, and he’s got to be very, very careful that he gets the right candidate.

“Keir is trying to put out a particular image and he cannot afford to take any risks.”

A Labour source with knowledge of the region said there was a perception within the local constituency Labour party (CLP) that the candidate shortlist would be a stitch-up.

“The CLP are convinced that their local choices are going to be blocked,” they said.

“It’s pretty clear that the leaders’ office want Dearden, and a screen grab of Deborah Mattinson retweeting her launch has spread like wild fire as proof of that.

“Locally there’s a feeling that the higher ups have made their mind up of who is acceptable and who isn’t.

“Everyone is really worried that it’ll be a shortlist of non local people foisted on us so we have to choose the lesser of the evils not who we really want.

“Kate is not from Wakefield and doesn’t know the membership. There’s going to be a big push back against anyone seen as being parachuted in.

“It’s not the sort of place that will take kindly to it.”

A local party member added: “The CLP have made it clear they want someone who has a genuine connection to the area and not someone who has been flown in.”

The NEC drew up its longlist on Wednesday, with shortlisting and interviews taking place on Thursday.

Hustings will be held on Sunday May 15, when local members will choose the candidate.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Working people in Wakefield have been badly let down by Boris Johnson’s Conservatives, who ignored serious allegations of child sexual assault against their paedophile former MP Imran Ahmad Khan before his election.

“Wakefield deserves better and our selection process is now underway.

“Party members in the constituency will consider a shortlist in the coming days and be able to choose the Labour candidate to be Wakefield’s new MP.”

Labour lost Wakefield to the Tories by 3,358 votes at the 2019 general election after holding the seat since 1932.

Imrad Ahmad Khan tendered his resignation on May 3, three weeks after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy.

A date for the by-election has yet to be announced.

Keir Starmer Under Pressure To Capitalise on Tory Woes As Voters Go To The Polls

Posted on 30/04/2022 by Boris Clair

The received Westminster wisdom is that the local elections are do-or-die for Boris Johnson.

After months of awful headlines about partygate, and with the mood among Tory MPs once again turning fractious, a bad night for the Conservatives next Thursday may well be the trigger for a move to unseat the prime minister.

What is less discussed, however, is how the elections are also a key test for Keir Starmer and whether he has what it takes to lead Labour to victory at the general election in two years’ time.

With a new poll yesterday giving Labour a nine-point lead over the Conservatives, expectations are high that the party is set to make sweeping gains on Thursday.

But Starmer’s internal detractors are looking for any signs that the party is stalling to confirm their suspicions that he is failing to seal the deal with voters.

Here, HuffPost UK assesses where the main parties are ahead of a crucial night on May 5.

The State Of The Parties

A total of 6,812 council seats in England, Wales and Scotland are up for grabs on Thursday.

In addition, there are also mayoral elections in South Yorkshire, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Watford and Croydon, as well as the Northern Ireland Assembly election.

In England, the Tories are defending 1,404 seats, Labour 2,222 and the Lib Dems 517. The rest are held by independents.

In Wales, Labour hold 462 council seats, with Plaid Cymru on 208, the Conservatives on 197 and the Lib Dems on 59. More than 300 seats are held by independents.

And in Scotland, the SNP have 432 seats, with the Tories second on 277, Labour on 262 and the Lib Dems on 67. Nearly 200 of Scottish councillors are independents.

What’s At Stake?

An awful lot more than which parties will be responsible for your bin collections for the next four years.

With a general election expected in 2024, this is likely to be the last big electoral test that Labour and the Tories will face before then.

As such, it will act as an important barometer of the national mood and indicate which parties, if any, are starting to build up momentum as the general election draws nearer.

Johnson needs to prove to his restive MPs that he is still the election winning-machine who delivered an 80-seat majority in 2019, and that the damage done to his reputation by partygate is not terminal.

The stakes are arguably even higher for Starmer who, two years after becoming Labour leader, has still to convince the public that he has what it takes to lead the country.

Is Starmer’s Labour Working?

While Labour has established a consistent poll lead in recent months, there remains a strong suspicion that it owes more to the public’s dissatisfaction with the Conservatives than any great enthusiasm for the Starmer project.

HuffPost UK revealed this week that the Labour leader is facing internal pressure to show voters how the party would tackle the cost of living crisis rather than focusing on the partygate scandal.

At a shadow cabinet meeting, communities spokesperson Lisa Nandy said Labour risked looking “out of touch” at a time when families across the country are struggling to make ends meet.

One senior frontbencher said: “Lisa’s not alone on this. There was strong agreement in the room to focus on the cost of living.”

It’s clear, therefore, that Starmer’s critics will be scrutinising Thursday’s results to try and assess whether the public support the leader’s strategy or are yet to be convinced.

Lisa Nandy has questioned Keir Starmer's strategy — Lisa Nandy has questioned Keir Starmer’s strategy

What Does Success Look Like?

The main problem facing Labour is that the last time these council seats were up for grabs four years ago, the party did very well, making it harder for them to make sweeping gains this time around.

That said, a failure to pick up a significant number of council seats, and at least show progress in the Red Wall areas the party needs to win back if it’s to stand any chance of winning in 2024, will constitute a disappointing evening for Starmer.

“It’s a strange set of elections,” said one Starmer ally. “2018 was a bad night for the Tories and a very, very good one for Labour.

“So another bad night for the Tories and a good night for us isn’t going to result in a lot of exciting change.”

As polling gurus Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher summed up the situation in a recent article: ”[Labour] will do well to avoid making standing still rather than picking up gains seem rather underwhelming when the post-mortem takes place.

“For the Conservatives, by contrast, the less dramatic the results, the more they can claim not to be suffering traditional ‘mid-term blues’.”

Labour sources are attempting to play down the prospect of the party seizing totemic Tory councils like Westminster and Wandsworth, but they admit that winning back Barnet is a distinct possibility.

Beating the Tories into second place behind the SNP is also essential if the party is to have any hope of re-establishing an electoral foothold in its former Scottish heartland.

Just as important as winning more council seats, insiders say, are signs of progress in seats currently held by the Tories in England and the SNP north of the border.

“We are also tracking where we are in about about 50-70 constituencies that would put us in government at a general election, so we will be keeping an eye on them on Thursday,” said a Labour source. “Places like Stevenage, Wakefield, Bury and Glasgow.

“We need to beat the Tories and SNP in them.”

The Tory View

Unsurprisingly, the Conservatives are keen to raise the bar as high as possible for what would constitute a good night for Labour in the hope they will come nowhere near clearing it.

One Tory source told HuffPost UK: “Labour are obviously saying how difficult it’s going to be to improve on 2018, but the reality is they are ahead in the polls and so should be doing well.

“It’s going to be very difficult for us in certain places, especially central London and in places like Wandsworth, Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea, where the demographics are turning against us.

“Outer London is a bit better, but things are also going to be difficult in the affluent south – places like Surrey and West Oxfordshire, where Labour are doing well.”

Significantly, however, the Tories are more confident of holding off Labour in the Red Wall, where partygate is not the major political issue many at Westminster believe it is.

“The question for Labour is whether they can make adequate progress in the places they lost in 2019 and need to win back next time,” the source said.

“While those voters are bothered about partygate, they’re more concerned with bread and butter issues such as the cost of living. They’re pissed off with the PM about partygate, but they also like what we did on vaccines and furlough.”

Winning Here?

Like Labour, the Lib Dems performed well in 2018, making further progress more difficult this time around.

“What we’re really looking to is consolidate the gains we made in places like South Cambridgeshire, Richmond and Kingston,” a source told HuffPost UK. “If we hold our ground and edge forward a little in other areas, it should spook a few Tory MPs.”

These include Stephen Hammond in Wimbledon, where the Lib Dems launched their local election campaign. The party also wants to make progress in Wokingham, where the local MP is one Dominic Raab.

The source added: “The big picture is we’re going after the Conservatives and laying the groundwork for the next election.”

The Pestminster Factor

In the past week alone, unnamed Tory MPs have smeared Angela Rayner by accusing her of using her legs to distract Boris Johnson, while another has been suspended by the party for allegedly watching porn in the Commons.

The timing could hardly have been worse for the Conservatives. Will voters use their ballots to register their disgust at the latest examples of Tory sleaze? Keir Starmer and Labour certainly hope so.

Leftwing Bid To Restore Labour Whip To Jeremy Corbyn Defeated

Posted on 25/01/2022 by Boris Clair

A bid by left-wing Labour officials to readmit Jeremy Corbyn as an MP has been rejected by the party’s ruling body.

A motion to restore the whip to Corbyn, who currently sits an independent, was defeated by 23 votes to 14 at a meeting of the party’s ruling National Executive Committee.

Mr Corbyn said he was “very disappointed” by the result.

The motion, proposed by Fire Brigades Union chief Ian Murray, was considered at the “emotional” meeting, with one Corbyn supporter invoking the words of Martin Luther King when making their case.

Yasmin Dar said: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Labour leader Keir Starmer removed the party whip from Corbyn — meaning he cannot sit and vote with the party he once led — following his reaction to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s report into anti-Semitism in the party.

The EHRC found the party committed unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination while Corbyn was leader — but the former party leader said allegations about anti-Jewish racism on his watch had been “dramatically overstated” by his political opponents.

In a Facebook post after the report was published, Corbyn said he did not accept all of the EHRC’s conclusions.

“Anyone claiming there is no anti-Semitism in the Labour Party is wrong. Of course there is, as there is throughout society, and sometimes it is voiced by people who think of themselves as on the left,” he said.

“Jewish members of our party and the wider community were right to expect us to deal with it, and I regret that it took longer to deliver that change than it should.

“One anti-Semite is one too many, but the scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party, as well as by much of the media.”

The wording of the NEC motion, seen by HuffPost UK, said that continuing to withhold the whip from Corbyn was a “deeply divisive act by the leadership of the party and the chief whip.”

It claimed that Corbyn — who has been the MP for Islington North for nearly 40 years — had been “disbarred” from party processes to reselect sitting MPs ahead of the next election, “increasing the tension and anger amongst party members and moving us further from the unity that is required to take on this government”.

It continued: “Disbarring the sitting member of parliament from the process is extremely disrespectful to the people of Islington North who have overwhelmingly elected Jeremy Corbyn as their Labour MP for nearly four decades.

“Disbarring Jeremy Corbyn at the next general election brings with it the added danger of local electorate punishing the Labour Party, should they not have the candidate they wish in place, creating a huge media storm in the process.”

Supporters of Starmer hailed the 23-14 NEC vote, with one source telling HuffPost UK: “In NEC terms, that’s a landslide.”

But the leader’s opponents branded it “purely factional and not in the best interests of the party”.

One Labour source said it was “nauseating to see Jeremy Corbyn presented as a victim”, adding: “The only victims in this whole story are Jewish members who suffered anti-Semitism and were afraid of what a Labour government might mean for them.”

They told HuffPost UK: “This was a self inflicted defeat for Jeremy Corbyn supporters. They didn’t need to push a vote on this, but they did so knowing that Starmer has a solid majority on the NEC.

“The chief whip [Alan Campbell] made it very clear to the NEC why Corbyn is outside of the PLP: he needs to apologise for his comments on the day of the EHRC report, remove or edit his post about it and co-operate with the party in implementing the EHRC definition of anti-Semitism.

“He is choosing not to do any of these things and the moment and that is why he does not have the whip.”

One left wing source hit out at the entire process. They claimed that a bid to request a meeting with key stakeholders after the vote was denied, making it “totally unaccountable”.

They also said the disquiet over the Facebook post was a “red herring”.

“This has become a factional war led by people who can’t bear that Jeremy was ever leader and want him politically dead.”

The NEC vote has reopened questions about Corbyn’s future and whether he can make any comeback in the Labour Party.

There has been speculation that he may choose to stand as an independent at the next election or even form a breakaway party of disaffected Labour MPs and members.

However, one pro-Corbyn source said there there is “hardly anyone who thinks that’s a good idea”.

Responding to the NEC result, Corbyn said: “I am very disappointed at the majority decision of today’s National Executive meeting.

“They had an opportunity to help restore unity in the Labour Party but unfortunately did not take it.

“I am very grateful for the support of 14 members of the NEC and of many, many people in my constituency of Islington North.

“The real issues facing this country are the horrific levels of social injustice, the attacks on our public services by the Government, and the falling living standards of many people. That should be the focus of the Labour Party.

“I will continue to campaign for social justice in Britain, and peace and human rights around the world.”

Furious MP Asks Boris Johnson: ‘When Is He Coming For Me?’

Posted on 01/12/2021 by Boris Clair

A furious MP tore into Boris Johnson today in a row over deportations, asking him: “When is he coming for me?”

Labour MP Imran Hussain claimed the nationality and borders bill could see him and other ethnic minorities stripped of citizenship.

He was met with shouts of “disgrace” from Tory MPs and the PM hit back, saying his comment was “shameful”.

The MP for Bradford East fumed: “My grandfather along with thousands of others came to this country 70 years ago working seven days a week in squalid conditions to help rebuild this country.

“Yet now the home secretary’s nationality and borders bill means she can revoke our British citizenship and deport us for even the most minor wrongdoings.

“Given the government and the home office’s horrific track record with the treatment of minorities, the hostile environment and the Windrush scandals, let me ask the prime minister the burning question that is now on the lips of everyone from a Bame background right across the country.

“When is he coming for me?”

The prime minister fought back, telling him to look at the Tory frontbench today and asking him to “withdraw what he just said”.

Johnson added: “He should withdraw it, what he said is absolutely shameful and, as he knows full well, the borders bill does nothing of the kind.

“It helps us to fight the evil gangs who are predating on people’s willingness to cross the Channel in un-seaworthy boats.

“And I would have thought a sensible Labour Party would support it.”

However, the Guardian reported that individuals could be stripped of their British citizenship without warning under a proposed rule change quietly added to the bill.

Clause 9 – “Notice of decision to deprive a person of citizenship” – exempts the government from having to give notice if it is not “reasonably practicable” to do so, or in the interests of national security, diplomatic relations or otherwise in the public interest.

The power to strip citizenship already exists and has been used against Shamima Begum but critics say the bill would allow it to happen without notice in some cases – making the home secretary’s powers even more draconian.

Frances Webber, the vice-chair of the Institute of Race Relations, told the paper: “This amendment sends the message that certain citizens, despite being born and brought up in the UK and having no other home, remain migrants in this country. Their citizenship, and therefore all their rights, are precarious and contingent.”

The home office said British citizenship was “a privilege, not a right”.

They added: “The nationality and borders bill will amend the law so citizenship can be deprived where it is not practicable to give notice, for example if there is no way of communicating with the person.”

Angela Rayner Says She Doesn’t Know What’s Going On Amid Starmer Reshuffle

Posted on 29/11/2021 by Boris Clair

A fresh row between Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner erupted after the Labour leader launched a reshuffle while his deputy was making a major speech on Tory corruption.

The deputy leader told an audience at an Institute for Government (IfG) event that she did not “know the details” of the shadow cabinet reshuffle that was taking place because she was “concentrating on the job at hand”.

Speculation that the reshuffle was underway began on social media after the Times reported that key figures such as shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds, shadow education secretary Kate Green and shadow culture secretary Jo Stevens all faced the sack.

Instead of taking questions on the Labour party’s attempts to clean up politics, Rayner fielded multiple questions on whether she was consulted about the reshuffle and whether she thought it was the right time.

She replied: “I don’t know the details of any reshuffle, I’ve been concentrating on the job at hand.”

In an interview with Times Radio after the event, she said she had not been consulted on the reshuffle and that there was no “focus on that at the moment”.

Asked whether she would have expected to hear about it first, she replied: “I reckon that Keir would tell me first, yeah.”

However, it is understood Rayner met with Starmer after her media round in the morning and before she went to the IfG event.

In response, Rayner’s spokesperson said: “My understanding is that Keir and Angela had a short conversation in between her media round and her speech.

“She was not aware of the details of the reshuffle and she was not consulted on the reshuffle as she said herself.”

The timing and handling of the reshuffle risks reigniting the fury that erupted in the fallout of the Hartlepool by-election, in which Starmer sacked Rayner as party chair before reinstating her to other posts.

While Rayner was still speaking at the IfG event, a tit-for-tat broke out between the leadership’s two teams.

Sources close to Rayner expressed anger at Starmer’s team for its tactics and timing, with one calling it “plain offensive”.

One ally told HuffPost UK: “The incompetence is shocking. Why do this while she’s on her speech giving a planned intervention on a key Labour attack line? It makes absolutely no sense.”

A friend of Rayner said: “Trying to sack Angela and make her the scapegoat for Hartlepool was stupid. But doing a reshuffle when she’s literally on her feet giving a speech attacking the Tories for being corrupt is just plain offensive.”

And a spokesman for Rayner added: “Angela is focusing on attacking the Tories for being corrupt and setting out how she will stamp out corruption. That is her priority.”

But a source close to Starmer said it was “interesting that the wording from this friend of Angela and her spokesman is virtually identical”.

Another Labour source further questioned Rayner’s assertion that she wasn’t consulted on the reshuffle, claiming: “She’s been pushing it for months. She’s desperately trying to confect a row.”

Rayner’s spokesperson said it was was “categorically untrue that Angela was pushing for a reshuffle. She has just given a speech setting out her plans to tackle Tory corruption.”

Labour figures that are tipped for a promotion include Yvette Cooper, chair of the home affairs select committee, Wes Streeting, the shadow secretary of state for child poverty, and shadow schools minister Peter Kyle.

Liz Kendall, shadow minister for social care, and Alison McGoven, shadow minister for cultural industries and sports, may also get a spot on the frontbench.

Local Tory Party Sticks By Geoffrey Cox Despite Sleaze Accusations

Posted on 10/11/2021 by Boris Clair

Geoffrey Cox’s local Conservative association has vowed to stand by him despite accusations he breached parliament’s anti-sleaze rules.

Cox, the Tory MP for Torridge and West Devon, is under fire for earning £1million over the past 12 months to work as a lawyer for clients including the British Virgin Islands (BVI), which is subject to a corruption inquiry started by the Foreign Office.

The former attorney general has been criticised for travelling to the Caribbean to advise the BVI while being able to cast votes in the Commons by proxy during the coronavirus pandemic — leading to charges that he has not been focused on his constituents back home.

Further pressure has built on the high-profile barrister after The Times released a video of him appearing to use his office in Westminster to participate remotely in a legal hearing in September, in a possible breach of parliament’s rules.

Despite the backlash, John Gray, chair of the Torridge and West Devon Conservatives, told HuffPost UK that Cox had his “full support”.

He said Cox was a “superb constituency MP” with an “astonishing work ethic and valuable legal expertise”.

“The proof is in the pudding: when Geoffrey first came to this constituency it was a Liberal Democrat seat,” he said.

“Since winning the seat in 2005 Geoffrey has built an increased majority of 3,000 to almost 25,000 with a remarkable 60% vote share in 2019.

“This happened because of Geoffrey’s dogged commitment to serving his constituents. Time and again, constituents attending Geoffrey’s Saturday surgeries have found him a dedicated and powerful advocate.”

He continued: “His independent thinking, underpinned by his successful legal career, was very much to the country’s benefit during the challenging period surrounding the Brexit negotiations.

“I understand completely why people don’t want to see machine politicians and in Geoffrey Cox we have an MP who brings far wider expertise to the House.

“Sir Geoffrey has my full support.”

According to the code of conduct for MPs, members must use their taxpayer-funded offices and other resources “in support of their parliamentary duties”.

“It should not confer any undue personal or financial benefit on themselves or anyone else,” it states.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has written to Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone asking her to investigate. Cox has said he will co-operate with any possible investigation.

In her letter, Rayner said: “This appears to be an egregious, brazen breach of the rules. A Conservative MP using a taxpayer funded office in Parliament to work for a tax haven facing allegations of corruption is a slap in the face and an insult to British taxpayers.

“You can be an MP serving your constituents or a barrister working for a tax haven – you can’t be both and Boris Johnson needs to make his mind up as to which one Geoffrey Cox will be.”

A statement on behalf of Cox said: “Sir Geoffrey’s view is that it is up to the electors of Torridge and West Devon whether or not they vote for someone who is a senior and distinguished professional in his field and who still practices that profession.

“That has been the consistent view of the local conservative association and although at every election his political opponents have sought to make a prominent issue of his professional practice, it has so far been the consistent view of the voters of Torridge and West Devon. Sir Geoffrey is very content to abide by their decision.

“As for the allegation that he breached the parliamentary code of conduct on one occasion, on 14 September 2021, by being in his office while participating in an online hearing in the public inquiry and voting in the House of Commons, he understands that the matter has been referred to the parliamentary commissioner and he will fully cooperate with her investigation.

“He does not believe that he breached the rules but will of course accept the judgment of the parliamentary commissioner or of the committee on the matter.”

‘Immoral’ Three Miscarriage Rule Set To Be Scrapped Following MP’s Campaign

Posted on 21/10/2021 by Boris Clair

Office of Olivia Blake MP

Sheffield Hallam MP Olivia Blake is campaigning for more support for women who experience miscarriages.

An obscure rule that means women have to endure three miscarriages in a row before they receive support is poised to be scrapped in a victory for campaigners.

New draft guidelines issued by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), which are open for consultation, should mean that women can get support after their first miscarriage instead of their third.

The changes —which if implemented would represent the biggest reform to miscarriage care for 50 years — would mean all NHS trusts would adopt a system of graded care.

After the first miscarriage a woman would receive information, the second miscarriage would be followed by an appointment at a specialist clinic to identify the cause, and following the third the woman would be eligible for a major investigation and care, such as blood tests.

The guidelines also redefine “recurrent miscarriage” to include non-consecutive occurrences.

The win follows sustained campaigning from Sheffield Hallam Labour MP Olivia Blake, who spoke movingly about her experience of miscarriage during the coronavirus lockdown last autumn.

Blake revealed she had to undergo private counselling through her place of work to receive support after she learned she had miscarried her baby while her partner waited in the A&E car park. Coronavirus restrictions at the time meant her partner was unable to attend the appointment with her.

She said the change in guidelines was a “huge step and an incredible win for campaigners and individuals who have been speaking up about this injustice for years”.

“If implemented, these new guidelines will mark the end to the outdated and immoral three miscarriage rule, which has prevented millions of people from accessing vital support and care when they most need it,” she said.

Blake went on to secure an adjournment debate this summer, in which she called for an end to the three miscarriage rule.

During the debate, the health minister at the time, Nadine Dorries, committed to including reforming the women’s health strategy by including a record of national miscarriage data as well as 24/7 care and support for those who have experienced miscarriage.

The UK currently does not routinely collect and publish miscarriage data in the way it does for other losses such as stillbirth and neonatal death, but the most recent research from the Lancet suggests that 23million miscarriages occur every year globally – equivalent to 15% of all pregnancies annually.

The guidelines are due to be finalised by the end of the year following a consultation.

Last week Blake starred in the TV documentary “Myleene Klass: Miscarriage and Me” during baby loss awareness week.

Klass said she was “over the moon” at the new guidelines.

“I hope this is the beginning of the change we need and that miscarriage is never again swept under the rug or dismissed as an inevitability.”

Ed Miliband Reminds Us Starmer’s Driving Test Fail Could Have Been Worse: ‘It’s Hardly The Bacon Sandwich’

Posted on 13/10/2021 by Boris Clair

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Sir Keir Starmer on Tuesday (L) and shadow cabinet minister Ed Miliband

Ed Miliband was quick to defend Sir Keir Starmer over his HGV driving disaster by comparing it to one of his one embarrassing moments as Labour leader.

Miliband, now shadow business secretary, spoke to Sky’s Kay Burley about the Labour leader’s PR slip-up from Tuesday where he tried (and failed) to drive a lorry.

Burley said: “Certainly don’t want your leader to be an HGV driver – did you see what he did yesterday?”

Miliband replied: “Come on – it’s hardly the bacon sandwich is it, Kay?”

They laughed, but Burley pointed out that Starmer still failed his mock HGV driving test.

The shadow cabinet minister replied: “He was drawing attention to the fact that we need trained HGV drivers, it was all part of the plan.”

Burley has not been the only person to find Starmer’s driving attempts rather excruciating – especially when the driving instructor told him to “move to the left”, something Labour’s left-wing faction have long been trying to do with the party’s leader.

Journalist David Jack tweeted: “Who in Keir Starmer’s office thought that this was a good idea?”

However, Miliband’s own PR efforts as Labour leader were arguably more entertaining.

A photograph of him eating a bacon sandwich with an unusual expression on his face became an infamous internet meme in 2014 when he was campaigning for local elections.

It soon played a key part in the criticism towards Miliband, as his opponents said it captured his awkwardness and inability to do ordinary tasks.

It was used on the front page of The Sun newspaper the day before the 2015 general election, which saw Labour lose 26 seats in Parliament.

Andy Burnham Interview: Boris Johnson Is Giving The Public False Hope

Posted on 08/10/2021 by Boris Clair

Andy Burnham has denied he undermined Keir Starmer at Labour party conference, saying he instead brought “energy” and “value” to the gathering in Brighton.

The Greater Manchester mayor had been criticised by unnamed shadow cabinet members in the press for criticising Starmer from the sidelines during the annual meeting.

But in an interview with HuffPost UK, Burnham said he did “exactly the opposite” of what his critics have accused him of.

“I heard those noises from unnamed shadow cabinet, whoever they were, but I see it as us putting energy into the conference, because I did go and talk about the things that I am doing here, which I think are interesting for people,” he said.

“The London-style public transport – that is an idea that people can really get behind, I think.

“The way I look at it is I made a very deliberate decision, I kind of thought, ‘What would I go to conference to do’ – it will be to add value to the policy debate, and that’s exactly what I did.”

Burnham has since said he is not gunning for the Labour leadership, despite reports – which he has denied – that his allies had given Starmer 12 months to turn the party’s prospects around.

The mayor made a series of interventions as Labour’s conference kicked off in Brighton, including that his party could not afford to wait until the next general election to unveil policies.

He also criticised the Labour leader’s decision to overhaul its leadership rules and for failing to put northern mayors high on the agenda at the gathering – suggesting it meant the party was not “serious about winning back the north of England”.

As well as attending Labour’s conference, Burnham was also spotted at the Conservatives’ annual event in Manchester, where he pressed the government to respond to his levelling up deal for the city.

In his speech, Boris Johnson said the government would “do” Northern Powerhouse Rail – a project that would connect cities and boost journey times across the north of England – which was welcomed by Burnham.

But Johnson did not specify whether there would be a new line linking Leeds to Manchester or simply upgrades to existing lines which will worry the project’s proponents.

A dominant theme of the prime minister’s speech was to pitch what he called a “radical and optimistic Conservatism” against a “tired old Labour” that was “hopelessly divided”.

Burnham branded the dividing line a “simplistic characterisation” and accused Johnson of giving the public “false hope” even as the cost of living crisis spirals and there remains long petrol queues in parts of the country.

“I think the mood of the country doesn’t necessarily reflect what I think might be more wishful thinking on the prime minister’s part,” he said, adding that the £20-a-week cut to Universal Credit would have a “big impact here”.

“I don’t think the public are feeling massively optimistic about things but they probably want to be, but they haven’t been given a reason to be.”

Asked whether Starmer instilled the kind of hope in people in the way that Johnson attempts to do, Burnham replied: “Is that what people want – do people want a sense of false hope?

“I think people want credibility, don’t they – seriousness, credibility.

“I think this is why it’s that there’s a choice there, it feels like they are different characters in terms of what they’re all about, and I think that very much comes through the two speeches.”

Despite welcoming climate change policies from shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves and from Starmer on greater mental health provision, Burnham expressed a sense of dismay that neither party showed they were “completely connecting to the mood of the country”.

“I think people are hurting after the pandemic, I think people are looking for hope and a lift, and I don’t think they got it in terms of the detail, from either party actually, in terms of ‘This is what we think takes us from where we are as a country now to where we should be’,” he said.

He is eager for both to unveil concrete announcements in October’s spending review, which he said was a “critical” moment for the country and as the UK prepares to host the United Nations COP26 climate change summit.

Burnham said now was the time for the government to “massively accelerate on both levelling up and decarbonisation” for it to feel real to the public before the next general election in 2023 or 2024.

“And certainly if we don’t have a massive gear change particularly on net zero, we’re not going to get there, and we’re not going to have anything to say on that at the COP,” he said.

“Both conferences were light on that to be honest, I mean this is a sort of window that’s kind of closing a little bit now.

“I’m not making party political points, we’re just making a sort of broader point about is the current political scene engaging enough with the current seriousness of that situation – I’ll be honest I didn’t hear enough of that at either party conference.”

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