Op-ed: According to an ICM poll Monday their latest poll figures suggest the Labour party is not as far ahead as it should be at this stage of the political game. ICM quote: ICM Phone: CON 38%, LAB 33%, LDEM 7%, UKIP 13%, GRN 3% ICM Online: CON 36%, LAB 31%, LDEM 7%, UKIP 16%, GRN 4% The problem with polls is they are not reliable but they are usually used to suit. Ahead of the GE 2015 pundits were predicting a hung parliament and then miraculously as the actual polls closed switched to show a majority Tory vote which proved to be correct. That means the latest ICM polls can and will be viewed to suit but may be flawed. One writer at the Labour List, Luke Akehurst, a man standing for election to the NEC, Labour's governing body, was quick to respond to the polls tweeting: "Corbyn should put party above faction & resign. He has wrong politics to win an election, & lacks skills & experience to lead effectively." Why would a man who feels this way want to work as part of Labour's NEC? But Mr Akehurst has been saying similar for some time; he has openly showed a lack of respect for the party leader and more. I imagine that may appeal to those actively working to oust Jeremy Corbyn as party leader but will anger many more supporters and voters. Currently the Tory party is not just split it is disintegrating mainly over the EU referendum. Now could be the perfect time for Labour to unify and organise but many will think it will be a case of fighting a losing battle as self-servers within the party continue on their merry way. Tuesday Akehurst posted "Time for a reality check: Labour is plunging to historic lows" at the Labour List a website that often bears little resemblance to the Labour party and its supporters; it often reads more like an opposition publication. One can almost read the glee Mr Akehurst feels in posting yet another damning report undermining Corbyn's leadership. Akehurst may choose to believe that "ICM are often described as the gold standard of opinion pollsters in terms of accuracy" but we do not. He adds "And ComRes also showed us 5% behind this week" for good measure. Jeremy Corbyn has been party leader since September 12, 2015, and has faced a barrage of criticism from day one; criticism from within the party but mainly employees such as politicians not supporters and voters. He was elected with a huge mandate but some people will not be happy until he is ousted and the party split. You could understand that if attacks were coming from the Tory party but they are not. In January 2016 the Telegraph ran a live blog titled "Labour revolt: Shadow minister quits on live TV in fury over Jeremy Corbyn's revenge reshuffle - live." It is telling that report included tweets from Akehurst and some of his little gang. Jamie Reed @jreedmp tweeted "So people who campaigned, worked & sacrificed so much to establish the UK's most redistributive gvt ever are now 'hard right'. Inexplicable." And accepting the prompt John Woodcock MP tweeted ""Hard right" in British politics means the BNP. Shadow chancellor on media about his own MPs - destructive madness." Yet it appears fine for those three men to call Mr Corbyn's supporters hard left which following that logic must mean we are all raving communists? As a handful of disgruntled Labour activists and politicians jockey for position we the ordinary voters and party supporters are watching. That is not any sort of threat but a reminder that YOU are not the party. We are all the Labour party and without supporters the Tories will be in office for decades. Perhaps those planning a coup or coups think they can act this year and give themselves time to recover before the 2020 scheduled election but they are wrong. A coup could be that straw that breaks the camel's back for many Labour supporters. Those touted to replace Mr Corbyn may appeal to floating voters but will offer little to socialists or left-wing politics supporters. We do not need another centre right of politics party; we need a left wing political party in government and with help from those riding the gravy train that could become reality. Having tweeted for Corbyn to resign Akehurst back pedals slightly in his report Tuesday saying: Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell have two and a half weeks to turn round our performance and win the May elections. How do you feel Comrades when you read that?
Oh the arrogance. I doubt Akehurst et al will be delighted if Labour does well in the May elections but it will shut the coup gang up at least temporarily. Most times we blame the right wing MSM for undermining Corbyn and causing party splits but who do we blame when it is these people and includes one man expected to be elected to the NEC? What future for the NEC and more importantly what future for Labour? Related: Open Letter to BDS, the Labour Party, NEC hopefuls Left Futures- Young Labour in Left landslide but chaos, manipulation & smears mar NEC election
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Op-ed: With the lyrics of The Backstabbers by the O'jays seemingly on a loop running through my brain I can only look on in horror as a series of Labour politicians, past and present, appear to feed the right-wing mainstream media a great deal of drivel and a diet of crap. It could be that the MSM is in some cases making it up as they go along or selectively taking words and sentences out of context but it certainly does not look that way. So let's take a brief trip along the anti-Jeremy Corbyn hype to nowhere on offer this week. Jess Phillips MP The week began with the fallout from a series of articles featuring Jess Phillips. She opted to attack Corbyn almost from day one when he was elected the party's new leader in September 2015; as the year moved on she vowed she would not stab him in the back but rather in the front if he was damaging the Labour party. Since that time she has continued to seriously damage Labour's chances of election success; the right-wing press has lapped it up and she has enjoyed her 15 minutes of fame but at the expense of those who voted for Mr Corbyn, voters in general, the Labour party and the man himself. Her assumption that only, as she calls them, £3 affiliates voted for Corbyn as party leader sends out a negative message, is simply not true and in effect spits on Labour party democracy and unity. In her defence Phillips is relatively young and perhaps politically naive; she is however ambitious and it is difficult not to conclude that her appeals for more women in Labour's top jobs has at least some self-motivation. Dan Jarvis MP Ex-paratrooper Dan Jarvis may have been off your radar before this week but it is doubtful he is now. A series of press reports this week included claims that Mr Jarvis was about to stage a Labour coup, or at least do so some time soon. On March 4 the Guardian reported "Labour donors flock to Dan Jarvis as he renews speculation of a challenge to Jeremy Corbyn with a warning the party must change to win back the voters." News that a hedge fund manager who also donated to the Labour party under Ed Miliband's leadership has donated £16,800 to Jarvis will not sit well with many Labour supporters. Hedge fund managers may not quite be as dirty words as bankers and banking system but it is a close. One report in the Guardian two days ago said "Backbencher [Jarvis] tipped as Corbyn challenger to call for party to be ‘tough on inequality, tough on the causes of inequality’." That was ahead of a keynote speech by Jarvis. He has reportedly been raising money from other former Labour donors. One day later, and in the Guardian again, a new report begins "Backbencher touted as potential leadership challenger signals concern over current strategy but also criticises Blair’s tactics" as he allegedly tries to position himself away from Blair's New Labour. Friday remarks by Ken Livingstone, a supporter of Mr Corbyn, have had an angry response; the Daily Mirror opts for "Ken Livingstone has provoked fury by saying a Labour MP accepting a City donation was like "Jimmy Savile fundraising for a children's group" but it is not difficult to understand that analogy. Who is actually feeding the MSM all of this drivel is not clear. The above report also claims "Rachel Reeves, the former shadow work and pension’s secretary, could be in line for the shadow chancellor role if Jarvis were to win the leadership" in spite of the fact a new party leader was only elected September 12, 2015. The Kinnocks Neil Kinnock is claimed by many to have been the great Labour party reformer. He failed to gel with the electorate, was demonised in the press and ultimately was party leader but never Prime Minister. He of all people should know about the need for loyalty but he does not. Three days ago the Independent reported "Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock warns Jeremy Corbyn he cannot lead if his party [meaning Labour MPs] will not back him" but what about the ordinary man and woman on the street, supporters and party members? Kinnock's wife went into politics and they are joined by their son Stephen these days. In February we reported "Why are old Labour heavyweights doing Cameron's EU bidding" after five senior politicians posted an open letter on what they see as the benefits of the UK staying in the EU. One of the men is a former Labour leader Neil Kinnock who is now backing David Cameron’s new EU deal. But when you post such letters you best make sure your house is in order. Thursday an old story relating to Kinnock and his wife is doing the rounds and it will offer voters cold comfort. A news report in Wales Online that dates back to 2009 but was updated in 2013 has this to say"; Neil and Glenys Kinnock came under fire from critics last night as details of their estimated £10m European earnings were calculated by a pressure group. Friday we have Kinnock junior, Stephen, telling Wales Online "Questions will have to be asked about Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership if Labour fails to hit “ambitious” targets in the May elections."
Kinnock senior, Neil, was leader of the Labour party from 1983-1992. So how come he was given nine years with poor election results and Corbyn has to shine in eight months and against a backdrop of deceit, backstabbing and undermining? Like so many Labour backstabbers Kinnock junior's news report came by way of the Huffington Post and a podcast. "Describing how Mr Corbyn would “get judged” on the results, he said: “The big question is when people look at him do they see somebody that could be the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom? And I think we will know a large part of the answer to that question following the elections on May 5, and also based on how the Labour party carries itself now through to June 23 and the referendum. “And you know, Jeremy, as any leader, gets judged on performance, gets judged on results.” Unlike your father is the only appropriate reaction to that I guess. Overall Open letters are not ideal but when you have well-paid Labour MPs constantly spouting negativity in the MSM such a letter adds a little balance. Do those regrouping and jockeying for position, including people like Jarvis who not so long ago did not want to stand as party leader, have the best interest of Labour and the electorate at heart or are they shoring up their political careers? We can include Peter Mandelson, Tony Blair, and a few others in that group. Because essentially politicians also have a vision of how they see the future and it is not always a selfless vision. [Stephen Kinnock MP is married to Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who is the prime minister of Denmark] Op-Ed: The right-wing media are loving Labour party tussles that have surfaced since Jeremy Corbyn was elected party leader on September 12, 2015. But all too often it seems there are some within the party, and not just the rank and file, that are lapping it up if not actively encouraging it. This has led to open letters in Tory supporting publications, as well as others that lean to the left, attacking Mr Corbyn and aiming to undermine him at every opportunity. An internal struggle to get control of the NEC, Labour's National Executive Committee, a body that decides the direction and policies of the party is underway. And the state of Israel could be playing a part, one way or another. Not much of the above sits well with this long time Labour voter. She like so many ordinary working class voters feels uncomfortable simply when she hears career politicians speaking about reconnecting with the working class as if this section of society is alien to them. There was a time when working class people occupied the senior roles of the Labour party and indeed that party's seats in the House of Commons. The Tory party front benches became a millionaire's row some years ago and at one time it was a similar picture at the other side of the house. But before you think this piece is all about the politics of envy hold that thought. Most working class people admire those who manage to run a successful political career and along the way help the rest of us. The politics of greed is a Tory concept or at least it used to be. But what about those seeking power in the Labour party that have their own agendas? This week the Manchester and Leeds Jewish Telegraph reports "GOVERNMENT Minister Jo Johnson has demanded an investigation into antisemitism at Oxford. His call came after the university's Labour Club was accused of having "some kind of problem with Jews"." "Joseph Edmund Johnson is a Conservative Party politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for Orpington since the general election in May 2010" and he is the brother of one-time London mayor and the man tipped as a possible future PM of the UK Boris Johnson. The Telegraph continues by saying Oxford’s "co-chairman Alex Chalmers made national headlines this week after he quit the group, accusing it of antisemitism. The 20-year-old history student, who is not Jewish, said he decided to resign after the club endorsed Israel Apartheid Week. Universities Minister Johnson said he was concerned over "reports of intimidation of Jewish students on campuses, which risked curtailing free speech"." While Israel Apartheid Week would need carefully managing as there will be students of the Jewish faith attending the university it seems a fairly good subject for a student protest and as if in some vague way to protect the free speech of some it is being curbed for others. Sadly some have taken anti-Semitism to a whole new level recently but that includes Zionist supporters. Having written and followed reports during the last Israeli occupation of Gaza which resulted in major infrastructure damage to the country and a huge loss of life it is difficult to empathise with the Israeli problem as it stands today. When you build a huge wall, include the side that faces the sea and prevent fisherman making a living, land grab and extend your borders, tell people of your faith across the world "come on come all" and simply expect other residents to vamoose you are on a hiding to nothing. Friends of Israel have many groups across the world and especially in the UK. They receive cross party support already. But it is galling how some are trying to use the Israel Palestine two-state issue to undermine Mr Corbyn. The timing of the Oxford investigation announcement which ties in with a proposed British government ban on any UK based Israeli trade boycott stinks. The government has even tried to say that a ban would protect UK national security. It will of course protect the incomes of those who have a vested interest in such trade and help keep the state of Israel ticking over nicely thank-you while the people of Palestine and Gaza starve. The ban will be for public procurement but once in place it could of course be extended. The IBT Times reports "On 17 February the government published new guidelines that aimed to "stop inappropriate procurement boycotts by public authorities". The guidelines have been published under an "open consultation", which means that British citizens are able to respond to the proposal by emailing their suggestions to the Department for Communities and Local Government." Thousands have reportedly written in to complain about the ban; will all critics be branded anti-semetic? One man who is angling to be re-elected to the NEC and is gathering support is Luke Akehurst. A piece about him in the Jewish Telegraph begins with this "BEING appointed director of BICOM's We Believe in Israel department was a dream job for Luke Akehurst. Luke, who has just stood down after 12 years as a Labour councillor in Hackney, spent 11 years as a lobbyist for a PR company and worked with Weber Shandwick, largely for the defence industry, as well as for property companies and local authorities. "As a PR consultant, you don't get a lot of choice about your clients," he said. "It was almost my dream job to run a pro-Israel campaigning organisation." And therein lies the rub. A man who wants to be part of the body that determines Labour party policy with links to the defence industry and whose dream job was working at the Believe in Israel department. Support for Israel has declined in the UK but that is not down to any type of religious hate but rather people despairing of what they often see these days as a rogue state. Young students have always protested-take David Cameron when he was at Oxford and voicing support for hanging Nelson Mandela. The British electorate needs a Labour party working as one and for issues at home but one that does not support apartheid in the world in my opinion. From the Jewish Telegraph Why non-Jewish Luke's family has always given support to Israel Minister seeks Oxford probe on antisemitism From the Independent Palestinians attack Tony Blair for helping Israel strike 'secret peace deal' with Hamas |
British political scene
The next General Election in the UK may not be scheduled any time soon but the British political landscape is changing. With that in mind this blog will concentrate on the political scene but with a left wing perspective. Opinion pieces and news will bring you the stories that the MSM prefer to ignore. Archives
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