"This is for Gaza"

Independent candidate overturns Labour’s Blackburn majority in historic victory


Friday 5 July 2024 

Credit: Adnan Hussain


An independent candidate has claimed a historic victory in the General Election - overturning Labour's 18,000-plus majority claiming "This is for Gaza".

Labour had held power in Blackburn since it was formed in 1955, but Adnan Hussain took the seat by just 132 votes.

Mr Hussain’s campaign had the support of local councillors who resigned from Labour in protest over the party’s reaction to the Israel-Hamas conflict and formed the 4BwD group which, following the May local elections, became the borough’s second largest party and official opposition to Labour.

The North West General Election 2024 results


A monotone map: The North West turns red as Labour make gains across the region

In his victory speech, he said: "This is for Gaza. I can’t deny the fact that I stand here on this platform before you is a result of a protest vote on the back of a genocide.

"I feel a mixed amount of emotion, one that I can’t truly explain… I can’t forget the reason why I’m here.

"I thank Kate Hollern for the contribution that she has made to our town. She has spoken about Palestine but I’m going to take it a lot further.”

He said he intended to “speak for every single person this town” and people were “disillusioned with mainstream politics”.

Has Labour's stance on Gaza lost the party North West councils?

Kate Hollern, former Labour MP for Blackburn.

Blackburn was first held by Labour with Barbara Castle elected at its creation in 1955. She went on to hold several Cabinet positions.

Jack Straw succeeded her in 1979 and went on to become home secretary and foreign secretary before he stepped down and was replaced by Kate Hollern - who retained the seat in 2015 and had held it since.

Ms Hollern triumphed with a majority of 18,304 at the 2019 general election, but that sizeable advantage evaporated as 34-year-old solicitor Mr Hussain took the seat.
Labour would have 'duty' to play 'full part' in resolving Gaza conflict

Referring to Sir Keir Starmer in his speech, Mr Hussain added: “For a leader of a party to say it is fair to cut off the food, the water and electricity to a besieged population is something that’s truly unforgivable.

"And today Blackburn you have shown you will not accept injustice no matter who it’s against and this injustice has been against the Gazans.”

He said he intended to “speak for every single person this town” and people were “disillusioned with mainstream politics”.

He went on: “I truly believe that in a time of austerity, poverty, we have a housing crisis, we have an immigration crisis, our NHS is suffering, rather than contributing towards wars that will ultimately blow up in our faces I believe that we should be spending money on our people here at home.

“We shouldn’t have people living on the streets.”

Mr Hussain was later greeted outside the election count venue at King George’s Hall by a crowd of jubilant supporters who chanted: “Free, free Palestine.”

Gaza concerns fuel independent's win in Blackburn

By Jonny Humphries, BBC News

Adnan Hussain

Adnan Hussain had pledged to be a "voice for all my community"

An independent candidate who tapped into local residents' anger about the war in Gaza has beaten Labour in Blackburn.

Solicitor Adnan Hussein snatched a stunning victory with 10,518 votes, just ahead of Labour's Kate Hollern's 10,386.

Ms Hollern had entered the election campaign defending a healthy majority of 18,616 from the 2019 election.

Mr Hussein had pledged to be "a voice for all" in the constituency in a video address when he announced his candidacy.

The Workers Party of Britain candidate John Murray came third with 7,105 votes.

About a third of Blackburn's residents are Muslim and the previously-safe Labour seat was one of several the party felt were vulnerable due to outrage from many who felt it had not spoken out strongly enough against the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

In his candidacy video, Mr Hussain had promised to make sure constituents' concerns about Gaza were "heard loud and clear in the places where our so-called representatives have failed".

Ms Hollern's defeat was Labour's second loss to an independent, after Jonathan Ashworth lost Leicester South to Shockat Adam.

Turnout in Blackburn dropped from 61.8% in 2019 to 53.1%.

Blackburn results: Labour shock loss as East Lancs and country go red

In his acceptance speech, new Blackburn MP Mr Hussain said: "This is for Gaza.

By Bill Jacobs@BillJacobsLT

Local Democracy Reporter



BLACKBURN provided the shock of the general election as Labour lost the once safe seat by just 132 votes as the rest of East Lancashire and the UK turned red.

Defending MP Kate Hollern was defeated by Independent Adnan Hussain who told the count in his acceptance speech: "This is for Gaza".

The loss of the constituency which Labour had held since its creation in 1955 left party activists stunned as its 2019 vote of 29,040 shrank to just 10,836.

Mr Hussain - backed by the Blackburn with Darwen Council 4BwD group who quit Labour over Gaza - got 10,518 votes as Mrs Hollern's majority of 18,304 vanished into thin polling day air.

But even as Labour lost its Blackburn fortress the party won the Rossendale and Darwen, Hyndburn, Pendle and Clitheroe, Burnley and Ribble Valley seats.

And nationwide Labour secured a landslide victory.

READ MORE: Adnan Hussain swamped by supporters after historic election win

Results from East Lancashire seats in general election 2024

Rossendale and Darwen's former Tory Party chairman Sir Jake Berry, Pendle and Clitheroe's health minister Andrew Stephenson. Ribble Valley MP for 32 years Nigel Evans, Burnley's first Tory MP for more than 100 years Antony Higginbotham and Hyndburn backbencher Sara Britcliffe joined Mrs Hollern as election day losers.

In his acceptance speech, new Blackburn MP Mr Hussain said: "This is for Gaza.

"I can't deny the fact that I stand here on this platform before you as a result of a protest vote on the back of a genocide.

"I feel a mixed amount of emotion, one that I can't truly explain. There is no excitement, not even a little.

"I can't forget the reason why I am here,

"I thank Kate Hollern for the contributions that she has made to our town.

"She has spoken up about Palestine but I am going to take it a notch further and make sure that I call it what I have been calling it for the last 10 years - a genocide.

"With our disillusion with mainstream politics means that it is time that we spoke the truth.

"I truly believe in a time of austerity, poverty, a housing crisis, an immigration crisis, our NHS is suffering that rather than contributing towards wars that will ultimately blow up in our faces we should be spending money on our people here,

"We shouldn't have people living on the streets, we shouldn't have a broken NHS. We shouldn't have the worries and anxieties that our people are facing across our town.

"I intend to speak up. I intend to speak for the common man and woman. I intend to speak for every single person in this town.

"I love every single person in this town. It's truly a time when we voice their voices. We voice the voices of the voiceless."

Mrs Hollern said: "Obviously I am disappointed but that's democracy."

Workers Party of Britain candidate Craig Murray came third in Blackburn with 7,105 votes with Reform UK's Tommy Temperley fourth with 4,844.

Conservative Jamie McGowan got just 3,474 compared to the party's 2019 second place performance of 10,736.

Liberal Democrat Adam Waller-Slack got 689 votes, down on his 1,130 in 2019, the Green Party's Denise Morgan 1,416.

The two remaining Independents Natasha Shah and Tiger Patel, who pulled out of the race to support Mr Murray, got 86 and 369 votes respectively.

With Blackburn one of the last seats to declare a result as dawn broke over the King George's Hall count venue after two partial recounts of bundles of votes, the implications of losing one of its safest seats for many years will reverberate through Labour.


Former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan Mr Murray said: "I think this is the most spectacular result of the whole general election.

"It's astonishing. It's a two-thirds collapse of the Labour vote. It's amazing.

"I was quite surprised I got so many votes."

GENERAL ELECTION 2024 RESULTS FOR BLACKBURN

Blackburn – Independent WIN

Adnan Hussain - Independent 10,518

Kate Hollern - Labour 10,386

Jamie McGowan - Conservative 3,474

Denise Morgan - Green 1,416

Craig Murray - Workers Party 7,105

Tiger Patel - Independent 369

Natasha Shah - Independent 86

Tommy Temperley - Reform UK 4,844

Adam Waller-Slack - Liberal Democrat 689

YORKSHIRE

Shock Independent win for Dewsbury in Labour landslide for Kirklees

Projections had shown all five seats were likely to be held or gained by Labour but this wasn't the case

Independent candidate, Iqbal Mohammad, was elected, taking almost 7,000 more votes than Labour’s Heather Iqbal.

NEWS
By Abigail Marlow

Local Democracy Reporter

5 JUL 2024


After a long night in Kirklees and thousands of votes counted, Dewsbury and Batley has an Independent MP, and Labour has taken the borough’s four remaining constituencies.

Going into the election, projections had shown that all five seats that cover Kirklees - Colne Valley, Dewsbury and Batley, Huddersfield, Ossett and Denby Dale, and Spen Valley - were expected to be held or gained by Labour, and this eventuality played out to a large degree at Huddersfield’s Cathedral House through the night. Here, votes were counted for four of the five seats

Paul Davies (Colne Valley), Harpreet Uppal (Huddersfield), and Kim Leadbeater (Spen Valley), were all elected to represent their constituencies, as was Jade Botterill (Ossett and Denby Dale) at the count in Wakefield. When it came to Dewsbury and Batley, Independent candidate, Iqbal Mohammad, was elected, taking almost 7,000 more votes than Labour’s Heather Iqbal.

Below is a more in-depth constituency-by-constituency breakdown of how the night played out:

Colne Valley

The Colne Valley seat has been closely contested in previous elections, and this year saw Labour’s Paul Davies and Tory MP Jason McCartney competing for top spot, with Davies successful in this feat gaining 18,970 votes to McCartney's 14,007.

The seat has changed hands between Labour and Conservative several times in recent years, with 2017 seeing just over 900 votes securing the victory of Labour’s Thelma Walker, pipping Tory MP Jason McCartney to the post. Two years later, McCartney reclaimed the seat but was unable to cling on this time.

As for other parties, the election saw Reform’s Stuart Hale take 7,298 votes, and Heather Louise Peacock gain 3,480 for the Greens. Katherine Macy followed with 2,007 votes for the Lib Dems, with Yorkshire Party candidate Timothy Millea receiving 459.

Speaking on the stage following his win, Paul Davies said: “I recognise that there will be many people who have voted for Labour for the first time in this election and I thank them for doing so. And I reassure them that I will do everything I can to deliver the change the people have voted for.

“Of course, there will be those of you who have not voted for me and to all of you I assure you that I will work tirelessly in your interests as well and be a voice and representative for the whole of Colne Valley, Holme Valley and Lindley, in Westminster.”

Dewsbury and Batley

If Kirklees’ local elections were anything to go by, the Dewsbury and Batley seat was set to be an exciting battle between Labour’s Heather Iqbal and Independent Iqbal Mohamed. When it came down to it, Iqbal Mohamed was triumphant taking a sizable majority, with almost 7,000 votes separating him and runner-up Heather Iqbal.

Next was Reform with Johnathan Robert Thackray with 6,152 votes, followed by the Conservatives’ candidate, Lalit Raghunath Suryawanshi, with 4,182. Simon John Cope gained 2,048 votes for the Greens, and finally, the Lib Dems’ John Edward Rossington took 1,340 votes.

In his victory speech, the newly-elected MP said: “Dewsbury and Batley are no longer shackled to a failed party system that has dominated our towns for far too long. This is our opportunity to speak without fear, without favour, and with absolute honesty.”

Ossett and Denby Dale

Previously held by Mark Eastwood, the former Dewsbury seat had been Conservative for the past five years. Like Colne Valley, the seat has switched between Labour and the Tories before, with Labour holding power between 1987 and 2010, then again from 2015 to 2019.

At this election, Eastwood had opted to stand in the newly-formed Ossett and Denby Dale seat but Labour’s Jade Botterill was elected taking 39.3 percent of the vote, compared to Eastwood’s 28.9 percent. Reform came in next with Sandra Senior on 9,224 votes, followed by the Greens’ Neil Doig taking 2,132.

Then was James Wilkinson for the Lib Dems with 1,785 votes, and finally Yorkshire Party candidate David Herdson with 810 votes.

Huddersfield

As a traditionally safe Labour seat, there was little doubt Huddersfield would be anything other following this election. Harpreet Uppal will be continuing the town’s Labour legacy, taking the seat from outgoing MP Barry Sheerman, who served the town for an impressive 45 years.

The General Election 2024 count taking place in Kirklees (Image: Abigail Marlow)

Taking a comfortable majority, Harpreet received 15,101 votes, with Green candidate Andrew Cooper gaining 10,568. Next was Tory candidate Tony McGrath with 6559 votes, then Reform’s Susan Laird with 6,196 votes, and Lib Dem candidate Jan Alexander Dobrucki at 1,741.

Harpreet Uppal described her election as the ‘honour of her life’ and said: “Thank you to the people of Huddersfield for putting your trust in me and the Labour Party. After 14 years of Conservative failure you have demanded change - change for our town and change for our country.”

Spen Valley

A by-election in 2021 saw Kim Leadbeater clinch the Batley and Spen seat with a narrow victory of just a few hundred votes, taking over from Tracy Brabin who stood down to become Mayor of West Yorkshire. This time, standing for the recently-established Spen Valley ward, Kim’s majority certainly was not slim, with the MP taking 16,076 votes.

In second place was Reform's Sarah Louise Wood who took 9,888 of the votes, with the Conservatives coming closely in third with Laura Kathryn Evans on 9,859. Next up were the Greens with Sean Price taking 2,284 votes, followed by Independent Javed Bashir with 1,526 and Lib Dem Alison Brelsford with 1,425.

Kim Leadbeater said: “I can commit myself here and now to work for every town and village across our beautiful area with every ounce of energy I have - and as many people know, that’s quite a lot. To the people of Spen Valley - thank you for putting your trust in me and for believing that we can change things for the better. Not just here but across the country.”

 

George Galloway beaten by Labour in Rochdale seat just four months after shock by-election win

5 July 2024

Veteran left-winger George Galloway has lost the Rochdale constituency. Picture: Alamy

 

By Will Conroy

Veteran left-winger George Galloway has lost the Rochdale constituency just four months after winning the seat in a shock by-election victory.

The leader of the Workers Party did not attend the count at Rochdale Leisure Centre to hear the General Election result.

After securing 11,587 votes, Mr Galloway was beaten by Labour’s Paul Waugh, a political journalist, who won with 13,027 votes. Reform UK's Michael Howard came third, with 6,773 votes.

Following defeat, Mr Galloway posted on X: "I thank the people of Rochdale who gave me 54 sitting days in the last parliament as their MP.

After securing 11,587 votes, Mr Galloway was beaten by Labour’s Paul Waugh. Picture: Alamy

"Big thanks to my agent, my campaign team and the thousands who voted for me today.

"We took the government party to within 1500 votes and serve notice on Labour that we are here to stay in Rochdale.

"We will field a full slate of council candidates, establish a full-time office there, campaign to re-open the Maternity Ward and A&E, and keep up the pressure on Labour in the town."

The former Labour and Respect member secured a convincing victory in Rochdale in February after winning more than 6,000 votes.

He gained almost 40% of the vote in the by-election after Labour withdrew support for its candidate Azhar Ali. Picture: Alamy

He gained almost 40% of the vote in a contest that was centred around the Gaza war after Labour withdrew support for its candidate Azhar Ali over remarks widely alleged to be antisemitic.

After his victory earlier this year, Mr Galloway said: "Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak are two cheeks of the same backside and they both got well and truly spanked."

Read more: Shellshocked Liz Truss motionless on stage as she loses to Labour by just 600 votes

Read more: ‘We did it’: Starmer says Britain has chance to ‘get its future back’ as Labour wins election

Mr Galloway was a Labour MP until 2003, before sitting in the Commons as an independent and Respect Party MP for three constituencies between 2003 and 2015.

Palestine has been a major theme of Mr Galloway's political career, throughout which he has opposed British and US foreign policies.

George Galloway loses Rochdale seat to Labour's Paul Waugh

Consortium News/Wikimedia Commons

Author: Callum McIntyre

George Galloway has lost the Rochdale constituency just 54 days after winning the seat in a shock by-election.

The leader of the Workers Party has been removed from parliament after conceding his seat to Labour candidate Paul Waugh by 1,400 votes.

George Galloway chose not to attend the count to hear the General Election result at Rochdale Leisure Centre.

Paul Waugh won the most votes for the constituency with 13,027, whilst Galloway took 11,600.

After that came Reform UK with the third highest number of votes, ahead of the Conservatives.

After defeat Mr Galloway took to X, formerly Twitter, to say: "I thank the people of Rochdale who gave me 54 sitting days in the last parliament as their MP.

"Big thanks to my agent, my campaign team and the thousands who voted for me today.

"We took the government party to within 1500 votes and serve notice on Labour that we are here to stay in Rochdale.

"We will field a full slate of council candidates, establish a full-time office there, campaign to re-open the Maternity Ward and A&E, and keep up the pressure on Labour in the town."

Former Labour and Respect member, Mr Galloway, swept to victory in Rochdale in February gaining almost 40% of the vote in a contest mired in chaos and controversy and dominated by the Gaza war.

Labour have swept across constituencies and gained territory around the country by winning parliamentary seats they haven't held since 2019.

Paul Waugh began his victory speech thanking George for his service, which was followed by shouts and heckles from the crowd.

Waugh said: "I know many of you have voted Labour here for the very first time. I'll do everything I can to repay that trust that every Labour voter has placed in me.

"And for those who didn't vote for me, I will work tirelessly on your behalf too."

He added: "Tonight's result's, here and across the country, show that no vote for any party can ever be taken for granted.

"They have to be earnt."

A FIRST

Glasgow election results in full as Labour oust SNP in every seat in the city

The SNP came second to Labour in every Glasgow constituency as the Greens finished third and Reform beat the Conservatives to take fourth.


NEWS By Drew Sandelands

Local Democracy Reporter
Sarah Hilley

Local Democracy Reporter

Maureen Burke (third from left), the new MP for Glasgow North East, with Labour colleagues at the Emirates Arena. 

Image by Sarah Hilley.

Glasgow Labour has ousted the SNP to take over every constituency in the city with all six nationalist candidates losing their seats. The Scottish Greens got the third highest number of votes coming behind the SNP.

And in a shock for the Conservative candidates, Reform candidates outperformed them in every seat in the city.

There were joyous scenes among Labour members during the count at the Emirates Arena at around 4am this morning while the mood among the SNP party was subdued.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar turned up to cheers and clapping before a single official result was announced.

Labour's Patricia Ferguson took Glasgow West beating the SNP's Carol Monaghan by about 6,000 votes.

After the win, Mrs Ferguson said the Labour Government will deliver economic stability, cheaper bills courtesy of GB Energy and cut NHS waiting lists among other plans.

She added: "It is clear people want change and across Glasgow it is no different. I look forward to working with all my colleagues to make that change a reality for all the citizens of Glasgow."

John Grady, who triumphed in Glasgow East, said: "I thank all of the voters of Glasgow East who put their trust in me to be their MP. It is my duty and honour to as an MP to represent each and every resident in Glasgow."

A total of 15,543 people voted for Mr Grady while the SNP's David Linden lost the seat with 11,759 votes.

Conservative candidate and councillor Thomas Kerr got 1,707 votes coming behind Reform's Donnie McLeod with 2371 votes.

Councillor Kerr said he believes it was a "protest vote."

He said: “I think people are fed up, they’re angry. There’s been 14 years of government in charge at Westminster, 17 years of the Holyrood government.

“People were scunnered with both parties and looked to let out their anger and let out their frustration. Sadly we lost votes to Reform, we were squeezed because of tactical voting to try and oust the SNP, that’s how we ended up where we are.

He added: “I think they are a protest vote. People are angry and they are frustrated. They are letting out their anger and I understand completely."

New Glasgow South Labour MP Gordon McKee said: “The country is going to wake up with a Labour government. 100 years on from the election of the first Labour government in 1924, the people of Glasgow have helped to elect a Labour government once again.

“I will work diligently and relentlessly on behalf of the many people who make up this wonderful constituency.”

Labour's Zubir Ahmed who will represent Glasgow South West said: “The message from tonight’s results is clear, the people demand change. They expect a government who will heal our divided country, who will grow our economy, who will ensure we feel secure in work and at home.”

GLASGOW NORTH:

Naveed Asghar (CONSERVATIVE) 1366

Helen Burns (REFORM) 1655

Iris Duane (GREEN) 4233

Nick Durie (ALBA) 572

Daniel O’Malley (LIBERAL DEMOCRATS) 1142

Martin Rhodes (LAB) 14,655

Alison Thewliss (SNP) 11116

Turnout: 51.65%

GLASGOW SOUTH WEST:

Zubir Ahmed (LABOUR) 15,552

John Hamelink (GREEN) 2727

Paul McGarry (LIBERAL DEMOCRATS) 958

Morag McRae (REFORM) 2236

Tony Osy (ALBA) 542

Mamun Ur Rashid (CONSERVATIVE) 1387

Chris Stephens (SNP) 12,267

Turnout: 51.98%

GLASGOW WEST:

James Calder (LIBERAL DEMOCRATS) 1316

John Cormack (CHRISTIAN PARTY) 310

Patricia Ferguson (LABOUR) 18621

Faten Hameed (CONSERVATIVE) 1720

Carol Monaghan (SNP) 12175

Dionne Moore (REFORM) 2098

Nick Quail (GREEN) 3662

Turnout: 58.07%

GLASGOW SOUTH:

Niall Christie (GREEN) 5554

Dhruva Kumar (ALBA) 444

Haroun Malik (CONSERVATIVE) 1617

Stewart McDonald (SNP) 13542

Gordon McKee (LABOUR) 17696

Peter McLaughlin (LIBERAL DEMOCRATS) 1316

Danny Raja (REFORM) 1736

Brian Smith (TRADE UNION AND SOCIALIST COALITION) 473

Turnout: 60.56%

GLASGOW EAST:

Matthew Clark (LIBERAL DEMOCRATS) 872

John Grady (LABOUR) 15543

Thomas Kerr (CONSERVATIVE) 1707

Amy Kettyles (GREEN) 2727

David Linden (SNP) 11,759

Liam McLaughlan (SCOTTISH SOCIALIST PARTY) 466

Donnie McLeod (REFORM) 2371

Turnout: 51.59%

GLASGOW NORTH EAST:

Maureen Burke (LABOUR) 15639

Robert Connelly (CONSERVATIVE) 1182

Evan Lewis (GREEN) 2471

Catherine McKernan (ALBA) 551

Anne McLaughlin (SNP) 11,002

Chris Sermanni (TRADE UNION AND SOCIALIST COALITION) 236

Gary Steele (COMMUNIST PARTY) 146

Sheila Thomson (LIBERAL DEMOCRATS) 592

Jonathan Walmsley (REFORM) 2272

TORY WIPE OUT

Keir Starmer pledges 'national renewal' after Labour wins UK election

Prime Minister-elect Keir Starmer pledged Friday to start a period of "national renewal" in the UK after his opposition Labour party crossing the 326-seat threshold for a working majority in the House of Commons, defeating the ruling Conservatives in the general election.


Issued on: 04/07/2024 -

06:41

Britain's Labour party leader Keir Starmer delivers a speech during a victory rally at the Tate Modern in London early on July 5, 2024. © Justin Tallis, AFP

Keir Starmer on Friday will become Britain's new prime minister, as his centre-left opposition Labour Party swept to a landslide general election victory, ending 14 years of right-wing Conservative rule.

"The Labour Party has won this general election, and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory," a sombre-looking Rishi Sunak said after he was re-elected to his seat.

"Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner with goodwill on all sides," the Tory leader added, calling the results "sobering" and saying he took responsibility for the defeat.

At a triumphant party rally in central London, Starmer, 61, told cheering activists that "change begins here" and promised a "decade of national renewal", putting "country first, party second".

But he cautioned that change would not come overnight, even as Labour snatched a swathe of Tory seats around the country, including from at least eight Cabinet members.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps was the highest-profile scalp of the night so far, with other big names, including senior minister Penny Mordaunt and leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg also defeated.

Finance minister Jeremy Hunt hung on to remain an MP, but only by 891 votes.

'Keir we go'

Labour raced past the 326 seats needed to secure an overall majority in the 650-seat parliament at 0400 GMT, with the final result expected later on Friday morning.

An exit poll for UK broadcasters published after polls closed at 2100 GMT on Thursday put Labour on course for a return to power for the first time since 2010, with 410 seats and a 170-seat majority.

The Tories would only get 131 seats in the House of Commons – a record low – with the right-wing vote apparently spliced by Nigel Farage's anti-immigration Reform UK party, which could bag 13 seats.

In another boost for the centrists, the smaller opposition Liberal Democrats would get 61 seats, ousting the Scottish National Party on 10 as the third-biggest party.

The projected overall result bucks a rightward trend among Britain's closest Western allies, with the far right in France eyeing power and Donald Trump looking set for a return in the United States.

British newspapers all focused on Labour's impending return to power for the first time since Gordon Brown was ousted by David Cameron in 2010.

"Keir We Go," headlined the Labour-supporting Daily Mirror. "Britain sees red," said The Sun, the influential Rupert Murdoch tabloid, which swung behind Labour for the first time since 2005.

Tory future

Sunak will tender his resignation to head of state King Charles III, with the monarch then asking Starmer, as the leader of the largest party in parliament, to form a government.

The Tories worst previous election result is 156 seats in 1906. Former leader William Hague told Times Radio the projections would be "a catastrophic result in historic terms".

But Tim Bale, politics professor at Queen Mary, University of London, said it was "not as catastrophic as some were predicting" and the Tories would now need to decide how best to fight back.

Right-wing former interior minister Suella Braverman and Mordaunt, who was leader of the House of Commons, both said the Tories failed because they had not listened to the British people.

But Brexit champion Farage, who finally succeeded in becoming an MP at the eighth time of asking, has made no secret of his aim to take over the party.

"There is a massive gap on the centre-right of British politics and my job is to fill it," he said after a comfortable win in Clacton, eastern England.
To-do list

Labour's resurgence is a stunning turnaround from five years ago, when hard-left former leader Jeremy Corbyn took the party to its worst defeat since 1935 in an election dominated by Brexit.

Starmer took over in early 2020 and set about moving the party back to the centre, making it a more electable proposition and purging infighting and anti-Semitism that lost it support.

Opinion polls have put Labour consistently 20 points ahead of the Tories for almost the past two years, giving an air of inevitability about a Labour win – the first since Tony Blair in 2005.

Starmer is facing a daunting to-do list, with economic growth anaemic, public services overstretched and underfunded due to swingeing cuts, and households squeezed financially.

He has also promised a return of political integrity, after a chaotic period of five Tory prime ministers, including three in four months, scandal and sleaze.

(AFP)

Newly-elected PM Keir Starmer poised to bring a low profile to 10 Downing Street

The Labour Party won a landslide victory in the UK general election on Thursday, making Keir Starmer the country’s first Labour prime minister in 14 years. Starmer's victory caps a remarkable political rise for the former human rights lawyer and chief prosecutor, first elected an MP in 2015.


Issued on: 05/07/2024 -

Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer delivers a speech on Labour's energy policy, at the Greenock Arts Centre, northwest of Glasgow on May 31, 2024. 

© Andy Buchanan, AFP

01:37

By: Cyrielle CABOT|

Video by: Charlotte HUGHES

Always neat in appearance, with his well-combed greying hair, stern expression and dispassionate voice, 61-year-old Starmer is an outlier in UK politics compared to his peers and Conservative predecessors.

Far removed from the antics of the likes of Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Jeremy Corbyn and Nigel Farage – whose careers have been peppered with controversy and scandal – the Labour Party leader stands out for his ability to keep a low profile.

So much so, in fact, that little is known about 10 Downing Street’s new occupant.
A knight with humble origins

Sir Keir – he rarely uses the honorific title himself – was awarded a knighthood in 2014 for his services to “law and criminal justice”.

Starmer comes from a modest background. Born to blue-collar parents in 1962, Starmer was named after Keir Hardie, founder of the Labour Party of which his parents were staunch supporters, and grew up in a small town in Surrey.

“My dad was a toolmaker and worked in a factory all his life, and my mum was a nurse,” Starmer often noted in speeches.

The first among four siblings to receive higher education, Starmer attended the University of Leeds from where he graduated with honours and a law degree before heading to Oxford for postgraduate studies.


Starmer then became a barrister in 1987, specialising in human rights law and represented death row inmates in Africa and the Caribbean.

Often providing legal advice for free, Starmer also worked on several high profile cases including the defence of environmental activists against McDonald’s and Shell.

Nicknamed “lefty lawyer” by opponents, Starmer took legal action against human rights violations in the context of the Northern Ireland conflict and helped set up the Northern Ireland Police Board following the Good Friday agreement that ended decades of violent conflict in Northern Ireland.

In 2008, Starmer was appointed Director of Public Prosecutions where he oversaw the prosecution of MPs charged with embezzlement and journalists accused of phone hacking.
A late start in politics

Starmer's entry into politics came fairly late in life, at the age of 52.

He was first elected to parliament in 2015, serving as the member for his London constituency where he lived with his wife and their two children.

Quickly climbing the ranks of the Labour Party, Starmer soon became shadow Home Office minister before quitting the role in protest of former party head Jeremy Corbyn’s lack of leadership during the Brexit campaign.

Starmer went on to become the party’s spokesman on Brexit-related issues and eventually took over the party’s leadership when Corbyn stood down following Labour’s crushing defeat in the 2019 general elections against Boris Johnson’s Conservatives.

It was from that point on that Starmer firmly established himself as a politician, said Thibaud Harrois, lecturer in contemporary British civilisation at Sorbonne-Nouvelle University.

"Keir Starmer made it his mission to turn the page on Jeremy Corbyn," Harrois said, adding that “he started by dismissing all those accused of anti-Semitism from within the party, including Jeremy Corbyn himself."

In May, Starmer expelled Corbyn from the party after suspending him over a row on anti-Semitism.

Intent on winning the popular vote, Starmer also started aligning Labour’s policies with the centre by preventing left-wing candidates from standing for the party.

Recentering Labour

"He really reshaped the then very left-leaning Labour Party in an attempt to appeal to a more centrist, even centre-right electorate," Harrois said.

Politically, Starmer favours economic interventionism and social policies, while remaining firm on immigration and security, he said.

"But he always remains measured, refusing to make big promises and constantly reminds people that the state coffers are empty", he added.

Harrois also highlighted Starmer’s “cautious” posture, often denounced by Tories and the hard left as “lacking in courage” and "prevents people from seeing his true position".

While he has promised to repeal laws restricting the right to strike, he has backpeddled on his proposal to increase welfare benefits.

Starmer also watered down what was seen as his flagship policy: investing up to 28 billion pounds (€33 billion) a year in renewable energies.

Despite attracting criticism from both ends of the political spectrum for his ideas, Starmer sought to court the public’s favour by calling attention to his modest upbringing.

"Unlike Tony Blair, for example, Keir Starmer is well aware that he is not charismatic," said Harrois. "By emphasising his background, he plays on the image of a man who is above all serious, straightforward and methodical," he said, adding that Starmer’s cultivated image has become an asset "after years of scandals" in UK politics.

But Starmer’s arrival at number 10 is mostly “contextual", driven by "the population's desire for change", Harrois said.

"In the current political landscape and in this particular context, he has succeeded in establishing himself as the serious alternative", he said.

A position perfectly illustrated by Starmer’s campaign slogan, chanted at every meeting: "It's time for change".

This paper is adapted from the original in French.

KEIR STAMERS VICTORY SPEECH

 

Angela Rayner: Life and career of Labour's soon-to-be Deputy Prime Minister after General Election win

By Sofia Fedeczko
Published 5th Jul 2024

By now, almost everyone in the country knows who Angela Rayner is.

After the General Election, which resulted in a landslide victory for Labour and the first change of government in 15 years, the Ashton-under-Lyne MP is now one of the most powerful people in the country.

As Angela and her Labour colleagues gear themselves up for the first crucial 100 days in power, here is everything you need to know about the life and career so far of the UK’s soon-to-be Deputy Prime Minister.

Angela Rayner’s life outside of politics

Unlike many of her colleagues in Westminster, Angela Rayner’s life started out on a council estate. Angela was many things before politics, including teenage mother, care worker and union official.

In interviews throughout her career, Angela has spoken openly about her difficult childhood, growing up in poverty and having to look after her mother, who had bi-polar and depression. She has two siblings.

Deputy leader and Ashton MP Angela Rayner | Getty Images

She attended Avondale School, but left at 16 with no qualifications and pregnant with her first child Ryan. She then returned to college part-time, studying social care and British Sign Language.

Angela went on to work as a carer looking after the elderly for Stockport Council for several years, eventually being elected as a union representative. She rose through the UNISON ranks, becoming the union’s highest elected official in the North West.

In 2010, she married Mark Rayner, a fellow Unison official. Angela had two more sons with Mark – Charlie, who was born 23 weeks premature, and Jimmy. The couple split in 2020 but have remained friends. Angela became a grandmother in 2017, aged 37, when her son Ryan welcomed a baby daughter.

Angela Rayner also had a relationship with fellow Labour MP and former shadow transport minister Sam Tarry. He was sacked from his ministerial role in 2022 after joining the picket line alongside striking rail workers. They split in 2023.

Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar and Deputy Labour Party Leader Angela Rayner speak at a campaign event in Hamilton on Friday. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Angela Rayner’s life in politics

Having risen the union ranks, Angela was selected to be a prospective party candidate for Labour in 2014 and then elected to parliament as the MP for Ashton-Under-Lyne in 2015. She was the constituency’s first female MP in its 180-year history.

After just one year in Westminster, Angela was selected for the front bench to serve as the Shadow Minister for Education under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. She was re-elected as MP in the 2017 General Election with a much higher share of the votes at 60.4%, and again in the 2019 snap general election with 48.1%.

She was elected Deputy Leader of the Labour party in 2020 when Keir Starmer became leader of the party. However, she was sacked as Party Chair following a historic Labour loss to the Conservatives in the Hartlepool by-election in 2021. She became Shadow Deputy Prime Minister during a reshuffle in 2023, taking over from Harriet Harmen. She was also appointed Shadow Secretary for Levelling Up. Politically, Angela Rayner has described herself as a socialist.

General Election 2024: 'Putting Tameside on the map' - Angela Rayner retains her seat in Ashton-under-Lyne

Tameside General Election results: Angela Rayner re-elected in Ashton-under-Lyne as Labour storm to landslide

Angela Rayner’s time in politics has not been without controversy. In 2021, she publicly apologised to the Conservative party for calling its members “scum” during the Labour party conference.

In 2022, she hit out at a Daily Mail article that claimed she was intentionally crossing and uncrossing her legs in Parliament as a part of a “Basic Instinct” style ploy to distract then Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Most recently, in March 2024, Angela Rayner was accused of not paying the capital gains tax on the sale of her Stockport council house in 2015. She was cleared in May following an investigation by Greater Manchester Police, who said that no further action was needed.

$-hell to take billion-dollar hit from Rotterdam biofuel site

Shell PLC (LSE:SHEL, NYSE:SHEL) is expected to write down up to $1 billion in impairment charges after pausing construction of its 820-000-tonne-per-year biofuels facility in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Shell announced the on-site pause earlier this week, stating that it would undertake an impairment review of the plant.

“Temporarily pausing on-site construction now will allow us to assess the most commercial way forward for the project,” said Huibert Vigeveno, Shell’s downstream, renewables and energy solutions director.

Shell began work on the plant in 2021, but plans fell to the wayside as the oil supermajor reassessed its commitment to green energy plans.

In a second-quarter trading update published today, Shell said it expects non-cash post-tax impairments of up to $2 billion, with up to $1 billion arising from pausing on-site construction of its Rotterdam HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids) facility.

Up to $800 million worth of impairments will also come from Shell’s Singapore-based chemicals & products segment.

CLIMATE CRISIS

Hurricane Beryl strikes Jamaica with widespread destruction

Grenada's PM has called the hurricane "Armageddon-like" as it wreaks havoc across the Caribbean with several people reported to have been killed.

Hurricane Beryl rips through Caribbean

Though slightly weakened, a destructive Hurricane Beryl is still on its way through the Caribbean and is now heading for Jamaica. Devastating winds and flooding have smashed houses and ships, killing at least six people

.Image: Ricardo Mazalan/AP Photo/picture alliance

Wind-whipped rain pounded the island for hours

 Marco Bello/REUTERS

The Caribbean island nation of Jamaica on Wednesday was facing the brunt of hurricane Beryl, classified as a powerful 'Category 4' storm. So far it has killed at least seven people, flattened numerous homes and destroyed crops on smaller islands as it has churned through the eastern Caribbean.

Biden: US ready to help areas hit by Hurricane Beryl  04:26

Wind-whipped rain pounded the island for hours as residents heeded authorities' call to shelter until the storm had passed.

Power issues in Kingston

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Beryl's eyewall was "brushing the south coast of Jamaica." The eyewall is where the most damaging winds and intense rainfall from a storm is found.

Power was knocked out in much of Kingston, the Jamaican capital.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness said on Wednesday afternoon that nearly 500 people were placed in shelters. By evening, he said that Jamaica had not seen the "worst of what could possibly happen."

Several roadways in Jamaica's interior regions were impacted by fallen trees and utility poles, while some communities in the northern section were without electricity, the government's information service reported.

"We can do as much as we can do, as humanly possible, and we leave the rest in the hands of God," Holness said.

Jamaica had announced a state of emergency and was declared a disaster zone for the next seven days, in anticipation.

Several roadways in the interior settlements of Jamaica were impacted by the storm

Image: Marco Bello/REUTERS

Mexico braces for storm

Mexico's Navy patrolled areas like Tulum telling tourists in Spanish and English to prepare for the storm's arrival.

As of late Wednesday, Beryl was forecasted to make landfall in a sparsely populated area of lagoons and mangroves south of Tulum in the early hours of Friday, likely as a weakened Category 2 storm.

That changed when it was expected to cross the Yucatan Peninsula and restrengthen over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, making a second strike on Mexico's northeast coast near the Texas border.

"We will have intense rains and wind gusts" from Thursday, Civil Protection national coordinator Laura Velazquez said, announcing the deployment of hundreds of military personnel, marines and electricity workers in anticipation of damage.
Beryl's widespread destruction

"Beryl has also affected the Cayman Islands and is expected to spin up to even higher speeds by Wednesday night and Thursday," the NHC said in an advisory.

Local authorities have issued hurricane warnings as the rapidly moving hurricane has felled power lines and unleashed flash floods across smaller islands.

Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince — currently in the grip of gang violence and experiencing an ongoing humanitarian crisis — also saw strong winds on Tuesday afternoon.

The new Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille has warned residents to take precautions and stay alert.

Grenada's PM calls it 'Armageddon-like'

Meanwhile other countries in the Carribean, which have already faced the wrath of Beryl, took stock of the situation.

Ralph Gonsalves, prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, said in a radio interview that the country's Union Island was "flattened" by Beryl. "Everybody is homeless ... It is going to be a Herculean effort to rebuild."

"90% of homes had been severely damaged or destroyed on one island in the Grenadines archipelago, Union Island," Prime Minister Gonsalves added. He confirmed one death and said more fatalities could be confirmed in the coming days.

The situation is "Armageddon-like," Grenada's Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said in a video briefing on Tuesday. He stressed that Carriacou and Petite Martinique, two of the three islands that make up the country, were badly affected by the natural disaster.

"There is no power. There is almost complete destruction of homes and buildings," he said, citing impassable roads due to downed power lines and destroyed fuel stations crimping supplies.

Beryl, the first to reach Category 4 in June

Scientists have said that Beryl's arrival has come earlier than is normally the case for such powerful storms. Given how the storm is rapidly strengthening, human-caused climate change might be the culprit, scientists argue.

The weather system is this year's first Atlantic hurricane and the earliest storm on record to reach the highest category on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.

"The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating based only on a hurricane's maximum sustained wind speed. This scale does not take into account other potentially deadly hazards such as storm surges, rainfall flooding, and tornadoes" the Central Pacific Hurricane Center reported.

sp, mk/sms, jsi (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)

Beryl foreshadows future hurricanes, says UN weather agency

Geneva (AFP) – The World Meteorological Organization, which is tracking Hurricane Beryl's deadly course through the Caribbean, told AFP that more storms with its hallmarks could be expected in the future.

Issued on: 04/07/2024 

Anne-Claire Fontan, scientific officer at the WMO's tropical cyclone programme, said that Beryl signals a very active Atlantic hurricane season in 2024 

© Jose ROMERO / NOAA/RAMMB/AFP

The WMO, the United Nations' weather and climate agency, said the record-breaking tropical cyclone intensified rapidly, picking up energy over a warmer Atlantic Ocean and developing into a system with lots of heavy rain.

Anne-Claire Fontan, scientific officer at the WMO's tropical cyclone programme, said that Beryl signals a very active Atlantic hurricane season in 2024.
How did Beryl develop?

"It developed quite quickly in an area which was unusual for this time of year.

"It reached category 4 in June; that was the earliest we've ever seen. It reached category 5 quickly afterwards, so there is a very rapid intensification.

"It reached category 5 very early in the season. It's really very unusual. Hurricane Beryl really broke records.

"For more than a year, there has been a significant positive anomaly of hot water in this area.

"So that's a lot of energy for cyclones, since they feed on the energy of the ocean.

"With such a powerful system, this early in the hurricane season, it suggests... a very active season for 2024."
Where will Beryl go next?

"Beryl will head towards the Yucatan peninsula.

"We are expecting violent winds even if Beryl is expected to decrease in intensity.

"And then it's expected to come out into the Gulf of Mexico.

"There is a little more uncertainty on its trajectory after passing over the Yucatan, recognising that when a hurricane is cut off from... the ocean... it will probably weaken enormously.

"By returning to warm waters, it could intensify. So this is where there is uncertainty... It remains to be seen whether it will be Mexico or Texas (afterwards)."
How will climate change affect hurricanes in future?

"Beryl is an illustration of what we can expect in the future: systems which intensify rapidly with a lot of energy at the ocean level, therefore category 5 systems with a lot of rain.

"A warmer world with global warming does not necessarily mean more tropical cyclones... in terms of frequency.

"(But) we expect a shift towards much more powerful systems -- so with much higher winds.

"Another factor is that in a warmer atmosphere that is capable of retaining more moisture, there will be increased rain associated with tropical cyclones."
What will their impact be?

"The categorisation of hurricanes relies on wind speeds, but the... dangers (are heavily linked to) rain, with all the hazards it brings, in the form of mudslides, flash floods. All of that will also increase.

"The sea level is rising. Tropical cyclones are associated with storm surges... which can cause catastrophic flooding when they make landfall, depending on the layout of the coast.

"So if the storm surges arrive with an already increased sea level, you can clearly see the flooding this can also cause.

"We have a huge population living near the coasts worldwide. So it will clearly be a problem to manage the populations at the coast."
A longer hurricane season?

"When it comes to what will happen to tropical cyclones in a warming world, in terms of a longer season, there is no information at the global level.

"On the other hand, studies have been carried out at the regional level... which show that the season may be extended."
Are systems geared to track such cyclones?

"Trajectory-level tropical cyclone forecasts have improved significantly.

"There is room for improvement in terms of intensity forecasting, and in particular rapid intensification.

"Rapid intensifications are not yet well understood by digital weather forecast models. The scientific community is constantly working on this."
How should vulnerable countries prepare?

"It is very important that all countries do hurricane preparedness, in other words that they sensitise their population to the dangers presented by tropical cyclones, (explaining) how they should react depending on the degree of danger.

"Preparing really means systematically educating the population in advance to know how to act, to prepare their house, then the family; knowing where the shelters are."

© 2024 AFP

Why are Southeast Asian countries looking to join BRICS?

Emmy Sasipornkarn

Malaysia and Thailand are the latest nations in Southeast Asia to express interest in joining the expanded BRICS group of emerging economies.

Last year, BRICS decided to expand its membership, inviting Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to join the bloc

Image: Sergei Bobylev/TASS/dpa/picture alliance

BRICS is attracting Southeast Asian countries, with Thailand and Malaysia being the latest to express their interest in joining the bloc.

Last month, Thailand submitted a membership request, while Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in an interview with Chinese news portal Guancha that his country would soon begin formal procedures.

"Being a member of BRICS would open up trade and investment opportunities, so the question is 'why not?'" Piti Srisangam, the executive director of the ASEAN Foundation, told DW.

"The bloc has members from all over the world, but none from Southeast Asia yet," he added.

According to James Chin, a professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania, "both Thailand and Malaysia are seen as middle powers."

"It's better for them to join groups like BRICS so that they will have a larger voice in the international arena. But the major benefit will be trade," he added.

BRICS: Emerging counterweight in a multipolar world  02:30

Greater economic opportunities

Last year, BRICS — an acronym that was originally used to refer to Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — decided to expand its membership, inviting Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to join the bloc.

The name for the expanded group has not yet been officially announced, but it could be called "BRICS+."

Combined, its members account for about 45% of the world's population — around 3.5 billion people.

Their economies are worth around $30 trillion (€28 trillion) — about 28% of the global economy, according to World Bank data.

The bloc "can help Malaysia's digital economy grow faster by allowing it to integrate with countries that have strong digital markets and also take advantage of best practices from other members," Rahul Mishra, associate professor at the Center for Indo-Pacific Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, told DW.

"Thailand would also be able to draw investments in important industries including services, manufacturing, and agriculture," he added.

Experts believe joining BRICS would help Malaysia's transforming economy grow faster

Image: AP

Chin believes the trade ties that Malaysia and Thailand already have with China have influenced their decisions to join BRICS.

China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for the past 15 years and Thailand's biggest for 11 years, according to official data.

Both these Southeast Asian nations becoming BRICS members "will enhance their relationship with China," Chin told DW.

Not taking sides

Last month, Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa insisted that Bangkok did not view joining BRICS as an act of "choosing sides," or as a way to counterbalance any other bloc.

"Thailand is unique in that we are friends with every country and enemies to none. We can act as a bridge between developing countries and BRICS members," Maris said.

Apart from BRICS, Thailand has also applied to join the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which has 38 mostly Western members.

"Small and middle powers do not have many options," Piti said. "What Thailand is doing is a balancing act — one foot with the Western liberal democracy and the other foot with the emerging economies."

In Malaysia, public sentiment is currently more in favor of China, the world's second-largest economy after the United States, according to a recent survey by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, a Singaporean think tank.

What does BRICS want? 09:36

Nearly three-quarters of the survey's respondents said ASEAN should favor China over the US if the bloc were forced to align with one of the two rival superpowers.

In June, during the three-day visit of Chinese Premier Li Qiang to Malaysia, Anwar criticized "the incessant propaganda that we should cast aspersions and fear the dominance of China economically, militarily, technologically."

"We do not. We in Malaysia, having a neutral stance, have the resolve to work with all countries and with China," he added.
Will other ASEAN nations follow?

Malaysia and Thailand are not the only countries in Southeast Asia interested in joining BRICS.

In May, Pham Thu Hang, Vietnam's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told a press briefing in Hanoi that "like many countries around the world, we are closely monitoring the process of BRICS membership expansion."

Mishra believes Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia "could be the potential applicants" as they already have good ties with China, India, and Russia — all key players in BRICS.

In 2023, South Africa hosted the annual BRICS summit in Johannesburg

Themba Hadebe/AP/picture alliance

"For Vietnam, which has been registering significant investments, it would be a good opportunity to further boost its trade beyond their traditional markets into the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa," he added.

Ahead of the BRICS summit in South Africa last year, there had been speculation that Indonesia — the only G20 country in Southeast Asia that hopes to complete the accession process with the OECD within three years — could become a BRICS member.

But ultimately, Indonesian President Joko Widodo told the public that his government had decided not to submit a letter of interest. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said at a press conference in January that Jakarta was still weighing the pros and cons of the BRICS membership.

Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru

Emmy Sasipornkarn 

Multimedia journalist covering Thailand and Southeast Asia