Labour drops Tory plans to cut Civil Service numbers

Ben Riley-Smith
Sun, 4 August 2024 

Whitehall


The Government has quietly scrapped Tory plans to cut 66,000 Civil Service jobs.

In cuts announced in October 2023, Jeremy Hunt vowed to freeze numbers and eventually reduce them to pre-Covid pandemic levels.

But documents released by The Treasury last week confirmed the freeze had been abandoned alongside plans to reduce overall numbers.

The Civil Service headcount ballooned from about 380,000 before the Brexit vote in 2016 to around 480,000 at the start of 2023.

A Treasury insider defended the approach by noting that departments were still being asked to reduce administration budgets by 2 per cent, which could mean some job reductions.

Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to axe the planned cuts to the Civil Service came after he appointed Sue Gray, a former mandarin, as his all-powerful chief of staff.

Ms Gray was previously the second most senior official at the Cabinet Office, which is the government department responsible for overseeing Whitehall.

Sweeping powers over Labour policy

She was a controversial hire, having shot to prominence over her role in the Partygate investigation that brought down Boris Johnson.

Now she has sweeping powers over Labour policy and has surprised some within the party by actively lobbying for causes including the refurbishment of Casement Park.

But senior Tories criticised the decision. Mr Hunt said: “Labour is prioritising Whitehall over the taxpayer.

“We took the difficult decisions to cut the Civil Service headcount to 2019 levels to deliver important measures like increasing defence spending to 2.5 per cent.

“But if even relatively obvious decisions like this are ducked then it is all too obvious why the Chancellor has to invent fictitious black holes to justify tax rises.”

The civil servant rise has been put down to expansions in government departments needed to deal with the negotiated departure from the EU and the challenges of the pandemic.

Mr Johnson first vowed to reduce the size of the Civil Service by a fifth in May 2022, meaning more than 90,000 jobs would need to go.
‘New policies should not always mean new people’

Mr Hunt, who was kept on as chancellor by Rishi Sunak, outlined his own plans in October 2023 at the Conservative Party conference.

He said then: “We have the best civil servants in the world and they saved many lives in the pandemic by working night and day.

“But even after that pandemic is over, we still have 66,000 more civil servants than before. New policies should not always mean new people.

“So today I’m freezing the expansion of the Civil Service and putting in place a plan to reduce its numbers to pre-pandemic levels. This will save £1 billion next year.

“And I won’t lift the freeze until we have a proper plan not just for the Civil Service but for all public sector productivity improvements.”

Last week Rachel Reeves, Mr Hunt’s successor, abandoned several Tory projects, claiming she had inherited a £22 billion “black hole” in spending plans.

A Treasury document giving more detail noted “the Civil Service headcount cap announced by the previous administration will be lifted”.

Sources also confirmed the job cuts plan had been dropped.
‘It’s a chumocracy’

Critics of the drive have long argued that no detailed explanation for how the cuts were to be implemented was ever announced by either Mr Johnson or Mr Hunt.

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, who as a Cabinet Office minister under Mr Johnson championed the cuts drive, was critical.

Sir Jacob said: “What has happened is the Labour Party has got in and shown itself to be a chumocracy.

“You take money from pensioners who vote Tory and you give it to public sector workers who you think are your voters and you want to employ even more of them. It’s pork barrel politics at its finest.”

A Treasury source defended the approach: “This Chancellor has already pressed Treasury officials time and time again to be driving efficiencies. It was one of the main things she focused on when she uncovered the £22 billion black hole and it led to the savings in the document.”

Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA which represents civil servants, said: “The previous government’s approach to setting a fixed headcount reduction was not only an intellectually bankrupt approach to driving efficiencies, but also led to perverse outcomes such as an increase in consultancy spend across the Civil Service.

“They were repeatedly advised that the approach was unworkable, but prioritised easy headlines over actual solutions.

“The Civil Service is a complex organisation of half a million staff in more than 250 diverse organisations. The idea you can dream up the perfect staffing level for 2029, simply based on what it was in 2019, demonstrates it was never about serious workforce management, or an attempt to match government commitments to the resources allocated by ministers.”

Gaza: airstrikes on schools and a hospital kill 30 amid ‘heated’ US-Israeli talks

Emma Graham-Harrison in Jerusalem

THE GUARDIAN
Sun, 4 August 2024

Israeli airstrikes hit two schools and a hospital complex in Gaza on Sunday, killing at least 30 people, amid reports of heated disagreements between US and Israeli leaders about a possible ceasefire deal.

Inside Israel, a Palestinian stabbed two people to death in a city near Tel Aviv, adding to tensions as the country braces for Iran’s response to the assassinations of key allies this week.

Fears of an all-out war in the region escalated after Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran and an Israeli airstrike hit Hezbollah’s second-in-command in Beirut. Iran has sworn revenge.


An Israeli military spokesperson warned the country’s air defence systems were “not airtight” and urged the public to be alert, as the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the country was already in a multi-front war with Iran and its allies.

France and Italy became the latest countries to urge their citizens to leave Lebanon, as Israelis reported GPS jamming around Tel Aviv on Sunday, something the military has said in the past it does to counter the threats of drones and missiles.

The US has promised to defend Israel, ordering an aircraft carrier to sail to the region and moving other military assets into position.

Despite that solidarity in the face of a potential Iranian attack, the US president, Joe Biden, has been open about concerns that the killing of Haniyeh will complicate efforts to stop the fighting in Gaza, which is key to regional de-escalation.

He had a “heated conversation” this week with Netanyahu, who was forced to deny that he was an obstacle to a ceasefire and hostage release deal, the New York Times has reported, quoting a senior US official.

That was just the latest confrontation between two increasingly uneasy allies. Biden reportedly told the Israeli leader to “stop bullshitting me” when they discussed the return of hostages at an in-person meeting at the White House late last month.

“Biden realised that Netanyahu was lying to him about the hostages,” the Haaretz newspaper quoted a senior administration official as saying.

Biden’s reported scepticism about Netanyahu’s commitment to the return of Israeli hostages puts him on the same page as Israel’s defence chiefs. They believe the country’s leader is not interested a ceasefire deal even though they consider a workable proposal to be on the table, Israeli media reported this week.

Israeli airstrikes on two schools in Gaza City killed at least 25 people sheltering there on Sunday, and another attack on the courtyard of al-Aqsa hospital killed at least five people and set the tents of displaced people on fire.Interactive

The hospital is the main medical facility in the central city of Deir al-Balah, but its grounds have become an informal settlement for people who have fled their homes, many of them displaced various times as Israeli troops have moved across the strip during 10 months of war.

Video from the Associated Press showed men trying to put out fierce flames in the early morning dark and rescue the injured. A second strike on a nearby home killed a girl and her parents, the hospital said.

Those attacks came the day after 16 people were killed and 21 injured in a previous airstrike on displaced people sheltering in another school in Gaza City. The UN says 85% of school buildings in the Gaza Strip have been directly hit or damaged.

Israel’s military said it had struck Hamas command centres at the schools, and that the hospital strike targeted a militant, without providing further details or evidence.

The majority of the 2.3 million population have been displaced from their homes, many various times.

Many have been living for months in makeshift tent encampments or overcrowded shelters in shrinking “humanitarian zones”, which Israel still sometimes hits with airstrikes. The Israeli military also issued new evacuation orders on Sunday for parts of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

The toll from the war in Gaza reached 39,580 on Sunday, the territory’s health authorities said. Not all the dead have been identified, but civilians make up a majority of the 25,000 who have been named.

Thousands more are buried under the rubble or at risk from hunger and infectious diseases, whose spread is fuelled by the lack of clean water and sanitation across Gaza.

There has been a “frightening increase” in cases of hepatitis A to 40,000 since the war started from 85 in the same period a year ago, the head of the UN’s Palestinian relief agency (Unwra), Philippe Lazarrini said on Friday.

Polio has also been detected in waste water, putting many children there who are unvaccinated or have not completed the course of vaccination at risk of infection and possible paralysis.

The Israeli military announced in late July that it would offer a booster course of polio vaccine to troops serving in Gaza.

The WHO has said it is sending 1m polio vaccines, but warned it is not enough just to get them over the border, calling for a ceasefire to ensure all children who need coverage can be reached.

Israel launched its campaign in Gaza after cross-border Hamas attacks on 7 October, during which 1,200 people, most of them civilians, were killed and about 250 taken hostage.

The stabbings in Israel on Sunday took place in Holon, just south of Tel Aviv, in a park and near a fuel station. The victims were a woman in her 70s and a man in his 80s. Two men were injured, Israel’s ambulance service said.

Pharmacies in England cutting services amid financial pressures, research finds

Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent
Sun, 4 August 2024 

The research comes as data shows that almost 1,000 pharmacies in England have closed since 2017.Photograph: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian


Pharmacies across England are unable to provide critical NHS and public health services owing to the overwhelming financial and operational pressures they are facing, according to research.

A poll of pharmacy owners representing more than 2,100 pharmacies found that more than 96% of respondents said they had stopped providing locally commissioned services over the past 12 months.

These include emergency contraception and products to help quit smoking.


Four in five (81%) of pharmacy owners polled said they have had to stop offering extended opening hours, while 90% have had to stop employing locum pharmacists owing to the high costs.

Of the 92 owners polled for the representative body Community Pharmacy England, more than one-fifth said they have had to end free delivery of prescription medicines to patients.

The research comes as data shows that almost 1,000 pharmacies in England have closed since 2017, with poorer areas being affected disproportionately by the closures.

The Pharmacy First scheme was fully launched on 1 January this year, with patients in England now offered treatment for seven common conditions including urinary tract infections and shingles by a chemist without having to see a GP.

Janet Morrison, chief executive of Community Pharmacy England, said: “Across England patients and local communities are paying the price of our collapsing community pharmacy network, as thousands of pharmacies have been left with no choice but to reduce the services that they can offer. These are not decisions that any pharmacy wants to make, but with a 30% real-terms funding reduction and spiralling costs, pharmacy owners are having to make impossible decisions to try to keep their doors open.

Nick Kaye, the chair of the National Pharmacy Association, said: “The nation’s community pharmacies are under enormous pressure and are totally underfunded for their vital work on the health service frontline.

“This has inevitably resulted in cutbacks such as reduced opening hours and ending free medicines deliveries to housebound patients. Worse still, well over 1,000 pharmacies have been forced to close in the past decade.

“The government should be investing in us to reduce GP waiting times, but right now we are going backwards instead of fulfilling our potential as skilled clinicians.

He added: “If GPs limit the number of daily appointments, more patients will come to community pharmacies for help, but we are not in great shape after years of cuts. Our ability to be an effective shock-absorber for disruption elsewhere in the healthcare system has been eroded and we have serious capacity challenges.

“We need a new deal for community pharmacies that properly funds our work and allows us to deliver great NHS services.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The NHS is broken, and pharmacies have been undervalued for too long.

“This government will shift the focus of the NHS out of hospitals and into the community. We will expand the role of pharmacies making better use of pharmacists’ skills, including accelerating the rollout of independent prescribing and establishing a community pharmacist prescribing service.”


Many online pharmacies selling weight loss products illegally: Study

Tara Suter
Sat, 3 August 2024



Many online pharmacies that are selling semaglutide, the main ingredient in weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, are doing so illegally, according to new research.

The study, released Friday in the journal JAMA Network Open, found that when researchers used search engines to try and find “websites advertising semaglutide without a prescription” in the summer of last year, 42.27 percent of the online pharmacies that came up “belonged to illegal pharmacy operations.”

“This qualitative study found that semaglutide products are actively being sold without prescription by illegal online pharmacies, with vendors shipping unregistered and falsified products,” the study reads. “Two websites evaluated were sent [Food and Drug Administration (FDA)] warning letters for unlawful sale of unapproved and misbranded semaglutide.”

Tim Mackey, an author of the report and professor at the University of California, San Diego, said those who are shopping online for the anti-obesity meds are facing “serious consumer risks” of receiving medicine that is fake, ineffective and potentially dangerous.

The research echoes alerts from the World Health Organization (WHO), which warned in June that fake versions of semaglutide were located, and being sold, in different countries.

The World Health Organization (WHO) put out a medical product alert in June that warned of fake versions of semaglutide, diabetes drug, being located in different countries

“WHO advises healthcare professionals, regulatory authorities and the public [to] be aware of these falsified batches of medicines,” Dr. Yukiko Nakatani, WHO assistant director-general for Access to Medicines and Health Products, said in a statement. “We call on stakeholders to stop any usage of suspicious medicines and report to relevant authorities.”

Manufacturers have found it difficult to keep up with the demand for the anti-obesity meds, which can cost up to $1,300 per month, the study found. Because of this, the number of people searching for the medicine on online pharmacies has increased, exacerbating the rise in “knock off” products, per the research.

Mackey added that the rise in potentially illegal online sales can also be credited to insurance plans that do not cover the injections or patients whose doctors will not write them a prescription for the drug. Medicare also will not pay for the medicine when they are prescribed for weight loss, the study explained.

Mackey and his colleagues tested six different samples of semaglutide from different online pharmacies. In their study, they found that at least two of the pharmacies had received warning letters from the Food and Drug administration for the unlawful sale of misbranded semaglutide.

The drugs purchased online also contained up to 39 percent more semaglutide than was labeled on the medicine, the research found. Overdosing on the medicine could lead to nausea, vomiting and dangerous drops in blood sugar, which can make people feel sick, per the FDA.

Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly announced in June that it was filing several legal actions against med-spas, wellness centers and other entities that used unapproved products resembling their weight loss drug.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



Health experts issue paracetamol warning to all Brits after revealing study

Matthew Evans
Sun, 4 August 2024 

Some people who take paracetamol regularly could have a heightened risk of certain deadly diseases (Image: Getty)


A medical study has highlighted the dangers of taking paracetamol regularly which has since prompted experts to send a warning to Brits.

It was assumed that - until fairly recently - paracetamol was a completely safe drug to use in patients with high blood pressure.

However, it has now been revealed that some people who take paracetamol regularly could have a heightened risk of certain deadly diseases.

A 2022 study found the effect on blood pressure is similar to that of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen.


NSAIDs are used to manage chronic pain but are also known to increase blood pressure and risk of heart disease, according to the ECHO.

Experts have said the increase in blood pressure might be expected to increase the risk of heart disease or stroke by around 20%. Researchers say patients who have a long-term prescription for the painkiller, usually used for the treatment of chronic pain, should be given the lowest effective dose for the shortest time possible.

Professor James Dear, personal chairman of clinical pharmacology at the University of Edinburgh, said: "This study clearly shows that paracetamol, the world's most used drug, increases blood pressure, one of the most important risk factors for heart attacks and strokes.

Prof Dear said doctors and patients should "together consider the risks versus the benefits" especially where patients are at risk of cardiovascular disease. He continued: "In summary, we've shown that two weeks of treatment with paracetamol increases blood pressure in patients who have hypertension (high blood pressure)."

Lead investigator Dr Iain MacIntyre, consultant in clinical pharmacology and nephrology at NHS Lothian said people who use paracetamol every once in a while shouldn't worry.

Dr MacIntyre said: "This is not about short-term use of paracetamol for headaches or fever, which is, of course, fine - but it does indicate a newly discovered risk for people who take it regularly over the longer term, usually for chronic pain."

The study found that after people stopped taking the drug, their blood pressure returned to what it was at the start of the study, suggesting the drug increased it.

"Doctors should always weigh up the benefits and risks"

Researchers said they did not have accurate numbers of the people in the UK who are on paracetamol long-term and have high blood pressure. However, it is estimated that one in three adults in the UK who have high blood pressure take paracetamol regularly.

According to the experts, the study was set up to see a very small effect on blood pressure, and they were surprised to see a much bigger impact.

Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, medical director at the British Heart Foundation, which funded the study, said the findings "emphasise why doctors and patients should regularly review whether there is an ongoing need to take any medication" and "always weigh up the benefits and risks."

Blood Pressure UK says around one in three adults in the UK has high blood pressure. In England, this is 31% of men and 26% of women.

‘JD Vance is a fraud. He’s not for working class people’: UAW President said

Bernie Sanders and labor leaders set their sights on Gov. Tim Walz for Harris' VP

Hannah Getahun
Sat, 3 August 2024 


Sen. Bernie Sanders said he backed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as Kamala Harris' VP pick.


Walz is seen as a candidate who understands the working class and can rally rural voters.


Labor leaders have also voiced support for Walz and applauded his support of the 2023 UAW strike.

Among the many men who could join Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign, one person stands out to Sen. Bernie Sanders: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

The democratic socialist, who endorsed Harris for president, told Minnesota Public Radio on Saturday that Walz would be a candidate who "understands the needs of working families."

"I hope very much that the Vice President selects a running mate who will speak up and take on powerful corporate interests, and I think Tim Walz is somebody who could do that," Sanders said of Walz, a former teacher and rural Nebraska native.

Sanders isn't the first to point out Walz's potential to rally working-class voters. As Business Insider's John Dorman reported, Walz could help connect with rural and working-class voters who are unsure about voting blue.

Multiple Minnesota labor leaders have voiced support for Walz in an open letter to Harris, calling him an "essential partner in winning in November."

Walz also received support from United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain, who pointed out on CNN Walz's support for the 2023 UAW strike, which ended in October. Walz joined the picket line at a striking Stellantis facility in Plymouth, Minnesota.

The Midwestern Democrat has also taken it upon himself to pit his rural roots against former President Donald Trump's VP pick, JD Vance, who is from Ohio.

"People like JD Vance know nothing about small-town America," Walz said during an appearance on "Morning Joe."

Walz is among several others being considered as a Harris running mate. Other contenders include Govs. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, JB Pritzker of Illinois, and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, as well as Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Rep. Adam Schiff predicted on Saturday that Harris' VP pick will be based on "best running mate that will help her win."

"I think it's going to be less about who does she have the best chemistry with and more about who has the best chance of helping the ticket," he told CNN.

Harris is expected to reveal her choice of running mate as early as Monday, sources told Reuters.

The Harris campaign told Politico that Harris would stage her first rally with her running mate in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Representatives for Walz, Sanders, and Harris did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Some activists step up criticism of Shapiro and Kelly as Harris closes in on naming a running mate

WILL WEISSERT
Updated Sat, 3 August 2024 






 Vice President Kamala Harris waves during a campaign rally, July 30, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats have unified with remarkable speed behind Vice President Kamala Harris as she has taken over the top of the party's ticket heading into the November presidential election.

It may be another story when it comes to a running mate.

As Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly have emerged as among the possible finalists, both have faced criticism from some organizations and activists who might otherwise be supportive of Democratic causes, potentially undermining the party's newfound unity barely two weeks after Harris entered the race.


The vice president's team says she is interviewing six possible choices over the weekend before an announcement expected Monday. The next day, she and her running mate will appear together at a rally in Philadelphia, then visit six more swing states.

In addition to Shapiro and Kelly, Harris is said to be considering Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Walz changed his weekend travel plans, but his office didn’t answer a question Saturday about whether it was for an interview with Harris. “The governor’s schedule has changed, and he is no longer traveling to New Hampshire this weekend,” Walz spokesman Teddy Tschann said.

Some congressional Democrats have promoted Kelly, a former Navy pilot and astronaut whose state has more than 370 miles of border with Mexico. They say his selection could help defuse attacks by the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, who argues that Biden administration's immigration policies are too relaxed.

Shapiro has high-profile supporters, too, including Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker. She caused a stir by posting a video Friday depicting several Philadelphia-area officials and Democrats promoting Harris, but also playing up Shapiro as her running mate — appearing to suggest that the mayor had inside knowledge about Harris’ decision.

But a person with knowledge of the mayor’s thinking said the video was simply a case of Parker showing support for both Harris and the potential that Shapiro, Parker’s friend, would be the vice presidential pick. The person was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Both Kelly and Shapiro have also seen their detractors become more vocal as Harris' closes in on a decision.

While that may not ultimately sway Harris, it is an indication that the honeymoon period for the vice president, where the distinct wings of the Democratic Party coalesced behind her, may be ending in the less than two weeks since President Joe Biden abandoned his reelection bid and endorsed her.

Some labor groups have criticized Kelly, saying he opposes proposed legislation they argue would boost union organizing. The senator's office counters that while he did not co-sponsor the proposed legislation, he has said he would vote for it on the floor.

Still, Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, said that despite backing Harris for president, his 370,000-member union is not supporting Kelly as a potential running mate. Fain also said the union does not favor Shapiro, who has previously proved willing to join with Republicans in calls to expand voucher programs that allow public tax dollars to flow to private schools.

Fain did single out Beshear, Walz and Pritzker for praise.

“She’s probably got a thousand people telling her the same thing, you know, of what they think,” Fain said in an interview. “And so she’s got to make the decision based off of what she feels is, you know, is best for her.”

The nonprofit Institute for Middle East Understanding has been publicly vocal, saying in a statement that Shapiro “is not the right candidate for the job, and selecting him would be a step in the wrong direction.”

Shapiro, who says he plans to be at Harris' rally Tuesday in Philadelphia, has aggressively confronted what he views as antisemitism cropping up from pro-Palestinian demonstrations and he has professed solidarity with Israel in its drive to eliminate Hamas as it Israel battles the militants in Gaza.

Shapiro called out universities for not acting quickly to tackle antisemitism and he became a prominent critic of the University of Pennsylvania’s president, Liz Magill. She resigned after testifying at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say under repeated questioning that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the school’s conduct policy.

Shapiro has also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while suggesting that any end to the Israel-Hamas war requires the removal of Hamas from power.

The governor has been criticized by the Council on American-Islamic Relations for not condemning Israel for the killing of civilians in Gaza or for not calling for Israel to stop the fighting in the territory. Shapiro has countered that he has met with Muslim Americans and understands their pain.

The progressive activist organization RootsAction.org opposes Shapiro’s views on Israel, school vouchers and the environment, among other issues. It says that in considering Shapiro, Harris “has set off alarm bells among young people, racial justice organizers, Arab Americans, Muslims and others whose votes and campaign activism were crucial to defeating Trump four years ago.”

Meanwhile, The Philadelphia Inquirer resurfaced an opinion article Shapiro wrote in 1993 as a 20-year-old college student at the University of Rochester where he said peace “will never come” to the Middle East and that Palestinians were “too battle-minded” to coexist with Israel.

Asked about it, Shapiro responded, “I was 20” adding that he long has supported a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

“It is my hope that we can see a day where peace will reign in the Middle East,” he said.

Also opposing Shapiro are some environmental leaders and residents of the rural town of Dimock, Pennsylvania. They have drafted a letter to Harris urging her not to choose Shapiro and charging that the governor failed to keep his promises to clean up area groundwater contaminated by natural gas production via hydraulic fracturing.

___

Associated Press writers Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, and AP Auto Writer Tom Krisher in Detroit contributed to this report.

Bernie Sanders and labor leaders set their sights on Gov. Tim Walz for Harris' VP

Hannah Getahun

Sat, 3 August 2024 at 6:14 pm GMT-6·2-min read

• Sen. Bernie Sanders said he backed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as Kamala Harris' VP pick.

• Walz is seen as a candidate who understands the working class and can rally rural voters.

• Labor leaders have also voiced support for Walz and applauded his support of the 2023 UAW strike.

Among the many men who could join Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign, one person stands out to Sen. Bernie Sanders: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

The democratic socialist, who endorsed Harris for president, told Minnesota Public Radio on Saturday that Walz would be a candidate who "understands the needs of working families."

"I hope very much that the Vice President selects a running mate who will speak up and take on powerful corporate interests, and I think Tim Walz is somebody who could do that," Sanders said of Walz, a former teacher and rural Nebraska native.

Sanders isn't the first to point out Walz's potential to rally working-class voters. As Business Insider's John Dorman reported, Walz could help connect with rural and working-class voters who are unsure about voting blue.

Multiple Minnesota labor leaders have voiced support for Walz in an open letter to Harris, calling him an "essential partner in winning in November."

Walz also received support from United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain, who pointed out on CNN Walz's support for the 2023 UAW strike, which ended in October. Walz joined the picket line at a striking Stellantis facility in Plymouth, Minnesota.

The Midwestern Democrat has also taken it upon himself to pit his rural roots against former President Donald Trump's VP pick, JD Vance, who is from Ohio.

"People like JD Vance know nothing about small-town America," Walz said during an appearance on "Morning Joe."

Walz is among several others being considered as a Harris running mate. Other contenders include Govs. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, JB Pritzker of Illinois, and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, as well as Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Rep. Adam Schiff predicted on Saturday that Harris' VP pick will be based on "best running mate that will help her win."

"I think it's going to be less about who does she have the best chemistry with and more about who has the best chance of helping the ticket," he told CNN.

Harris is expected to reveal her choice of running mate as early as Monday, sources told Reuters.

The Harris campaign told Politico that Harris would stage her first rally with her running mate in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Representatives for Walz, Sanders, and Harris did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Up next

Some activists step up criticism of Shapiro and Kelly as Harris closes in on naming a running mate

WILL WEISSERT

Updated Sat, 3 August 2024 at 3:42 pm GMT-6·5-min read

8 / 8

AP Poll Election 2024 Dem VP

This composite left to right, shows Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, center, July 3, 2024, in Washington, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., June 4, 2024, in Washington, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, July 20, 2024, in Pittsburgh, and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear in Frankfort, Ky., July 22, 2024. As Vice President Kamala Harris prepares to announce her running mate, a new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that several of the top potential contenders for the role are largely unknown to voters. (AP Photo)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats have unified with remarkable speed behind Vice President Kamala Harris as she has taken over the top of the party's ticket heading into the November presidential election.

It may be another story when it comes to a running mate.

As Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly have emerged as among the possible finalists, both have faced criticism from some organizations and activists who might otherwise be supportive of Democratic causes, potentially undermining the party's newfound unity barely two weeks after Harris entered the race.

The vice president's team says she is interviewing six possible choices over the weekend before an announcement expected Monday. The next day, she and her running mate will appear together at a rally in Philadelphia, then visit six more swing states.

In addition to Shapiro and Kelly, Harris is said to be considering Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Walz changed his weekend travel plans, but his office didn’t answer a question Saturday about whether it was for an interview with Harris. “The governor’s schedule has changed, and he is no longer traveling to New Hampshire this weekend,” Walz spokesman Teddy Tschann said.

Some congressional Democrats have promoted Kelly, a former Navy pilot and astronaut whose state has more than 370 miles of border with Mexico. They say his selection could help defuse attacks by the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, who argues that Biden administration's immigration policies are too relaxed.

Shapiro has high-profile supporters, too, including Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker. She caused a stir by posting a video Friday depicting several Philadelphia-area officials and Democrats promoting Harris, but also playing up Shapiro as her running mate — appearing to suggest that the mayor had inside knowledge about Harris’ decision.

But a person with knowledge of the mayor’s thinking said the video was simply a case of Parker showing support for both Harris and the potential that Shapiro, Parker’s friend, would be the vice presidential pick. The person was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Both Kelly and Shapiro have also seen their detractors become more vocal as Harris' closes in on a decision.

While that may not ultimately sway Harris, it is an indication that the honeymoon period for the vice president, where the distinct wings of the Democratic Party coalesced behind her, may be ending in the less than two weeks since President Joe Biden abandoned his reelection bid and endorsed her.

Some labor groups have criticized Kelly, saying he opposes proposed legislation they argue would boost union organizing. The senator's office counters that while he did not co-sponsor the proposed legislation, he has said he would vote for it on the floor.

Still, Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, said that despite backing Harris for president, his 370,000-member union is not supporting Kelly as a potential running mate. Fain also said the union does not favor Shapiro, who has previously proved willing to join with Republicans in calls to expand voucher programs that allow public tax dollars to flow to private schools.

Fain did single out Beshear, Walz and Pritzker for praise.

“She’s probably got a thousand people telling her the same thing, you know, of what they think,” Fain said in an interview. “And so she’s got to make the decision based off of what she feels is, you know, is best for her.”

The nonprofit Institute for Middle East Understanding has been publicly vocal, saying in a statement that Shapiro “is not the right candidate for the job, and selecting him would be a step in the wrong direction.”

Shapiro, who says he plans to be at Harris' rally Tuesday in Philadelphia, has aggressively confronted what he views as antisemitism cropping up from pro-Palestinian demonstrations and he has professed solidarity with Israel in its drive to eliminate Hamas as it Israel battles the militants in Gaza.

Shapiro called out universities for not acting quickly to tackle antisemitism and he became a prominent critic of the University of Pennsylvania’s president, Liz Magill. She resigned after testifying at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say under repeated questioning that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the school’s conduct policy.

Shapiro has also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while suggesting that any end to the Israel-Hamas war requires the removal of Hamas from power.

The governor has been criticized by the Council on American-Islamic Relations for not condemning Israel for the killing of civilians in Gaza or for not calling for Israel to stop the fighting in the territory. Shapiro has countered that he has met with Muslim Americans and understands their pain.

The progressive activist organization RootsAction.org opposes Shapiro’s views on Israel, school vouchers and the environment, among other issues. It says that in considering Shapiro, Harris “has set off alarm bells among young people, racial justice organizers, Arab Americans, Muslims and others whose votes and campaign activism were crucial to defeating Trump four years ago.”

Meanwhile, The Philadelphia Inquirer resurfaced an opinion article Shapiro wrote in 1993 as a 20-year-old college student at the University of Rochester where he said peace “will never come” to the Middle East and that Palestinians were “too battle-minded” to coexist with Israel.

Asked about it, Shapiro responded, “I was 20” adding that he long has supported a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

“It is my hope that we can see a day where peace will reign in the Middle East,” he said.

Also opposing Shapiro are some environmental leaders and residents of the rural town of Dimock, Pennsylvania. They have drafted a letter to Harris urging her not to choose Shapiro and charging that the governor failed to keep his promises to clean up area groundwater contaminated by natural gas production via hydraulic fracturing.

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Bernie Sanders and labor leaders set their sights on Gov. Tim Walz for Harris' VP

Hannah Getahun

Sat, 3 August 2024 at 6:14 pm GMT-6·2-min read

• Sen. Bernie Sanders said he backed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as Kamala Harris' VP pick.

• Walz is seen as a candidate who understands the working class and can rally rural voters.

• Labor leaders have also voiced support for Walz and applauded his support of the 2023 UAW strike.

Among the many men who could join Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign, one person stands out to Sen. Bernie Sanders: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

The democratic socialist, who endorsed Harris for president, told Minnesota Public Radio on Saturday that Walz would be a candidate who "understands the needs of working families."

"I hope very much that the Vice President selects a running mate who will speak up and take on powerful corporate interests, and I think Tim Walz is somebody who could do that," Sanders said of Walz, a former teacher and rural Nebraska native.

Sanders isn't the first to point out Walz's potential to rally working-class voters. As Business Insider's John Dorman reported, Walz could help connect with rural and working-class voters who are unsure about voting blue.

Multiple Minnesota labor leaders have voiced support for Walz in an open letter to Harris, calling him an "essential partner in winning in November."

Walz also received support from United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain, who pointed out on CNN Walz's support for the 2023 UAW strike, which ended in October. Walz joined the picket line at a striking Stellantis facility in Plymouth, Minnesota.

The Midwestern Democrat has also taken it upon himself to pit his rural roots against former President Donald Trump's VP pick, JD Vance, who is from Ohio.

"People like JD Vance know nothing about small-town America," Walz said during an appearance on "Morning Joe."

Walz is among several others being considered as a Harris running mate. Other contenders include Govs. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, JB Pritzker of Illinois, and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, as well as Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Rep. Adam Schiff predicted on Saturday that Harris' VP pick will be based on "best running mate that will help her win."

"I think it's going to be less about who does she have the best chemistry with and more about who has the best chance of helping the ticket," he told CNN.

Harris is expected to reveal her choice of running mate as early as Monday, sources told Reuters.

The Harris campaign told Politico that Harris would stage her first rally with her running mate in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Representatives for Walz, Sanders, and Harris did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Up next

Some activists step up criticism of Shapiro and Kelly as Harris closes in on naming a running mate

WILL WEISSERT

Updated Sat, 3 August 2024 at 3:42 pm GMT-6·5-min read

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Election 2024 Harris

FILE - Vice President Kamala Harris waves during a campaign rally, July 30, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats have unified with remarkable speed behind Vice President Kamala Harris as she has taken over the top of the party's ticket heading into the November presidential election.

It may be another story when it comes to a running mate.

As Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly have emerged as among the possible finalists, both have faced criticism from some organizations and activists who might otherwise be supportive of Democratic causes, potentially undermining the party's newfound unity barely two weeks after Harris entered the race.

The vice president's team says she is interviewing six possible choices over the weekend before an announcement expected Monday. The next day, she and her running mate will appear together at a rally in Philadelphia, then visit six more swing states.

In addition to Shapiro and Kelly, Harris is said to be considering Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Walz changed his weekend travel plans, but his office didn’t answer a question Saturday about whether it was for an interview with Harris. “The governor’s schedule has changed, and he is no longer traveling to New Hampshire this weekend,” Walz spokesman Teddy Tschann said.

Some congressional Democrats have promoted Kelly, a former Navy pilot and astronaut whose state has more than 370 miles of border with Mexico. They say his selection could help defuse attacks by the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, who argues that Biden administration's immigration policies are too relaxed.

Shapiro has high-profile supporters, too, including Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker. She caused a stir by posting a video Friday depicting several Philadelphia-area officials and Democrats promoting Harris, but also playing up Shapiro as her running mate — appearing to suggest that the mayor had inside knowledge about Harris’ decision.

But a person with knowledge of the mayor’s thinking said the video was simply a case of Parker showing support for both Harris and the potential that Shapiro, Parker’s friend, would be the vice presidential pick. The person was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Both Kelly and Shapiro have also seen their detractors become more vocal as Harris' closes in on a decision.

While that may not ultimately sway Harris, it is an indication that the honeymoon period for the vice president, where the distinct wings of the Democratic Party coalesced behind her, may be ending in the less than two weeks since President Joe Biden abandoned his reelection bid and endorsed her.

Some labor groups have criticized Kelly, saying he opposes proposed legislation they argue would boost union organizing. The senator's office counters that while he did not co-sponsor the proposed legislation, he has said he would vote for it on the floor.

Still, Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, said that despite backing Harris for president, his 370,000-member union is not supporting Kelly as a potential running mate. Fain also said the union does not favor Shapiro, who has previously proved willing to join with Republicans in calls to expand voucher programs that allow public tax dollars to flow to private schools.

Fain did single out Beshear, Walz and Pritzker for praise.

“She’s probably got a thousand people telling her the same thing, you know, of what they think,” Fain said in an interview. “And so she’s got to make the decision based off of what she feels is, you know, is best for her.”

The nonprofit Institute for Middle East Understanding has been publicly vocal, saying in a statement that Shapiro “is not the right candidate for the job, and selecting him would be a step in the wrong direction.”

Shapiro, who says he plans to be at Harris' rally Tuesday in Philadelphia, has aggressively confronted what he views as antisemitism cropping up from pro-Palestinian demonstrations and he has professed solidarity with Israel in its drive to eliminate Hamas as it Israel battles the militants in Gaza.

Shapiro called out universities for not acting quickly to tackle antisemitism and he became a prominent critic of the University of Pennsylvania’s president, Liz Magill. She resigned after testifying at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say under repeated questioning that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the school’s conduct policy.

Shapiro has also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while suggesting that any end to the Israel-Hamas war requires the removal of Hamas from power.

The governor has been criticized by the Council on American-Islamic Relations for not condemning Israel for the killing of civilians in Gaza or for not calling for Israel to stop the fighting in the territory. Shapiro has countered that he has met with Muslim Americans and understands their pain.

The progressive activist organization RootsAction.org opposes Shapiro’s views on Israel, school vouchers and the environment, among other issues. It says that in considering Shapiro, Harris “has set off alarm bells among young people, racial justice organizers, Arab Americans, Muslims and others whose votes and campaign activism were crucial to defeating Trump four years ago.”

Meanwhile, The Philadelphia Inquirer resurfaced an opinion article Shapiro wrote in 1993 as a 20-year-old college student at the University of Rochester where he said peace “will never come” to the Middle East and that Palestinians were “too battle-minded” to coexist with Israel.

Asked about it, Shapiro responded, “I was 20” adding that he long has supported a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

“It is my hope that we can see a day where peace will reign in the Middle East,” he said.

Also opposing Shapiro are some environmental leaders and residents of the rural town of Dimock, Pennsylvania. They have drafted a letter to Harris urging her not to choose Shapiro and charging that the governor failed to keep his promises to clean up area groundwater contaminated by natural gas production via hydraulic fracturing.

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Associated Press writers Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, and AP Auto Writer Tom Krisher in Detroit contributed to this report.