RED TORY

Britain's Keir Starmer plots painstaking path to power

Wed, 4 October 2023 


Leader of the Labour Party Keir Starmer speaks at an event in London
By Elizabeth Piper

LONDON (Reuters) - On June 7, a group of star-struck British lawmakers posted selfies with Kiss bassist Gene Simmons when the glam rocker visited parliament. Hours later, those from the opposition Labour party were summoned by senior members in charge of discipline and ordered to delete the posts and apologise.

In 2004, Simmons had been heavily criticised for calling Islam a "vile culture" and the Labour MPs were sent on their way with warnings about any posts or comments that strayed from Labour's line ringing in their ears, two told Reuters.

Welcome to Keir Starmer's Labour Party.

After Labour's worst defeat for 84 years in 2019 under left-wing veteran Jeremy Corbyn, Starmer - a human rights lawyer who became Britain's top prosecutor before turning to politics in his 50s - has instilled a culture of discipline in what was a deeply fractured party.

Taking lessons from centre-left parties in Australia and Germany, he has imbued Labour with a cautious and methodical approach in the race to be prime minister, hoping competence and pragmatism rather than any overriding ideology will be enough to oust the Conservatives, in power since 2010.

Ten people who have worked, studied or socialised with Starmer, 61, told Reuters he would press on with his systematic approach if he becomes prime minister in an election expected next year. A vote must be held by the end of January, 2025.

"The next stage is where we've got to be even tougher, even more focused, even more disciplined," Starmer said about the run-up to the election in a conversation on stage with Tony Blair at the former Labour prime minister's institute in July.

While Starmer's approach has not won over all hearts and minds within Labour, the party has a healthy 15-20 point lead in the polls and he remains ahead of Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the personality stakes.

"Thanks to Keir Starmer's leadership, voters see a changed Labour Party that is ready to change the country with a mission-driven government," a Labour spokesperson said when asked to comment for this story. "Everything we offer will be built on a bedrock of economic stability and a plan for growth."

'CORBYN WITHOUT THE MADNESS'

Named after the founder of the Labour Party, Keir Hardie, Starmer was brought up in a staunchly left-wing household.

As a barrister, he often defended underdogs and worked to get people off death row around the world. He became a Labour lawmaker in 2015 at the age of 52, a year after he received a knighthood for his services to law and criminal justice.

Five years on, he inherited the party after its worst election showing since 1935. Corbyn's plan to transform Britain with public sector pay rises, higher company taxes and sweeping nationalisation, fell flat with voters and the party was dogged by accusations of anti-Semitism and a fudged Brexit policy.

Starmer was seen "by many who supported Corbyn's policies as Corbyn without the madness", said his friend and Labour lord, Charlie Falconer.

According to Claire Ainsley, who was Starmer's executive director of policy in 2020-22 and now directs a new project on centre-left renewal at the U.S.-based Progressive Policy Institute, his advisers looked to Germany and Australia for lessons on how to turn things around.

Olaf Scholz was trailing badly in the polls when he was nominated as candidate for the centre-left SDP ahead of federal elections in 2021, after which he became chancellor. Australia's Anthony Albanese took over as leader of the Labor Party after it lost an election in 2019 and became prime minister in 2022.

Both changed their fortunes by focusing on a handful of commitments - Starmer has five missions - and running a disciplined campaign, Ainsley said. This was a strategy Starmer not only took on board, it also suited his talents.

Several of the people close to Starmer described him as more of a methodical lawyer than an ideological politician, and said this coloured his approach after becoming leader.

Falconer said Starmer embarked on a four-stage plan: first getting rid of alleged anti-Semitism within the party; putting the organisation back on its feet; bringing the best Labour lawmakers into his "shadow cabinet"; and finally adopting policies to address Britain's needs.

Ainsley said after tackling the factionalism, morale and finances of the party, Starmer's plan was then to argue why the Conservative government was not fit to govern and finally present his "positive offer" to the public.

"He has done it systematically always with an eye to the strategic, and doing it with enormous self-discipline," Falconer said.

STEP BY STEP

It's a strategy Starmer learnt when he became Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) - essentially Britain's top prosecutor - in 2008, the people close to him said.

Then, he set goals for each of the years he had in front of him. The first involved travelling around the country to see how the different offices operated, then came reform, implementation and finally to prepare for his successor.

That was his instinct too when he became Labour leader but his plans were somewhat thwarted by COVID: his victory speech was delivered virtually from his living room.

Starmer later still went on his tour though, largely under the radar of television cameras, and would purposely talk to people who did not agree with Labour policies, Ainsley said.

"Corbyn would like to go to gatherings of the faithful. Keir does the opposite," she told Reuters.

Critics, especially those on the left of the party, complain this shows Starmer relies more on focus groups than ideology - and one shadow minister said they wondered whether he was bold enough to convince Britons to vote Labour.

Supporters say, however, it can only be an asset, describing him as someone of the left, as well as a pragmatist who assesses situations and draws conclusions.

For example, those on the left say Starmer has reneged on his leadership campaign pledges to uphold some of Corbyn's 2019 manifesto, such as the renationalisation of public utilities.

But Ainsley said he would have looked at the issue and decided "he is not convinced that the case for re-nationalisation in all cases at this particular point is there".

One person who worked with Starmer when he was advising the Policing Board to monitor the Police Service of Northern Ireland's compliance with the Human Rights Act said: "Everything he does, it's because he's thought carefully about what's going to get him to where he needs to be."

"He thinks about the best way to take people with him, or to take the people with him he needs to take with him."

'CHAMPION OF THE UNDERDOG'

It was while he was DPP that Starmer realised he had to become engaged in politics - and get into government - if he wanted to bring about real change, Falconer said.

But even after entering parliament, supporters and critics alike said he was still more of a lawyer than politician.

"As a lawyer you don't establish a coherent political position," said Falconer. "You have causes and his causes tended to be on the left. He was a real champion of the underdog and he was completely loyal to a series of causes."

Starmer often took on pro bono legal work, such as getting convicts off death row in the Caribbean. Working for free, he also played a key role in helping overturn the mandatory death penalty in Uganda, saving the lives of 417 people.

And working alongside lawyer Mark Stephens, they famously won an appeal in the European Court of Human Rights against the British government over the "McLibel" trial involving two environmentalists and fast-food chain McDonalds.

Now, his cause is getting Labour into power - and his pragmatism runs through his policy commitments.

With Britain's coffers all but empty, Starmer has issued a strong message to his top team: don't make any promises the party cannot prove can be funded.

Instead, they need to come up with ideas to make his five missions - economic growth, net zero, the health service, crime and education - work without increasing taxes.

That has led to courting business, as Blair did before the first of his three election victories in 1997.

Starmer's overreaching goal is to promote economic growth to try to increase tax receipts so Labour can help a public sector he says has been starved by years of Conservative austerity.

While cosying up to business is unpopular with the Labour left, people close to Starmer say even when he was a ring leader on the top deck of the bus to school, leading the laughter with other teenagers, there was a steeliness as well.

"He's clearly not worried about taking difficult decisions," said Andrew Cooper, who went to Reigate Grammar school near London with Starmer and was a former adviser to Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron.

Cooper said Starmer was famed at school, and often mocked, for his stubborn obsession with British rock band Status Quo - and never turned to the trendier sounds of new wave or punk.

"This is not somebody who craves to be liked."

(Editing by David Clarke)

Safety first? Labour seeks to maintain poll lead at annual meet


Peter HUTCHISON
Wed, 4 October 2023 

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer announced his 'five missions' earlier this year (ANDY BUCHANAN)

Britain's Labour opposition gathers this weekend for its annual conference, with the centre-left party currently on course to return to power in a general election expected next year.

Labour, led by Keir Starmer, goes into the four-day event -- which starts on Sunday in Liverpool, northwest England -- well ahead of the governing Conservatives in opinion polls.

After this week's chaotic Tory conference, which hampered Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's bid to kick-start a resurgence of his beleaguered party, experts say the primary objective of Labour's meet is a simple one: do nothing that jeopardises its lead.

"The main thing will be don't cock up. No hostages to fortune, no signs of dissension," political scientist Anand Menon told AFP.

Labour last held the keys to 10 Downing Street in 2010 and is readying itself to govern again following a vote that must be held by January 2025 at the latest.

Starmer, 61, has revived the fortunes of a party that suffered a landslide defeat to the Conservatives at the last election in 2019 under former far-left leader Jeremy Corbyn, by pulling it back to the centre ground.

A recent European trip, including a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, was seen by many as Starmer projecting himself as a prime minister-in-waiting.

Labour has enjoyed double-digit poll leads for months, with Britain locked in a cost-of-living crisis and plagued by strikes, and with Tory infighting leading to three prime ministers in little over a year.

Recent surveys, though, have showed the gap narrowing after the announcement of populist policies by Sunak that attempt to draw clear dividing lines between the Tories and their opponents.

Starmer, a former chief state prosecutor, is regularly accused of being too cautious, and observers are keen to see whether he adopts a bolder stance in Liverpool.

"The only interesting thing I think will be the degree to which Starmer feels pressured into trying to be a bit more assertive in terms of spelling out a vision," Menon said.

Starmer has dropped several pledges made during his successful 2020 leadership bid, including plans to scrap university tuition fees, citing the economic climate.

Labour has also backed away from tax increases, allowing Conservatives to accuse Starmer of flip-flopping on several issues.

- Symbolic policies? -

Starmer has ruled out taking Britain back into the European Union but has pledged to seek "a much better deal for the UK" with the bloc. The post-Brexit Trade and Cooperation agreement struck by former premier Boris Johnson is due for review in 2025.

In July, he laid out his party's "five missions for a better Britain" that will form the backbone of its election manifesto.

They include making Britain a green energy superpower and building a national health service "fit for the future".

Political experts expect the Labour leader to put more flesh on the bones of these policies when he speaks at the conference Tuesday, which could be the last annual gathering of the party before voters go to the polls.

"One would expect one or two quite symbolic policies from the conference, things to associate Starmer with over the next few months. I think that will be important," Karl Pike at Queen Mary University of London told AFP.

But with opinion polls suggesting that only Labour can blow the party's chances now, Starmer may feel it is wiser to keep his cards close to his chest until nearer the election, which experts have speculated could occur in the spring or autumn of 2024.

Economic constraints mean Labour may also be reluctant to commit to major spending pledges they might not be able to meet if elected.

Starmer will also have to decide whether to engage with the Tories over so-called "culture wars" on immigration and gender rights, which interior minister Suella Braverman ramped up with her conference speech on Tuesday.

"The question for him is how safety first is he going to be, at the conference and over the next few months," said Pike.

"How much is it going to be about what Labour wants to do for the country? And how much is it going to be about just attacking the Conservatives?"

pdh/phz/js

RIGHT TURN
Britain's Labour turns page on socialism with Starmer as new leader



Profile of Keir Starmer, the new leader of the British Labour Party 

(AFP Photo/Gillian HANDYSIDE)

By Kate Holton, Reuters•April 4, 2020

LONDON (Reuters) - Keir Starmer was elected as the leader of Britain's main opposition Labour Party on Saturday, pledging to bring an end to years of bitter infighting and to work with the government to contain the raging coronavirus pandemic.

Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions who was known for a forensic attention to detail when opposing the country's exit from the European Union, won with 56% of the vote.

The comprehensive defeat of an ally of the outgoing leader Jeremy Corbyn, and the election of Angela Rayner as Starmer's deputy, heralds the end of the party leadership's embrace of a radical socialism that was crushed in the December election.

Starmer, who takes over immediately, said he would work constructively with government when it was the right thing to do, while testing Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson's arguments and challenging the failures.

"Our purpose when we do that is the same as the government's, to save lives," he said in a statement that was pre-recorded due to the pandemic.

Starmer added that once the country emerges on the other side, once the hospital wards have emptied and the threat subsided, it would need to build a fairer society, where key workers on the front line receive decent salaries and better chances in life.

"In their courage and their sacrifice and their bravery, we can see a better future. This crisis has brought out the resilience and human spirit in all of us," he said.

Johnson said on Twitter he had congratulated Starmer and the two agreed on the importance of working together.

The party of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown endured its worst election performance since 1935 in December, when infighting over strategy, a confused policy over Brexit and allegations of unchecked anti-Semitism turned traditional voters away.

Starmer pushed for a second Brexit referendum but said the election result had “blown away” that argument.

Corbyn ally Rebecca Long-Bailey came second in the party's vote with 28% and Lisa Nandy was third with 16%.

Many centrist Labour politicians celebrated the result as a sign that the government would finally face proper scrutiny.

"A fresh Labour leader will challenge the Tories where necessary and give the party the chance to renew itself in time for the next election," Alf Dubs, an opposition Labour lord who fled to Britain as a child to escape the Nazis, told Reuters.

Starmer acknowledged the scale of the task ahead.

Well ahead in opinion polls, Johnson's Conservatives have also occupied much of traditional Labour territory, with the coronavirus crisis prompting the ruling party to deliver unprecedented state support to workers and businesses.

"This is my pledge to the British people. I will do my utmost to guide us through these difficult times, to serve all of our communities and to strive for the good of our country," Starmer said.

"I will lead this great party into a new era, with confidence and with hope."

(Additional reporting by Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Frances Kerry)

Keir Starmer elected new UK Labour leader: party

Phil HAZLEWOOD, AFP•April 4, 2020


The three Labour leadership candidates 

(L-R) Lisa Nandy, Keir Starmer and Rebecca Long-Bailey

 (AFP Photo/Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS, Isabel INFANTES, Leon NEAL)

Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader in 2015
 (AFP Photo/ISABEL INFANTES)

The announcement of the new UK Labour Party leader 
was a low key affair in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic
 (AFP Photo/Paul ELLIS )

London (AFP) - Britain's main opposition Labour party on Saturday announced that Keir Starmer had been elected as its new leader, replacing Jeremy Corbyn who resigned after its crushing December election defeat.

The 57-year-old former chief state prosecutor defeated Corbyn loyalist Rebecca Long-Bailey and backbencher Lisa Nandy for the top job.

Angela Rayner becomes the new deputy leader, Labour announced on Twitter, after it was forced to cancel a special conference because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Starmer, who was Labour's Brexit spokesman, thanked supporters and his opponents in the three-month campaign that followed Corbyn's election defeat to Boris Johnson's Conservatives.

He called it "the honour and privilege" of his life and vowed to "engage constructively" with Johnson's government, particularly in the fight-back against COVID-19.

But he also vowed to reunite the party, after deep divisions caused by veteran socialist Corbyn's hard-left ideals that clashed with advocates of a more centrist approach, and Brexit.
And he immediately addressed the issue of anti-Semitism that Corbyn was accused of failing to tackle, which tarnished the party's reputation and caused Jewish members to leave in droves.

"Anti-Semitism has been a stain on our party. I have seen the grief that it's brought to so many Jewish communities," Starmer said. "On behalf of the Labour Party, I am sorry.

"And I will tear out this poison by its roots and judge success by the return of Jewish members and those who felt that they could no longer support us."

Starmer, who won 56.2 percent of the vote of more than 500,000 Labour members, acknowledged the party had "a mountain to climb", after four straight general election defeats.

But he vowed: "We will climb it."


Keir Starmer vowed to address the issue of antiSemitism in the party
 (AFP Photo/Paul ELLIS)

- 'Bad blood and mistrust' -

Labour grew out of the trade union movement but moved to the political centre under former prime minister Tony Blair, who was in office between 1997 and 2007.

Corbyn spent a lifetime on the sidelines because of his left-wing views, and his election as leader in 2015, on the back of a huge surge in party membership, was a shock.

MPs and party members have been locked in an ideological battle ever since.

"There's really a lot of bad blood and mistrust," said Steven Fielding, a political expert at the University of Nottingham.

"The first challenge (of the new leader) will be to put a team together that at least looks like it has the ability to unify the party."

Winning back voters who defected to the Conservatives is also top of Starmer's "to do" list if Labour has any hope of victory at the next election, currently scheduled for 2024.

Brexit was a toxic issue for the party, torn between eurosceptic supporters in many northern English towns and pro-EU voters in the big cities such as London.

Starmer was opposed to Brexit and played a key role in moving Labour to support a second referendum on leaving the European Union.

However, voters were not convinced and Johnson took Britain out of the bloc on January 31.

- Coronavirus challenge -

The coronavirus outbreak has brought a more immediate challenge.

Johnson's government has imposed draconian curbs on public movement to try to stop the spread -- measures backed by Labour, although it successfully pressed for more parliamentary scrutiny of new police powers.

The Conservatives have also promised eye-watering sums to keep businesses and individuals afloat, wading into traditional Labour territory.

In response, Johnson's popularity ratings have shot up.

A YouGov survey last week found that 55 percent of the public had a favourable opinion of him, up from 43 percent a week earlier.

Some 72 percent thought the government was doing well -- including a majority of Labour voters.

Ministers have been on the back foot in recent days, however, over the lack of testing for coronavirus and the protection equipment for healthcare staff.

Labour has been pressing the issues, and Starmer said this would continue.

"My instinct will be to be constructive but to ask the difficult questions," he told the Guardian podcast this week.

Sir Keir Starmer Is U.K. Labour’s Knight in Shining Armor

Olivia Konotey-Ahulu,Bloomberg•April 4, 2020


(Bloomberg) --

After a decade in the political wasteland, members of Britain’s main opposition Labour Party have chosen a moderate, un-flashy lawyer as their new leader. Their hope is that turning the page on the socialist radical Jeremy Corbyn, who was resoundingly rejected by voters last year, will see them re-take power.

Keir Starmer, 57, offers dry competence and seriousness after a turbulent five years under the firebrand Corbyn. At a time when the U.K. is grappling with the global coronavirus crisis and its own exit from the European Union, a steady hand could prove popular.

“Maybe being boringly competent is a magical thing -- because we haven’t got many boringly competent politicians at the moment, particularly in government,” said Steven Fielding, a professor at Nottingham University and historian of the Labour party. “People just flock to him like a safety raft from a sinking ship.”

Starmer faces one urgent decision before he embarks on his long-term mission. First he must decide how far he should support Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s strategy for countering the pandemic and how stridently he should speak out against the government’s mistakes. There has been speculation that he could even join a government of national unity to see the country through the crisis, as happened in World War II.

Battered

In the years ahead, Starmer’s defining task will be to revive a battered opposition party, broken by its worst election defeat in 80 years, and then persuade Britain’s 47 million voters that he is the prime minister the country needs to put itself back together.

Starmer was born in 1962 in south London to a nurse and a toolmaker. He was the first member of his family to go to an academically selective grammar school. After studying at the universities of Leeds and Oxford he began the 30-year campaigning career in human rights law that would set him up for front-line politics.

He represented peace activists and environmental campaigners, and led a legal challenge against the sinking of an oil rig.

Gavin Millar, a top lawyer who interviewed the young Starmer for a junior position in the late 80s, remembers him as “very radical” with strong views about the law. In a legal world of high intellects, Starmer’s first-rate brain stood out, but so too did his commitment to the protesters and activists fighting the powerful during Margaret Thatcher’s decade of Tory rule.

The two shared an office, where Starmer, who loved indie-pop bands such as The Smiths, was known for working long hours. “I got a lot of two-in-the-morning emails from him,” Millar said.

Passion

During the course of Starmer’s legal career, Millar saw him become more measured and less “strident” in his outlook. But, fundamentally, his commitment to social justice remains as strong as ever, Millar said. “I don’t think the passion has changed at all – that is a constant in Keir.”

In 2008, Starmer took on one of the biggest jobs in the justice system, director of public prosecutions and head of the Crown Prosecution Service. Perhaps his biggest case was overseeing the highly controversial and ultimately successful retrial of two men for the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence in 1993.

After being given a knighthood -- he now prefers not to use the title “Sir” -- he was elected as Labour member of Parliament for a London district in 2015. Brexit gave Starmer his big chance in politics.

As Labour’s Brexit spokesman, he was constantly appearing in the House of Commons, picking apart Theresa May’s ill-fated attempt to negotiate a divorce deal with the European Union, and working with like minded opponents of a no-deal split across party lines.

Yet in the 2019 election campaign the Brexit policy he helped Labour to devise was partly responsible for the party’s dire result. He wanted a second referendum that would give the electorate the chance to vote to stay in the EU, but Corbyn declared that Labour would remain “neutral” and would not back either the leave or remain side. Voters wanted to move on and Johnson won with his pledge to “get Brexit done.”

Sea Change

Labour’s 2019 defeat was also a rejection of Corbyn, whose unpopular leadership turned voters off.

Starmer was the favorite to succeed Corbyn from the start, as Labour members apparently decided they needed to put their hopes of winning ahead of any emotioal attachment to the former leader’s old fashioned leftwing ideals.

“It feels to me like a real sea change in the party, a new seriousness,” said Labour MP Stephen Timms, who hosted a phone canvassing event for Starmer in his constituency. “I think Keir is going to be a serious contender for the leadership of the country.”

While the face is different, many of Starmer’s policy pledges were first adopted under Corbyn. They include putting up income tax on top earners and bringing rail, mail, energy and water into common ownership. Starmer has promised to oppose austerity and introduce a compassionate migration system with free movment across the EU.

Labour has now lost four elections in a row and with Johnson sitting on a comfortable 80-seat majority in Parliament, the odds favor a fifth defeat in 2024. Yet the coronavirus pandemic seems certain to reshape the country and shake up politics across the world. There is a chance that when the crisis eventually ends and the next election comes, the country will want new leadership.

“We can only win if we are united and relentlessly focused on the future,” Starmer said in his first rally of the leadership election campaign on Feb. 16. He made it sound easy. In reality, the task he faces is still huge.

The Labour Party remains dysfunctional and unpopular and that must change if it is to defeat Johnson’s Tories, said Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary University in London. “There’s clearly a case for some pretty brutal surgery, to the point of actual amputation,” said Bale. “It’s whether he’s prepared to actually wield not only the scalpel but the bone saw.”

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

Keir Starmer declares ‘new era’ for Labour after landslide victory in leadership contest

Ashley Cowburn,The Independent•April 4, 2020

PA

Keir Starmer has declared a "new era" for Labour as he was elected the party's new leader after a landslide victory in the three-month contest to replace Jeremy Corbyn.

Sir Keir, who today becomes Labour’s 19th leader in its 120-year history, defeated the left-wing candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow business secretary, and the Wigan MP Lisa Nandy for the top job.

Securing a convincing majority across all sections of Labour’s electorate – including registered supporters, members and affiliates – and a 56.2 per cent of the vote share overall, he said it was the “honour and privilege of my life” to be elected as the party’s leader.

“I will lead this great party into a new era,” he insisted. “With confidence and hope, so that when the time comes, we can serve our country again – in government.”

Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner was also announced as the party’s new deputy leader, seeing off competition from Richard Burgon, Dawn Butler, Rosena Allin-Khan and Ian Murray, with 52.6 per cent of the vote share.

It comes as the veteran left-winger Mr Corbyn announced he was stepping aside from the role – after a four and a half years – in the wake of the party’s worst result in terms of parliamentary seats at a general election since 1935.

Sir Keir, the 57-year-old shadow Brexit secretary, has led the race from the start, winning the backing of 89 members of the parliamentary part in the first round of the contest, before securing the support of more than a dozen affiliated organisations in the second stage.

Ballot papers were sent out in late February to the party’s half a million members, affiliated trade unions and 14,700 “registered supporters” who each paid £25 to take part on a one-off basis.

Labour announced the results of the contest online at 10.45am after the party was forced to cancel a planned special members’ conference in central London due to the coronavirus pandemic. Candidates had effectively suspended their campaigns last month as the infections of covid-19 started to escalate in the UK.

Coinciding with Mr Corbyn’s resignation, Boris Johnson also wrote to the leaders of opposition parties at Westminster, inviting them to a briefing of senior government advisers next week as he insisted “we have a duty to work together at this moment of the national unity”.

He added: “I want to listen to your views and update you on the measures we have taken so far, such as rapidly expanding testing and providing economic support to businesses and individuals across the country.”

Remarking on his clear victory in the contest, Sir Keir said the coronavirus crisis had brought normal life to halt in the UK. "People are frightened by the strangeness, anxious about what will happen next. And we have to remember that every number is a family shaken to its foundation,” he said.

He added: “Our willingness to come together like this as a nation has been lying dormant for too long. When millions of us stepped out onto our doorsteps to applaud the carers visibly moved there was hope of a better future. In times like this, we need good government, a government that saves lives and protects our country.

"It's a huge responsibility and whether we voted for this government or not, we all rely on it to get this right. That's why in the national interest the Labour Party will play its full part.

"Under my leadership we will engage constructively with the government, not opposition for opposition's sake. Not scoring party political points or making impossible demands. But with the courage to support where that's the right thing to do.

"But we will test the arguments that are put forward. We will shine a torch on critical issues and where we see mistakes or faltering government or things not happening as quickly as they should we'll challenge that and call that out.”

(Getty Images)

Sir Keir also said he was “sorry” on behalf of the Labour Party for the “stain” that antisemitism had brought on the party in recent years after allegations that have plagued the party under Mr Corbyn’s leadership. “I will tear out this poison by its roots and judge success by the return of Jewish members and those who felt that they could no longer support us,” he added.

In a statements, defeated candidate Ms Long-Bailey said Sir Keir will be a “brilliant prime minister and I can’t wait to see him in Number 10”, adding: “I will do all I can to make that a reality and to ensure the Labour Party gets into government with a transformative agenda at the next election.”

The left-wing group Momentum – set up to support Mr Corbyn’s radical, left-wing policy agenda in 2015 – said the organisation looks forward to working with him, but also pledged to hold him to account in the coming months and years.

“His mandate is to build on Jeremy’s transformative vision, and this means appointing a broad shadow cabinet who believe in the policies and will work with members to make them a reality,” they added. “In this new era Momentum will play a new role. We’ll hold Keir to account and make sure he keeps his promises, champion big ideas like the Green New Deal, build the power of Labour members and do everything we can to get a Labour government elected.”

Read more

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New Labour leader Keir Starmer faces challenge of uniting party

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We urgently need an effective opposition – Starmer needs to build one

Coronavirus: New Labour leader Keir Starmer promises to 'work constructively' with Boris Johnson


James MorrisSenior news reporter, Yahoo News UK•April 4, 2020

Sir Keir Starmer, right, has promised to 'work constructively' 

with Boris Johnson. (PA/file image)


New Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has promised to “work constructively” with Boris Johnson during the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Immediately after his election on Saturday, Sir Keir called Johnson and offered his help “on how best to respond” to the outbreak.

He also accepted Johnson’s invitation to meet with opposition party leaders next week, with the prime minister having called for all parties to “work together at this moment of national emergency”.

A spokesman for Sir Keir said: “This afternoon Keir Starmer spoke with the PM about the current national emergency.

“Keir offered to work constructively with the government on how best to respond to the coronavirus outbreak, accepted the PM’s offer to meet next week and agreed arrangements for Privy Council briefings and discussions.”

Johnson said of the call:

I have just spoken to @Keir_Starmer & congratulated him on becoming Labour leader. We agreed on the importance of all party leaders continuing to work constructively together through this national emergency. I have invited him and other opposition leaders to a briefing next week.

— Boris Johnson #StayHomeSaveLives (@BorisJohnson) April 4, 2020

Sir Keir was elected with a commanding 56.2% of the 490,731 votes cast by party members.

Though he subsequently agreed to work with Johnson, Sir Keir had also warned in his first statement following his election: “At times like this, we need good government, a government that saves lives and protects our country.

“It’s a huge responsibility and whether we voted for this government or not, we all rely on it to get this right.”

Johnson’s government has come under increasing fire over its handling of the COVID-19 outbreak, with questions raised about issues such as testing and protective equipment for frontline NHS staff.

UK

Labour: Starmer is paving the way for the triumph of dark politics

By waging an all-out war on the left and its ideas, the Labour leader is strangling hope of change in a time of crisis and risks driving voters towards right-wing authoritarians

Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer waits to address delegates during the London Labour Regional Conference in central London on 28 January 2023 (AFP)

There is a reason - and not the one given - why Labour Party leader Keir Starmer has announced that he is banning his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, from standing as a candidate for the party at the next general election.

Corbyn has been sitting as an independent since Starmer exiled him from the Labour benches in late 2020 - after Corbyn observed that it was for “political reasons” he faced years of evidence-free accusations the Labour Party was beset by antisemitism on his watch. He called the accusation “dramatically overstated”.

The official grounds for Corbyn being permanently barred from returning to the parliamentary party are that he has refused to apologise for his comment.

No other political leader, not even Tony Blair, has haunted the thoughts of his successor in quite the way Corbyn continues to do so

Announcing Corbyn’s exclusion as a candidate, Starmer said Labour would "never again be brought to its knees by racism or bigotry. If you don't like that, if you don't like the changes we have made, I say the door is open and you can leave".

The establishment media - from right to supposed left - are trying to bolster Starmer’s claims about Corbyn and his supporters by continuing to weave a web of misrepresentations about the former leader being depraved and unhinged.

Antisemitism in Labour is apparently being kept at bay only because of Starmer’s vigilance, in contrast to Corbyn’s supposed indulgence. And, were Corbyn to be serving as prime minister today, we are warned, he would be taking “cranky” foreign policy decisions, like encouraging a diplomatic process to end the bloodshed in Ukraine.

No other political leader, not even Tony Blair, has haunted the thoughts of his successor - or the airwaves and pages of the billionaire-owned media - in quite the way Corbyn continues to do so.

Even a disastrous, if brief, prime minister like Liz Truss quickly faded from memory. Boris Johnson stays in the British public’s imagination only because the scandals and dramas he presided over are still playing out, and because in the crisis-plagued Conservative Party, he might yet manage to claw his way back into Downing Street.

So why the perennial concern about Corbyn, even as he languishes on the backbenches, outside the two-party chokehold on British politics, with no evident path back to power? Why does his shadow loom so large?

All-out war

The reason has nothing to do with antisemitism or Corbyn’s criticisms of the West’s response to the Ukraine war - or rather, not in the sense Starmer and commentators would have you believe.

Like the media, Starmer wants not just the solitary figure of Corbyn gone from British politics. He wants to eradicate something far more dangerous to the establishment: Corbynism, the ideas of a fairer, more equal society the former Labour leader gave life to, as well as the potential grassroots movement he represents.

Labour's Forde report is devastating on factional war against Corbyn

Read More »

In his light-on-detail speech last week, Starmer set out his top “five missions”, in which he chiefly sought to present himself as a better steward of neoliberalism than the ruling Tory party.

But even in purdah, Corbyn continues to serve as a symbol.

Starmer’s efforts to disappear his predecessor from the Labour Party - and from British political life - has operated in tandem with his all-out war on a large section of the party’s members, who have been gradually driven from the ranks.

That has very much included Jewish Labour members standing in solidarity with Corbyn. Under Starmer, they have been ousted from the party in disproportionately large numbers.

Notably, that is a fact barely reported by the media because it flies in the face of their phoney narrative: both that antisemitism thrived under Corbyn and only under Corbyn; and that it is Starmer who is eradicating racism from the party.

Even YouGov polling found that already low levels of antisemitism in Labour actually reduced during Corbyn’s tenure as the party drew in huge numbers of new left-wing supporters, attracted by his anti-imperialist, anti-racist, more egalitarian agenda.

A paradox, also unremarked by the establishment media, is that Starmer waited to make his move against Corbyn until immediately after the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) announced it was ending its monitoring of Labour for antisemitism.

It was the EHRC’s 2020 report that paved the way to Corbyn’s removal from the Labour benches, after its conclusions were heavily misrepresented by the media.

Vilifying Corbyn

Corbyn was judged to have interfered in antisemitism cases, with the implication that his office tried to stop antisemites from being expelled. The truth was the opposite, as the EHRC quietly conceded. His team “interfered” only in the sense that they tried to speed up the handling of disciplinary cases his right-wing opponents in the party bureaucracy stalled in a bid to fuel the antisemitism smears.

Starmer is interfering in disciplinary cases too - and doing so openly and proudly, including overturning a decision in late 2020 by his National Executive Committee to reinstate Corbyn as an MP. But this time the EHRC seems unconcerned.

The EHRC has given Starmer its official stamp of anti-racism approval even as his officials drive out Jewish members in unprecedented numbers. These are Jews whose mistreatment no one in public life seemingly cares about - because they back Corbyn.

Last week, hot on the heels of that stamp of approval, and mocking the idea that Starmer’s party is interested in tackling racism, Labour barred its local constituency parties from affiliating with a range of progressive groups.

Those included Jewish Voice for Labour, which represents Jews highly critical of Israel’s oppression of Palestinians, and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the main UK organisation representing Palestinian interests, as well as Somalis for Labour, Sikhs for Labour and the All African Women’s Group.

The Equalities watchdog’s “special measures” on Labour are also apparently not needed even though prominent Black party members, such as former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, also a Corbyn ally, complain that Starmer’s Labour has done nothing to address anti-Black racism exposed in the recent Forde Report.

The truth is that Starmer and the establishment media will not be satisfied until they have driven a stake through the heart of Corbynism, and its genuine commitment to anti-racism and a more egalitarian approach to the economy. That is why they have never sounded more desperate to vilify him and his supporters.

An outburst on BBC TV last week by Guardian columnist Rafael Behr skated exceptionally close to libelling not only Corbyn but the entire British left as frothing-at-the-mouth Jew haters.

Sinking ship

As the saying goes, you can’t kill an idea. And the ideas Corbyn gave life to are even harder to kill when the country’s current leaders look not just inept but concerned only to asset-strip the ship before it goes down - while the best promised by Starmer, the opposition leader, is to slow down the looting.

Even to many of its admirers, capitalism, especially of today’s turbo-charged variety, increasingly looks mired in crisis. Bereft of solutions, its architects have to constantly peddle distractions and exploit emergencies, from the Ukraine war and growing tensions with China to the cost-of-living crisis and the pandemic.

The country's leaders look not just inept but concerned only to asset-strip the ship before it goes down - while the best promised by Starmer is to slow down the looting

In an age of climate breakdown, resulting from an over-consumption model impossible for our profit-driven corporations to wean themselves off, socialism’s appeal may quickly resurface - or, at least, that appears to be the establishment’s concern.

Karl Marx, the now unfashionable 19th-century political economist, observed that capitalism “sowed the seeds of its own destruction”. And sure enough, capitalism looks like it is being strangled by its own internal contradictions, forcing a stark choice between continuing wealth accumulation and our species’ survival on a finite planet.

The job of Britain’s politicians is not, of course, to air these contradictions or highlight their parties’ lack of solutions. It is to keep the ship on course, heading towards the iceberg. It is to keep underscoring threats from overseas “madmen”. It is to be in lockstep with Nato and its expansion through resource wars that further enrich the wealthy while justifying austerity for everyone else. And most fundamentally of all, it is to remain piously in thrall to the City and the euphemism of “economic growth”.

Any leader who refuses to abide by these stipulations faces a campaign of demonisation, as Corbyn found to his cost.

Gaslighting members

Over the past three years, Starmer has been busy setting out his conditions for remaining in the Labour Party tent - parameters that just so happen to mirror precisely the British establishment’s requirements for legitimacy in public life.

Starmer demands simple-minded patriotism and an unwavering commitment to the West’s Nato military alliance and its aggressive posturing and expansion. He ostentatiously prioritises the needs of big business and demurs about the right of those abused by neoliberalism to strike. He describes himself as a proud Zionist and decries any but the softest criticism of Israel as proof of antisemitism.

Alongside the anti-racist groups, Starmer has banned local constituency parties from affiliating with the Stop the War Coalition, which campaigns against the West’s endless military "interventions", the Labour Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Corbyn's Peace & Justice Project, and the Campaign Against Climate Change Trades Union Group.

Kim Johnson row: Starmer is ignoring Israel's slide into fascism

Read More »

In other words, in a system rigged to allow only two parties to contend for power, those who want Labour to serve as a vehicle for meaningful change are not welcome. Labour will not tolerate the struggle against imperialism, or efforts to stop endless resource wars, or trenchant opposition to Israel’s subjugation of the Palestinian people, or Britain’s further militarisation, or anything more than tinkering with gross wealth disparities.

And it is not even ideological differences being cited as the grounds for expelling members from the country’s only major “socialist” party. It is based on smears: that they are racists, antisemites, and stooges of Vladimir Putin.

Even as he denied Corbyn the right to stand as a Labour candidate, Starmer gaslit members, telling them Labour “will never again be a party captured by narrow interests. It will never again lose sight of its purpose or its morals”.

But Corbyn’s effective expulsion bluntly sends exactly the opposite message: that Labour has been fully captured by the boss class and will not permit any dissent.

Coup de grace

One might have expected a little pushback, if only from Britain’s self-declared liberal-left daily newspaper, the Guardian. But its columnists have been largely revelling in Starmer delivering the coup de grace against Corbyn.

Sonia Sodha called the decision "morally correct" and "to Starmer’s credit", while Polly Toynbee averred that excluding Corbyn was "inevitable" because the Labour Party could not afford to be even "a little bit racist".

Those who suggest Starmer is the broom needed to clean out Labour’s stables will doubtless get the outcome they predict. Running against a ruling Conservative Party in disarray and led by stale, colourless leaders reeking of privilege in a party mired in cronyism, Starmer is almost certain to win the next election - if only by default.

In blocking the left from a visible political presence, in stifling its ideas in a time of crisis, Starmer is leaving the field open to the far right

And that is as far as most pundits wish to look. But politics has long-term trends too. Capitalism’s crises, just like climate breakdown, are not going away. They will intensify, as will popular alienation, frustration and anger.

That means those offering a programme of radical change are going to prosper, and those clinging to a discredited status quo will face steady decline and marginalisation. Voters will increasingly be drawn to figures promising decisive action over inaction.

In blocking the left from a visible political presence, in stifling its ideas and creativity in a time of crisis, Starmer is leaving the field open to the far right. They will be only too eager to highlight and exploit the deficiencies of a soulless Labour Party, one that pays no more than lip service to resolving Britain’s problems.

And they will doubtless also scapegoat the usual suspects - not the rich, not those in power, but immigrants, Jews and “communists” - who will be blamed for bringing the UK to its knees.

Ultimately, the smearing of Corbyn and the Labour left will bring about the very things the Labour right and the establishment media claim they seek to avert: Britain will become a darker, more racist, more authoritarian place.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.

Jonathan Cook is the author of three books on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and a winner of the Martha Gellhorn Special Prize for Journalism. His website and blog can be found at www.jonathan-cook.net

UK
Keir Starmer poll rating drops amid criticism over Gaza stance

The Labour leader is facing possibly his toughest challenge yet over the Israel-Hamas war.

Andy Wells
·Freelance Writer
Updated Wed, 1 November 2023 

Sir Keir Starmer‘s poll rating has dropped at a time where he faces criticism over his stance on Gaza. (Getty) (Peter Nicholls via Getty Images)

Sir Keir Starmer has seen his personal ratings drop in a new poll at a time where he faces criticism over his stance on Gaza.

The Labour leader has so far resisted pressure from some people within his party to join UN-backed calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

Instead, Starmer this week urged both sides in the conflict to agree to a humanitarian pause to allow aid in and people out of the war zone.


But his position is at odds with several high-ranking Labour politicians – including Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and London mayor Sadiq Khan.

The row also resulted in Labour suspending MP Andy McDonald on Monday, over comments he made at a pro-Palestine rally, that the party described as “deeply offensive”.

Now, a new poll shows that Starmer’s personal ratings have taken a dip – and his net approval is now negative.

According to DeltaPoll, Starmer’s net approval has dropped by 12% – from +7 to -5.

However, he still remains more popular than prime minister Rishi Sunak, whose net approval has dropped by 8% to -30.

Recommended reading

Protesters surround Keir Starmer's car after Gaza speech (The National)


Permanent ceasefire could currently risk more violence – Sir Keir Starmer (Evening Standard)


Oxford City Council cabinet position filled after exodus of Labour councillors (Oxford Mail)


London mayor's call for ceasefire in Gaza puts pressure on Labour leader (Reuters)

While both Starmer and Labour remain a commanding lead over Sunak and the Conservatives, the latest poll may raise eyebrows in Labour HQ as the leader faces possibly the biggest test of his leadership so far.

Some members of Labour’s frontbench are in open revolt about his stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict, with shadow ministers demanding a rethink.

Frontbencher Alex Cunningham called for an “immediate ceasefire” less than an hour before Starmer delivered a speech at Chatham House on Tuesday.

Scottish Labour leader Sarwar claimed he had made “hurtful” comments about the conflict and there was “repair work to do” to mend bridges with Muslim communities.

Starmer insisted he took collective responsibility – the principle that members of his frontbench team adopt a unified position – seriously, but he gave no indication he was about to sack those who had spoken out.

Police officers move a man trying to block Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's car as he leaves Chatham House in central London. (PA) (Stefan Rousseau, PA Images)

“It is for me to address collective responsibility, I recognise that,” he said.

“It matters and I take that duty extremely seriously, but I put it in the context of understanding what is driving people in the call for a ceasefire, which is in my judgement not the call that we should be making as things stand.”

Despite the open tensions within the party, Starmer insisted there was “unity” in Labour over the “key issues” of seeking a two-state solution, the need to alleviate suffering in Gaza but also Israel’s right to self defence.

However, he was met by a small group of pro-Palestine protesters outside the Chatham House foreign affairs think tank, who mobbed the Labour leader’s car as he left, forcing police to clear a path for the vehicle.

Protesters waited for Sir Keir Starmer’s exit as they held up a ’Starmer Shame’ line of placards. (Alamy) (Imageplotter)
‘Only credible approach’

Starmer said his response to the crisis was shaped by responding to both the massacre of Jews in Israel by Hamas and the “humanitarian catastrophe” unfolding in Gaza.

Hamas would be “emboldened” by a ceasefire and start preparing for future violence immediately, the Labour leader said.

He insisted that a humanitarian pause is the “only credible approach”, which could see “the urgent alleviation of Palestinian suffering”.

The Hamas attacks were “the biggest slaughter of Jews – and that is why they were killed, do not doubt that – since the Holocaust”.

And, in an apparent message to his critics in the UK, Starmer said: “This is terrorism on a scale and brutality that few countries have ever experienced, certainly not this one, and that is an immutable fact that must drive our response to these ev

UK

How Keir Starmer Defeated The Left To Seize Control Of The Labour Party

A GLEEFUL REPORT FROM THE RIGHT

Nearly two years since being elected, the leader's grip on the party is stronger than it's ever been.

By Kevin Schofield

HUFFPOST
05/03/2022 

Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer
ILLUSTRATION: DAMON DAHLEN/HUFFPOST; PHOTOS: GETTY

When the history books are written, this week may well be seen as the time when Keir Starmer’s takeover of the Labour party was complete.

At the first completely in-person meeting of the parliamentary Labour party since he became leader, Starmer made clear that any member – and, by extension, any MP – who draws “false equivalence” between Nato and Russia would be kicked out.

It was a clear repudiation of Jeremy Corbyn’s legacy as leader, which was marked by a suspicion of western intelligence, most notably after the Salisbury poisoning.

Just 48 hours later, former shadow chancellor (and Corbyn ally) John McDonnell pulled out of a planned appearance at a Stop The War ‘No To War In Ukraine’ rally after HuffPost UK revealed he faced losing the whip if he turned up.

As the second anniversary of Starmer being elected Labour leader approaches, here is the inside story of how he faced down the left to take control of his party.

‘A new era’

Keir Starmer was elected Labour leader on April 4, 2020, with a resounding mandate.

He received 275,780 votes, 56.2% of those cast, well ahead of left-wing candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey on 27% and Lisa Nandy on 16.2%.

On the same day, Angela Rayner became deputy leader with 52.6% of the vote.

“It’s the honour and privilege of my life,” Starmer said. “I will lead this great party into a new era, with confidence and hope, so that when the time comes, we can serve our country again – in government.”

But with a party still very much in the image of Jeremy Corbyn, his challenges were just beginning.

Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner at the Labour Party conference in 2021.
STEFAN ROUSSEAU VIA PA WIRE/PA IMAGES

Taking back control

The prospect of Starmer standing on the steps of 10 Downing Street as prime minister seemed fanciful, however. He was taking over a party that had just suffered its worst election defeat since 1935, had lost dozens of formerly safe seats in the north of England and been left with just one MP in Scotland.

In order to stand any chance of winning the next election, Starmer needed to first try to unite a party that had become hopelessly split under his predecessor.

“There were two schools of thought,” says one Starmer ally. “One, that you should negotiate with the Momentum types in order to build as broad a church as possible. Two, that they were implacably opposed to Keir and Angela’s leadership and that, as disappointing as it is, they had no intention of ever being good faith partners.”

Labour’s ruling national executive council was split between those who wanted to keep the Corbyn flame alive and those who, like Starmer, believed the party needed to stop talking to itself and instead start talking to the country.

“Keir is not any sort of factionalist,” one senior party source told HuffPost UK, “but he quickly grew to understand that in order to get done what he wanted and needed, he would have to have more control.”

Winning a majority

When Starmer became leader, the NEC was finely balanced, meaning he could only rely on 18 votes on the 38-member body. This meant that his plans for changing the way the party operated could always be defeated by a united anti-Starmer majority.

“Almost every item on the NEC agenda was pushed to a vote, with the leader’s coalition usually winning by a single vote,” says one insider.

It meant that progress was repeatedly delayed, internal elections were postponed and important decisions were deferred. Clearly, this was an unsustainable position.

Handily for Starmer, nine NEC seats – all held by members of the pro-Corbyn campaign group Momentum – were up for re-election in November, 2020.

Despite fierce opposition from the left, Starmer’s team successfully pushed for them to be elected by proportional representation. Momentum lost four of the nine seats they’d held, handing the new leader the NEC majority he craved.

A Labour insider said: “We now have NEC meetings that are focused and collegiate rather than miserable affairs. There are still disagreements, but they are within the spirit of the party.”

The left strike back – then walk out

One memorable, if rather bizarre, incident perhaps typifies the marginalisation of the left in the post-Corbyn era.

In November 2020, just days after Starmer had finally secured his NEC majority, a virtual meeting of the ruling body convened to decide who would become its chair. Veteran MP Margaret Beckett, a former foreign secretary who had served as temporary party leader following the death of John Smith in 1994, was seen as the mainstream choice, but was opposed by the left.

The meeting took place barely 48 hours after Starmer had refused to restore the Labour whip to Corbyn over comments he made in response to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s report into anti-Semitism in the party when he was leader. This meant the left caucus were already spoiling for a fight.

They disapproved of Beckett, arguing that Ian Murray of the Fire Brigades Union should become NEC chair instead. With no hope of carrying the day, 13 of them staged a walkout – a protest which lost a lot of its impact on Zoom. Among the rebels was Unite’s Howard Beckett (no relation), who spent a minute stabbing at his screen trying to remove himself from the meeting while the others on the call looked on dumbfounded.

“Nothing sums up the left’s impotence more than a red-faced Howard trying and failing to hang up,” recalled one eyewitness.

Starmer wanted to make a clean break from the Jeremy Corbyn era
STEFAN ROUSSEAU - PA IMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES

The unions come aboard

As ever with the Labour party, gaining buy-in from the trade unions was crucial to the Starmer project, which is where backroom fixers Morgan McSweeney and Matt Pound come in.

Working in tandem, the pair – both hate figures for the left – were tasked with pushing through the internal changes Starmer believed were necessary if Labour were to stand any chance of winning the next election.

“Keir’s brief was very clear – he wanted the party to stop talking to itself and start talking to the country,” says one source.

After tense negotiations with union leaders, an agreement was reached that in any future leadership race, candidates would need to have the support of at least 20% of MPs – a high threshold virtually guaranteeing that no left-wing candidate can make it onto the ballot.

In addition, a six-month freeze date on party membership means left-wing activists are unable to simply join when a contest is announced, the tactic that proved so successful for Corbyn in 2015 and 2016.

Changes to the rules on “trigger ballots” have also made it much more difficult for local parties to dump their sitting MPs – a tactic regularly employed by left-wing activists during Corbyn’s time.

The changes – presented as “getting Labour election ready” – were passed at Labour’s annual conference last year, at a time when Starmer’s leadership was coming under pressure as the party failed to make much headway in the polls.

A source said: “There were powerful figures telling Keir and those around him not to push ahead with the rule changes, but it was utterly crucial.

“It’s never been about picking fights or settling scores – it’s about ensuring we face outwards, rather than worry about what factional groups within the party want. It’s no surprise that the loudest voices against were the factional warriors and the vested interests.”

‘No more Mike Hills’

McSweeney and Pound’s final task was to revamp the rules on candidate selection so that party bosses had the power to veto anyone deemed to be unsuitable. Or, as one insider put it, “to stop there ever being another Mike Hill”.

Hill was elected Labour MP for Hartlepool in 2017, but suspended by the party in September, 2019, over sexual harassment allegations. He was reinstated a month later, but quit parliament last year. The resulting by-election was won by the Conservatives’ Jill Mortimer.

According to Starmer’s team, the old candidate selection rules allowed shortlists to be stitched up by big-spending unions, and for would-be MPs to be parachuted in with little or no checks carried out on their suitability for the job.

“Imagine that you run your own business and have a family – you probably have loads of life experience that we need in the party,” says a source. “But you can’t get selected because you don’t have the time to attend every meeting or the money to run. We miss out on so many great candidates because of this.”

Once again, McSweeney and Pound – plus newly-appointed political director Luke Sullivan – managed to square off the unions so that new rules were brought in preventing local parties from blocking candidates, putting spending caps on campaigns and shortening selection timetables.

“In just two years, a dedicated team of Starmer enforcers have completely rewired the party, stamped down on factionalism, weeded out vested interests and given the leadership more control than any Labour leader has previously had,” says one insider. “The left really, really dislike this.”

The future

HuffPost UK understands that in the coming weeks, as working from home becomes a thing of the past, Labour officials loyal to Starmer will start moving into Southside, the party’s HQ five minute’s walk from parliament.

“Keir is adamant about the fact we have to keep pushing Labour away from its comfort zone and towards the voters,” says a source. “And he knows you can only do so much from the leader’s office or on Teams.

“You can expect to see some of his most loyal and effective people moving to Southside in the coming months. The work continues.”

• UK
• Keir Starmer Unveils Tony Blair-Style Pledge Card As He Steps Up Bid To Become PM
• 
  Kevin Schofield
  Wed, 15 May 2024
  
  Keir Starmer appears on course to become prime minister. Ash Donelon via Getty Images
  
  Keir Starmer will today unveil a Tony Blair-style pledge card as he steps up his bid to convince voters to make him prime minister.
  
  The six “first steps for change” will include promises that a Labour government will deliver economic stability, cut NHS waiting times, crack down on anti-social behaviour and recruit 6,500 new teachers.
  
  The party leader will also vow to launch a new “border security command” to tackle the small boats crisis and set up the publicly-owned Great British Energy to produce gas and electricity in the UK.
  
  Starmer told a meeting of his shadow cabinet yesterday: “What is crucial about these commitments is that they are part of a long-term plan to get Britain back on its feet.
  
  “Each of the first steps would chime with voters’ aspirations, show a clear set of priorities and a powerful direction of travel.”
• 
  
  Starmer's pledge card Labour Party
  
  Starmer will unveil promises at a presidential-style event in Essex alongside other members of his frontbench team.
  
  The pledge card, featuring a picture of a serious-looking Starmer, has clear echoes of the similar list of retail policies produced by Tony Blair before Labour’s landslide 1997 general election victory.
  
  Starmer said: “These first steps make real our claim that a changed Labour Party is back in service of working people. They show our priorities, what we care about and what the British public cares about. Country first, party second.
  
  “If you’re waiting in pain for NHS treatment, if your child is at school and you want higher standards, if your local area is plagued by anti-social behaviour, if you want cheaper energy bills for good, these first steps show what a Labour government will do to help you.”
  
  He added: “The contrast at the election is going to be stark. A Tory Party that gets nothing done, can’t deliver – struggles to get to the end of the week. And a Labour Party, sleeves rolled up, fixing problems with a long-term plan for change.
  
  “These steps can only be achieved if we pull together, with a sense of common purpose, ending the years of division, and rebuilding the country in partnership.”

UK's Labour sets out plans for government

Peter HUTCHISON
Thu, 16 May 2024 

Labour leader Keir Starmer outlined his plan for government (Oli SCARFF)


Britain's main opposition Labour party on Thursday set out its stall for this year's general election with six key pledges to voters in a de facto campaign launch.

The official five-week election campaign only starts when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak names a date. So far, he has only said it will be in the second half of the year.

Nevertheless, both Sunak, who heads the ruling Conservatives, and Labour leader Keir Starmer have switched to campaign mode.

On Monday, Sunak urged voters to keep faith with the Tories even after 14 years in power marked by austerity measures, Brexit, bitter political in-fighting and scandal.

Labour has been consistently polling well ahead of the Conservatives for the last 18 months, putting Starmer on course to become prime minister as the leader of the largest party in parliament.

He laid out Labour's "first steps" for government at an event in Essex, a key battleground area in southeast England.

Starmer promised economic stability, shorter health service waiting times and a new border security command to tackle irregular immigration.

He also vowed to establish a publicly owned clean energy company, crack down on anti-social behaviour with more neighbourhood police and recruit 6,500 new teachers.

"I'm not going to give you gimmicks," said Starmer, who paced the stage in a white shirt, sleeves rolled up.

"There's no quick fix to the mess that the Tories have made of this country. But this is a changed Labour party with a plan to take us forward."

- Labour's 'missions' -

The pledges, largely made before, are intended to add some flesh to the bones of five "missions" Labour says will spur a "decade of national renewal" after four consecutive terms of Tory rule.

Many commentators likened them to the pledge cards brought in by Labour's most successful leader, Tony Blair, whose 10 years as prime minister began with a landslide victory against the Tories in 1997.

They are set to feature on advertising vans and billboards in target constituencies across England in what Labour says is its most expensive ad campaign since the 2019 general election.

At that vote, Labour under the leadership of left-winger Jeremy Corbyn suffered its worst defeat in nearly a century, as Boris Johnson romped home with his promise to "Get Brexit Done".

Starmer, a centrist pro-European former lawyer, has since moved Labour to the centre ground to make the party a more palatable electoral force.

The Conservatives meanwhile have replaced their leader twice, turning on Johnson after his handling of the Covid pandemic and one scandal too many, then forcing out Liz Truss after just 49 days.

Former finance minister Sunak, 44, has sought to repair the damage caused by Truss's disastrous mini-budget of unfunded tax cuts, which spooked financial markets and sank the pound.

But he goes into the election with the Tories' reputation for economic competence tarnished, and riven by ideological splits between moderates and anti-immigration, free market right-wingers.

- 'Tough spending rules' -

Starmer, 61, promised to implement "tough spending rules" to prevent further misery for people who have seen their household budgets squeezed by high inflation and mortgage hikes.

Sunak, who is hoping for better economic conditions by the end of the year, has to hold an election by January 28, 2025. He is using the time to try to keep his party together and revive its fortunes.

On Monday, he warned that Labour would jeopardise UK security, insisting his party could still win the election.

Johnson's predecessor as premier, Theresa May, said Thursday she believed a Labour win "is not a foregone conclusion".

It would require a massive swing to secure a majority, she told reporters, adding that the voters she met were less enthusiastic about Starmer than they were about Blair.

"The view on those doorsteps is different to the feel pre-1997," May insisted.

pdh-phz/jj

Labour Party manifesto 2024: Keir Starmer’s election promises

Amy Gibbons
Thu, 16 May 2024 

Labour Party manifesto 2024: Keir Starmer's likely election promises

Sir Keir Starmer has announced the policies at the heart of his election campaign in the clearest indication yet of what we can expect to see in Labour’s 2024 manifesto.

The Labour leader made six key pledges at a campaign rally in Essex, one each on his five “mission” areas – the economy, energy, crime, education and the NHS – plus a newly added priority on immigration.

Sir Keir and Rachel Reeves, his shadow chancellor, are seeking to position Labour as the fiscally responsible party that would drive growth in Britain, allowing them to invest in public services such as the NHS.

Here The Telegraph sets out the pledges the party is expected to include in its general election manifesto.

NHS and social care


Tax


Economy


Environment, energy and net zero


Education and childcare


Defence


Pensions


Policing and crime


Migration


Housing
NHS and social care

Two million more operations, scans and appointments in first year


Train thousands more doctors, nurses and midwives


Specialist mental health support in every school


Extra 700,000 dentist appointments and supervised tooth brushing for three to five-year-olds


New “neighbourhood health centres” with joined-up services

Labour has pledged to get the NHS “back on its feet” by reforming the health service rather than “pouring ever-increasing amounts of money” into it.

As an “immediate priority”, it would focus on tackling the “massive” waiting list backlog, with an extra two million operations, scans and appointments in the first year. This would be achieved by paying NHS staff more to work overtime, boosting availability across evenings and weekends.

These policies formed the basis of Sir Keir’s second key pledge to “cut NHS waiting times with 40,000 more appointments each week, during evenings and weekends.”

In a shake-up of primary care, the party would trial “neighbourhood health centres”, bringing together a wide range of services – including doctors, nurses, care workers and mental health specialists – to cater for millions of patients currently clogging up overloaded A&E units. It would also use spare capacity in the independent sector to speed up treatment.

It has also vowed to “bring back the family doctor” – with GPs paid more for ensuring patients can see the clinician of their choice. Labour has said it would use the NHS App to “end the 8am scramble” for GP appointments and allow patients to book directly for routine checks, while boosting self-referrals and cutting red tape in pharmacies.

It would provide an extra 700,000 urgent dentist appointments each year and introduce supervised tooth brushing in schools for three to five-year-olds, while offering “golden hellos” of £20,000 to newly-qualified dentists who agree to work in areas struggling to recruit.

To tackle the mental health crisis, the party has said it would introduce specialist support in every school and provide an open-access hub for young people in every community.

It would also conduct an assessment of all NHS capital projects to identify any inefficiencies before committing any more money to fixing the “crumbling” estate.

Labour has pledged to double the number of medical school spaces to 15,000, a target also proposed by the NHS and endorsed by the Government, and provide 10,000 extra nursing and midwifery placements.

It would also train an additional 700 district nurses and 5,000 health visitors each year, and recruit 8,500 more mental health professionals.

To boost retention, the party would “consider the case for looking more broadly at how public sector pay is set”. It would also introduce a “targeted scheme” to incentivise senior doctors to stay in work.

Labour has pledged to double the number of state-of-the-art CT and MRI scanners and streamline recruitment for clinical trials.
‘Prevention first’ approach

As part of a “prevention first” approach, it would ban the promotion of junk food to young people and back the Tories’ incremental ban on smoking.

The party would establish fully-funded breakfast clubs in every primary school in England and implement a compulsory “balanced and broad national curriculum with a wide range of physical activities”.

It would also introduce stricter legal targets on air pollution and oversee the retrofitting of millions of homes to help keep them warm and free of damp, while guaranteeing the right to sick pay from day one to minimise the spread of illness in the workplace.

At the same time, Labour would work towards a locally-delivered “National Care Service”.

To tackle staff shortages in social care, it would introduce a “fair pay agreement collectively negotiated across the sector”.

And to raise standards, it would require all providers to demonstrate financial sustainability and responsible tax practices, to value their staff, and to deliver high quality care before they are allowed to receive contracts from local authorities or gain registration from the Care Quality Commission.

It would also give people in care homes a new legal right to see their loved ones and support unpaid carers by offering them paid family carer’s leave.

Labour originally said that much of the health plan would be paid for by abolishing the non-dom tax status but the strategy was thrown into disarray when Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor, announced the same move at the Spring Budget.

The party has since said it will pay for NHS improvements by going further than the Tories and closing an inheritance tax loophole for non-doms while cracking down on tax avoidance.
Tax

Close inheritance tax loophole for non-doms


Crack down on tax-avoiders


Impose VAT on private school fees


No rise in corporation tax


Overhaul business rates and review tax reliefs

Sir Keir’s first key pledge included a vow to keep taxes “as low as possible”, without committing to specific cuts.

This was broadly in line with Labour’s tax policy to date, which has been vague. However the party has been explicit about a few things.

It had promised to scrap the “non-domiciled” regime, which allows people living in Britain to avoid paying UK tax on money they make overseas for up to 15 years – but this policy has been snatched by the Tories, leaving a hole in Labour’s finances.

The party has since pledged to go further by closing the inheritance tax loophole for non-doms and target tax-avoiders to pay for its spending commitments on schools and the NHS.

Elsewhere, the party would implement 20 per cent VAT on private school fees, with the proceeds funnelled into state education.

Ms Reeves has also promised not to raise corporation tax for the duration of the next Parliament and said she would overhaul the business rates system and review all tax reliefs.

Sir Keir has made clear that he would like to reduce the tax burden on “working people”, while Ms Reeves has hinted at cuts for high earners, vowing to ensure “success is celebrated” under a Labour government.

She has attacked the Tories over their decision to freeze income tax thresholds in the face of rising inflation, but not committed to changing this, insisting it would be “irresponsible” to pledge tax cuts without pinpointing how they would be funded.

Ms Reeves has said she has “no plans” for a wealth tax but the party has explored closing a loophole for second homeowners.
The economy

Bid for highest sustained growth in G7


Tough new fiscal rules and enhanced role for the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR)


New Office for Value for Money


Invest heavily in green projects


New deal for working people

Sir Keir’s first pledge to keep taxes low was contingent on a promise to “deliver economic stability with tough spending rules, so we can grow our economy”.

This drew on existing policies, with Labour having already set an aim to secure the highest sustained growth in the G7. To do this, it would adopt a new approach it has coined “securonomics”, or “modern supply side economics”.

This would involve bringing in “tough” fiscal rules with a new “enhanced role” for the OBR and establishing a new Office for Value for Money to ensure taxpayer cash is being well spent.

The party originally pledged to invest £28 billion in the drive towards a low-carbon economy every year until 2030 but has since dramatically scaled down the spending plan following sustained criticism from the Conservatives.

The proposals include an £8 billion national wealth fund, which would aim to “unlock billions of pounds of private investment” to support the energy transition.

The party would also reform the planning system to fast-track “priority growth” projects, such as battery factories, labs and 5G infrastructure.

And Labour has vowed to deliver a “new deal for working people”, featuring a “genuine living wage”, a “right to switch off”, a ban on zero hours contracts, and an end to fire and rehire.
Environment, energy and net zero

Clean power by 2030


New publicly-owned energy company


End de-facto ban on onshore wind


Expand windfall tax on oil and gas producers


Upgrade five million homes in five years


Extra £23.7 billion spent on green projects over first term

Labour initially vowed to borrow £28 billion per year from day one to invest in its flagship green prosperity plan.

But this pledge has been significantly watered down over time. Ms Reeves first admitted that the annual sum would not be hit until at least the second half of Labour’s first term.

Then Sir Keir cast further doubt on the scale of the investment, saying it would be subject to the party’s fiscal rules. In a major U-turn, he downgraded the spending commitment to just £4.7 billion a year after admitting it was unaffordable.

Under the new, slimmed down blueprint, public funding for a major home insulation drive was reduced by nearly 80 per cent, from a planned £6 billion a year to just £1.3 billion.

As a result, Labour says only five million houses would benefit from the scheme over the course of five years, compared to the original plan of 19 million across a decade. This is the only project the party has said would be scaled down as a result of the change.

The overarching aim is to turn the UK into a “clean energy superpower”, with a zero-carbon electricity system by 2030. To help achieve this, Labour would set up Great British Energy, a publicly owned body that would invest in green projects like wind farms, with a budget of £1.7 billion a year.

This formed the basis of Sir Keir’s fourth pledge, to “set up Great British Energy, a publicly-owned clean power company, to cut bills for good and boost energy security.”

The new national wealth fund would also put money into gigafactories, clean steel plants, “renewable-ready” ports, green hydrogen and energy storage, with funding of £1.5 billion a year.

The green plan, which now amounts to £23.7 billion over five years, would be on top of £50 billion already committed by the Tories, which Labour has promised to match.

It would be partially funded by expanding the windfall tax on oil and gas producers, which was introduced by Rishi Sunak when he was chancellor to help pay for energy bills support.

Meanwhile, Labour has pledged to overturn the de-facto ban on onshore wind in England, set councils binding targets for how quickly they approve green energy projects, and establish a “British jobs bonus” to incentivise firms to build their supply chains in the UK.

Before it announced the U-turn on the £28 billion fund, the party had claimed the green reforms would take £1,400 off annual household bills and £53 billion off energy bills for businesses by 2030, while creating over a million jobs in 10 years.
Education and childcare

Overhaul childcare system


Delivery of ‘more effective’ Ofsted system


Recruit 6,500 more teachers


Review school curriculum and assessment


New register for children in home education


Reform student loan repayments

Sir Keir’s sixth pledge is focused on education, with the Labour leader vowing to “recruit 6,500 new teachers in key subjects to prepare children for life, work and the future, paid for by ending tax breaks for private schools”.

Labour’s plan for schools also includes scrapping single-word Ofsted judgments and replacing them with “report cards”, and commissioning an expert-led review of curriculum and assessment with an emphasis on “life skills”.

Meanwhile, the party has said it would give the regulator new powers to monitor pupil absence rates and legislate for a new register of children in home education. Elsewhere, it has pledged to overhaul Britain’s childcare system and rethink vocational education.

The aim is to ensure half a million more children hit the early learning goals by 2030, deliver a “sustained rise” in school outcomes over the next decade, and expand “high-quality” training routes.

Labour has yet to confirm its plans for childcare, having commissioned a review by Sir David Bell, the former Ofsted chief inspector, into delivering a more effective system.

It has said it wants to build capacity in the sector but has not specified how it would do this beyond removing “legislative barriers to local authorities opening new childcare provision” and supporting the workforce through high-quality training.

Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, has previously said she wants to move away from the current free hours model, and twice failed to rule out bringing in changes to means-testing.

But Labour has since welcomed Rishi Sunak’s decision to extend free hours to younger children, suggesting it could keep the existing system in place, at least to start with.

The party has said it will not take away new entitlements granted by the Tories, which include 15 hours of free care per week for two-year-olds.

To support older students, Labour would train more than 1,000 new careers advisers and deliver two weeks of work experience for every young person at secondary school or college.

It would also reform the student loan repayment system to make it “fairer”, with scope for a “month-on-month tax cut” for graduates.
Defence

Boost defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP


Commit to Nato and nuclear deterrent


Review defence and security to assess need


Create new armed forces commissioner

If it wins power, Labour would aim to raise defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP, matching the Government’s existing target. But Sir Keir has said he will only spend the extra money if it is achievable within the party’s borrowing rules.

Labour has also said it would make an “unshakeable commitment” to Nato and Britain’s nuclear deterrent, in a clear departure from the Corbyn years.

It has pledged a new “triple lock” commitment to build at least four new nuclear submarines at Barrow, keep the continuous at-sea deterrent and fund any future upgrades needed to the fleet.

The party would conduct a review of “strategic defence and security” in its first year to “fully understand the state of our Armed Forces, the nature of threats we face and the capabilities needed”.

And it would legislate to establish an Armed Forces commissioner as a “strong independent voice to improve service life”, while ensuring military homes are fit for purpose.

John Healey, the shadow defence secretary, has also said Labour would shift procurement onto an “urgent operational footing” to support Ukraine and replenish British stocks for any future conflicts.
Pensions

Bring back lifetime cap on pension savings


Commitment to the triple lock


Pensions review to ensure best value for savers


New powers for regulator to tackle under-performing schemes

Labour has said it would bring back the lifetime cap on pension savings abolished by Mr Hunt.

Like the Tories, it has committed to retaining the triple lock, which raises the state pension every year in line with whichever is highest out of wage growth, inflation or 2.5 per cent.

It has also pledged to conduct a review of the pensions system to ensure best value for savers, while giving new powers to the regulator to consolidate schemes where they are under-performing.
Policing and crime

Halve serious violent crime in 10 years


Extra 13,000 bobbies on the beat


Reintroduce strengthened anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos)


Scrap £200 rule on shoplifting


New bravery medal for police killed in line of duty

For his fifth pledge, Sir Keir vowed to “crack down on anti-social behaviour, with more neighbourhood police paid for by ending wasteful contracts, tough new penalties for offenders, and a new network of youth hubs.”

The party has promised to halve serious violent crime and raise confidence in the police and criminal justice system to its highest levels, all within a decade.

Specifically, it wants to halve the level of violence against women and girls and incidents of knife crime.

To protect women and girls, the party would put rape units into every police force and domestic abuse experts in 999 control rooms, as well as specialists in the court system. It would also introduce a new domestic abuse register.

To tackle knife crime, it would put youth workers into A&E departments and custody suites and set up 90 new youth hubs to give teenagers the “best start in life”.

And to raise confidence in the police, Labour has pledged to recruit an extra 13,000 neighbourhood and community support officers. It would also introduce compulsory anti-racism training and a new standards regime.

Meanwhile, the party would reintroduce tougher Asbos with powers to make arrests and force fly-tippers to clean up their mess.

It would also scrap the current £200 threshold to ensure all shoplifting crimes, no matter how small, have to be investigated by police.

And it would introduce a new bravery medal for officers who are killed in the line of duty.

To ensure more criminals are brought to justice, Labour would boost the number of crown prosecutors and force the police to recruit detectives directly from industry.
Migration

Treat people smugglers like terrorists


New cross-border police unit


Extra 1,000 caseworkers to cut asylum backlog


Possible returns deal with EU


Repeal Rwanda Bill

Sir Keir’s third pledge is to “launch a new Border Security Command with hundreds of new specialist investigators, and use counter-terror powers to smash the criminal boat gangs.”

It draws on Labour’s plan to address the small boats crisis, which has two main planks: cracking down on the “vile” people-smuggling gangs, and reducing the asylum backlog.

Sir Keir has also indicated that he would be prepared to do a deal with the EU that would involve taking a quota of migrants who arrive in the bloc in exchange for the ability to return those who illegally cross the Channel to England.

The Labour leader has said he would treat people smugglers like terrorists by giving the National Crime Agency expanded powers to freeze their assets and place restrictions on their movement. He would also work more closely with Europe, creating a new cross-border police unit to “tackle gangs upstream”.

Meanwhile, Labour would recruit more than 1,000 caseworkers to cut the asylum backlog, fast-track decisions on applications from “safe” countries, namely Albania and India, and create a new returns unit, again backed by 1,000 staff, to speed up removals.

The party has vehemently opposed the Rwanda deportation scheme and vowed to repeal it.

But Sir Keir has indicated he would be willing to consider other options to divert migrants abroad. In December, he said he would look at offshore processing, used by countries such as Australia, in a significant hardening of his stance on border controls.
Housing

Build 1.5 million homes


Utilise “poor quality” green belt land


Set home ownership target of 70 per cent


New mortgage guarantee scheme

Labour has pledged to build 1.5 million new homes within its first five years in power, underpinned by a “blitz of planning reform”.

The central policy is to rip up “restrictive” laws to allow construction on “poor quality” green belt land. Dubbed the “grey belt”, this would include areas such as “disused car parks” and “dreary wasteland”.

Labour would also build “the next generation of new towns” across the country, devolve power to local mayors to kick-start development, and give young buyers “first dibs” on new properties in their areas.

Sir Keir has set a home ownership target of 70 per cent and promised to get more people on the housing ladder with a new mortgage guarantee scheme.

The party has also pledged to deliver the biggest boost to affordable housing “in a generation” by strengthening existing rules to prevent developers “wriggling out of their responsibilities”.



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