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Post by yggdrasil on Sept 9, 2023 10:54:22 GMT
is complete.... www.newstatesman.com/politics/labour/2023/09/starmers-transition-from-soft-left-to-labour-right-is-completeKeir Starmer’s transition from soft-left Labour politician to the right of the party is now complete. On Monday (4 September), a reshuffle that was expected to focus on finding a new role for Angela Rayner quickly became an extensive overhaul of Labour’s top team. Starmer executed it without public dissent among his troops: a sign of his authority. The reshuffle – probably his final before the election – elevated key Blairite politicians such as Peter Kyle, Pat McFadden (you can read Rachel Wearmouth’s excellent profile of McFadden here) and Liz Kendall (Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s campaign director, ran her leadership campaign in 2015 while Matthew Doyle, Starmer’s director of communications, led her press operation). Compare that with his first shadow cabinet in 2020 when soft-left figures Anneliese Dodds, Nick Thomas-Symonds and Lisa Nandy all occupied senior positions. ....Depressing as hell. |
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Post by Nogbad on Sept 9, 2023 11:50:56 GMT
While I'd rather leave the pursuit of ideological purity to US libertarians and suchlike balloons, I struggle to see how any actual leftie could vote for these people. But I do understand that at desperate times in a failing political system voting for the lesser of two evils is all you can do.
I'd either never heard of, or had forgotten about, Pat McFadden. He doesn't sound like my sort of chap, it's fair to say.
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Post by notoriousnobbi on Sept 9, 2023 14:05:18 GMT
Regarding the New Statesman, I find this video absolutely remarkable.
(you know I rarely post videos,
so give it a watch... )
Not only Peter Foster's Brexit book is mentioned, but also "The Great Tax Con" by Harry Lambert, pointing towards the absolute necessity to shift the tax burden towards the wealthy - against Lobbies and against media pressure. Andrew Marr sees also the risk of a possible devastating 2nd Trump presidency.
I mention this bc I'm usually not the person in agreement with Marr...
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Post by yggdrasil on Sept 9, 2023 14:30:49 GMT
While I'd rather leave the pursuit of ideological purity to US libertarians and suchlike balloons, I struggle to see how any actual leftie could vote for these people. But I do understand that at desperate times in a failing political system voting for the lesser of two evils is all you can do. I'd either never heard of, or had forgotten about, Pat McFadden. He doesn't sound like my sort of chap, it's fair to say. We don't have the luxury you have in Scotland of a choice. I have been voting green since '97 and will go back to them after the next election, but I honestly believe that the NHS and other important public services wouldn't last another Tory government so will hold my nose and vote for the only party that can get rid of them just this once. very little I like about Blairite politics (if anything) but at least public services will have a chance under them. |
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Post by notoriousnobbi on Sept 9, 2023 22:18:16 GMT
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Post by Carl LaFong on Sept 9, 2023 22:37:45 GMT
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Post by notoriousnobbi on Sept 9, 2023 22:45:05 GMT
When Theresa May did use her 'citizens of nowhere' he went on duck-and-cover mode... |
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Post by Carl LaFong on Sept 9, 2023 23:22:40 GMT
Sugar case: www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2023-09-09/revealed-lord-alan-sugar-attempted-to-dodge-186m-tax-billNo sub required. The £186m bill was due on UK earnings including a vast £390m dividend paid in 2021. The dividend had been amassed over years of deals and property sales by Sugar’s business empire, made famous by the long-running BBC series The Apprentice. After learning he could not declare himself non-resident, Sugar paid one of the largest tax bills in the country that year. There is no suggestion Sugar has broken the law in attempting to avoid or reduce the bill. ‘You’ve got to pay tax, it is as simple as that’ The revelations open Sugar to claims of hypocrisy. He has publicly rebuked others for not paying UK tax, while repeatedly insisting his own approach is straightforward. He criticised tax avoidance and evasion in 2014, in comments that were widely reported at the time: “You’ve got to pay tax, it is as simple as that. I don’t want to live a life dodging taxmen. I could have put my money in tax-avoidance schemes or hedge funds, but the only hedge fund I’ve ever invested in is a Black & Decker.” In 2017, he appeared on ITV’s Good Morning Britain and denounced businesses that moved their operations overseas to avoid tax. He said: “It is a joke really, because you’ve got some good companies here paying their way, and other companies, particularly foreign ones [...] that are taking billions of pounds of turnover in our country and paying hardly any tax.” |
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Post by mowlick on Sept 9, 2023 23:55:12 GMT
Starmer certainly seems to have cracked the whip and gotten his troops under control. Even Tribunes of the people such as David Lammy have fallen into line, are keeping mum and taking care not to rock the boat.
Even the Scots are returning to their traditional loyalties and giving as much support to the Brothers and Sisters as they have to the SNP
It has to be said that Sir Stodge may be a dreary, immoral son of a bitch with less decency than a shit house rat, but he looks to be the next PM
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Post by Nogbad on Sept 10, 2023 8:22:10 GMT
While I'd rather leave the pursuit of ideological purity to US libertarians and suchlike balloons, I struggle to see how any actual leftie could vote for these people. But I do understand that at desperate times in a failing political system voting for the lesser of two evils is all you can do. I'd either never heard of, or had forgotten about, Pat McFadden. He doesn't sound like my sort of chap, it's fair to say. We don't have the luxury you have in Scotland of a choice. I have been voting green since '97 and will go back to them after the next election, but I honestly believe that the NHS and other important public services wouldn't last another Tory government so will hold my nose and vote for the only party that can get rid of them just this once. very little I like about Blairite politics (if anything) but at least public services will have a chance under them. I am predictably less convinced about that than you are but I will say that at the very least the NHS will fare somewhat better in the hands of people who actually believe it should exist. |
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Post by yggdrasil on Sept 10, 2023 12:22:46 GMT
Sugar case: www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2023-09-09/revealed-lord-alan-sugar-attempted-to-dodge-186m-tax-billNo sub required. The £186m bill was due on UK earnings including a vast £390m dividend paid in 2021. The dividend had been amassed over years of deals and property sales by Sugar’s business empire, made famous by the long-running BBC series The Apprentice. After learning he could not declare himself non-resident, Sugar paid one of the largest tax bills in the country that year. There is no suggestion Sugar has broken the law in attempting to avoid or reduce the bill. ‘You’ve got to pay tax, it is as simple as that’ The revelations open Sugar to claims of hypocrisy. He has publicly rebuked others for not paying UK tax, while repeatedly insisting his own approach is straightforward. He criticised tax avoidance and evasion in 2014, in comments that were widely reported at the time: “You’ve got to pay tax, it is as simple as that. I don’t want to live a life dodging taxmen. I could have put my money in tax-avoidance schemes or hedge funds, but the only hedge fund I’ve ever invested in is a Black & Decker.” In 2017, he appeared on ITV’s Good Morning Britain and denounced businesses that moved their operations overseas to avoid tax. He said: “It is a joke really, because you’ve got some good companies here paying their way, and other companies, particularly foreign ones [...] that are taking billions of pounds of turnover in our country and paying hardly any tax.” I wish I had faith in Labour to close all tax loopholes but there's little chance of that. He is fully committed to getting rid of the "Nondom" thing though, so am really looking forward to the Daily Mail hysteria climbing as the election gets nearer and Rothermere's troops go int mental overdrive at Starmer calling him a communist and everything. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2023 10:59:59 GMT
Even Tribunes of the people such as David Lammy have fallen into line Lammy? He was one of those Labour MPs who was most anti-Corbyn. Although I disagree with the example of Lammy, I agree with your overall point - the hard left and soft left in Labour seem to be grudgingly going along with Starmer. Even Corbyn who's not even in Labour anymore still hasn't denounced him. And the unions still won't withdraw their funding of Labour, instead settling for very weak threats of 'holding him to account once he's in power' - like that ever works. |
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Post by notoriousnobbi on Sept 11, 2023 12:27:57 GMT
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Post by Flying Monkeys on Sept 11, 2023 13:20:23 GMT
Even Tribunes of the people such as David Lammy have fallen into line Lammy? He was one of those Labour MPs who was most anti-Corbyn. Although I disagree with the example of Lammy, I agree with your overall point - the hard left and soft left in Labour seem to be grudgingly going along with Starmer. Even Corbyn who's not even in Labour anymore still hasn't denounced him. And the unions still won't withdraw their funding of Labour, instead settling for very weak threats of 'holding him to account once he's in power' - like that ever works. I find it hilarious when the left bleat about Tory donors but then readily accept union donations as being fine. |
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Post by yggdrasil on Sept 11, 2023 13:33:01 GMT
Lammy? He was one of those Labour MPs who was most anti-Corbyn. Although I disagree with the example of Lammy, I agree with your overall point - the hard left and soft left in Labour seem to be grudgingly going along with Starmer. Even Corbyn who's not even in Labour anymore still hasn't denounced him. And the unions still won't withdraw their funding of Labour, instead settling for very weak threats of 'holding him to account once he's in power' - like that ever works. I find it hilarious when the left bleat about Tory donors but then readily accept union donations as being fine. Organisations who fight for their workers rights or individuals and multinationals trying to get even richer and avoid taxation. Wonder which one is of more benefit to Britain. You deserve an award for false equivalency. Neither are fine though, I would prefer to see central taxation replacing donations to keep all influence out. Good luck ever getting the right to agree with that, though. Certainly the amount of Russian donations to the Conservative party are worrying. |
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