"Decency vs Division" is this week's rallying call for Starmer, with a range of associated wok-ish sub-slogans. It's suggested by some that he, Reeves and Phillipson are running snide little side-campaigns against Andy Burnham and Lucy Powell: but who is the primary enemy in Starmer's sights?
The obvious, face-value answer is N. Farage: but I don't think so. IMHO, this whole Party Conference turn is aimed squarely at targets on the Left, in the two menacing shapes of Zack Polansky and the Corbyn / Sultana rabble. Starmer's first aim now must be to persuade what remains of the left-ish, green-ish sector of the Labour movement that he's sufficiently, demonstratively anti-Farage for them to reckon staying with Labour is the safest option, rather than futile fragmentation into the ranks of the splitters. A bit like the French are always doing to fend off Marine Le Pen.
Will any of his target audience be persuaded? It's not clear to me that many will, once the Conference euphoria is over. He'll be permitting new offshore drilling applications soon; those new runways displease a lot of folk; and it'll be quite hard to row back on his anti-small-boaters rhetoric. Etc Etc. OK, Reeves may shortly find a bit of (our) dosh for the two-child benefit cap thing, plus fuel discounts for a couple million more welfare recipients: but he still won't be delivering Gaza from its fate, or doing anything that would seriously piss off Trump.
We'll see.
Incidentally, what's the betting that initially, someone on the speechwriting team actually suggested "Diversity vs Division"? Before being slapped down, and probably shown the door ...
ND
Given his banging on about "our flag" may we assume that the Labour Conference will spurn tradition and refrain from singing We'll KeepThe Red Flag Flying Here?
ReplyDeleteFurther, would someone like to tell us how many of "our" Palestinian flags have been flying at the Labour conference?
ReplyDeleteBurnham has made his play, let's see if it pans out.
ReplyDeleteGiven the polls of if Burnham was in charge, I imagine the odds are good - he just needs a seat - and I expect it to all go horribly wrong if he does become leader and PM.
I'm expecting a by-election in Greater Manchester next July, after a set of horrendous May results, with Burnham squeaking in and him to be in place before the next conference.
And then he - and we - can discover if he's any good or not. My money is on "not."
If any Starmerites are reading, there's a story on Burnham from when he was Health Secretary that could be elevated from molehill to mountain...
Well, Conference has been a huge success. For Reform. By insulting half the country, Starmer has gone into "deplorable" mode; nonsense, followed by lies, on repeat. Extraordinary.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the reason so many illegal immigrants end up in the UK is "climate change". Yeah. Sure.
@Elby "the reason so many illegal immigrants end up in the UK is "climate change" - what the Cornish call "blow-ins"?
ReplyDeleteNo red hand Ulster flag was NI secretary there but Welsh dragon was there.
ReplyDeleteSurprised Miliband did not wave windmill or Chinese solar panel
Surprised that Starmer saw sparkies rewiring ship - did they get it wrong first time .
Hope Starmer's dad knew that cast iron was brittle and failed under stress and did not make cold chisels from it. Hope support not as brittle
See that some commentators are now asking will Starmer learn from Biden and know when to pull out.
See that there was on person recognised as being effective as PM was at Cobra - up from Manchester !!!
"Sackerson said...
ReplyDelete@Elby "the reason so many illegal immigrants end up in the UK is "climate change" - what the Cornish call "blow-ins"?"
"emmets" in fact, Sackerson! (Big family Cornish connections, and I have holidayed there God knows how many times) I know down in West Cork, "blow-ins" was the term (Irish cousin lived near Skibbereen for a long time), and in our village, it's "DFLs". Down From Londoners" and generally held in contempt as they swan around the village as if they owned it (in fact, our neighbour, Raymond Asquith, The Earl of Oxford and Asquith {there was already an Earl of Oxford) owns the village. We call it Neo-Feudalism and love it - as it means that the hideous carbuncles of jerry build estates now attach at both ends of all Somerset villages DON'T happen here!). Where was I? Oh yes - DLFs - swan around and contribute nothing whatsoever). And let their dogs shit everywhere...
"Starmer vs ... Whom?" Versus decency. For God's sake he didn't sack Lammy for saying that Farage had been in the Hitler Youth. He didn't sack himself for saying that his opponents are racists. He is an effing disgrace.
ReplyDeleteDo his and his lackeys outpourings of hatred give rise to an atmosphere of approval of political violence? Dunno. They are hardly likely to quieten it down.
His reduction in protection for Farage is presumably a case of:
ReplyDeleteThou shalt not kill
But need not strive
Officiously to keep alive.
You tend to get "when side A does X, all good, when side B does it, not good."
ReplyDeleteThe Free Palestinian marchers get a pass when a minority profess anti-semitic views, or blame the Jews as a whole for the actions of Israel.
Marchers for dealing with the impact of immigration get no such pass, a minority profess racists views there, and well, it's a far right march.
Many of the same people who rightly condemned the blaming of all Muslims for 9/11 or 7/7 find their feet rather more claylike when it comes to the blaming of all Jews.
I do find it working both ways at times though, many of the people who are outraged over the prospect of a Caliphate I find are also quite comfy with a reformed Judea.
Just seen on an American blog: "In Little v. Hecox the transgender athlete at the center of the case is now attempting to argue the case ... should be dismissed."
ReplyDeleteFor some reason this made me think of the Starmerites.
We are currently seeing "there was a terror attack because of Palestine, therefore we must ban pro-Palestine demos". But the demos are more "against dropping bombs and missiles on starving people" IMHO.
ReplyDelete1. Hamas leaders are billionaires - yet won't feed their people. Hmmm
ReplyDelete2. Why are they billionaires? Well, maybe something to do with this....
https://www.frontpagemag.com/un-admits-95-of-its-gaza-aid-trucks-were-intercepted/
Why do people ALWAYS believe everything they are told?
BTW, how would you feel if France were sending rockets into London every day, as Hamas are still doing.
Hamas are Islam's Nazis. As are their people...
https://legalinsurrection.com/2024/03/poll-71-of-palestinians-support-october-7-massacre-majority-wants-hamas-returned-to-power-in-gaza/
Allow me - Nazi sympathising is NOT a good look...
And another for our Anon Nazi sympathiser...
ReplyDeletehttps://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21910/israel-helped-gaza-strip
"When Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005, there was a lot of talk in Israel about turning the enclave into the "Singapore of the Middle East." Israel's goal, or dream, was to transform the Gaza Strip into a prosperous, thriving area, similar to how Singapore developed from a small, poor country into a wealthy, technologically advanced hub. Israel clearly wanted to open a new chapter in its relations with the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip and work together on economic and technology projects for the benefit of both people.
Israel had been led to believe that jobs, money and humanitarian aid would bring stability and calm, and had hoped that the humanitarian and economic aid would prevent, or at least reduce, terror attacks from the Gaza Strip. However, Hamas and many Palestinians viewed these conciliatory measures as signs of weakness on the part of Israel."
Interesting Simon Jenkins piece in the Graun, pointing out that 45 years ago the SDP were at 50% in the polls, and that they had far more experience and on the ground organisation than Reform. He thinks its all a storm in a teacup.
ReplyDeleteI think he's wrong, because life for ordinary people has changed so much since then, and almost always (barring medicine and electronic toys) for the worse. Not to mention the vast economic and demographic changes since then, also for the much worse.
We didn't NEED a minimum wage in 1981, nor did we need food banks, an artifact of the Blair years. Housing was still affordable. To put it another way, the political culture of 1981, already under strain (Brixton riots, the 1970s graduate class moving up the ladder) just won't suffice for today's UK.
Yes. I like Jenkins, but he is using a completely false analogy, as you note.
DeleteThe SDP didn’t really lose from a high place. They were doing well, as a breakaway, soft left, liberal alliance. Who became the breakaway soft left, fence sitting, liberals of today’s tomfoolery LibDems.
ReplyDeleteIt was the economic changes, plus the Falklands war bounce that did for them.
Labours insane party of the Trades Unions, only continued as long as it did, from the pain of the early Thatcher period. She would have been ousted by 1982 if the economy hadn’t suddenly begun to turn around. The positive vibe of the Falklands victory renewed faith.
And the ban the bomb SDP lost out because of that.
Farage is in a similar p,ace, it’s true. But he has had far longer to bang his drum. And the Conservatives, whose support he is taking, have sunk to new lows.
So, it’s similar. But not the same.
Farage has a history of overreach.
Perhaps this time he will have learned how to gain new votes.
Well the one thing he HAS achieved (and that alone much more than almost all our pols) was to make Brexit happen. That the pols then tried to scupper it was nothing to do with him. So I would say that that was not overreach. He's struck a chord, and why? Because, for lack of a better phrase, "ordinary people" now know and see we are being comprehensively buttfucked by government of whatever colour. And are swarming to Reform. Who are making huge gains in council elections - wait for next year, when Labour will get another message they can ignore.
DeleteBy over reach. I meant he suddenly says some mad thing near the finish. Scrap the NHS type announcements. That don’t win the final 5% he needs for coalition.
DeleteHis insurgency instinct is astounding. Effectiveness unparalleled. Someone who has set the course for British politics for twenty years without ever having a government.
But he does tend to fall at the final fence.
Le Pen is much the same. Even now, with Macron having a new PM a month, there’s no guarantee she can move any further forward.
Yes, I saw the results the other day, 5 council seats and Reform got 4 of them. Labour just hung on in the other. And I see that Weston Super Mare council decided against becoming a "sanctuary town" because of Reform.
ReplyDeleteBill,
ReplyDeleteI think he has had to incorporate a degree of Realpolitik already. And as he has had no final fence, he has never had one to fall over. For all my misgivings about Reform, if they don't win in 2029 it's RIP UK. And it's not impossible that Starmer will have destroyed us by then anyway, as that is his clear intent.
Fabians running the show. And their intentions are terrifying. As they always have been.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHFaj2UY7uI
Falklands effect: illustration.
ReplyDeleteCroydon is a swing** borough, 400,000 people, flipping from Tory to Lab & back since 1966. In 1982, DURING the Falklands campaign, Tories won 65 out of 70 Council seats. Labour's rump was entirely confined to a single big council estate.
_______
** not 'swinging', obviously
At least we're living in interesting times ;-)
ReplyDeleteNot even a month anymore.
ReplyDeleteBBC- today.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigns after less than a month
Was he in office long enough to get a PM's pension?
DeleteTime for the old joke: "scientists predict that by 2030 no one will ever be more than six feet from an ex French PM"
ReplyDeleteOT but two Russia-related Graun tales which might not be total propaganda
ReplyDeleteone on the Georgian gangs stealing Russian rare editions from European libraries
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/oct/07/the-pushkin-job-unmasking-the-thieves-behind-an-international-rare-books-heist
And one on the novelist Pelevin of whom I'd never heard
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/jan/09/victor-pelevin-the-mysterious-novelist-who-foresaw-putins-russia-and-then-came-to-symbolise-its-moral-decay
"In 2022’s KGBT+, Pelevin’s 19th novel and the second highest-selling Russian novel of the year, both Russian nationalists and contemporary western liberals police and imprison people"
Oh and there are now TWO Guardian pieces saying the Tory Party must be saved - Polly Toynbee and Zoe Williams
ReplyDeleteSaved, presumably, so that it can divert enough votes from Reform to give Labour a chance of surviving?
DeleteMy lifelong hope has been to see the destruction of Labour: if the cost is the destruction of the Conservative Party of Cameron, May, and Boris, so be it. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Anon 9:46am
ReplyDeleteBeatitude #9
Blessed are they who read the Guardian so the rest of us don't have to...
The Labour Party of Harold Wilson was a lot better than the Labour Party of Tony Blair, just as the Tories of Macmillan were better than BoJo or Sunak, both rootless cosmopolitans.
ReplyDelete" Leading an advance platoon in the Battle of Flers–Courcelette (part of the Battle of the Somme) in September 1916, he was severely wounded, and lay for over twelve hours in a shell hole, sometimes feigning death when Germans passed, and reading Aeschylus in the original Greek."
Any thoughts on the new 50% EU steel tariffs? We don't actually have a native steel industry any more, it seems. Never mind, China will sell it to us.
ReplyDeleteOf all the stupid ideas from Rachel in accounts, keeping the pubs open later to stimulate the economy has to be one of the most stupid. Perhaps she should cut gambling and fruit machine taxes at the same time?
ReplyDeleteMy not actually try and stimulate manufacturing, or prefabricated house building? IMHO a fantastic idea would be to publish government plans for houses - actual plans for building well insulated terraces and semis. Obviously you'd still need someone to design the ins and outs of the utilities, because these are site-dependent. But why not give away off the shelf designs?
I'd also be tempted by lowering taxes on exporting companies - but the trouble is initiatives like that often get gamed by clever if unethical ('it's perfectly legal') people.