Corbyn is in

Written By: - Date published: 10:54 am, July 13th, 2016 - 139 comments
Categories: uk politics - Tags:

With a rush of sanity to the head, the UK Labour Party has ruled that Jeremy Corbyn is automatically on the leadership ballot, as a straightforward reading of the rules suggests.

Labour executive rules Jeremy Corbyn must be on leadership ballot
…
In a crunch meeting at Labour’s Westminster headquarters that began at 2pm on Tuesday and continued into the evening, NEC members, including Corbyn himself, voted 18-14 in a secret ballot that he was not subject to the rule that forces candidates to show they have the backing of 20% of the party’s MPs and MEPs.

However, in a separate decision taken after Corbyn had left the room, the NEC ruled that only those who have been members for more than six months will be allowed to vote – while new supporters will be given two days to sign up as registered supporters to vote in the race, but only if they are willing to pay £25 – far higher than the £3 fee many Corbyn-backers paid in the contest last year.

Labour’s membership has shot up to more than 500,000, according to party sources, as both Corbyn’s supporters and those who want to replace him recruit new supporters to their cause. But the introduction of the six-month cut-off point is likely to infuriate members who have joined in recent weeks with the hope of influencing the vote, and will not now be able to do so without paying an additional £25. …

Corbyn has majority support of the membership and is likley to win the contest. What will the Blairites do then?

https://twitter.com/JackGamble/status/752548258824806400

139 comments on “Corbyn is in ”

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  1. James 1
    13 July 2016 at 10:58 am

    Excellent news

  2. Enough is Enough 2
    13 July 2016 at 11:11 am

    What will the Blairites do?

    Another vote of no confidence in their leader once Corbyn is re-elected by the membership.

  3. ianmac 3
    13 July 2016 at 11:23 am

    Great news for Jeremy.
    Maybe those awful disloyal PLP Mps will either suddenly get a hypocritical dose of loyalty OR
    Resign on principle OR
    Start a Blairlike Party (That would be popular!) OR
    Join the Conservative Party (Nearer their belief systems) OR
    Shift to Europe.

    • Wayne 3.1
      13 July 2016 at 3:43 pm

      If Corbyn wins, which he will, does that lead to large numbers of these MP’s (the “disloyal”) being de-selected?

      The new candidate may be much less popular with the voting public than the current de-selected MP. It may be very difficult for the new candidate to simply characterize the sitting MP as a Blairite, since many of them are quite clearly not.

      So quite probably trouble ahead for Labour, when Corbyn wins the leadership contest. The MP’s who don’t have confidence in him now are unlikely to suddenly get it because he has won.

      • TC 3.1.1
        13 July 2016 at 4:29 pm

        Not an issue for national with the autocracy that is the hollowmen and their wall street trained front man JK.

      • Kevin 3.1.2
        13 July 2016 at 5:33 pm

        The sitting MP may not be a Blairite but they have shown gross disloyalty, many from day one, to their leader.

        If they do not like Jeremy Corbyn as leader, for whatever reason, then they should be serioulsy reconsidering their position. He was, and will be again, elected by the members and affiliates of the Labour Party. THEY make the decision not the PLP. The tail does not wag the dog.

        I think many of the disaffected need to face up to the reality that their natural home is probably the Tory’s, whether they admit it or not.

        • Peter 3.1.2.1
          13 July 2016 at 10:07 pm

          I think you are wrong I believe the tail does wag the dog, and not just in the Labour party he who pays the piper calls the tune.

      • Stuart Munro 3.1.3
        13 July 2016 at 10:51 pm

        Judging by the surging popularity of Corbyn, Corbyn certified ‘Blair-free’ candidates will probably increase majorities and will likely depose the vile far-right failed regime at the next election. Like NZ Labour’s leadership process they can get a lot of airplay – and if the airplay consists of ousting neo-liberals they can expect an enthusiastic public response. Corbyn only needs a sensible alliance with the SNP and he’ll be set to set about hosing out the Augean stables of far-right corruption.

      • Katipo 3.1.4
        13 July 2016 at 11:32 pm

        If ever a country needed MMP. Much like the US, their current systems are only creating a huge numbers of disenfranchised voters.

        • Colonial Viper 3.1.4.1
          14 July 2016 at 2:39 am

          Nope, MMP makes the situation of careerist MPs much worse. You can never get rid of shite right wing MPs in an MMP system. Local party members and local electorate voters can vote such an MP out but they will get in again and again on the party list.

  4. weka 4
    13 July 2016 at 11:24 am

    I know that radical change can be scarey, and there are no guarantees, but the Blairites are probably doing the world a favour. Time for UKLP to sort its shit out once and for all, and let the Blairites and the Left wingers go their separate ways however that might unfold. We need that degree of honesty and transparency instead of trying to hide it all in the party. I’m saying ‘we’ because what’s happening in the UK is having far reaching consequences.

  5. dukeofurl 5
    13 July 2016 at 12:25 pm

    Just replace Corbyn with Foot and look back to see how that turned out over time. A political party isnt like an extended family with the same participants that last generations, ( although some seem to harbour grudges over events that happened 30 years in NZ case) people move in and out of parties, increase or decrease their involvement as they have changes in their lives too.

    The US is an extreme example of really only having 2 doors to chose from for the big range of political views, while UK and Australia have one or two more doors, but not as much as NZ which would have 6-7 doors. Italy would be example with maybe 10-11 doors for exactly the right type of political party to suit your own views.
    eg Italy
    Democratic Party (PD) Social democracy
    The People of Freedom (PdL) Liberal conservatism
    Five Star Movement (M5S) Populism
    Civic Choice (SC) Liberalism
    Lega Nord (LN) Regionalism
    Left Ecology Freedom (SEL) Democratic socialism
    Civil Revolution (RC) Anti-corruption
    Brothers of Italy (FdI) National conservatism
    Union of the Centre (UdC) Christian democracy
    Act to Stop the Decline Economic Liberalism

    For countries with only a few ‘doors’ you would be sharing a party with others who can seem to have completely different views.

    • Sanctuary 5.1
      13 July 2016 at 8:40 pm

      May won’t call an early election, so the next election is four years away. Corbyn will have reformed the party well before then.

      Like I have said before, this coup was triggered by the flimiest of excuses – Brexit – but the timing is all about the September Labour party conference. The PLP is desperate to prevent Corbyn being leader then. Why? Because Corbyn will use the conference to make changes that will decisively shift the balance of power away from the PLP to the membership. For example, seven positions on the NEC are up for election, pro Corbyn candidates will sweep the board giving them an iron grip on that body. Re selection will be brought back. Members will have have a greater say in policy. All of this represents a disaster to a PLP that is fundamentally neoliberal and managerialist.

  6. dukeofurl 6
    13 July 2016 at 1:28 pm

    I see the UK labour NEC has changed its membership rules slightly so those that paid £3 will now have to pay an extra £25 to vote in leadership contest. Only applies to those that ‘joined’ in last 6 months.

  7. Bill 7
    13 July 2016 at 2:11 pm

    A six month cut off date meaning that only people who were members in January get to vote is hardly democratic, but nothing compared to jacking up the supporters voting fee from £3 to £25. (Unemployment benefit sits at £57.90 for those under 25 and at £73.10 for those over 25)

    Tell me that doesn’t rule out low paid workers, students and the unemployed who would have to part with between 1/3 and a 1/2 of their weekly income to vote.

    In concert with an unending stream of bile and bullshit, the arsewipes of the PLP just might be able to pull this off. At which point “bye-bye Labour”.

    Regardless, England and Wales are in desperate need of electoral reform and, in England, some political party embodiment of civic nationalism.

    • Draco T Bastard 7.1
      13 July 2016 at 2:51 pm

      Yep, that was pretty much what I was thinking. The RWNJs in UKLabour have just tried to price the poor out of being members of UKLabour.

      I’m thinking that a lot of those supporters may just cough up the £25 anyway. If they do it’ll be good for the UK because 1. Corbyn will be UKLabour leader, and 2. UKLabour will have one hell of a war chest for the next election.

      • Sanctuary 7.1.1
        13 July 2016 at 8:26 pm

        The NEC just opened itself up to a lawsuit. Labour’s membership page is clear:

        https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CnMIXZOWEAAojNv.jpg:large

        Membership entitles you to vote for the leadership, no if’s or but’s or stand downs. The six month ruling will be challenged in court, and the NEC will lose.

        The PLP plotters sre so incompetent it is unbelievable. The way to get rid if Corbyn should have been easy to work out. At the moment, Corbyn has the backing of the unions, momentum and – crucially – the anti-Blairite social democratic centre, who dispair of the insulated, self righteous and right wing PLP. All that had to happen in the last few months was for a leading anti-Corbyn Labour MP to denounce Blair, apologise for Iraq, and repudiate business as usual managerialism and Corbyn would be toast now.

        The fact that the PLP front bench won’t even apologise en masse for Iraq shows how arrogant, right wing and out of touch the coup plotters are.

        • Draco T Bastard 7.1.1.1
          13 July 2016 at 9:37 pm

          The PLP plotters sre so incompetent it is unbelievable.

          That does seem to be endemic to RWNJs – especially in their Machiavellian manoeuvrings.

          • Colonial Viper 7.1.1.1.1
            14 July 2016 at 2:43 am

            In their own minds however, the entitled PLP types (and their hanger on staffers) believe themselves to be way smarter, way more knowledgeable, and way more cunning than the rest of us.

            That’s why they can be so certain that they have it so right, while the rest of the naive, idealistic, hard left, ignorant membership, have it so wrong.

    • weka 7.2
      13 July 2016 at 3:01 pm

      It’s an extraordinary thing to have done, and there’s no way that they can’t have known or intended teh consequences.

      I didn’t quite follow it exactly,

      However, in a separate decision taken after Corbyn had left the room, the NEC ruled that only those who have been members for more than six months will be allowed to vote – while new supporters will be given two days to sign up as registered supporters to vote in the race, but only if they are willing to pay £25 – far higher than the £3 fee many Corbyn-backers paid in the contest last year.

      Are ‘supporters’ the same as members? So basically anyone who has joined can vote, so long as if they joined in the last 6 months then they pay an additional £25.

      Anyone remember what the sign up rules were on the last NZLP leadership vote?

      • weka 7.2.1
        13 July 2016 at 3:07 pm

        Looks like members and registered supporters are two different things, which begs the question of whether members can pay the extra as well or whether the recent ones are just wholly blocked from voting.

        http://www.labour.org.uk/w/labour-party-supporters

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_Party_(UK)_leadership_election,_2015

        • Bill 7.2.1.1
          13 July 2016 at 3:30 pm

          They pay the extra, if they can afford it, and ‘buy’ a vote in spite of being denied a member’s right to vote.

          Wonder what the possibility is for Corbyn to run a refund as part of his campaign? Pay your £25 if you can rummage that much cash together and we’ll refund £22 afterwards on production of a receipt if we win.

          Might lessen the impact of the NEC decision on his natural support base.

          • Jenny 7.2.1.1.1
            13 July 2016 at 6:03 pm

            “We are fighting a system that resists change.”
            Hone Harawira.

            £25 Poms?

            That’s a lot of dough. This could be interesting.

            Could the Blairites be actively, (openly, or secretly), seeking to recruit an influx of new conservative members to stack the vote?

            Is there any Party rule against being the member of two parties?

            How will it be checked?

            How many Conservatives, Liberal Dems and UKIP members would actually be prepared to pay £25 into the British Labour Party coffers to remove a socialist as the head of the Labour Party?

            Is it possible that the numbers could be big enough to stack the vote?

            Have the Blairites made this calculation?

            • te reo putake 7.2.1.1.1.1
              13 July 2016 at 7:34 pm

              The Tories have been encouraging their supporters to join Labour because they want Corbyn to lead that party. They did that when he was first elected and they’re doing it now. They see Corbyn as a blessing.

              • the pigman …
                13 July 2016 at 7:48 pm

                Running the same line as James, above, and the same line you and the ABCs trotted out about Cunliffe’s leadership, IIRC. Change the record.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  14 July 2016 at 2:44 am

                  TRP is an Labour Establishment Loyalist. A hanger on and a wannabe. Therefore the MPs are the ones who must be backed at all costs, against the general membership.

                • North …
                  14 July 2016 at 8:41 am

                  Hear hear Pigman ! As a Left type person going all the way back to school days I’ve developed a very, very strong distaste for this – “I’m omnipresent and impeccable……disagree with me and you’re an idiot” – the pose taken by some in response to difference about how the Left should proceed.

                  No personal disrespect intended but I have to say I see that pose often expressed in the commentary of TRP and others on this site. It’s a complete turnoff particularly when it’s expressed in authoritarian, thuggish, dismissive terms.

            • the pigman 7.2.1.1.1.2
              13 July 2016 at 7:40 pm

              Hey Jenny – nothing secret about their plans. The anti-Corbyn crew have been signing up people through: https://www.savinglabour.com/

              No doubt they’ll be pushing them to spring for full membership in the next 36 hours in an attempt to counteract and overwhelm the now-disenfranchised ~150k new 3 quid supporters.

              • Bill …
                13 July 2016 at 8:10 pm

                Kinnock was making that call. Point being pigman, that they obviously failed to get the numbers and so the NEC disenfranchised all members who joined in the past six months.

                And they also upped the supporters fee by about 800% so that an unemployed person, or someone on a low wage, or a student, would have to part with about a 1/2 or a 1/3rd of their weekly income to get a vote.

                How many of those who previously parted with £3 and backed Corbyn can spit for £25 you reckon?

                • RedLogix …
                  13 July 2016 at 10:08 pm

                  At what point does it become obvious that the purpose of these right-wing blairites is to keep Labour OUT of power.

                  One of Corbyn’s options is to stand aside, let then run on the fixed condition that if Labour does not win the next election then every PLP member who voted against him resigns from politics altogether.

                  They’d never call his bluff.

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    14 July 2016 at 2:46 am

                    No, once you give up power they will gladly take it and use it to execute and bury you. Observe what happened to Cunliffe.

                • swordfish …
                  13 July 2016 at 10:12 pm

                  “How many of those who previously parted with £3 and backed Corbyn can spit for £25 you reckon?”

                  Here’s YouGov’s Final Leadership poll of Labour Party members and supporter sign-ups (the Labour Selectorate) in August last year – shortly before Corbyn’s win.

                  YouGov (August 2015)
                  Final Round …………..Corbyn……………Cooper

                  Socio-Economic Group
                  ABC1 ……………………….59%………………….41%
                  C2DE ……………………….68%………………….32%

                  Selectorate
                  Members ………………….57%…………………43%
                  3 Pound Sign-Ups ……..66%…………………34%
                  TU Sign-Ups ………………76%…………………24%

                  Membership Length
                  Pre-Miliband ……………..48%…………………52%
                  After Miliband
                  became Leader …………59%…………………41%
                  Post-2015 GE …………….74%…………………26%

                  Lower Income, Sign-Ups and more Recent Members = Strongly Corbyn

                  And the Late June 2016 YouGov of Labour Party members highlights the massive contrast between Recent vs Longer-Standing members / and between Blairite/Brownite Former Members vs Current Supporters who haven’t joined.

                  Corbyn doing Well or Badly ?
                  ………………………………………WELL………..BADLY

                  Membership Length
                  After 2015 GE
                  (including many joining in
                  last 6 months) …………………65%……………32%
                  Before 2015 ……………………38%……………60%

                  Non Members
                  Members who have left
                  (mainly Blairites
                  and Brownites) …………………15%………….84%
                  Supporters who haven’t
                  yet joined …………………………55%………….42%

                  If Corbyn is replaced as Leader – how likely Labour wins next Election ?
                  ………………………………………Unlikely………..Likely

                  Membership Length
                  After 2015 GE
                  (including many in
                  last 6 months) …………………61%……………26%
                  Before 2015 ……………………40%…………….48%

                  Non Members
                  Members who have left
                  (mainly Blairites
                  and Brownites) …………………34%…………..56%
                  Supporters who haven’t
                  yet joined ………………………….59%…………..23%

                  Should Corbyn continue as Leader or Step Down now ?
                  ………………………………..CONTINUE………STEP DOWN

                  Membership Length
                  After 2015 GE
                  (including many in
                  last 6 months) …………………65%………………29%
                  Before 2015 …………………….38%………………58%

                  Non Members
                  Members who have left
                  (mainly Blairites
                  and Brownites) …………………13%………………85%
                  Supporters who haven’t
                  yet joined ………………………….61%……………..33%

                  Were the Shadow Cabinet members who resigned en masse to force Corbyn to stand down – Right or Wrong to do so ?
                  ……………………………………..WRONG…………RIGHT

                  Membership Length
                  After 2015 GE
                  (including many in
                  last 6 months) …………………75%………………22%
                  Before 2015 …………………….47%………………48%

                  Non Members
                  Members who have left
                  (mainly Blairites
                  and Brownites) …………………21%………………73%
                  Supporters who haven’t
                  yet joined ………………………….71%……………..26%

                  Would you vote for Corbyn in a new Leadership Election ?
                  ……………………………………….YES……………..NO

                  Membership Length
                  After 2015 GE
                  (including many in
                  last 6 months) …………………69%………………30%
                  Before 2015 …………………….36%………………61%

                  Non Members
                  Members who have left
                  (mainly Blairites
                  and Brownites) …………………16%………………85%
                  Supporters who haven’t
                  yet joined ………………………….63%……………..35%

                  Corbyn vs Eagle – Who would you vote for ?
                  ……………………………………CORBYN………..EAGLE

                  Membership Length
                  After 2015 GE
                  (including many in
                  last 6 months) …………………67%………………25%
                  Before 2015 …………………….36%………………53%

                  Non Members
                  Members who have left
                  (mainly Blairites
                  and Brownites) …………………15%………………56%
                  Supporters who haven’t
                  yet joined ………………………….62%……………..28%

                  A recent poll (which I’ll have to track down) suggests a whole swathe of those Blairite/Brownite Former Members are interested in re-joining to vote Corbyn out.

  8. Draco T Bastard 8
    13 July 2016 at 2:46 pm

    Looking at the responses from the RWNJs they’re obviously terrified of Corbyn winning. They know that if he does then the right-wing will lose power and the people will become ascendant and then all the damage that they’ve done to society over the last few decades will be undone, that the rich will have to start paying taxes again rather than continuing as bludgers upon the rest of society.

  9. Ovid 9
    13 July 2016 at 3:11 pm

    However, in a separate decision taken after Corbyn had left the room, the NEC ruled that only those who have been members for more than six months will be allowed to vote – while new supporters will be given two days to sign up as registered supporters to vote in the race, but only if they are willing to pay £25 – far higher than the £3 fee many Corbyn backers paid in the contest last year.

    That’s an interesting move. Labour UK has two kinds of membership – formal members of the party and registered informal supporters (who aren’t full members but are encouraged to join party). Informal supporters can still vote in the leadership election. A lot of Corbyn’s support came from those people who paid 3 pounds to be informal supporters.

    As it has been less than 12 months since the last leadership election, a lot of Corbyn’s base – the flood of people who registered as supporters – would still be entitled to vote, but some may have gone luke warm. However, increasing the fee to 25 pounds means that there probably won’t be a new influx of supporters hoping to vote for Corbyn over the next two days.

    • Bill 9.1
      13 July 2016 at 3:40 pm

      As it has been less than 12 months since the last leadership election, a lot of Corbyn’s base – the flood of people who registered as supporters – would still be entitled to vote,..

      Not true. The £3 they paid gave them a vote in the previous contest. It gave them no other rights beyond that. All of those people, if they didn’t become members before January, will have to cough up £25 to have a say in this one.

      • Ovid 9.1.1
        13 July 2016 at 4:05 pm

        I think it’s unfair to change the rules while a leadership contest is under way, but having an additional supporter model outside of party membership does strike me as a little odd.

        • Bill 9.1.1.1
          13 July 2016 at 4:35 pm

          This is from the UK Labour Party website (emphasis added)

          Where could my membership take me?

          As a member, you’ll be a key part of the team. You’ll be eligible to vote in leadership elections, you can help shape party policy, you can attend local meetings and you can even stand as a candidate.

          That’s not ‘may be eligible to vote’ but an unequivocal ‘will be eligible’.

          I don’t know what the web site blurb is based on, but if it’s an interpretation of their rules or constitution, then the NEC just fucked up big time in trying to disenfranchise about 20% of the party’s members.

          • te reo putake 9.1.1.1.1
            13 July 2016 at 4:44 pm

            Depends on what leadership they are referring to, Bill. Might just be local branch leadership. It’s the actual rules of the party that determine the matter, not the website. And the NEC had plenty of legal advice over the many hours the meeting went on.

            • Bill 9.1.1.1.1.1
              13 July 2016 at 5:40 pm

              It’s a plural trp. Elections. No indication of exceptions. Given that a certain amount of proof-reading would have gone on to make sure the web page was reasonably reflective of the rules or constitution…

              Anyway. See below for how the contest’s probably going to be jigged and rigged.

              • te reo putake …
                13 July 2016 at 5:47 pm

                There are multiple elections in my branch, Bill. It’s just a website and as you say, it is probably reasonably reflective of the rules, but it’s not likely to be even close to definitive.

                • Bill …
                  13 July 2016 at 5:54 pm

                  Aw, c’mon! Are you seriously suggesting that a page meant to be viewed by new members was clumsily and only referencing branch level elections?

                  Anyway, no they won’t be definitive, and that’s why I looked up the Party Rules. (see below)

                  • te reo putake …
                    13 July 2016 at 7:31 pm

                    No, that’s not what I was suggesting, Bill. I was suggesting that you were reading too much in to it.

                    • Bill …
                      13 July 2016 at 7:58 pm

                      Ah. I see. Reading “You’ll be eligible to vote in leadership elections” as meaning ‘you’ll be eligible to vote in leadership elections’ was reading too much into a statement from an official outlet that read “You’ll be eligible to vote in leadership elections”

                      Sure. I get that.

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      13 July 2016 at 8:31 pm

                      I love how the Labour establishment loyalist mindset. Having more party members and empowering them is dangerous, undesirable and counterproductive to the Party Hierarchy.

                    • te reo putake …
                      13 July 2016 at 9:15 pm

                      The same group who have just voted to allow corbyn to stand and probably win are intent on disenfranchising potential voters. Yeah, right.

                      Still, it’s great that people who hate the left have the decency to offer labour the benefit of their legal advice.

                    • Bill …
                      13 July 2016 at 9:24 pm

                      What makes you think he’ll win?

                      If he was going to win no matter what they did in terms of diminishing the number of eligible voters, then they wouldn’t have whittled away at the number of eligible voters.

                      As for ‘voting’ that he could be on the ballot, they probably didn’t have a leg to stand on with that one and didn’t have the numbers anyway.

                      Of course, in true authoritarian leftist fashion, they wait until the meeting is suitably stacked (so not the same group) and then throw new business on the table – the six month freeze and the £25.

                    • te reo putake …
                      13 July 2016 at 9:32 pm

                      I reckon he’ll get a smaller percentage, Bill, but still make it. Of course he won’t be leader of the opposition then. His 30 to 50 MPs will be a smaller grouping than the ‘real labour party’ or whatever the others call themselves if a purge goes ahead. He wins, he loses. Ironic or what?

                    • Bill …
                      13 July 2016 at 9:51 pm

                      No ‘irony or what’ – just a straight up ‘?’ Your comment makes no sense.

                      If he wins, he’ll be the leader of the official opposition. The number of ‘loyal’ MPs will probably increase given that some of them calling for him to step down have just swept along by the bullshit and momentum of those trying to engineer a coup.

                      And then it’s down to members at the branch or constituency level to decide who they want to vote for to act as their representatives at the parliamentary level.

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      13 July 2016 at 10:00 pm

                      Fuck the disloyal Blairite MPs. If Corbyn fights thorough to the end, he’ll add another 250,000 new members to Labour and he can have his pick of outstanding left wing candidates.

                    • te reo putake …
                      13 July 2016 at 11:02 pm

                      Think it through, Bill. Nicola Sturgeon could end up leader of the opposition.

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      14 July 2016 at 2:50 am

                      The Blairite MPs are determined to protect Labour as their own personal political vehicle, one that they have hijacked from the members.

                      Until they are rooted out of the organisation, Labour will remain Tory Labour and not be a credible Opposition again.

                    • Bill …
                      14 July 2016 at 12:53 pm

                      Seeing as how she’s First Minister, why the fuck would Nicola Sturgeon aspire to be leader of the Opposition…in a parliament she didn’t stand for and isn’t a part of?

                      Apologies if I’ve missed something earth shattering in your comment. I just came across it and haven’t actually ‘thought it through’ on the grounds that there’s nothing there.

                      If it contains something of substance that I missed, get back to me aye?

                    • te reo putake []
                      14 July 2016 at 12:56 pm

                      My mistake, it wouldn’t be Sturgeon, it would be whoever is SNP leader in Westminster. They have 54 seats. Corbyn has some loyalists and no doubt if he wins again, that number will be boosted by others who would be prepared to commit to his leadership. But if the Corbynistas insist on a purge of the rest (some of whom are ‘Blairites’, but most of whom are ‘soft left’), there could be 3 Labour factions, each with their own leader, plus a scattering of MP’s who could choose to stay as independents.

                      My point is that the SNP could be the official opposition by virtue of being the biggest party.

                    • Bill …
                      14 July 2016 at 1:46 pm

                      Again, the use of this word “purge”.

                      Labour Party members choosing who will stand for their constituency, is not in any way, shape or form a “purge”.

                    • te reo putake []
                      14 July 2016 at 1:53 pm

                      A mass deselection, as is being called for by Momentum over there and by some here, is a purge, Bill.

                    • Bill …
                      14 July 2016 at 1:59 pm

                      No it isn’t – not if the ordinary members are the ones controlling the process through elections at the constituency level. That’s called democracy (insofar as voting for representatives can be called democratic).

                      If some grouping within the PLP got rid of some other perceived group within the PLP directly (ie – with no recourse to any of the democratic mechanisms of the party) then that would be a purge.

                    • te reo putake []
                      14 July 2016 at 2:13 pm

                      Hey, I’m only reminding you what the word literally means. You can put your own individual interpretation on it if you want, but you’re on your own. And, as I noted, there’s plenty of people here, and in the UK, quite literally calling for a purge. Use the search bar on TS or google it if you don’t believe me.

                  • Bill …
                    14 July 2016 at 2:44 pm

                    Using democratic mechanisms to ensure that representatives are more representative isn’t easily reconciled with notions of ideologically driven political purges driven from the top down.

                    Using the word in relation to the possible outcome of democratic processes is essentially a smear suggesting that there’s something unsavoury or even potentially violent and unreasonable about people exercising whatever degree of democracy they have at their disposal.

                    Now sure, there are some who will happily attack the concept of democracy, with an aim to discredit it completely, at any and every opportunity that arises.

                    I’m not one of those people, and if it was the case that I was the only one pointing to the stench that results from associating the word “purge” with a degree of democratic accountability, then fine, I’d be that lone voice. The fact seems to be that the term is being used mostly (but not exclusively) by mischievous right wingers and those who’d favour the re-ascendancy of the Blairites.

          • Bill 9.1.1.1.2
            13 July 2016 at 5:08 pm

            This makes the NEC ruling kind of interesting (from the Rule Book)

            Chapter 4
            Elections of national officers of the Party and national committees

            i. The General Secretary shall be the Returning Officer.

            ii. The Returning Officer shall appoint a Labour Party legal advisor to act as Deputy Returning Officer who shall advise on any matters of dispute in respect of eligibility or procedure.

            iii. An Independent Scrutineer will be appointed by the Returning Officer to oversee and verify the ballot, and the results shall be declared at a session of Party Conference.

            iv. The timetable for the election, including any freeze date, and the procedures for agreeing the list of those eligible to vote must be approved by the Independent Scrutineer.

            So the ‘freeze date’ set by the NEC has no standing unless it’s agreed to by the Independent Scrutineer…whoever that may be.

            edit Iain McNicol is the current Gen Sec…who appoints the independent scrutineer. Don’t know anything about Iain McNicol, but it would appear that he holds all the cards.

            • dukeofurl 9.1.1.1.2.1
              13 July 2016 at 5:29 pm

              Ah the rule book !

              And who polices the rule book?

              “Organisation Committee [of the NEC]

              The Organisation Committee is responsible for party rules and constitution; ensuring parties are operating effectively throughout the country to the highest standards and has overall responsibility for membership, investigations, selections, Conferences, electoral law, boundaries strategy and internal elections.
              http://www.labour.org.uk/pages/nec-committees

              This seems to indicate what they have done

              “Registered Supporters

              Registered Supporters will also have an individual vote at future Labour Party leadership elections and, if they are on the electoral register in London, the Primary for Labour’s candidate for London Mayor. They will be required to pay a small fee to participate in such elections.
              http://www.labour.org.uk/w/labour-party-supporters

              No seems to have thought that the ‘small fee’ could become ‘not so small’

              • Bill …
                13 July 2016 at 5:47 pm

                An object – or should that be abject – lesson on how an organisation can simultaneously eat itself while spitting its entails around the show.

            • Elfrida 9.1.1.1.2.2
              17 July 2016 at 10:07 am

              Thank you for this which helps enormously to clarify this issue.

              It seems obvious that the freeze date and eligibility of ‘new’ members has yet to be agreed by the Independent Scrutineer, aided by the legal advice of the Deputy Returning Officer. Further, that the very procedures under which these decisions are made should be open to scrutiny, and any disputes or challenges scrupulously addressed.

              The freeze date, together with restrictions to voting eligibility have been presented as a fait accompli. The two-day window in which disenfranchised voters are invited to purchase the right to vote begins on Monday the 18th of July. If this timetable is adhered to, it follows that clauses ii, ii and iv cannot possibly be acted upon in a timely way, as the opportunity for intervention will have passed.

              If this disregard of the NEC for its own rules is allowed to continue, the entire basis of the Labour Leadership Election will be undermined. Will the Election Reform Services be providing scrutiny? If so, a qualifying statement must be sought before it is too late to influence this flagrant and undemocratic disregard for the rights of Labour Party members, affiliate members and supporters.
              http://www.electoralreform.co.uk

  10. Tautoko Mangō Mata 10
    13 July 2016 at 3:24 pm

    This sums it up for me:

    Suzanne Bosworth
    ‏@MediaWeasel
    Here’s what’s extraordinary: #LabourNEC thinking that their disgusting behaviour will make them electable if Corbyn isn’t re-elected.

    • dukeofurl 10.1
      13 July 2016 at 4:06 pm

      You are confusing two different things- labour members and the electorate voters.

      As we have seen electorate voters had backed labour under Blair/Brown 3x !

      The last one in 2005 they had 55% of the seats with 35% of the vote, so dont need the small far left group about Corbyn, there being any number of parties with socialist or workers or even ‘respect’ in their name to vote for come election time.
      Socialist Labour Arthur Scargill 20k votes
      Scottish Socialist Colin Fox 43k
      Respect Linda Smith 68k
      Socialist Alternative Peter Taaffe 9k
      Socialist Unity Party – 581 votes.

      • Colonial Viper 10.1.1
        13 July 2016 at 6:14 pm

        As we have seen electorate voters had backed labour under Blair/Brown 3x !

        Blairite Labour were a bunch of useless pro-war corporate tossers who have contributed to the long term extinction of UK Labour by courting the comfortable middle class and discarding the working class.

        The effects of which is being played out now.

  11. swordfish 11
    13 July 2016 at 5:11 pm

    “But the introduction of the six-month cut-off point is likely to infuriate members who have joined in recent weeks with the hope of influencing the vote, and will not now be able to do so without paying an additional £25.”

    Yep, they’ve just effectively “de-selected” 130,000 new members from having a say. Over the last 2 weeks alone, the Party has accepted 4.5 million Pounds in members fees on the promise they could vote.

    • Draco T Bastard 11.1
      13 July 2016 at 5:30 pm

      Over the last 2 weeks alone, the Party has accepted 4.5 million Pounds in members fees on the promise they could vote.

      Sounds remarkably like false advertising and could thus be challenged in court. Of course, the court case would be long after the vote.

      • Sanctuary 11.1.1
        13 July 2016 at 8:49 pm

        The Corbynistas will simply need an injunction, not a full court hearing.

        But really, in a democracy this manoeuvering to disenfranchise your own members is beyond disgraceful.

        The PLP is polarising the party with sort of self serving, divisive and and anti democratic behaviour.

    • Colonial Viper 11.2
      13 July 2016 at 6:15 pm

      Yep, they’ve just effectively “de-selected” 130,000 new members from having a say. Over the last 2 weeks alone, the Party has accepted 4.5 million Pounds in members fees on the promise they could vote.

      Time for Corbyn supporters to launch massive High Court action against the UK Labour Party.

      • weka 11.2.1
        13 July 2016 at 6:22 pm

        Yep.

        I think it’s blatantly obvious now that the Blairites are willing to burn the whole house down if they can’t keep it for themselves.

        • Colonial Viper 11.2.1.1
          13 July 2016 at 6:36 pm

          It’s a classic attitude of entitlement from the Labour Party hierarchy. Ordinary members are there to give the party money and to deliver flyers for MPs. They are not supposed to interfere with the better judgement of the hierarchy.

      • Stuart Munro 11.2.2
        13 July 2016 at 10:57 pm

        A street march might do the job as well. Confronting a disenfranchised mob is, as they say, ‘a great learning experience’.

  12. swordfish 12
    13 July 2016 at 5:30 pm

    ITV Political Editor Robert Peston:

    “Even by Labour’s recent history of giving shambles a good name, today’s meeting of the ruling NEC takes the biscuit.

    Because at the end of the meeting, after a couple of pro-Corbyn members had left, and Corbyn himself had gone, a vote was taken on a motion not on the agenda, to exclude from the leadership vote anyone who joined the party in the past six months. So the 130,000 who signed up since Brexit, most of whom are thought to be Corbyn supporters, will be unable to vote.

    Now whatever you think of Corbyn, this looks and smells like gerrymandering by his opponents.

    Corbyn will definitely attempt to get the vote over-turned. And he may resort to the law, since Labour’s website made clear that membership bought a vote.”

    • Colonial Viper 12.1
      13 July 2016 at 6:19 pm

      That’s the disgusting and undemocratic UK Labour Party for you.

      The entire party needs to be put into the woodchipper and the party re-started from scratch.

  13. weka 13
    13 July 2016 at 6:17 pm

    This clarifies the member vs registered supporter thing (kind of),

    But Labour members who have signed up after Tuesday, January 12 will not eligible to vote.

    That means the claimed 100,000 new members the party claims they have attracted since the referendum will be excluded from the process.

    But they may still be able to take part in the vote if they’re willing to stump up a £25 ‘registered supporter’ fee.

    Applications to be a registered supporter will only be open for two days – and it’s currently unclear whether those who became members since January 12 will also be allowed to sign up as registered supporters.

    Details of how to sign up as a registered supporter will be announced on Thursday.

    http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/new-labour-party-members-barred-8408288

    • Colonial Viper 13.1
      13 July 2016 at 6:27 pm

      If you have money, you can vote – beliefs of the Blairite Labour Party.

      BTW this undemocratic shite will have killed Scottish Labour off for good now. And without Scottish Labour UK Labour is now an historical footnote. They just haven’t stopped breathing and moving yet.

      • Pasupial 13.1.1
        13 July 2016 at 6:37 pm

        £25 is NZ$45.75 at the current exchange rate (1.83). That is a lot of money to come up with in two days for many Labour supporters.

        • Colonial Viper 13.1.1.1
          13 July 2016 at 6:53 pm

          Yep. But the ‘right’ kind of Labour supporters will have no trouble.

          • swordfish 13.1.1.1.1
            13 July 2016 at 8:33 pm

            Basically, the NEC (minus the Corbyn supporters who had already left the meeting, unaware of what was about to unfold) has disenfranchised well over 100,000 Party members (more than 60% of whom are reckoned to be Corbyn supporters) while at the same time allowing anyone who can find 25 quid in the next 48 hours a vote.

            I’ll have to look for it, but a few days ago I read of polling that suggested a whole swathe of Blairite and Brownite former Party members were prepared to re-join to vote Corbyn out. It suggested they would probably slightly outnumber Corbynistas among the Supporter Sign-Ups. With this new rule, though, that should turn into more than just a slight advantage.

            • Colonial Viper 13.1.1.1.1.1
              13 July 2016 at 9:24 pm

              Bit of a naive novice mistake to leave the meeting before it was adjourned.

              • dukeofurl …
                14 July 2016 at 9:36 am

                Have you just realised that about Corbyn ?

                • Colonial Viper …
                  14 July 2016 at 9:41 am

                  Indeed. Trusting in your party’s own MPs and executive is clearly a dumb move in UK Labour.

                  To paraphrase. The guys who sit across there are our opposition. The people who sit beside us are our enemies.

    • Bill 13.2
      13 July 2016 at 6:49 pm

      Think about it.

      Putting the onerous £25 aside for a moment, what’s being suggested is that members may attract a penalty with regards voting that’s over and above any penalty landed on non-members.

      Members denied a vote can pay £25 to vote as supporters.

      The Blairites know that ‎£25 is a huge financial hurdle. They’ve probably ‘focus grouped’ that cost, done the numbers and calculated that they come out ahead.

      • Colonial Viper 13.2.1
        13 July 2016 at 6:57 pm

        I don’t understand why with this kind of internal attitude, UK Labour struggles in Scotland.

      • weka 13.2.2
        13 July 2016 at 11:38 pm

        “Members denied a vote can pay to vote as supporters.”

        Are you sure? Because the article above was saying it wasn’t clear if they could become registered supporters or whether members under 6 months simply won’t be able to vote.

        Those that haven’t joined yet, can pay the £25, thus ensuring that the only new people can vote and of those only the ones with the dosh.

        The 6 months thing might be standard though. What was the deal with NZLP?

        • Bill 13.2.2.1
          14 July 2016 at 12:07 pm

          Six months isn’t standard. The NEC, or more precisely the General Secretary, acting through the scrutineer (who I don’t think has been appointed yet) can set a ‘freeze’ on eligibility.

          The relevant clauses from the UKLP ‘Rule Book’ and my take on it is in this comment…

          http://thestandard.org.nz/corbyn-is-in/#comment-1202937

          But regardless, when I suggested it be thought through, I meant with regards the logic, or even how to manage a scenario where a member is disqualified from voting, yet an avenue is afforded all non-members.

          Any member debarred from voting would simply rescind their membership and then pay up to get a vote, right? And besides that being almost impossible to police, the financial barrier is likely being considered enough in terms of shoving obstacles in the path of newer members who some would prefer didn’t cast a vote.

          • weka 13.2.2.1.1
            14 July 2016 at 12:17 pm

            I’m guessing the two day thing would prevent people rescinding their membership and signing up anew as a registered supporter, and that that is intentional too. So really it’s only the people who haven’t signed anything yet and who have the cash that will be advantaged.

            • Bill 13.2.2.1.1.1
              14 July 2016 at 12:36 pm

              This is rabbit hole stuff.

              There’s no real advantage to be had in trying to triple whammy newer members. The £25 supporters fee does all the work that needs doing. If newer members want to pay £25 – and most won’t be able to afford that – then fine. And the two day window would make it well nigh impossible to check whether a £25 ‘supporter’ was a fully paid up member if the idea was to exclude newer members no matter what.

              If the supporters fee had been left at around the £3 mark, then it would have necessary to device some scheme to block newer members from just voting as supporters. Raising that fee to £25, effectively does that.

    • swordfish 14.1
      13 July 2016 at 7:50 pm

      Not unexpected.

      The Soft Left faction’s Smith will run to the Left of Eagle (from the Brownite/Centrist faction) and to the Right of Corbyn.

      • Bill 14.1.1
        13 July 2016 at 8:19 pm

        I’d like to think he’d send Eagle into third place on the first round of voting and then step down. Allowed to imagine decency, yes?

  15. emergency mike 15
    13 July 2016 at 8:03 pm

    Supporters will be given two days to pay the £25? What a generous window of opportunity.

    130,000 new members join in order to have their say as advertised, then get told to fuck off.

    Makes it pretty clear who you are dealing with.

  16. swordfish 16
    13 July 2016 at 8:24 pm

    Corbyn-supporting Labour activists are suggesting people who want to vote in the Leadership contest join affiliated Unions or the Fabian Society. Much cheaper.

  17. Ad 17
    13 July 2016 at 8:38 pm

    I think of Aussie Labor’s narrow loss, Spain’s left that can’t unify, Canada’s version that pantsed itself recently, The French version sliding sideways, NZ Labour just now getting a little juice back, and now the UK’s hot mess … and I am just depressed thinking too hard. None of their reasons are the same, none have the same cure. But the results are just Winter. Discontent. Etc.

    • ropata 17.1
      13 July 2016 at 8:56 pm

      makes you wonder what else is going on, dirty tricks are the RW stock in trade

      1. screw/buy the media narrative with “Dirty Politics” style lies, fire disobedient journos
      2. subvert the vote counting process by convenient ‘errors’ (see: Bush v Gore)
      3. sabotage the opposition with agents of chaos
      4. crush mass movements with militarised police and initimidation of leaders

      i could supply links but it’s fairly obvious really

      • Ad 17.1.1
        13 July 2016 at 9:16 pm

        Lovely to think it was someone else’s fault.
        It is primarily not.

        And even if the left are supposed to play against the stacked deck,
        and only supposed to win just a few times,
        and only do something not everything,

        it’s still Winter.

        • Colonial Viper 17.1.1.1
          13 July 2016 at 9:27 pm

          You don’t believe that the caucus conspired and planned a deliberate coup against Corbyn with the help of friendly media?

          Really, Ad, it’s so bleeding obvious and you’re not that naive.

  18. ropata 18
    13 July 2016 at 8:39 pm

    There was a good interview on Radio NZ this morning, the English correspondent suggested that UK Labour is heading for another split. The PLP will not give up their seats willingly, they are more likely to form another party (or they will make the Corbyn faction do so). And just like the LibDems before them they will dwindle into well-deserved obscurity & irrelevance.

    NZ Labour has been through this at least twice that I can think of

  19. Whateva next? 19
    13 July 2016 at 9:00 pm

    What about “True Labour” for Corbyn, and the other lot can change from New Labour to “Blue Labour”

  20. Colonial Viper 20
    13 July 2016 at 9:29 pm

    I wonder if anyone else can see that UK Labour ain’t fit for purpose. All it is now is a political vehicle for entitled middle class careerists.

    • ropata 20.1
      13 July 2016 at 11:26 pm

      This has just been sent out by Labour First. These people want to destroy the Labour Party. They need to be stopped pic.twitter.com/R7OSm4fKtZ— Wirral Momentum (@WirralMomentum) July 12, 2016

      from the PLP email:
      “None of this will be changed if Corbyn is re-elected, however wide the margin. MPs are not going to go crawling back to him saying they made a mistake. They will challenge him again and again as his failings and the un-tenability of his position become more and more apparent, until eventually he is defeated.

      the shameless blairites will go to any lengths to get rid of democracy

  21. john 21
    13 July 2016 at 9:41 pm

    Is this the start of “New Labour” in the UK?
    Where Corbyn is the only parliamentary member of the Labour party and the rest form “New Labour”??
    He needs to remember…that he still has to work with the other ELECTED MP’s. Elected by the people of their electorates.
    Maybe mass by elections is the way to go. It would bankrupt the Labour party and their corrupt union affiliates that want to run the Labour party like their own personal puppet show.

    • swordfish 21.1
      13 July 2016 at 10:39 pm

      “He needs to remember…that he still has to work with the other ELECTED MP’s. Elected by the people of their electorates.”

      Elected because they stood for Labour.

      Do you really imagine they would’ve had more than a snowball’s chance in hell if they’d stood purely on their own merits as Independents ?

      • Colonial Viper 21.1.1
        14 July 2016 at 2:28 am

        Basically too many of these MP dickheads have used UK Labour as their own personal political vehicle to win their well paid place in the establishment.

        Many parallels to the NZ situation.

      • john 21.1.2
        14 July 2016 at 9:30 am

        Not all of them because of Labour, just like here, sometimes in spite of.

        • john 21.1.2.1
          14 July 2016 at 1:11 pm

          So 90% of the MP’s selected to run and win seats for Labour are “dickheads” and Corbyn is the ONLY one that sees clearly. REALLY????
          Says very little for the intellect of the Labour party choosing them. Or are you just upset that you disagree with them, from all the way over here in NZ.

          • Colonial Viper 21.1.2.1.1
            14 July 2016 at 3:32 pm

            Now these dickheads – and I use that term for both the male and female backstabbing blairite MPs – have identified themselves, they can be deselected at the electorate level by the general membership. Fuck’m.

      • john 21.1.3
        14 July 2016 at 1:08 pm

        Couple of points:
        Are you saying LABOUR = CORBYN and vice versa? Leaving no room for the rest of the MP’s.
        or are you saying that Labour MP’s in the UK and perhaps elsewhere are absolutely useless and can’t think for themselves and it’s not the JOB of running the country they should be doing but only focusing on what the Labour party head office is telling them to……democracy…..really?

    • Jenny 21.2
      13 July 2016 at 11:35 pm

      “He needs to remember…that he still has to work with the other ELECTED MP’s. Elected by the people of their electorates.”
      john

      This is the exact same reason used by the Right of the Labour Party caucus to get rid of David Cunliffe. And how they got him to resign, with out going to the Labour membership to be decided as it should have.

      • Draco T Bastard 21.2.1
        14 July 2016 at 1:37 am

        Ah, but why did the Labour membership keep the ABCs rather than replacing them for the last election?
        Did they actually have a choice in it?

    • Draco T Bastard 21.3
      14 July 2016 at 1:35 am

      He needs to remember…that he still has to work with the other ELECTED MP’s.

      The other MPs need to remember that they’re there to represent the Labour membership and they’re simply not doing that. Hopefully the membership recall that and remove the scum suckers.

      • john 21.3.1
        14 July 2016 at 1:14 pm

        NO, they are representing the VOTERS….all of the voters of their electorate…and here’s the hard part…they are also supposed to represent the voters who DIDN’T vote for them too.

        • Draco T Bastard 21.3.1.1
          14 July 2016 at 1:24 pm

          Not within the Labour Party itself which is where the leadership conflict is taking place.

          • john 21.3.1.1.1
            14 July 2016 at 2:35 pm

            Exactly…and the reason labour may never see power again in the UK.
            They view this as being all about them (the Labour Party).
            The voters are watching and seeing that the Labour Party only cares about itself, it’s theories and institutions. NOT the people or the country and their worries and needs.
            Which is the purview of a govt….So Conservatives in power by default, as they are the only ones talking about the country, economy etc as a job to do and Labour as a job to have……BIG difference.

            • Draco T Bastard 21.3.1.1.1.1
              14 July 2016 at 3:01 pm

              What a load of bollocks.

              The voters are watching and seeing that the Labour Party only cares about itself, it’s theories and institutions.

              Wrong.
              Yes, the voters are watching – that’s why so many thousands of them are presently joining the Labour Party. They’re doing so because they understand that the UKLabour party is there to look after the country.

              So Conservatives in power by default, as they are the only ones talking about the country, economy etc as a job to do and Labour as a job to have……BIG difference.

              And that’s inventing BULLSHIT to try and make out that the conservatives have a greater moral compass when they don’t. It’s the conservatives, in both parties, that have been screwing over the country to enrich a few. Which is why thousands of people are presently joining UKLabour and not the Tories.

  22. Sanctuary 22
    13 July 2016 at 9:43 pm

    next week the Tories will promote a vote on Trident. Corbyn had been indicating he would offer a free vote as a compromise.

    Personally, I would now turn the machinery of government against the Blairite plotters and whip the vote. That would force the hand of the Blairites, if they defied the whip – as they must – then they’ll stand exposed as voting with the Tories. Again.

    • Anne 22.1
      13 July 2016 at 9:57 pm

      … I would now turn the machinery of government against the Blairite plotters and whip the vote. That would force the hand of the Blairites, if they defied the whip – as they must – then they’ll stand exposed as voting with the Tories. Again.

      Strewth yes. That is exactly what Corbyn should do. Play the same dirty game back at them and see how they like it. I know it’s been said a thousand times on this site in recent weeks but hell… what a bunch of venomous, self-serving, entitled bastards and bitches are these Blairites. At least the Tories don’t really pretend to be anything else.

      • RedLogix 22.1.1
        14 July 2016 at 5:29 am

        I know it’s been said a thousand times on this site in recent weeks but hell… what a bunch of venomous, self-serving, entitled bastards and bitches are these Blairites. At least the Tories don’t really pretend to be anything else.

        This this and this. I was going to type out something similar myself, but nothing tops this.

        I’d hope that over the years we’ve conversed you’d know me as a man forgiving of other people’s mistakes. Except when they are pretending they are making them for my own good.

      • Wayne 22.1.2
        14 July 2016 at 8:40 am

        Anne,

        It would be a bit rich for Corbyn to do that. He is the MP who defied the Labour whip more than any other, so he has no real moral mandate to use that strategy.

        Realistically this whole shambles in Labour will result in two parties, one hard left, one centre left. The one that will prosper with voters will be the one that is seen by voters (as opposed to activists) to best represent left interests in British politics.

        This will likely take a couple of years to play out, leaving the Conservatives a good opportunity to bed themselves in as the natural party of government, at least over the next decade.

        I am sure Conservatives strategists, and Theresa May are relishing the opportunity that has been presented. Already her speeches indicate that she will reach across the middle in a much more effective way than Cameron was able to do. His Etonian background, and his personal style made it a bit hard for him to play the role of the “man of the people.” In contrast Theresa May’s background and her personal style is tailor made for her to do so.

        • dukeofurl 22.1.2.1
          14 July 2016 at 9:32 am

          Sir Lynton Crosby couldnt have said it better…. who was that great British statesman who said ..optics my friend its all optics

        • Anne 22.1.2.2
          14 July 2016 at 4:17 pm

          …this whole shambles in Labour will result in two parties, one hard left, one center left.

          Oh eff-off with your hard left crap Wayne. All Jeremy Corbyn is advocating is exactly the same as what successive British, NZ and Australian governments were implementing until along came some fanciful neo liberal political theory which has created a disastrous global scenario and has put the well-being of the planet in fiscal and environmental jeopardy.

          It’s been a monumental failure from the start and the sooner the world returns to a socially and economically acceptable form of egalitarian governance the better. This is essentially what Jeremy Corbyn, Bernie Sanders and other are advocating and they are to be applauded for having the guts to stand up and say so.

        • reason 22.1.2.3
          14 July 2016 at 4:58 pm

          Wayne Mapp is quite cheeky to keep posting here ……………

          I say that as he is a corrupt racist former national party minister ….. and a present day carpetbagger who seems to self nominate himself for crony appointments that judith collins and other bent nats dish out …..

          http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/search?q=wayne+mapp%2Bcrony

          Wayne is also a warmonger who is quite prepared to participate in illegal wars where innocent children get burnt, maimed and killed …………. for the sake of “trade deals”

          Wayne is a troll here at the standard but unlike most trolls we know a bit more about him …………

          “So who is PACDAC? The National government hasn’t announced any appointments (in fact, the last publicly announced appointments were in 2007), but the 2015 PADET annual report lists their membership as “Robert Ayson, Natasha Barnes, Nicholas Davidson, Hon. Wayne Mapp, Ross Miller, Paul Sinclair, Maui Solomon and Angela Woodward”.

          Wayne Mapp of course is a former National MP and crony; as National Party defence spokesperson he advocated for New Zealand involvement in the Iraq war (even if it meant ignoring international law), and as Defence Minister he advocated against outlawing the international crime of aggression. Since leaving government, he has continued to advocate for war. With people like these on PACDEC, its no wonder it has been effectively disarmed”

          http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2016/02/disarmed.html

    • Colonial Viper 22.2
      13 July 2016 at 10:09 pm

      I have to say that offering compromise to a lair of disloyal snakes who inevitably view compromise as evidence of weakness, is an ill-advised and poorly thought out move.

  23. Bill Drees 23
    13 July 2016 at 11:40 pm

    English Labour MPs are refusing to engage with the membership.

    “Labour has suspended all local party meetings until the high-stakes leadership contest has been completed to curb the levels of abuse faced by MPs, the Huffington Post UK can reveal.”

    http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/07/13/labour-suspends-local-party-meetings-after-national-executive-committe-ruling_n_10959162.html

    • Colonial Viper 23.1
      14 July 2016 at 2:32 am

      The local Labour membership need to organise MP office sit-ins, pickets and protests to force their Parliamentary Representatives (oh the irony) to listen to them.

      It should be clear to one and all now that the UK Labour Party has been hijacked by a few score well paid MP careerists who don’t care how undemocratically they look or act, as long as they get their own way.

      Labour as an international political franchise is over.

  24. swordfish 24
    14 July 2016 at 2:38 am

    Wonder if the latest Ipsos Mori will aid Corbyn ?

    Headline voting intention
    (voting intention after those not certain to vote are excluded. So an accurate gauge of those most likely to vote only)
    Tory 36%
    Labour 35%
    Lib Dem 11%
    Ukip 8%

    Overall voting intention
    (all respondents voting intentions – regardless of whether or not they’re likely to turn out to vote at the next General Election. This is an accurate gauge of how eligible British voters as a whole feel. As you can see, weighting for turnout always favours the Tories over Labour)
    Tory 33%
    Labour 38%
    Lib Dem 10%
    Ukip 8%

    Given the circumstances, this is a very good poll for Labour.

    • Colonial Viper 24.1
      14 July 2016 at 2:53 am

      By taking a strong left wing stand, Corbyn is pulling more voters towards Labour. Who wudda thunk it. It is contrary to all the right wing advice to swerve right in order to be “electable.”

      • Bill Drees 24.1.1
        14 July 2016 at 12:48 pm

        There are many in NZ Labour who believe the membership is not good enough for the Parliamentary Labour Party with which we are blessed.

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    You got a fast carAnd I want a ticket to anywhereMaybe we make a dealMaybe together we can get somewhereAny place is betterYesterday’s newsletter, Trust In Me, on the report of abuse in state care, and by religious organisations, between 1950 and 2019, coupled with the hypocrisy of Christopher Luxon ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 hours ago
  • Stories of varying weight

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 hours ago
  • Balancing External Security and the Economy

    New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    19 hours ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: The unravelling of the offsets

    The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    24 hours ago
  • What makes us tick

    This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 day ago
  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
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    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
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    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
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    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
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    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
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    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
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    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
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    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
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    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
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    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
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    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
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    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
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    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
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    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
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    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
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    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
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    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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