UK Labour – the leaked report
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- Date published:
1:35 pm, May 7th, 2020 - 27 comments
Categories: Jeremy Corbyn, labour, political parties, politicans, Politics, uk politics -
Tags: Antisemitism, Blairites, jeremy corbyn, Kier Starmer, nick kelly, UK election 2017, uk labour
Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s blog
In the middle of a global pandemic, it seems almost trivial to be writing about internal disputes within the UK Labour Party. Certainly, the UK media seem to have taken this view towards the recently leaked report. I’m sure, this is the only reason the media have paid it so little attention.
The leaked Labour report exposed a cache of WhatsApp messages from the Labour HQ from 2014 to 2019. These leaked WhatApp messages expose that senior party staff undermined the Party’s 2017 election campaign and delayed investigation into antisemitism to maximise political damage to Jeremy Corbyn.
The leaked report is over 800 pages long and names a number of individuals. Like many who follow politics, I have seen this report. I will not be sharing it or naming individuals. I will surmise, however, that many of the ‘senior officials’ named were also rumoured to be front runners to be the new UK Labour Party General Secretary or to fill other roles in the party under its new leadership. This possibly explains the timing of the leak and the motivation behind it. This is just my speculation.
The leaked draft report essentially said that UK Labour’s ability to deal with the antisemitism issue was “an abnormal intensity of factional opposition to the party leader” which had “inhibited the proper function of the Labour party bureaucracy.” In other words, for the party apparatchik undermining Jeremy Corbyn was a higher priority than stopping racism.
The many transcripts show that while there were many antisemitism complaints in 2019, the majority of these were from one individual and upon investigation, these were dropped due to lack of substance. Many of the earlier antisemitism investigations were delayed, by senior Party HQ officials and not by the Corbyn or his team. The report also makes it clear that these senior Party HQ officials were working very closely with Deputy Leader Tom Watson, who was very outspoken in the media about Labour’s handling of antisemitism. It is likely he a) knew or had some idea that early antisemitism complaints had been delayed by his friends in Party HQ, rather than Corbyn’s office and b) that the many complaints in 2019 were originating from one vexatious litigant in the party rather than there being hundreds of genuine complaints.
Opposition to the Corbyn project by party HQ was at fever pitch. The leaked WhatsApp messages show that these senior officials became despondent when Labour’s support increased during the 2017 General Election. These texts confirm that party funds were funnelled to their friends and allies in safe seats, specifically Tom Watson. For candidates in marginal constituencies who were seen as too supportive of the Corbyn project, Party HQ starved these campaigns of resources. These officials even joke about the fact that they were doing little work during the campaign in their WhatsApp group.
In July 2019 BBC current affairs show Panorama did a report on antisemitism in Labour. Ironically many of the whistleblowers from this Panorama documentary were the people named in this leaked Labour report as having frustrated antisemitism investigations. Were it not for COVID-19, we can be sure the BBC would ensure this was properly reported on to ensure a balanced and factual news service had been provided. Or maybe not?
Former Labour MP for Kensington Emma Dent Coad responded that she was both furious and vindicated by the leaked report. On being elected the MP for Kensington, officials in Party HQ were both surprised and annoyed, describing her as a ‘Grade 1 tool’. In the 2017 election, Emma thought Labour HQ had failed to provide help with her campaign because the Party thought it so unlikely she would win. But even in the last three weeks, when it was clear Labour had a chance in Kensington, there was still no assistance from the Party at all. This lack of support from the Party continued after the election when the Grenfell Fire happened in her constituency. Despite desperately needing support with casework, Party HQ failed to step up.
On the release of this leaked report, current Mayor of Manchester and rival Labour leadership contender in the 2015 leadership election Andy Burnham sent out the following tweet:
Burnham is a moderate, on the centre-left of UK Labour. His politics would fit very comfortably with the moderate wing of the German Christian Democrats who are the main conservative party in German politics. That he felt that the party machine was undermining him when trying to push for pro-NHS or social care policies is astounding. Burnham came second to Corbyn in the 2015 Labour leadership election. Senior officials in Party HQ were still aligned to the policies and politics of Labour under Blair. By 2015 these politics were sidelined and candidates running on these platforms did very poorly. The Party HQ apparatchik could not win an open policy debate as party members and the public was tiring of austerity or austerity lite. So instead they used bureaucracy to undermine those pushing progressive politics.
Newly-elected Labour leader Kier Starmer and Deputy Angela Raynor have announced there will be an investigation into this leak and the issues raised. Whether this investigation focuses more on the leak than on the issues the report raises is yet to be seen. The former UK Labour General Secretary has stood down from his position in the Labour Lords front bench pending this investigation.
The implications of this leak for Labour, and specifically for the new leader are significant. Whilst during the global pandemic the media not have given this much attention, party members and supporters have noticed. And people in politics have long memories.
There will be immediate repercussions from this leak. One Labour councillor is demanding a refund of her membership fees due to the Party misusing funds and sabotaging the 2017 election campaign. Many of those named in the leaked report could also take legal action against Labour, thus the party are actively trying to stop people now sharing this document.
In a candid interview to Sky News, former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has said those former employees from Party HQ who undermined Labour’s 2017 election campaign and failed to act on antisemitism complaints should be expelled from the Party:[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r-gI9Hw_B0?feature=oembed]
McDonell also highlights some of the appalling things said about party members and MPs by these senior officials in Party HQ. Below is one example of a conversation Party officials had on WhatsApp when they found MP Diane Abbott crying in the toilets:
For Corbyn supporters, the leaked report is a big case of “I told you so.” And yes, those aligned to Corbyn/Momentum have been saying for the last 2-3 years that the right of the Labour Party was using antisemitism as a tool to undermine Corbyn. They also realised that Party HQ was not committed to getting Labour elected in 2017. Now they have 800 pages worth of nasty, unpleasant and downright revolting WhatApp messages to prove them right. But none of this really helps them.
This article by Michael Chessum highlights the problem the left face now. Having more than doubled Labour’s membership after Corbyn was elected leader, having come within a stone’s throw of government in 2017, now the mood on the left is despondency. Many of those who joined Labour in the last 5 years are now threatening to leave the party.
I covered many of the issues facing Labour in my Why Labour Lost blog posts earlier this year. Corbyn was from the small group of socialist MPs in Labour with a handful of support in the wider party. He and this group were able to win the Party leadership in 2015 when the other party factions were bereft of ideas or vision. However, the socialists were not expecting to win. And having spent their careers championing policy positions and causes, and were not ready to challenge the party bureaucracy, rules and structures. Momentum was established to try and overcome this challenge, which despite some early successes ultimately failed.
Conversely, the right could not win in a competition of ideas, especially not on policy big picture vision. The game they knew best was using the machine to frustrate your opponents. This works as a defensive strategy to keep and protect your people in their positions of power and to stop your opponents succeeding. But you can’t win this way. Kier Starmer, despite not being from the Momentum wing of the party, has said he will stick to the anti-austerity policy positions adopted under Corbyn. These are the same positions party HQ tried to frustrate not only under Corbyn, but earlier when Burnham was advocating them.
The challenge for Labour after this leaked report is significant. Keir Starmer’s calls to end factionalism may be well-intended but are unlikely to be successful. At a time when the UK has the highest COVID-19 death toll in Europe, Labour is yet again consumed in internal warfare. To potential voters and the public at large, even if they agree with Labour’s policies or positions, the party looks too fractured to provide a viable alternative Government. For the party to change this, it can’t ignore the issues from the leaked report. Instead, it needs to face them head-on. This means calling out and taking action against behaviours and actions that are wrong, even if they are from people from the faction or side of the Party the current leadership supports.
My series of blog posts on why UK Labour lost the 2019 General Election:
Why UK Labour Lost? Part 1: Historical Context
Why UK Labour lost? Part 2: UK Labour’s strange loyalty to First Past the Post
Why UK Labour lost? Part 3: Its Brexit Innit
Why UK Labour lost? Part 4: Oooo Jeremy Corbyn
Why UK Labour lost? Part 5: Antisemitism
Why UK Labour lost? Part 6: New Labour and Blairism
Why UK Labour lost? Part 7: Momentum and the Corbynistas
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It sometimes occurs to me. When I’m thinking what to write about. That I spend an awful lot of time reading about idiotic things that idiots have said.The radio, the news, social media. You look at the content coming out and it makes you remember not to swim at a ...7 days ago - Yoga diplomacyThirty-six years ago, almost to the day, after he launched Fiji’s first military coup in 1987, the now-elected Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, yesterday awarded the Prime Minister of India Fiji’s highest honour. That 1987 coup was targeted against a Labour government which contained Indian Ministers and led to fears ...7 days ago
- The Song of Saqua: Back to D&DIt has been a while since I last did a write up of my D&D shenanigans. Part of it has been motivation, part of it has been that the more interesting stuff has been in the form of one-shots, rather than long campaigns. I actually DMed a three session ...7 days ago
- Can Climate Change spark (zombie) Pandemics?This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). The Last of Us tells the story of a fungal zombie apocalypse... triggered by climate change. So could this kind of ...1 week ago
- ‘No one cares’: 25-year-old with extensive family cancer history can’t access genetic testing That’s the headline on a Stuff report which alerted the public to the experiences of a woman who was pregnant with her first baby when she found out she was likely to be at higher risk of ...1 week ago
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- Chris Hipkins: Speech to the Labour Party Congress 2023
Chris Hipkins addressed the Labour Party Congress in Wellington. Read the Labour Leader’s speech here. ...1 day ago - National’s backtrack forces another visionless, shambolic policy
The National Party has released another confused and rushed policy that will only further worsen the inequality that is driven by unaffordable housing. ...2 days ago - Grant Robertson: Speech to the Labour Party Congress 2023Welcome to sunny and calm Wellington, which I know those of you who are visiting would of course expect to be the case. It’s been a busy week since we put forward the 2023 Budget. Labour MPs have been out across the motu giving the good oil on the Budget. ...3 days ago
- Carmel Sepuloni: Speech to the Labour Party Congress 2023Kia orana, Talofa lava, Mālo e lelei, Taloha ni, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Noa’ia e mauri, Ni sa bula vinaka, Kia ora, Tena Koutou Katoa. Labour Party President Jill Day, Prime Minister Hipkins, Party faithful, delegates and comrades, whānau and friends, it’s a privilege to be here today. I begin my ...3 days ago
- Kelvin Davis: Speech to the Labour Party Congress 2023One of my kaumātua up North stood before the Waitangi Tribunal and said: ‘He aha kē ahau, te tangata kore hara i mua i te Atua, e tu nei kia whakawaatia e koe, te tangata tāhae, te tangata hara, te tangata kore tikanga? Ko koe kē te tika, kia tū ...3 days ago
- W.H.O. Director General Seeking Powers To Override Sovereign States
New Zealanders will be highly concerned that the World Health Organisation proposes to effectively take control of independent decision making away from sovereign countries and place control with the Director General. W.H.O International Health Regulations on future outbreaks of disease aim to give the Director General extraordinary and wide-sweeping powers. ...5 days ago - We don’t need to engineer a recession, Government can tax wealthThe Green Party is calling on the Government to take responsibility for reducing inflation by taxing wealth instead of leaving RBNZ to continue hiking the Official Cash Rate. ...6 days ago
- Enough posturing, let’s get on and build enough public housingThe Green Party is urging the Government to take its own advice and come up with a long-term plan to build thousands more public homes. ...6 days ago
- Green Party unveils its list for the 2023 electionThe Green Party has released its list of candidates for the 2023 election. With a mix of familiar faces, fresh new talent, and strong tangata whenua voices, this exceptional group of candidates are ready to set the direction of the next Government. ...1 week ago
- Beyond the Farm Gate Lurks SeparatismThank you for your invitation to be here, after yesterday's budget, and for the opportunity to talk with you. In the economic and social turmoil following the arrival of COVID 19 in New Zealand many concerns emerged. How would we keep our economy going and maintain our exports which are ...2 weeks ago
- Budget 2023: More cost of living supportAt the heart of Budget 2023 is a cost of living package, designed to ease the pressure on New Zealanders in the face of global inflation and the challenges of rebuilding from extreme weather events. It provides practical cost of living relief across some of the core expenses facing Kiwis ...2 weeks ago
- Highlights of Budget 2023Budget 2023 delivers practical cost of living support for New Zealanders today and makes targeted investments to build a better future. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens welcome much needed investment but Labour can go further for Te Ao Māori & Pasifika in t...Today the Green Party’s Te Mātāwaka (Māori and Pasifika) caucus supported the 2023 Budget, but there’s still room for improvement. ...2 weeks ago
- Free prescriptions important step forwardThe Green Party is today welcoming free prescriptions. ...2 weeks ago
- Long-term commitment needed on public housingBudget 2023’s investment in public housing falls short of what’s needed. ...2 weeks ago
- ECE extension Green win nearly 10 years in the makingThe Green Party is today celebrating Budget 2023 funding extending free ECE to two year olds. ...2 weeks ago
- Green initiative addresses both climate and inequalityA long standing Green Party policy has been extended yet again in this year’s Budget. This will deliver warmer homes for thousands of people, lower power bills, and cut climate pollution. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens on board with more affordable buses and trainsThe Green Party is fully on board with free bus and train travel for under 12s and half price travel for under 25s - next stop, free travel for all under 18s, students, and apprentices. ...2 weeks ago
- Budget 2023 falls short of what’s neededToday’s Budget makes good progress on climate and inequality, but falls short of what’s needed to fix both. ...2 weeks ago
- Forestry sector must compensate for slash damageThe Green Party welcomes today’s release of the report of the Ministerial Inquiry into slash and sediment, and are clear that the forestry industry must foot more of the bill. ...3 weeks ago
- Winston Peters – why mess with the magic of the monarchy?When Chris Hipkins appeared on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, he described himself as a “technical republican”. At least it was clearer than when he stumbled over what a woman is. In the blue corner, the other “Chris” said, “New Zealand will become a republic, eventually.” Of course, they both supported ...3 weeks ago
- Govt must break up supermarketsThe Government needs to do much more to address supermarket profiteering, which is driving high food prices. ...3 weeks ago
- Grant Robertson: Pre-Budget speech to BNZ business breakfastThis morning, the Minister of Finance Grant Robertson delivered a pre-Budget speech in Auckland. ...3 weeks ago
- Action to support people to put food on the table more urgent than everYet another increase in food prices shows the urgent need for the Government to tax wealth and use the money to help people put food on the table. ...3 weeks ago
- Grant Robertson: Pre-Budget speech to Wellington Chamber of CommerceThis morning, the Minister of Finance Grant Robertson delivered a pre-Budget speech in Wellington. ...3 weeks ago
- Our preoccupation with Māori theatrics while sacrificing economic realismMay is significant in the New Zealand parliamentary calendar, given the Minister of Finance delivers the Budget - a whopping $128 billion last year, over a third of our GDP. This year Grant Robertson is riding a unicycle on a tightrope. The sugar rush is over but will he still ...3 weeks ago
- Labour left floundering on seabed healthLabour has once again avoided taking decisions to protect ocean health and shown exactly why we need more Green MPs. ...3 weeks ago
- Minister Sepuloni to attend 61st Anniversary of Samoa’s Independence
Deputy Prime Minister and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs (Pacific Region) Carmel Sepuloni will represent New Zealand at Samoa’s 61st Anniversary of Independence commemorations in Apia. “Aotearoa New Zealand is pleased to share in this significant occasion, alongside other invited Pacific leaders, and congratulates Samoa on the milestone of 61 ...6 hours ago - Govt backs retailers with expansion of fog cannon programmeThe Government is continuing to support retailers with additional funding for the highly popular Fog Cannon Subsidy Scheme, Police and Small Business Minister Ginny Andersen announced today. “The Government is committed to improving retailers’ safety,” Ginny Andersen said. “I’ve seen first-hand the difference fog cannons are making. Not only do ...10 hours ago
- Government will consider recommendations of Intelligence and Security Act reviewThe Government has received the first independent review of the Intelligence and Security Act 2017, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says. The review, considered by the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee, was presented to the House of Representatives today. “Ensuring the safety and security of New Zealanders is of the utmost ...13 hours ago
- Govt expresses condolences on the passing of HRH Princess Sui’ilikutapuPrime Minister Chris Hipkins has expressed condolences on behalf of New Zealand to the Kingdom of Tonga following the death of Her Royal Highness Princess Mele Siu’ilikutapu Kalaniuvalu Fotofili. “New Zealand sends it’s heartfelt condolences to the people of Tonga, and to His Majesty King Tupou VI at this time ...14 hours ago
- Govt expresses condolences on the passing of HRH Princess Siu’ilikutapuPrime Minister Chris Hipkins has expressed condolences on behalf of New Zealand to the Kingdom of Tonga following the death of Her Royal Highness Princess Mele Siu’ilikutapu Kalaniuvalu Fotofili. “New Zealand sends it’s heartfelt condolences to the people of Tonga, and to His Majesty King Tupou VI at this time ...14 hours ago
- Security support to Solomon Islands extendedDefence Minister Andrew Little and Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta have today announced the extension of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) deployment to Solomon Islands, as part of the regionally-led Solomon Islands International Assistance Force (SIAF). “Aotearoa New Zealand has a long history of working alongside the Royal Solomon ...16 hours ago
- Minister Mahuta to attend the first Korea-Pacific Leaders’ SummitForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta will travel to the Republic of Korea today to attend the Korea–Pacific Leaders’ Summit in Seoul and Busan. “Korea is an important partner for Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific region. I am eager for the opportunity to meet and discuss issues that matter to our ...2 days ago
- Agreement between Indo-Pacific partners for supply chain resilienceTrade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor joined ministerial representatives at a meeting in Detroit, USA today to announce substantial conclusion of negotiations of a new regional supply chains agreement among 14 Indo-Pacific countries. The Supply Chains agreement is one of four pillars being negotiated within the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework ...2 days ago
- Celebrating Samoa Language Week 2023Our most spoken Pacific language is taking centre stage this week with Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa – Samoa Language Week kicking off around the country. “Understanding and using the Samoan language across our nation is vital to its survival,” Barbara Edmonds said. “The Samoan population in New Zealand are ...2 days ago
- Nationwide test of Emergency Mobile Alert systemOver 90 per cent of New Zealanders are expected to receive this year’s nationwide test of the Emergency Mobile Alert system tonight between 6-7pm. “Emergency Mobile Alert is a tool that can alert people when their life, health, or property, is in danger,” Kieran McAnulty said. “The annual nationwide test ...2 days ago
- Whakatōhea and the Crown sign Deed of SettlementENGLISH: Whakatōhea and the Crown sign Deed of Settlement A Deed of Settlement has been signed between Whakatōhea and the Crown, 183 years to the day since Whakatōhea rangatira signed the Treaty of Waitangi, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little has announced. Whakatōhea is an iwi based in ...3 days ago
- New Chair appointed to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCOElizabeth Longworth has been appointed as the Chair of the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO, Associate Minister of Education Jo Luxton announced today. UNESCO is the United Nations agency responsible for promoting cooperative action among member states in the areas of education, science, culture, social science (including peace and ...3 days ago
- Tourism transformation starts with peopleTourism and hospitality employer accreditation scheme to recognise quality employers Better education and career opportunities in tourism Cultural competency to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces Innovation and technology acceleration to drive satisfying, skilled jobs Strengthening our tourism workers and supporting them into good career pathways, pay and working conditions ...4 days ago
- Tourism transformation starts with peopleTourism and hospitality employer accreditation scheme to recognise quality employers Better education and career opportunities in tourism Cultural competency to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces Innovation and technology acceleration to drive satisfying, skilled jobs Strengthening our tourism workers and supporting them into good career pathways, pay and working conditions ...4 days ago
- Te ao Māori health services more accessible for whānauGreater access to primary care, including 193 more front line clinical staff More hauora services and increased mental health support Boost for maternity and early years programmes Funding for cancers, HIV and longer term conditions Greater access to primary care, improved maternity care and mental health support are ...4 days ago
- Te ao Māori health services cheaper and more accessible for whānauGreater access to primary care, including 193 more front line clinical staff More hauora services and increased mental health support Boost for maternity and early years programmes Funding for cancers, HIV and longer term conditions Greater access to primary care, improved maternity care and mental health support are ...4 days ago
- Government’s work for survivors of abuse in care continuesThe Government continues progress on the survivor-led independent redress system for historic abuse in care, with the announcement of the design and advisory group members today. “The main recommendation of the Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Abuse in Care interim redress report was for a survivor-led independent redress system, and the ...4 days ago
- Humanitarian support for the Horn of AfricaAotearoa New Zealand is providing NZ$7.75 million to respond to urgent humanitarian needs in the Horn of Africa, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. The Horn of Africa is experiencing its most severe drought in decades, with five consecutive failed rainy seasons. At least 43.3 million people require lifesaving and ...5 days ago
- Two brand new mental health facilities opened in ChristchurchHealth Minister Ayesha Verrall has opened two new state-of-the-art mental health facilities at the Christchurch Hillmorton Hospital campus, as the Government ramps up its efforts to build a modern fit for purpose mental health system. The buildings, costing $81.8 million, are one of 16 capital projects the Government has funded ...5 days ago
- Government invests more than $24 million in regional projectsThe Government is continuing to invest in our regional economies by announcing another $24 million worth of investment into ten diverse projects, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan says. “Our regions are the backbone of our economy and today’s announcement continues to build on the Government’s investment to boost regional economic ...5 days ago
- Budget 23 supports the growth of Māori tourismAn $8 million boost to New Zealand Māori Tourism will help operators insulate themselves for the future. Spread over the next four years, the investment acknowledges the on-going challenges faced by the industry and the significant contribution Māori make to tourism in Aotearoa. It builds on the $15 million invested ...5 days ago
- First Bushmasters ready to rollDefence Minister Andrew Little has marked the arrival of the first 18 Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles for the New Zealand Army, alongside personnel at Trentham Military Camp today. “The arrival of the Bushmaster fleet represents a significant uplift in capability and protection for defence force personnel, and a milestone in ...5 days ago
- Humanitarian support for the people of SudanAotearoa New Zealand is providing NZ$3.5 million to help meet urgent humanitarian needs in Sudan, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. The severe fighting between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has had devastating impacts for civilians. At least 705 people have been killed and 5,287 injured. ...6 days ago
- Clean-up at Hawkes Bay facility to help region deal with cyclone wasteRepairing a Hawke’s Bay organic composting facility devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle is among the latest waste reduction projects getting Government backing, Associate Environment Minister Rachel Brooking announced today. “Helping communities get back on their feet after the devastating weather that hit the northern parts of the country this year is ...6 days ago
- 8% pay boosts for GP & community nursesAbout 6,100 more GP, community nurses and kaiāwhina will be eligible for pay rises of 8% on average to reduce pay disparities with nurses in hospitals, Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. The top up comes from a $200 million fund established to remove pay disparities between nurses ...6 days ago
- Govt turns the sod on new Jobs and Skills Hub for Hawke’s BayNew Jobs and Skills Hub to begin construction in Hawke’s Bay The Hub will support the building of $1.1billion worth of homes in the region and support Cyclone Gabrielle rebuild and recovery. Over 2,200 people have been supported into industry specific employment, apprenticeships and training, by these Hubs across NZ ...6 days ago
- Community Housing Aotearoa Conference SpeechTēnā koutou e nga maata waka. Kia koutou te mana whenua tēnā koutou Ngā mate huhua o te waa, haere, haere, haere atu ra. Hoki mai kia tātou te kanohi ora e tau nei, Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. Tēnā koutou i runga i te kaupapa o te ...6 days ago
- New mental health tool launched for small business owner-operatorsThe Government has launched a new tool to help small business owner-operators manage and improve their mental wellbeing, Small Business Minister Ginny Andersen announced today. The Brave in Business e-Learning series is another tool the Government has delivered to support small businesses with their mental health and wellbeing. “A pandemic, ...6 days ago
- TAB partnership helps secure future of racing industryMinister for Racing Kieran McAnulty has announced the approval of a 25-year partnership between TAB NZ and UK betting company Entain that delivers at least $900 million in guaranteed funding for the racing industry over the next five years. Entain, a UK based group that operates multiple sports betting providers ...6 days ago
- Government project delivers more reliable and resilient water source to NorthlandThe Government has delivered the first of three significant water security projects in Northland, boosting regional business and climate resilience, with the opening of Matawii reservoir today, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan announced. A $68 million Government investment supported the construction of the reservoir, along with two other water storage ...6 days ago
- Trade Minister to US to attend Ministerial meetingsTrade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor will travel to Detroit tomorrow to represent New Zealand at the annual APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting from 24 – 29 May. Whilst in Detroit, Damien O’Connor will also host a meeting of Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Ministers ...7 days ago
- Murihiku Regeneration energy and innovation wānangaI want to start by thanking Ngāi Tahu and the Murihiku Regeneration Collective for hosting us here today. Back at the Science and Innovation Wananga in 2021, I said that a just transition in New Zealand must ensure Iwi are at the table. This is just as true now as ...7 days ago
- New Ambassador to Mongolia announcedForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of diplomat Dr James Waite as Aotearoa New Zealand’s next Ambassador to Mongolia. He is currently the Deputy Head of Mission at the New Zealand Embassy in Beijing, a role he will continue to hold. “New Zealand and Mongolia share a warm and ...7 days ago
- Government commitment to Māori Education continuesBiggest-ever investment in property with more money for new sites and modernisation Roll-out of learning support coordination in kaupapa Māori and Māori Medium Schooling Boost in funding for iwi and schools to work together on Local Histories content Substantial support for Māori Education has continued in Budget 2023, including ...7 days ago
- More students to benefit from next round of Creatives in SchoolsApplications for the next round of Creatives in Schools will open on Friday 16 June 2023, Minister of Education Jan Tinetti and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Carmel Sepuloni announced today during a visit at Te Wharekura o Mauao in Tauranga. “The Creatives in Schools programme funds schools and ...7 days ago
- Speech to WasteMINZ conference, HamiltonTena koutou katoa and thank you all for being here and welcoming me to your annual conference. I want to acknowledge being here in Tainui’s rohe, and the mana of Kingi Tuheitia. I hate waste. So much so that when we built our home in Dunedin, I banned the use ...7 days ago
- Extra boost for Southland’s Just TransitionSouthland’s Just Transition is getting a further boost to help future-proof the region and build its economic resilience, Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods announced today. “This Government is committed to supporting Southland’s just transition and reducing the region’s reliance on the New Zealand Aluminium Smelter at Tiwai Point,” Megan ...7 days ago
- PM concludes successful Pacific visit, confirms intention to visit IndiaPrime Minister Chris Hipkins has concluded a series of successful international meetings with Pacific region leaders in Papua New Guinea. Prime Minister Hipkins secured constructive bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, PNG Prime Minister James Marape, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown and United States Secretary of ...7 days ago
- Agreed statement from NZEI, PPTA and the Minister of EducationOn Friday 19th May, Minister Tinetti facilitated a meeting between NZEI and PPTA with the Ministry of Education to discuss options for finding a way forward in the current stalled collective bargaining. The meeting was constructive, and the parties shared a willingness to work towards a solution. The following was ...1 week ago
- Five community energy projects kick startEighty-nine households will soon benefit from secure, renewable, and more affordable energy as five community-level energy projects are about to get underway, Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods announced today. Five solar projects – in Whangārei, Tauranga, Palmerston North and Christchurch – are the first to receive funding from the ...1 week ago
- Background to SCORI – is this a sell-out of Pacific’s ‘Sea of Islands’?
By concerned citizens of the Pacific The signing of the memorandum of understanding between the University of the South Pacific’s vice-chancellor and president, Professor Pal Ahluwalia, and the Indian government’s National Centre for Coastal Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, in March for the setting up of a Sustainable Coastal and ...46 mins ago - No sedition charges against Kanak pro-independence leader, says prosecutorBy Walter Zweifel, RNZ Pacific reporter The president of New Caledonia’s largest pro-independence party Daniel Goa will not be prosecuted for alleged calls for violence and sedition. Last month, a coalition of anti-independence parties had lodged a formal complaint with the Public Prosecutor over a speech given by Goa at ...46 mins ago
- Kramer still working on ‘unfinished’ exposure of PNG corruptionPNG Post-Courier Dismissed Member of Madang Bryan Kramer says the dismissal notice by Papua New Guinea’s Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae does not affect his appeal. “What I can confirm is that on the morning the notice was issued, I had filed my appeal before the National Court,” he said. “My ...46 mins ago
- PNG lawyer Paraka found guilty of misappropriating K162mBy Todagia Kelola in Port Moresby Papua New Guinea lawyer and businessman Paul Paraka has been found guilty of misappropriating K162 million (NZ$75 million) belonging to the state. Criminal track judge Justice Teresa Berrigan, in a comprehensive and detailed judgment in 114 pages, found him guilty on all five charges ...2 hours ago
- Tokelau covid: Two new cases announced as lockdown endsBy Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Tokelau’s largest atoll, Nukunonu, is now out of lockdown after experiencing its first community cases of covid-19. In a statement, the government said Fakaofo Atoll has had two cases at the border and Nukunonu now has six positive community cases — all within the ...2 hours ago
- Mark McGowan quits in his own time, after dominating Western Australian politicsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martin Drum, Lecturer Politics and International Relations, University of Notre Dame Australia One of the most dominant premiers in recent Australian political history, Mark McGowan, has resigned as Western Australian premier and the member for Rockingham. Put simply, McGowan has dominated WA ...6 hours ago
- Can high-stakes debt-ceiling brinkmanship in the US lead to unprecedented political unity?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jared Mondschein, Director of Research, US Studies Centre, University of Sydney Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP/AAP Congress appears to be on the cusp of passing legislation that would not only avoid an unprecedented US government default – and economic catastrophe – but ...7 hours ago
- National's housing backdown: Preserving character or ditching a fit for purpose framework?
While some say the move will help preserve culture and heritage, others are concerned about what it could mean for the future of New Zealand's cities. ...7 hours ago - National's housing backdown: Preserving character or ditching a fit for purpose framework?While some say the move will help preserve culture and heritage, others are concerned about what it could mean for the future of New Zealand's cities. ...7 hours ago
- Hipkins accuses National of dog-whistling over bilingual roadsignsThe prime minister says bilingual signs are nothing new to countries around the world, and do not create public safety concerns. ...8 hours ago
- Stuart Nash donor communications review delayedPrime Minister Chris Hipkins says he has deliberately kept out of the investigation into the former minister, but the reviewer has asked for a couple more weeks. ...9 hours ago
- WA Premier Mark McGowan quits in shock announcement, declaring he is ‘exhausted’Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Aaron Bunch/AAP Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan has announced he is quitting as premier and leaving parliament. In a shock announcement, McGowan told a news conference in Perth on Monday he had ...9 hours ago
- Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Visualising Countries’ Deficits and Debts, Surpluses and Credits, ...Analysis by Keith Rankin. The topic of financial debt is one of the hardest for humans to get their heads around. The normal understanding of a debt is a sacrifice made by one party (the owner of the debt) in favour of another party (the ower) which will be remedied ...10 hours ago
- A warning to NZ Succession fans: Avoid social media
The final ever episode of Succession will be hitting Neon at 7pm tonight, just a few hours after it’s finished airing in the US. Right now, Twitter is a Succession spoiler minefield. My feed is currently made up of news, clips of the Taylor Swift Eras Tour… and Succession spoilers. ...10 hours ago - Watch: PM Chris Hipkins speaks after Cabinet meetingPrime Minister Chris Hipkins is speaking to media after this week's Cabinet meeting. Watch live. ...11 hours ago
- Extra $11m for expansion of fog cannon subsidyThe government’s announced an additional $11 million to extend the fog cannon subsidy scheme, which the police minister said has given shop workers peace of mind during a spate of retail crime. So far there have been 582 installations completed, said Ginny Andersen, with 1,664 applications approved. “The scheme has ...11 hours ago
- Green MP says ‘fake meth’ at WINZ adds to argument for inquiry into agencyReports a Work and Income staffer brought “fake meth” to a “cultural diversity” morning tea add to the argument for an inquiry into the agency, said a Green Party MP. The Spinoff first reported today that a worker at the Hornby branch of Work and Income had taken bags labelled ...11 hours ago
- Melbourne earthquake 2023: are they becoming more common? A seismology expert explainsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dee Ninis, Earthquake Geologist, Monash University Report locations from people who felt the Sunbury earthquake on May 28. Geoscience Australia Last night at 11:41pm local time, the greater Melbourne region was shaken by a magnitude 4.0 earthquake – as calculated by the ...12 hours ago
- Ten tips for your first noho maraeThe prospect of your first marae stay can be daunting, but go in armed with Airena Ngarewa’s top tips and you’ll come out feeling like a pro. Noho marae are a fundamental part of many Māori haerenga, whether you are preparing for the stage, learning the reo or simply trying ...12 hours ago
- Is it true the faster you lose weight the quicker it comes back? Here’s what we know about slow an...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Fuller, Charles Perkins Centre Research Program Leader, University of Sydney Pexels/Andres Ayrton, CC BY When people decide it’s time to lose weight, they’re usually keen to see quick results. Maybe they have an event coming up or want relief ...12 hours ago
- Milton Moon: the Australian artist who brought a Zen Buddhist, modernist and painterly sensibility t...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Speck, Emerita Professor, Art History and Curatorship, University of Adelaide Milton Moon in his studio in Tarragindi, Queensland, 1966, photo: John McKay, Milton Moon archive Milton Moon (1926-2019) was not your regular potter. He was deeply imbued with Zen Buddhism ...13 hours ago
- Beer Tax Hits During Cost-of-living Crisis
Joint media release from the Brewers Association of NZ and Brewers Guild of NZ The Government has just announced it will implement the second largest beer tax increase in 30 years. The annually adjusted alcohol excise rate has been confirmed to increase ...13 hours ago - New to streaming: What to watch on Netflix NZ, Neon and more this weekWhat are you going to be watching this week? We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, Neon and TVNZ+. The biggies I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (season three streaming on Netflix from May 30) When the ...13 hours ago
- Slow down Simeon Brown – bilingual traffic signs aren’t an accident waiting to happenSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Shaw, Professor of Politics, Massey University Getty Images When the National Party’s transport spokesperson, Simeon Brown, questioned the logic of bilingual traffic signs, he seemed to echo his leader Christopher Luxon’s earlier misgivings about the now prevalent use of ...13 hours ago
- Act owns ‘coalition of cuts’ line: ‘The next government will need to make cutbacks’If you’ve been paying even a loose attention to politics over the past few weeks, you’ll almost certainly have come across two competing attack lines. One, the “coalition of chaos”. That’s the line National’s been rolling out to reference a prospective Labour, Green and Te Pāti Māori coalition. Then there’s ...13 hours ago
- Free but unfair election: how Erdogan held onto power in Turkey, and what this means for the country...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mehmet Ozalp, Associate Professor in Islamic Studies, Director of The Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation and Executive Member of Public and Contextual Theology, Charles Sturt University Ali Unal/AP Recep Tayyib Erdogan will remain president of Turkey for another five ...14 hours ago
- More Police Pursuits Will Mean More Deaths And InjuriesAn increase in the number of police pursuits will inevitably mean an increase in the number of serious injuries and deaths, says the car review website dogandlemon.com . Dogandlemon.com editor Clive Matthew-Wilson, who is an outspoken road safety campaigner, ...14 hours ago
- Why are cafes still charging extra for coffees made with non-dairy milk?There are myriad reasons why an increasing number of us are opting for dairy alternatives in our coffee orders – and that comes with a hefty fee. It’s such standard practice that most of us, in our daily caffeine-hungry haze, probably take it for granted. If you’re lactose intolerant, trying ...15 hours ago
- Australian shelters and pounds kill 50,000 mostly healthy cats and kittens in a year. There’s a wa...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacquie Rand, Emeritus Professor of Companion Animal Health, The University of Queensland Shutterstock Stray cats are a longstanding problem in Australian towns and cities. Common complaints about roaming cats include nuisance (fighting and urinating), disease risks to humans and other ...15 hours ago
- Get ready for Taskmaster NZ season fourBig news for Taskheads dropped over the weekend as TVNZ unveiled the cast for the upcoming fourth season of Taskmaster NZ. Dai Henwood, Karen O’Leary, Melanie Bracewell, Ray O’Leary and Bubbah are the lucky five who will be tackling whatever is thrown at them by Jeremy Wells and Paul Williams. ...15 hours ago
- Newsletter: May 29 2023 – Items of interest and importance todayNew Zealand Politics Daily is a collation of the most prominent issues being discussed in New Zealand. It is edited by Dr Bryce Edwards of The Democracy Project. Today’s content LABOUR PARTY CONGRESS Luke Malpass (Stuff): Labour congress lays bare Chris Hipkins’ and Labour’s election strategy Claire Trevett (Herald): Labour Party Congress: Energy ...15 hours ago
- 114,000 Not-for-profits In Aotearoa Make A Difference To People And Planet!Community Governance Aotearoa is set to launch our first ‘I Love Community Governance’ Nationwide Online Event on Friday 16 June, 2023. This free online event is designed to be interactive, engaging, and connect attendees to the many organisations and ...16 hours ago
- Government Clings To Ambulance At The Bottom Of The Cliff Approach To HealthThe New Zealand Chiropractors’ Association is warning that the Government’s winter preparedness plan is a continuation of its ambulance at the bottom of the cliff approach to healthcare Chiropractor and NZCA spokesperson Dr Jenna Duehr says: ...16 hours ago
- National's backdown on bipartisan housing accord 'a massive flip-flop' – Sepulo...The National Party is denying stepping back from a bipartisan housing policy, which it helped to draft, is a backdown. ...16 hours ago
- Business as Unusual: A new series with the University of Auckland Business SchoolIn an exciting new regular series, we’re going to look deeper at the local research innovations bringing us closer to the big, weird and buzzy future of business. Are widely accessible large language models going to cause a collective atrophy in the broader population’s writing ability, or serve as an ...17 hours ago
- Business as Unusual: A new series with the University of Auckland Business SchoolIn an exciting new regular series, we’re going to look deeper at the local research innovations bringing us closer to the big, weird and buzzy future of business. Are widely accessible large language models going to cause a collective atrophy in the broader population’s writing ability, or serve as an ...17 hours ago
- A hopeless quest to find something half-decent to watch on linear TVWatching whatever was on TV used to be fun. Why is it so bad now? According to the great Aotearoa oracles, Flight of the Conchords, Wednesday night is the night to make love. By their own teachings: Wednesday night is the night that we make love. Cos everything is just ...17 hours ago
- A hopeless quest to find something half-decent to watch on linear TVWatching whatever was on TV used to be fun. Why is it so bad now? According to the great Aotearoa oracles, Flight of the Conchords, Wednesday night is the night to make love. By their own teachings: Wednesday night is the night that we make love. Cos everything is just ...17 hours ago
- National's housing plans need more infrastructure investment – construction expertNational says its new policy would require councils to zone enough new land for 30 years of demand, but an AUT professor says a stronger commitment to improve infrastructure is needed first. ...18 hours ago
- Mike Puru’s new live shopping show is absolutely hecticNZME’s wild live shopping show is the perfect vehicle for New Zealand’s chattiest man, writes Alex Casey. Mike Puru is proudly presenting a royal blue jug emblazoned with lemons and peaches. “Keri Blue: it is pre-loved but I think it is straight out of the box, in all honesty,” he ...18 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Bouquets and brickbats for Wellington mayor Tory WhanauAndrea Vance had an in-depth profile of Wellington mayor Tory Whanau on the paywalled Post (and a write-off on the free-to-read Stuff) that looks at her rise to the top job, and how she’s doing six months in. “She has delivered on a promise to unite council – public spats are largely a ...18 hours ago
- Our cemeteries face a housing crisis too. 4 changes can make burial sustainableSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Falconer, Lecturer, T.C. Beirne School of Law, The University of Queensland Australia’s housing crisis is no secret. What many people don’t realise is that there’s another, less visible housing crisis. Australia’s urban cemeteries are running out of space to house the ...19 hours ago
- Over half of eligible aged care residents are yet to receive their COVID booster. And winter is comi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin University Shutterstock As Australia heads towards the fourth winter of the pandemic, we have once again started seeing an increase in the level of COVID circulating. With this comes an increased risk of infection ...19 hours ago
- 3 little-known reasons why plastic recycling could actually make things worseSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pascal Scherrer, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Business, Law and Art, Southern Cross University Chanchai Phetdikhai, Shutterstock This week in Paris, negotiators from around the world are convening for a United Nations meeting. They will tackle a thorny problem: finding a ...19 hours ago
- DIY degree? Why universities should make online educational materials free for allSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard F. Heller, Emeritus Professor, University of Newcastle Sam Lion/Pexels This article is part of our series on big ideas for the Universities Accord. The federal government is calling for ideas to “reshape and reimagine higher education, and set it ...19 hours ago
- Why taxing the world’s biggest companies at 15% won’t fix the gaping hole in global tax rulesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kerrie Sadiq, Professor of Taxation, QUT Business School, and ARC Future Fellow, Queensland University of Technology Shutterstock Australia’s federal government has a plan to discourage companies from shifting profits to tax havens. The idea is to impose a “global minimum ...19 hours ago
- A long and fishy tail: before Disney’s Little Mermaid, these creatures existed in mythologies from...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Pryke, Honorary Research Associate, University of Sydney 13th century painting of mermaids from a house in Barcelona. Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, Barcelona Mermaids are multicultural mythical figures, reflecting the continuing human fascination with the sea in stories echoing thousands ...19 hours ago
- Bishop says u-turn on housing accord will offer more ‘flexibility’ for councilsThe opposition’s housing spokesperson Chris Bishop has defended the decision to pull out of a cross-party policy agreement announced in 2021. National and Labour worked together on legislation that would make it easier for higher density housing to be constructed in main centres. Now, National has decided it wants out, ...19 hours ago
- National u-turn overshadows low-key Labour congressIt was supposed to be Hipkins’ moment in the spotlight, but all anyone was talking about was a backtrack by Luxon, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A policy-light Labour conference ...19 hours ago
- 'Coalition of chaos' versus 'coalition of cuts' – the voters will decidePower Play - Labour is ramping up its pitch to regain power, telling voters they "deserve to know the choices they have" in election year, Jane Patterson writes. ...21 hours ago
- How NZ plans to force tech giants to finally pay their taxesA tax bill introduced alongside the budget commits the government to global rules aimed at stopping the likes of Meta and Google NZ sending their profits offshore. Terry Baucher explains the story so far. Tax is full of acronyms; PAYE, GST, FBT… and BEPS. If you’re not familiar with BEPS, ...22 hours ago
- Work and Income staffer took fake ‘meth’ to ‘cultural diversity’ morning teaA photo leaked to The Spinoff shows ziplock bags labelled ‘methamphetamine’ were brought to the morning tea, allegedly as a comment on the culture of Work and Income clients. Stewart Sowman-Lund reports. A staff member at a Canterbury Work and Income branch brought a bag of fake methamphetamine to a ...22 hours ago
- Let's not fool ourselves with our eyes open on the climate
“Believing” in sustainability and making others believe you are doing something is not the same as solving the issues ...22 hours ago - Bipartisan politics up in smoke as election looms
There are few “grown-up” moments between National and Labour in recent political history other than the 2021 bipartisan housing accord. But as political editor Jo Moir writes, it only took a whiff of a tightly contested election to unravel it. Comment: Political parties love nothing more than to rain on ...22 hours ago - 'Pacific aspiration is not an appendage': Mahuta pushes Pacific-Asia ties in Korea
Foreign minister heads to Korea to push Pacific voice in geopolitical discussions ...22 hours ago - The wallabies threatening a national park
Wallabies might look cute and cuddly, but they're a serious pest in New Zealand – and they're advancing towards Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. Ripping up farms and edging closer to one of our pristine national parks – wallabies have been here for well over 100 years, but there's concern they've become ...22 hours ago - NZ sharemarket dives as earnings disappoint; Kiwi dollar hits 7-month low
Disappointing earnings results from market heavyweights Mainfreight and F&P Healthcare ...22 hours ago - Housing: a public policy disaster for 30 years
A major social housing conference this week heard that all parts of the system need a long term vision and goals, but that the crisis has been decades in the making and won’t be turned around quickly. After the Oxford Terrace Baptist Church was destroyed in the February 2011 Christchurch ...22 hours ago - Projected 400-500 households won't be allowed to return after Akld floods
Newsroom has learned the number of properties being considered for managed retreat after the Auckland floods ...22 hours ago - The China Tightrope: War on our doorstep?
In this edited extract from The China Tightrope, a new book on the New Zealand-China relationship out this week, Newsroom's own Sam Sachdeva writes about the prospects of a war involving the Asian superpower - and what that would mean for Aotearoa As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine stretched into its sixth ...22 hours ago - Tiwai smelter sees path to remain until 2039
In a letter to the Government late last year, New Zealand's only aluminium smelter said it believed it could operate for another 15 years beyond its current 2024 closure date. ...22 hours ago - NZ Steel and transitioning to a low-carbon economy
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Shining a light on the degree to which southern councils exclude the public from their deliberations shows some are much shyer than others Southland’s straight-shooting ratepayers probably don’t love all the decisions their district council makes but at least they know about them. Newsroom asked nine councils in the lower ...22 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 29 May
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Why would a prominent party set out to loose an election? Bizarre and reprehensible. Thanks Nick for a sad but honest presentation.
Really ianmac, really. Come one, liberals are not going to let a social democrats win an election. Never going to happen why they got the upper hand. Liberals would rather have the conservatives win in any country and keep the liberal economic order in place – than let social democrat or God Forbid, anti-capitalist force take the reigns of power.
Did you miss the whole David Cunliffe undermining and discrediting? And he was a pretty soft social democrat.
If Starmer is beholden to the conniving little shits, they won't be going anywhere.
"These texts confirm that party funds were funnelled to their friends and allies in safe seats, specifically Tom Watson. For candidates in marginal constituencies who were seen as too supportive of the Corbyn project, Party HQ starved these campaigns of resources."
So Corbyn was up against the enemy within from the outset. Yet I'm unclear as to whether the enemy within Labour are residual Blairites, and Starmer is their man.
"Newly-elected Labour Leader Kier Starmer and Deputy Angela Raynor have announced there will be an investigation into this leak and the issues raised." Perhaps they intend a whitewash?
Expel the apparatchiks, says former shadow chancellor MacDonnell. And there's a revealing "conversation party officials had on WhatApp when they found MP Dianne Abbott crying in the toilets" which the report features an excerpt from. To the suggestion of one that they inform a Channel Four reporter another replies "already have". Tawdry for starters. Venal. What happens when the enemy within looms larger in the psyche as opponent than the overt enemy. Covert response.
"Having more than doubled Labour’s membership after Corbyn was elected leader, having come within a stone’s throw of Government in 2017, now the mood on the left is despondency. Many of those who joined Labour in the last 5 years are now threatening to leave the party."
Not the apparatchiks. Losers can jump ship, they can sail on unimpeded. So "the socialists were not expecting to win. And having spent their careers championing policy positions and causes, and were not ready to challenge the party bureaucracy, rules and structures. Momentum was established to try and overcome this challenge, which despite some early successes ultimately failed."
Bursting the socialist bubble exposes the lack of substance in naive retro idealism, but I doubt the left will learn from experience. That's ever so hard for them…
Absolutely! But when push comes to shove… left of centre parties seem unable to muster the gumption to do it. I understand you not "naming names" Nick Kelly, but ultimately those names need to be front and centre of the public discourse. One of the reasons these types get away with this behaviour is because they are bullies by nature and people are frightened of them.
On the one hand they encouraged a vexatious and malicious anti-semitic campaign against Jeremy Corbyn to fester and multiply… and at the same time they were carrying out a deplorable racist and sexist campaign against Diane Abbott.
Sheesh. What arseholes.
“Told you so”–understatement of the last 3 years for vindicated Corbyn supporters.
Conflating solidarity with Palestinians with anti semitism, is one of the biggest ideological successes of the filthy Israeli State and Military in recent times, and now it seems UK Labour, or an influential faction at least, has joined that motley crew.
Jeremy was not enough of a plotter and schemer when it came down to it, not a “hard man” like the rats that undermined him. He needed to deselect MPs and sack en masse. And the Brexit strategic stalemate–Labour should have said “we will respect the referendum result, and, overturn austerity” but hey, it is history now. It is up to the working class to do something, or not, about this rotten party in the post Covid fall out.
Suspect Corbyn naively trusted in truth…..has undone many.
A truer word hath never been spoke.
The more honest and decent a person is, the more likely he/she will be betrayed and vilified. Human nature at work and its just as rife in NZ as anywhere else.
Well then he failed miserably. He's a politician who was aiming to be PM.
Communication and organisation, and being a step ahead, all things that ally greatly with the truth.
It might have been an impossible job, but some great work was squandered.
Yes, Labour (UK) squandered the opportunity but whose was the failure?
This much like the lurid tabloid headlines is a godsend for Corbyn’s deluded supporters, as it allows them to continue the fantasy in the face of any and all evidence that the reason the Sainted Jeremy didn’t become PM was betrayal by ‘Blairites’ and ‘Centerists’ (two of the most meaningless group labels imaginable), and a campaign by the meeja.
The reality of course as it would be obvious to any who’s met him and not drunk the koolaid was there was never any chance of the British electorate ever allowing someone so incompetent and morally compromised to become PM.
The tabloid headlines allowed people to dismiss his appalling views and even worse associations as ‘smears’ despite in virtually every case the issue was originally raised by serious and decent people on the left. Most of the most serious accusations can be back up with robust evidence, but depressingly it was obvious long ago his supporters had left reason behind.
The other major point is the utter contempt in which you have to hold so many traditional Labour supporters to not see that they could spot someone utterly antithetical to their values.
You can’t listen to scores of people in the north saying with real sadness that they didn’t trust Johnson, were life long Labour voters but couldn’t vote Labour with him and his cronies in charge, and not be beyond livid with those who allowed it to happen. You also can’t begin to take serious people on the other side of the world trotting out predictable tropes about things they know little as it’s easier than questioning a narrowly drawn reactionary ideological perspective.
Thank Christ such people in NZ are an utter irrelevance. I just feel for friends & family in the UK stuck with the Tories for the foreseeable future.
Oh look! Just seen Andrew's diatribe. He's proved my point.
Anne,
I think Andrew would be of the view that your response proved his point.
Well, if you think that Wayne then I can only say you are as uninformed and silly as he is which comes as a surprise. I always gave you credit for reasonable if somewhat conservative thought and sometimes agreed with your synopsis.
I’d be happy to walk you through any of the allegations if I thought there was the slimmest of chances ANYTHING could alter your view point.
You could for instance start by explaining why the Sainted Jeremy chose to share a platform and openly praise as a man of principle, to thank him for everything he’d done in the past and in the future (the video is on YouTube) one Wayman Bennett who it’s common knowledge (reports in the New Statesman, Guardian, write ups by the like of Laurie Penny) was part of the cover up over the ‘Comrade Delta’ rape allegations and who was accused (it’s in the Guardian if you care to look) of threatening the alleged victim to drop the matter.
None of this is obscure, all of it on public record, it was a huge scandal on the British left, yet Corbyn was happy to carry on like nothing had occurred.
What would you make of a right wing politician sharing a platform and praising a senior leader of a far right party who membership had been decimated by the fact the party leadership had covered up rape allegations?
Yeah, tell me again about Corbyn’s decency.
Boris’s;s wife bashing wasn't an issue at the election nor the Russian funding of the leave campaign.
Andrew politics is dirty business .
No one Party or leader has a Moral high ground.
Labour lost because the Northern economically deprived people (normally Labour supporters )wanted to leave the EU to stop migrants taking theirs jobs real or perceived.
Corbyn sat on the Fence.
Boris was clear.
End of Story
by ‘Blairites’ and ‘Centerists’ [sic] (two of the most meaningless group labels imaginable)
Identifying the right wing of a party by the ideology of the man who led that party for more than a decade is not meaningless; it's precise and quite specific.
his appalling views and even worse associations
Of course, you will now provide us with some evidence to back up what you claim. Your conspiratorial nonsense about Wayman Bennett is not evidence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W013Mcwgaec
Somewhat OT. but related to the UKLP:
https://twitter.com/PeoplesMomentum/status/1257959518199316482
Daft comparisons are daft … who would've thought.
Are both PMs daft, SM – both 'bad eggs'? One's certainly looking a little 'scambled'
Have I got News for You still looking down at the US is unbelievable.
When the right, the press, most of the Beeb, the centre and much of the left of centre were more focused on Corbyn than anything else…
The Lib Dems were basically Boris' attack dogs.
In NZ we had a coalition of left, liberal and nationalist against neo-liberal and neo-con. Okay and some of the coalition were neo-liberal, but keeping very quiet.
There's the difference.
deliberately tagged this post kier?
The Labour Party UK has always been dysfunctional largely airing its dirty linen in public.
NZ Labour has a similar history.
National used to be able to keep a lid on Egos and in fighting but in more recent years has the same problems.
So many comments about the last election …but 2017 was so close…was Labour denied only by treachery? Quite possibly..what will happen to the traitors…prediction….didly squat frankly they deserve a true"Wolfie Smith"send off…give me a ticket I d pull the trigger
Perfidious bastards…Power to the people!
The left in this country pays far too much attention to what goes on with the UK Labour party – arguing the merits of, rights or wrongs for or against this group, the result of this election etc.
For one, the political system there is so broken.
But mainly, to find excuses for this side or that side because of what they did or didn't do.
How can the UK Labour party justify anything about itself when they performed so strongly in London and lost so much of the north of England.
Where is the next Harold Wilson?
Show how you are going to help people who need change, find that change, and then you have something to offer.
UK politics is a joke and there is nothing there for us in NZ