labourlist--2020-11-18--Labour vows to clear antisemitism cases backlog using current system

Keir Starmer has promised to clear the backlog of internal antisemitism disciplinary cases following the readmittance of Jeremy Corbyn – but intends to do using the current complaints system .
The Labour leader ’ s spokesperson was grilled by journalists this afternoon on issues surrounding the suspension of Corbyn and the lifting of the suspension by a national executive committee ( NEC ) panel .
The aide was asked why Labour has not chosen to delay the processing of all disciplinary matters until a new independent system – mandated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission – is set up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a decision for the party and I ’ m not going to give a running commentary on the kinds of decisions they ’ re making .
But the independent process is not set up yet .
“ Keir has an ambition to set it up in the early part of the New Year .
Whilst that process is happening , we need to clear the backlog of antisemitism cases and to continue to have a disciplinary process in place.
” It was pointed out that the party is seeking to clear the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been described as “ not fit for purpose ” and that Starmer has said “ does not have the confidence of the Jewish community ” .
Starmer ’ s spokesperson did not directly address this point , but replied : “ We need a complaints process in place .
And we need a complaints process in place after the establishment of the independent process.
” The Labour leader ’ s spokesperson confirmed that the choice of members for the NEC disputes panel is a “ decision taken by the party ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the ruling body .
The panel on Tuesday was made up of two Corbyn-aligned members , Yasmine Dar and Ian Murray , two Corbynsceptic members , Gurinder Singh Josan and Wendy Nichols , and one ‘ soft left ’ rep Alice Perry .
While the Jewish Labour Movement has criticised the decision to lift Corbyn ’ s suspension on the basis that it was taken by a “ factionally-aligned political committee ” , the panel was not politically in Corbyn ’ s favour .
Perry is in the middle of the party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as on his pick for general secretary .
The panel ’ s decision to readmit Corbyn and issue him with a formal warning was unanimous .
The spokesperson also confirmed that Starmer spoke to Margaret Hodge on Tuesday evening after Corbyn ’ s suspension was lifted by the NEC .
The MP has reportedly considered quitting the party over the development .
Asked whether Starmer believed the public would see Labour as a competent and professional party after these events , the spokesperson said : “ I think that what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is absolutely determined to root out antisemitism ” .
Starmer ’ s office would not offer detail to lobby journalists on what criteria is being used by the leadership to determine whether the Labour whip should be restored to Corbyn following his readmission .

Keir Starmer has promised to clear the backlog of internal antisemitism disciplinary cases following the readmittance of Jeremy Corbyn – but intends to do using the current complaints system.
The Labour leader’s spokesperson was grilled by journalists this afternoon on issues surrounding the suspension of Corbyn and the lifting of the suspension by a national executive committee (NEC) panel.
The aide was asked why Labour has not chosen to delay the processing of all disciplinary matters until a new independent system – mandated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission – is set up.
The spokesperson replied: “That was a decision for the party and I’m not going to give a running commentary on the kinds of decisions they’re making. But the independent process is not set up yet.
“Keir has an ambition to set it up in the early part of the New Year. Whilst that process is happening, we need to clear the backlog of antisemitism cases and to continue to have a disciplinary process in place.”
It was pointed out that the party is seeking to clear the backlog of cases under a system that has been described as “not fit for purpose” and that Starmer has said “does not have the confidence of the Jewish community”.
Starmer’s spokesperson did not directly address this point, but replied: “We need a complaints process in place. And we need a complaints process in place after the establishment of the independent process.”
The Labour leader’s spokesperson confirmed that the choice of members for the NEC disputes panel is a “decision taken by the party”, specifically officials working under David Evans rather than the ruling body.
The panel on Tuesday was made up of two Corbyn-aligned members, Yasmine Dar and Ian Murray, two Corbynsceptic members, Gurinder Singh Josan and Wendy Nichols, and one ‘soft left’ rep Alice Perry.
While the Jewish Labour Movement has criticised the decision to lift Corbyn’s suspension on the basis that it was taken by a “factionally-aligned political committee”, the panel was not politically in Corbyn’s favour.
Perry is in the middle of the party and usually thought to vote with Starmer, such as on his pick for general secretary. The panel’s decision to readmit Corbyn and issue him with a formal warning was unanimous.
The spokesperson also confirmed that Starmer spoke to Margaret Hodge on Tuesday evening after Corbyn’s suspension was lifted by the NEC. The MP has reportedly considered quitting the party over the development.
Asked whether Starmer believed the public would see Labour as a competent and professional party after these events, the spokesperson said: “I think that what the public will see is a leader that is absolutely determined to root out antisemitism”.
Starmer’s office would not offer detail to lobby journalists on what criteria is being used by the leadership to determine whether the Labour whip should be restored to Corbyn following his readmission.


labourlist--2020-11-18--PMQs: Starmer highlights Conservative cronyism during Covid crisis

Keir Starmer kicked off Prime Minister ’ s Questions today with the row that has engulfed Downing Street since Boris Johnson ’ s loose-lipped devolution comments on Monday .
The Labour leader told MPs this afternoon : “ The single biggest threat to the UK is the Prime Minister , every time he opens his mouth on this .
When the Prime Minister said he wanted to take back control , nobody thought he meant from the Scottish people.
” The problem is not devolution , the PM protested , but that the SNP have turned it into a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Starmer used the opportunity to call for further devolution .
The main focus this afternoon was Tory government contracts during Covid , however .
Starmer contrasted money handed out in dodgy procurement deals with the persistent refusal by government to protect workers and stop children going hungry .
Highlighting a “ huge gap ” in the Covid isolation system , he called out the government for undermining public health efforts , arguing : “ If you can ’ t afford to isolate , there ’ s little point in being tested or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paid in taxpayer cash to a ‘ go-between ‘ to secure personal protective equipment for NHS staff , while reminding the Commons that Johnson refused to find £20m to fund free school meals for children over half term .
And the Labour leader referred MPs to the damning National Audit Office report , which found that half of all Covid contracts , worth £10.5bn , have been handed out without a competitive tender process and that suppliers with political contacts were ten times more likely to be successful .
Accusations of Tory cronyism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The report from the NAO will damage public confidence and the Conservatives face numerous legal challenges , including over helping ‘ VIPs ’ to win lucrative contracts .
The Labour leader took the opportunity today to hammer home the point that the Tory PM is in it for his friends .
Starmer is banking on tolerance for mates ’ rates being low at a time of national crisis .
But for many watching , they may not exactly be shocked by news of Conservative sleaze from a government dominated by a small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The challenge for Labour is to make the tales of Tory cronyism stick .

Keir Starmer kicked off Prime Minister’s Questions today with the row that has engulfed Downing Street since Boris Johnson’s loose-lipped devolution comments on Monday. The Labour leader told MPs this afternoon: “The single biggest threat to the UK is the Prime Minister, every time he opens his mouth on this. When the Prime Minister said he wanted to take back control, nobody thought he meant from the Scottish people.” The problem is not devolution, the PM protested, but that the SNP have turned it into a “mission to break up the UK”. Starmer used the opportunity to call for further devolution.
The main focus this afternoon was Tory government contracts during Covid, however. Starmer contrasted money handed out in dodgy procurement deals with the persistent refusal by government to protect workers and stop children going hungry. Highlighting a “huge gap” in the Covid isolation system, he called out the government for undermining public health efforts, arguing: “If you can’t afford to isolate, there’s little point in being tested or traced.” He brought up the £21m paid in taxpayer cash to a ‘go-between‘ to secure personal protective equipment for NHS staff, while reminding the Commons that Johnson refused to find £20m to fund free school meals for children over half term. And the Labour leader referred MPs to the damning National Audit Office report, which found that half of all Covid contracts, worth £10.5bn, have been handed out without a competitive tender process and that suppliers with political contacts were ten times more likely to be successful.
Accusations of Tory cronyism and corruption in government procurement are mounting. The report from the NAO will damage public confidence and the Conservatives face numerous legal challenges, including over helping ‘VIPs’ to win lucrative contracts. The Labour leader took the opportunity today to hammer home the point that the Tory PM is in it for his friends. Starmer is banking on tolerance for mates’ rates being low at a time of national crisis. But many members of the public may not be shocked by news of Conservative cronyism from a government dominated by a small, elite clique of Etonian schoolmates. The challenge for Labour is to make the tales of Tory cronyism stick.


labourlist--2020-11-19--Labour 2019 pledge to scrap Ofsted will go, new education team suggests

Members of the new Labour education team have suggested that the party ’ s 2019 general election policy pledge to scrap current school inspection system Ofsted will be abandoned .
Labour ’ s Shadow Education Secretary Kate Green revealed in a Schools Week interview last month that the party would be reviewing its policies to abolish both Ofsted and tests in primary schools .
The thinking behind the move has now been set out by new shadow schools minister Wes Streeting , who replaced Margaret Greenwood in the role in October after she broke the Labour whip .
Addressing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Streeting said : “ I think what Labour got wrong , if I can be frank , before the last election was that the public heard the scrap Ofsted bit .
“ They didn ’ t hear the ‘ we want to replace it with something better ’ bit .
And as a result , I can tell you that one cut through pretty quickly to parents and grandparents who were saying ‘ why are you going soft on standards ? '
” According to Schools Week , he added : “ That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prepared to be and where I think the Labour Party should be .
But the fundamental point here is : don ’ t tell us what you want to scrap , tell us what you want to build.
” The opposition frontbencher went on to say that his impression from speaking to teachers in his constituency and others in the sector was that Ofsted had “ improved in a number of respects in recent years ” .
Streeting stated that “ if you didn ’ t have Ofsted , you would need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ not sure ” that “ hoping we can scrap Ofsted ” would solve the problems critics have with external inspections .
Ofsted , which is responsible for inspecting a range of educational institutions , including state schools and some independent schools , has been accused of exacerbating the teacher supply crisis .
Writing in response to Labour ’ s education policies last year , the National Education Union ’ s Mary Bousted highlighted the view that Ofsted had lowered educational standards and increased leaving rates .
“ DfE officials admit , privately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more closely to a school ’ s pupil intake and that deprived schools are unfairly downgraded for the poverty of their pupils , ” the joint general secretary wrote .
As Labour ’ s education lead under Jeremy Corbyn ’ s leadership , Angela Rayner in September 2019 described the current Ofsted system as “ unfit for purpose ” and said Labour would replace it with a new one .
She said : “ The current Ofsted regime labels and ranks schools but it doesn ’ t help them improve .
Labour will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will do it through collaboration , not competition.
” Since taking up the shadow schools minister role , Streeting has also given an interview to The Guardian in which he hinted that the ‘ National Education Service ’ policy would be scrapped under the new leadership .
It was suggested in the write-up that Rayner ’ s free-at-the-point-of-use , cradle-to-grave proposal was considered by Streeting to be a “ slogan ” that failed to resonate with voters , and that it would “ hit the dust ” .

Members of the new Labour education team have suggested that the party’s 2019 general election policy pledge to scrap current school inspection system Ofsted will be abandoned.
Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary Kate Green revealed in a Schools Week interview last month that the party would be reviewing its policies to abolish both Ofsted and tests in primary schools.
The thinking behind the move has now been set out by new shadow schools minister Wes Streeting, who replaced Margaret Greenwood in the role in October after she broke the Labour whip.
Addressing the Schools and Academies Show this morning, Streeting said: “I think what Labour got wrong, if I can be frank, before the last election was that the public heard the scrap Ofsted bit.
“They didn’t hear the ‘we want to replace it with something better’ bit. And as a result, I can tell you that one cut through pretty quickly to parents and grandparents who were saying ‘why are you going soft on standards?'”
According to Schools Week, he added: “That’s not where I’m prepared to be and where I think the Labour Party should be. But the fundamental point here is: don’t tell us what you want to scrap, tell us what you want to build.”
The opposition frontbencher went on to say that his impression from speaking to teachers in his constituency and others in the sector was that Ofsted had “improved in a number of respects in recent years”.
Streeting stated that “if you didn’t have Ofsted, you would need to reinvent it” and therefore he was “not sure” that “hoping we can scrap Ofsted” would solve the problems critics have with external inspections.
Ofsted, which is responsible for inspecting a range of educational institutions, including state schools and some independent schools, has been accused of exacerbating the teacher supply crisis.
Writing in response to Labour’s education policies last year, the National Education Union’s Mary Bousted highlighted the view that Ofsted had lowered educational standards and increased leaving rates.
“DfE officials admit, privately, that Ofsted grades are tied much more closely to a school’s pupil intake and that deprived schools are unfairly downgraded for the poverty of their pupils,” the joint general secretary wrote.
As Labour’s education lead under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, Angela Rayner in September 2019 described the current Ofsted system as “unfit for purpose” and said Labour would replace it with a new one.
She said: “The current Ofsted regime labels and ranks schools but it doesn’t help them improve. Labour will improve standards in our schools and we will do it through collaboration, not competition.”
Since taking up the shadow schools minister role, Streeting has also given an interview to The Guardian in which he hinted that the ‘National Education Service’ policy would be scrapped under the new leadership.
It was suggested in the write-up that Rayner’s free-at-the-point-of-use, cradle-to-grave proposal was considered by Streeting to be a “slogan” that failed to resonate with voters, and that it would “hit the dust”.
Rebecca Long-Bailey, who was originally appointed as Shadow Education Secretary by Keir Starmer before later being sacked, said in April that Labour partly lost the election due to having no “overarching message” on education.
“There are a number of reasons as to why we lost, we know that, but one of the reasons is that we didn’t have that overarching message that explained to people what the National Education Service was for,” she told Schools Week.


labourlist--2020-11-19--“Spending announcement without a strategy”: Starmer on defence review

Keir Starmer has welcomed the increased spending on defence unveiled by the Prime Minister this morning but criticised the announced funding as a “ spending announcement without a strategy ” .
Responding to a House of Commons statement this afternoon by Boris Johnson , the Labour leader challenged the Prime Minister over how the government planned to deliver the additional funding for the Ministry of Defence .
Johnson had told MPs : “ British governments have trimmed and cheesepared our defence budget and if we go on like this we risk waking up to discover that our armed forces , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ below the minimum threshold of viability.
” Starmer said in response : “ We welcome this additional funding for our defence and security forces and we agree that it is vital to end what the Prime Minister calls – I have to say with a complete lack of self-awareness – an ‘ era of retreat ’ .
“ But this is a spending announcement without a strategy .
The government has yet again pushed back vital parts of the spending review and there ’ s no clarity over the government ’ s strategic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the question of money .
How will this announcement be paid for ?
Such is the government ’ s handling of this pandemic that the UK has the sharpest economic downturn of any G7 country.
” The Labour leader asked the Prime Minister whether the increased funding would be delivered through additional borrowing , tax increases or whether the money will be taken from other departmental budgets .
Starmer highlighted the Tory 2019 manifesto commitment to spend 0.7 % gross national income on development .
He warned against breaking this promise , arguing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but also hugely weaken us on the global stage ” .
The Labour leader described a “ decade of underinvestment in our armed forces ” and said defence spending had fallen by over £8bn in real terms over the past ten years and that UK regular forces have decreased by over 25 % .
He highlighted reports from the National Audit Office that estimated a “ black hole of up to £13bn in the MoD equipment plan ” and said the “ additional funding today is on foundations that have been seriously weakened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emphasising a point he described as “ very important to our armed forces personnel ” , Starmer asked the Prime Minister to confirm whether there would be any further cuts to the size of the armed forces over the period of this review .
The announcement today formed part of the integrated spending review on foreign , defence , development and security policy .
Downing Street said on Wednesday that the full outcome of the integrated review would be released next year .
Referring to Johnson ’ s climate plan unveiled on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very little but warm words on how the UK will lead the global efforts against the biggest threat we face – the climate emergency .
“ Yesterday ’ s announcement , another press release without a strategy , will do nothing to address this… The government still lacks a clear strategy or a coherent vision for Britain in the world.
” Labour criticised the government for offering “ rebadged funding pots and reheated pledges ” when the Prime Minister ’ s ten-point plan to tackle climate change was unveiled on Wednesday , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan ” .
The defence spending commitment announced this afternoon , reportedly signed off following weeks of arguments between the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury , represents the largest military investment since the end of the Cold War .
Responding to the Prime Minister ’ s statement today , the Campaign Against Arms Trade ( CAAT ) has urged the government to “ rethink its priorities ” and described the move as a “ totally inappropriate response to the pandemic ” .
CAAT ’ s Andrew Smith said : “ Only a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling us that there wasn ’ t enough money to feed hungry school students during the holidays , but now it has found an extra £16bn to add to what was already one of the biggest military budgets in the world .
“ Covid has exposed the impact of cuts and austerity .
It is essential that the economy is rebuilt , but that should be based on sustainable jobs and industries that can help to create a stronger , greener and safer economy .
“ The money should be used to build @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to fund the goods and services that we all rely on .
It should not be used to buy evermore complex and deadly weapon systems… “ The government should reconsider its priorities .
Our security is not advanced by throwing money at the military .
It is strengthened by building fairer societies that support the most vulnerable , and by investing in our public services.
” The announcement of the four-year spending settlement for defence , awarding the department an additional £4bn per year , comes after Chancellor Rishi Sunak had said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only one-year funding deals .
The funding is an increase on top of the Tory 2019 election pledge to increase defence spending by 0.5 % above the rate of inflation each year of this parliament .
The department will receive overall an additional £24.1bn over the next four years .

Keir Starmer has welcomed the increased spending on defence unveiled by Boris Johnson this morning but criticised the announced funding as a “spending announcement without a strategy”.
The Prime Minister announced a four-year £16.5bn surge in government defence spending today, which is said to represent the largest real-terms increase in the defence budget since Margaret Thatcher’s premiership.
Responding to Johnson’s House of Commons statement this afternoon, the Labour leader challenged the Prime Minister over how the government planned to deliver the additional funding for the Ministry of Defence.
Johnson had told MPs: “British governments have trimmed and cheesepared our defence budget and if we go on like this we risk waking up to discover that our armed forces, the pride of Britain, have fallen below the minimum threshold of viability.”
Starmer said in response: “We welcome this additional funding for our defence and security forces and we agree that it is vital to end what the Prime Minister calls – I have to say with a complete lack of self-awareness – an ‘era of retreat’.
“But this is a spending announcement without a strategy. The government has yet again pushed back vital parts of the spending review and there’s no clarity over the government’s strategic priorities.
“And then there is the question of money. How will this announcement be paid for? Such is the government’s handling of this pandemic that the UK has the sharpest economic downturn of any G7 country.”
The Labour leader asked the Prime Minister whether the increased funding would be delivered through additional borrowing, tax increases or whether the money will be taken from other departmental budgets.
Starmer highlighted the Tory 2019 manifesto commitment to spend 0.7% gross national income on development. He warned against breaking this promise, arguing it would “not only undermine trust but also hugely weaken us on the global stage”.
The Labour leader described a “decade of underinvestment in our armed forces” and said defence spending had fallen by over £8bn in real terms over the past ten years and that UK regular forces have decreased by over 25%.
He highlighted reports from the National Audit Office that estimated a “black hole of up to £13bn in the MoD equipment plan” and said the “additional funding today is on foundations that have been seriously weakened over the last ten years”.
Emphasising a point he described as “very important to our armed forces personnel”, Starmer asked the Prime Minister to confirm whether there would be any further cuts to the size of the armed forces over the period of this review.
The announcement today formed part of the integrated spending review on foreign, defence, development and security policy. Downing Street said on Wednesday that the full outcome of the integrated review would be released next year.
Referring to Johnson’s climate plan unveiled on Wednesday, Starmer added: “There was very little but warm words on how the UK will lead the global efforts against the biggest threat we face – the climate emergency.
“Yesterday’s announcement, another press release without a strategy, will do nothing to address this… The government still lacks a clear strategy or a coherent vision for Britain in the world.”
Labour criticised the government for offering “rebadged funding pots and reheated pledges” when the Prime Minister’s ten-point plan to tackle climate change was unveiled on Wednesday, and stressed the need for an “ambitious plan”.
The defence spending commitment announced this afternoon, reportedly signed off following weeks of arguments between the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury, represents the largest military investment since the end of the Cold War.
Responding to the Prime Minister’s statement today, the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) has urged the government to “rethink its priorities” and described the move as a “totally inappropriate response to the pandemic”.
CAAT’s Andrew Smith said: “Only a matter of days ago the government was telling us that there wasn’t enough money to feed hungry school students during the holidays, but now it has found an extra £16bn to add to what was already one of the biggest military budgets in the world.
“Covid has exposed the impact of cuts and austerity. It is essential that the economy is rebuilt, but that should be based on sustainable jobs and industries that can help to create a stronger, greener and safer economy.
“The money should be used to build the green jobs that we need, and to fund the goods and services that we all rely on. It should not be used to buy evermore complex and deadly weapon systems…
“The government should reconsider its priorities. Our security is not advanced by throwing money at the military. It is strengthened by building fairer societies that support the most vulnerable, and by investing in our public services.”
The announcement of the four-year spending settlement for defence, awarding the department an additional £4bn per year, comes after Chancellor Rishi Sunak had said that all government departments would be given only one-year funding deals.
The funding is an increase on top of the Tory 2019 election pledge to increase defence spending by 0.5% above the rate of inflation each year of this parliament. The department will receive overall an additional £24.1bn over the next four years.


labourlist--2020-11-19--WATCH: Decision not to restore whip to Corbyn a “witch-hunt”, says McCluskey

Len McCluskey has described the decision taken by Keir Starmer not to restore the whip to Jeremy Corbyn following the lifting of the former Labour leader ’ s suspension as a “ witch-hunt and persecution of a decent man ” .
In an interview this morning , the general secretary of Unite the Union said Starmer “ disregarded process ” by not restoring the whip after a panel of five national executive committee ( NEC ) members readmitted Corbyn to the party .
He said : “ An NEC panel , a unanimous NEC panel of five individuals , made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make this clear , out of the five – in case there ’ s any dubiety – there are only two out of those five who could be described as Corbyn supporters .
“ And yet it was a unanimous decision and now Keir seems to have disregarded process and stepped in with this extraordinary decisions .
It looks to me very much like a witch-hunt and persecution of a decent man .
“ You know , people can disagree with Corbyn on a whole host of things but I think mst people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individual and to be persecuted and witch-hunted in this way is not the Labour Party way of doing things.
” Corbyn was suspended nearly three weeks ago after claiming that “ the scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents ” in his response to the Equality and Human Rights Commission report .
The report , examining antisemitism within the Labour Party , had found the party responsible for “ unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination ” and “ serious failings in leadership ” during the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was readmitted to the party after a meeting of a panel of five NEC members on Tuesday evening .
But Starmer declared on Wednesday that his predecessor would not have the Labour whip restored .
Announcing his decision , Starmer said : “ Since I was elected Labour leader , I have made it my mission to root out antisemitism from the Labour Party .
I know that I will judged on my actions , not my words .
“ The disciplinary process does not have the confidence of the Jewish community .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It is the task of my leadership to fix what I have inherited .
That is what I am resolute in doing and I have asked for an independent process to be established as soon as possible .
“ I ’ m the leader of the Labour Party , but I ’ m also the leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party .
“ Jeremy Corbyn ’ s actions in response to the EHRC report undermined and set back our work in restoring trust and confidence in the Labour Party ’ s ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ circumstances , I have taken the decision not to restore the whip to Jeremy Corbyn .
I will keep this situation under review .
”

Len McCluskey has described the decision taken by Keir Starmer not to restore the whip to Jeremy Corbyn following the lifting of the former Labour leader’s suspension as a “witch-hunt and persecution of a decent man”.
In an interview this morning, the general secretary of Unite the Union said Starmer “disregarded process” by not restoring the whip after a panel of five national executive committee (NEC) members readmitted Corbyn to the party.
He said: “An NEC panel, a unanimous NEC panel of five individuals, made a decision. And let me just make this clear, out of the five – in case there’s any dubiety – there are only two out of those five who could be described as Corbyn supporters.
“And yet it was a unanimous decision and now Keir seems to have disregarded process and stepped in with this extraordinary decisions. It looks to me very much like a witch-hunt and persecution of a decent man.
“You know, people can disagree with Corbyn on a whole host of things but I think mst people regard him as a decent, honest individual and to be persecuted and witch-hunted in this way is not the Labour Party way of doing things.”
"It looks to me very much like a witch-hunt and persecution of a decent man" Unite leader Len McCluskey says it appears Keir Starmer has "disregarded process" over his decision to stop Jeremy Corbyn from sitting as a Labour MPhttps://t.co/cdU4U86g6S pic.twitter.com/sOZF4A42LW — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) November 19, 2020
Corbyn was suspended nearly three weeks ago after claiming that “the scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents” in his response to the Equality and Human Rights Commission report.
The report, examining antisemitism within the Labour Party, had found the party responsible for “unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination” and “serious failings in leadership” during the time that Corbyn was in charge.
Corbyn was readmitted to the party after a meeting of a panel of five NEC members on Tuesday evening. But Starmer declared on Wednesday that his predecessor would not have the Labour whip restored.
Announcing his decision, Starmer said: “Since I was elected Labour leader, I have made it my mission to root out antisemitism from the Labour Party. I know that I will judged on my actions, not my words.
“The disciplinary process does not have the confidence of the Jewish community. That became clear once again yesterday.
“It is the task of my leadership to fix what I have inherited. That is what I am resolute in doing and I have asked for an independent process to be established as soon as possible.
“I’m the leader of the Labour Party, but I’m also the leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party.
“Jeremy Corbyn’s actions in response to the EHRC report undermined and set back our work in restoring trust and confidence in the Labour Party’s ability to tackle antisemitism.
“In those circumstances, I have taken the decision not to restore the whip to Jeremy Corbyn. I will keep this situation under review.”


labourlist--2020-11-19--Online sexual exploitation of children needs our urgent attention

This summer , Philippines police rescued a three-month-old baby in an operation to free children from online sexual exploitation .
Weeks later , they brought a two-year-old to safety .
Scores of similar police operations have happened over the last few months .
Online sexual exploitation of children ( OSEC ) sees sex offenders in countries like the UK pay to both direct and livestream the sexual abuse of children anywhere in the world , often in places of extreme poverty .
UK abusers demand all manner of sickening and violent acts to be carried out on innocent children , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their homes .
According to Interpol , WePROTECT Global Alliance and International Justice Mission ( IJM ) , this deeply troubling phenomenon has been increasing in recent years .
Worryingly , there is evidence that it has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis : offenders locked down at home , and children locked in with abusers .
It has become “ more popular than usual during the Covid-19 crisis ” , according to Europol .
During the first lockdown , 8.8 million attempts were made to access child sexual abuse materials by UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being abused via livestream might be on the other side of the world , the demand for this abuse is driven by sex offenders much closer to home .
It is shameful that the UK is the third largest consumer of livestreamed abuse .
Without the demand created by us , children the world over would not be suffering this terrible crime .
An urgent and robust response is needed internationally and domestically to disrupt the cycle of supply and demand that feeds the online sexual exploitation of children .
Sadly , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just that .
Initiatives like the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center are a welcome start , involving collaboration , coordination and intelligence sharing between law enforcement agencies from the Philippines , the UK , Australia and IJM .
It has led to offenders in the Philippines and the UK being prosecuted and convicted , and it is vitally important that this cooperation is continued and strengthened .
But we must go further in addressing this insidious crime .
OSEC is a relatively low-risk crime for British sex offenders .
There is little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ material isn ’ t being detected and reported by technology companies .
Only a small number of livestreaming offenders are prosecuted and convicted – and sentences are low .
A new report by IJM highlights this very point .
UK offenders convicted of directing and paying for livestreamed sexual abuse of Filipino children will serve on average only two years and four months in prison , before being released on license in the community .
These are offenders who have spent several years , and often thousands of pounds , to direct the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t represent justice for the survivors , nor does it provide any sort of deterrent .
Lengthier sentences aren ’ t the only answer to this problem .
But the current trend of lenient sentences undermines the horrific nature of the crime and emboldens the perpetrators .
Toddlers who have been rescued from online sexual exploitation were found to have contracted STIs as a result of the abuse .
The lifelong impact on these young lives must be taken seriously , and sentences imposed that reflect the gravity of the harm caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offenders can abuse children without fear of serious repercussions must be rectified so that offenders are not acting with impunity , and instead know that they will be caught and there will be meaningful consequences .
This means improving detection , as well as prosecutions .
Tech companies , social media platforms and money transfer services must adopt a ‘ safety by design ’ approach and improve detection and reporting .
The upcoming online harms regulations bill is an important opportunity for the government to insist on meaningful action by these companies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ unless firm action is taken .
Whilst good work has been done , more is needed .
We must act on behalf of the children who have suffered unimaginable horror .
We must hold their abusers to account , and prevent other children from suffering the same fate .

This summer, Philippines police rescued a three-month-old baby in an operation to free children from online sexual exploitation. Weeks later, they brought a two-year-old to safety. Scores of similar police operations have happened over the last few months.
Online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) sees sex offenders in countries like the UK pay to both direct and livestream the sexual abuse of children anywhere in the world, often in places of extreme poverty. UK abusers demand all manner of sickening and violent acts to be carried out on innocent children, whilst they watch from the comfort of their homes.
According to Interpol, WePROTECT Global Alliance and International Justice Mission (IJM), this deeply troubling phenomenon has been increasing in recent years. Worryingly, there is evidence that it has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis: offenders locked down at home, and children locked in with abusers. It has become “more popular than usual during the Covid-19 crisis”, according to Europol. During the first lockdown, 8.8 million attempts were made to access child sexual abuse materials by UK internet users alone.
Whilst the children being abused via livestream might be on the other side of the world, the demand for this abuse is driven by sex offenders much closer to home. It is shameful that the UK is the third largest consumer of livestreamed abuse. Without the demand created by us, children the world over would not be suffering this terrible crime.
An urgent and robust response is needed internationally and domestically to disrupt the cycle of supply and demand that feeds the online sexual exploitation of children. Sadly, this government has repeatedly missed opportunities to provide just that.
Initiatives like the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center are a welcome start, involving collaboration, coordination and intelligence sharing between law enforcement agencies from the Philippines, the UK, Australia and IJM. It has led to offenders in the Philippines and the UK being prosecuted and convicted, and it is vitally important that this cooperation is continued and strengthened. But we must go further in addressing this insidious crime.
OSEC is a relatively low-risk crime for British sex offenders. There is little chance of abuse being caught because livestreamed material isn’t being detected and reported by technology companies. Only a small number of livestreaming offenders are prosecuted and convicted – and sentences are low.
A new report by IJM highlights this very point. UK offenders convicted of directing and paying for livestreamed sexual abuse of Filipino children will serve on average only two years and four months in prison, before being released on license in the community. These are offenders who have spent several years, and often thousands of pounds, to direct the sexual abuse of children.
This doesn’t represent justice for the survivors, nor does it provide any sort of deterrent. Lengthier sentences aren’t the only answer to this problem. But the current trend of lenient sentences undermines the horrific nature of the crime and emboldens the perpetrators.
Toddlers who have been rescued from online sexual exploitation were found to have contracted STIs as a result of the abuse. The lifelong impact on these young lives must be taken seriously, and sentences imposed that reflect the gravity of the harm caused.
The ease with which British sex offenders can abuse children without fear of serious repercussions must be rectified so that offenders are not acting with impunity, and instead know that they will be caught and there will be meaningful consequences. This means improving detection, as well as prosecutions. Tech companies, social media platforms and money transfer services must adopt a ‘safety by design’ approach and improve detection and reporting.
The upcoming online harms regulations bill is an important opportunity for the government to insist on meaningful action by these companies. This horrendous abuse will continue to grow unless firm action is taken. Whilst good work has been done, more is needed. We must act on behalf of the children who have suffered unimaginable horror. We must hold their abusers to account, and prevent other children from suffering the same fate.


labourlist--2020-11-19--Corbyn row rumbles on after Starmer refuses to restore whip

Keir Starmer announced yesterday that he would not be restoring the whip to Jeremy Corbyn , arguing that the Islington MP had “ undermined and set back our work in restoring trust and confidence in the Labour Party ’ s ability to tackle antisemitism ” .
While Board of Deputies president Marie van der Zyl welcomed the decision , Starmer has seen a backlash from his party ’ s left flank .
Socialist Campaign Group MPs issued a statement calling for the decision to be reversed , Unite general secretary Len McCluskey declared the move “ vindictive and vengeful ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driven a coach and horses through the party ’ s disciplinary process ” .
Former MP and parliamentary private secretary to John McDonnell Thelma Walker quit the party last night .
McDonnell tweeted in response : “ When Thelma Walker , one of Labour ’ s loyalest of the loyal , feels so strongly that she resigns then it ’ s time voices like hers are listened to.
” What happens next ?
Former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown weighed in this morning , telling Sky News he thinks Starmer will restore the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a full apology – “ no ifs , no buts , no qualifications ” .
Corbyn allies are outraged that the ex-leader has been blocked from sitting as a Labour MP , while his critics remain upset that the Islington MP was readmitted at all .
Starmer ’ s spokesperson has vowed that the party will clear the backlog of internal antisemitism disciplinary cases , following the conclusion of Corbyn ’ s , using the current disciplinary system – the system that Starmer yesterday said “ does not have the confidence of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive committee member who considered Corbyn ’ s case has announced that he will no longer be volunteering for disputes panels and suggested that the party pause all complaints processes until the new system is set up .
It is still not clear how the new independents process , mandated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission report , will be established without a party conference .
In other news , Senedd members last night backed legislation that campaigners have said could “ revolutionise democracy in Wales ” , extending the franchise to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local elections and allowing councils to switch to a single transferable vote system .
Labour MP and mayoral candidate Liam Byrne declared in an interview with LabourList that the “ unofficial slogan ” for his West Midlands campaign is “ look , let ’ s just get shit done ” .
And trade union UNISON has issued a challenge to the government to “ save Christmas ” , asking ministers to let schools switch to an online format for their lessons next month to reduce the risk of families being required to self-isolate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to LabourList ’ s morning email for everything Labour , every weekday morning .

Keir Starmer announced yesterday that he would not be restoring the whip to Jeremy Corbyn, arguing that the Islington MP had “undermined and set back our work in restoring trust and confidence in the Labour Party’s ability to tackle antisemitism”. While Board of Deputies president Marie van der Zyl welcomed the decision, Starmer has seen a backlash from his party’s left flank.
Socialist Campaign Group MPs issued a statement calling for the decision to be reversed, Unite general secretary Len McCluskey declared the move “vindictive and vengeful” and Jon Lansman argued it had “driven a coach and horses through the party’s disciplinary process”. Former MP and parliamentary private secretary to John McDonnell Thelma Walker quit the party last night. McDonnell tweeted in response: “When Thelma Walker, one of Labour’s loyalest of the loyal, feels so strongly that she resigns then it’s time voices like hers are listened to.”
While Corbyn allies are outraged that the ex-leader has been blocked from sitting as a Labour MP, his strongest critics remain upset that the Islington MP was readmitted at all. What happens next? Former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown contributed his view this morning, telling Sky News that he thinks Starmer will restore the whip but also stressing that Corbyn must make a full apology – “no ifs, no buts, no qualifications”.
Starmer’s spokesperson has vowed that the party will clear the backlog of internal antisemitism disciplinary cases, following the conclusion of Corbyn’s, using the current disciplinary system – the system that Starmer yesterday said “does not have the confidence of the Jewish community”. A pro-Starmer national executive committee member who considered Corbyn’s case has announced that he will no longer be volunteering for disputes panels and suggested that the party pause all complaints processes until the new system is set up. It is still not clear how the new independents process, mandated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission report, will be established without a party conference.
In other news, Senedd members last night backed legislation that campaigners have said could “revolutionise democracy in Wales”, extending the franchise to 16- and 17-year-olds and foreign citizens in local elections and allowing councils to switch to a single transferable vote system. Labour MP and mayoral candidate Liam Byrne declared in an interview with LabourList that the “unofficial slogan” for his West Midlands campaign is “look, let’s just get shit done”. And trade union UNISON has issued a challenge to the government to “save Christmas”, asking ministers to let schools switch to an online format for their lessons next month to reduce the risk of families being required to self-isolate over the holiday period. Sign up to LabourList’s morning email for everything Labour, every weekday morning.


labourlist--2020-11-20--Labour should not be afraid to be the party of the family

Keir Starmer ’ s first ‘ conference ’ speech as leader provoked controversy with some in the party when he promised that Labour would be the party of “ opportunity , family and security ” .
Ambivalence or even hostility on the left to the family goes back a long way , with socialist thinkers such as Karl Marx , Friedrich Engels and Robert Owen wanting to abolish the family altogether .
The family has often been seen as inherently reactionary , patriarchal and conservative .
While many critiques of the family have gone too far , we should not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the family as an institution .
It can be the site of terrible abuse and violence , and much better support is needed for the victims of this .
The family can also be a great source of great happiness , connection and mutual support .
Today , many in the Labour Party feel uncomfortable talking about the family .
Some feel that explicit support for the family implies moral judgment about what a family should look like , whether that is in terms of marriage , LGBT+ parents or otherwise .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make moral judgements about what a family should look like .
Families today come in all sorts of shapes and sizes , and all families should be supported .
Labour should take a progressive and inclusive approach to support all families .
The personal is the political , and so it is with the family .
How the family operates and interacts with society more generally influences the extent to which opportunity and equality for all can be achieved .
A focus on the family should not be seen as opposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundamental to promoting equality .
The Labour Party has , correctly , trumpeted the benefits of its policies for the family , whether that was the introduction of the NHS in 1945 or new family-friendly legislation introduced by New Labour .
However , Labour needs to go further and set out a clear progressive vision of how families can be supported and helped to thrive .
Take childcare .
Women disproportionately shoulder the burden of childcare , including during the last national Covid lockdown .
Better Daddies , a new campaign to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children , believes that more action in this area would be good for fathers , their partners , their children and gender equality in the workplace .
It would mean that the burden of childcare is more evenly shared between parents , providing more scope for women to work full-time , longer hours or have more leisure or study time .
Greater paternal involvement in childcare should also reduce discrimination against women in the workforce , as the amount of time that men and women take off for parenthood becomes more even .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ real difference to families is parenting and relationship support for parents , which would be hugely helpful to many but is currently unaffordable .
At a time when Covid is putting a particular strain on family and relationships , there is an especially strong case for parenting and relationship support from the government .
Supporting the types of policies that Better Daddies advocates , such as better parental leave for fathers , would be highly progressive .
But these policies need to be part of a holistic vision of how Labour would support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple and family relationships .
Jon Cruddas began to develop such a programme as head of Labour ’ s policy review before the 2015 election , and hopefully this work will be picked by Keir Starmer ’ s head of policy , Claire Ainsley , who has a history of working on family policy .
Failure to think of the impact of new policies on the family can be their downfall .
Take , for example , the policy due to Covid of not allowing birth partners to be present during labour or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Similarly , guidelines for the new lockdown initially prevented two parents with their children meeting outdoors to exercise .
All policy-making needs to be more focused on the family , such as supporting Rainbow Families initiatives , which provide a social group for LGBT+ parents and their children .
It is possible to support the family without stigmatisation or prescribing what a family should look like .
Not only that , but a progressive approach to the family is vital to ensuring a more equal and fair society .
Labour should not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the family to help everyone lead the fullest life possible .
Omar Salem is founder of Better Daddies , which is campaigning for more support for fathers to play a greater role in caring for their children and household responsibilities .
You can sign the Better Daddies Charter here .

Keir Starmer’s first ‘conference’ speech as leader provoked controversy with some in the party when he promised that Labour would be the party of “opportunity, family and security”. Ambivalence or even hostility on the left to the family goes back a long way, with socialist thinkers such as Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and Robert Owen wanting to abolish the family altogether. The family has often been seen as inherently reactionary, patriarchal and conservative.
While many critiques of the family have gone too far, we should not turn a blind eye to the problems of the family as an institution. It can be the site of terrible abuse and violence, and much better support is needed for the victims of this. The family can also be a great source of great happiness, connection and mutual support.
Today, many in the Labour Party feel uncomfortable talking about the family. Some feel that explicit support for the family implies moral judgment about what a family should look like, whether that is in terms of marriage, LGBT+ parents or otherwise.
It is quite wrong for a government to make moral judgements about what a family should look like. Families today come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and all families should be supported. Labour should take a progressive and inclusive approach to support all families.
The personal is the political, and so it is with the family. How the family operates and interacts with society more generally influences the extent to which opportunity and equality for all can be achieved. A focus on the family should not be seen as opposed to class-based politics but complementary to it and fundamental to promoting equality.
The Labour Party has, correctly, trumpeted the benefits of its policies for the family, whether that was the introduction of the NHS in 1945 or new family-friendly legislation introduced by New Labour. However, Labour needs to go further and set out a clear progressive vision of how families can be supported and helped to thrive.
Take childcare. Women disproportionately shoulder the burden of childcare, including during the last national Covid lockdown. Better Daddies, a new campaign to help fathers share equally in caring for their children, believes that more action in this area would be good for fathers, their partners, their children and gender equality in the workplace.
It would mean that the burden of childcare is more evenly shared between parents, providing more scope for women to work full-time, longer hours or have more leisure or study time. Greater paternal involvement in childcare should also reduce discrimination against women in the workforce, as the amount of time that men and women take off for parenthood becomes more even.
Another area where Labour could make a real difference to families is parenting and relationship support for parents, which would be hugely helpful to many but is currently unaffordable. At a time when Covid is putting a particular strain on family and relationships, there is an especially strong case for parenting and relationship support from the government.
Supporting the types of policies that Better Daddies advocates, such as better parental leave for fathers, would be highly progressive. But these policies need to be part of a holistic vision of how Labour would support families and, crucially, social, couple and family relationships. Jon Cruddas began to develop such a programme as head of Labour’s policy review before the 2015 election, and hopefully this work will be picked by Keir Starmer’s head of policy, Claire Ainsley, who has a history of working on family policy.
Failure to think of the impact of new policies on the family can be their downfall. Take, for example, the policy due to Covid of not allowing birth partners to be present during labour or at scans, which is surely disproportionate. Similarly, guidelines for the new lockdown initially prevented two parents with their children meeting outdoors to exercise. All policy-making needs to be more focused on the family, such as supporting Rainbow Families initiatives, which provide a social group for LGBT+ parents and their children.
It is possible to support the family without stigmatisation or prescribing what a family should look like. Not only that, but a progressive approach to the family is vital to ensuring a more equal and fair society. Labour should not be afraid of supporting a progressive vision of the family to help everyone lead the fullest life possible.
Omar Salem is founder of Better Daddies, which is campaigning for more support for fathers to play a greater role in caring for their children and household responsibilities. You can sign the Better Daddies Charter here.


labourlist--2020-11-20--Help us change party rules to introduce dual CLP membership for students

We are working to change Labour Party rules to introduce dual Constituency Labour Party ( CLP ) membership for students .
In September , just under 2.5 million young people began a new academic year in higher education .
Students who move away from home to study have the opportunity to register to vote in both constituencies .
Unfortunately , for the many fantastic Labour activists who find themselves moving away for the academic year , the choice is much more limited .
As it stands , young members moving away for study can change their address to their term-time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miss out on news and events from their home CLP despite not being committed year-round to either .
A select few of the most dedicated activists may change back their membership for the four months of the year spent at home , but even doing this rescinds the privilege to ever become a delegate or officer , and the process can take a while .
Many of our members who become active when joining during university may miss out on the activism when at home .
Similarly , many who joined before moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their CLP is an option , meaning they never connect with their local party and community when away .
This presents a type of disenfranchisement , or disconnection , from the party .
Being a member of a CLP extends far beyond voting on motions : it is a way to truly connect with the community around you , understand local issues and find opportunities to become active in the area beyond the party .
That is the essence of Labour activism .
Having the opportunity to join a new CLP , without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight months of the year , would benefit not only the member but also their respective constituencies .
A constant struggle facing CLPs across the country is how to interest , bolster and retain young members who become political but then leave the area , a type of ‘ youth drain ’ .
Some CLPs will have the help of a local Young Labour group to support young activists , though most do not .
This certainly isn ’ t the sexiest campaign within the party , but it is a project that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to strengthen sustainable participation from young members nationwide and stop the feeling of disconnection for so many young members stuck in limbo .
Our campaign connected with a number of candidates during Labour ’ s national executive committee ( NEC ) elections .
Now , post-election , we will begin to work together with those elected to make our reform functional and ‘ oven-ready ’ .
Through these chats , we will continue to develop our idea so that it benefits all members , not just those who will be dual .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which outlines the exact functionality of how this rule change will work , with a little bit of help from our friends in the NEC to iron out the details .
Members with dual membership , who will pay the student rate , will be able to select one CLP as their primary one and the other as secondary .
Membership rights would be restricted at the secondary address to ensure party democracy – they will not be able to vote twice in NEC elections , vote twice in one-member-one-vote ballots , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for both constituencies .
The face of Young Labour is changing , and our members undertaking higher education are participating in a changed arena after some shake-ups in the student wing over the last couple of years .
We want to make sure our young members feel included year-round and are able to participate fully .

We are working to change Labour Party rules to introduce dual Constituency Labour Party (CLP) membership for students. In September, just under 2.5 million young people began a new academic year in higher education. Students who move away from home to study have the opportunity to register to vote in both constituencies. Unfortunately, for the many fantastic Labour activists who find themselves moving away for the academic year, the choice is much more limited.
As it stands, young members moving away for study can change their address to their term-time CLP, but this means they will miss out on news and events from their home CLP despite not being committed year-round to either. A select few of the most dedicated activists may change back their membership for the four months of the year spent at home, but even doing this rescinds the privilege to ever become a delegate or officer, and the process can take a while.
Many of our members who become active when joining during university may miss out on the activism when at home. Similarly, many who joined before moving away may not be aware that changing their CLP is an option, meaning they never connect with their local party and community when away. This presents a type of disenfranchisement, or disconnection, from the party.
Being a member of a CLP extends far beyond voting on motions: it is a way to truly connect with the community around you, understand local issues and find opportunities to become active in the area beyond the party. That is the essence of Labour activism. Having the opportunity to join a new CLP, without losing contact with your home CLP for eight months of the year, would benefit not only the member but also their respective constituencies.
A constant struggle facing CLPs across the country is how to interest, bolster and retain young members who become political but then leave the area, a type of ‘youth drain’. Some CLPs will have the help of a local Young Labour group to support young activists, though most do not.
This certainly isn’t the sexiest campaign within the party, but it is a project that could finally fix the decades-old question of how to strengthen sustainable participation from young members nationwide and stop the feeling of disconnection for so many young members stuck in limbo.
Our campaign connected with a number of candidates during Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) elections. Now, post-election, we will begin to work together with those elected to make our reform functional and ‘oven-ready’. Through these chats, we will continue to develop our idea so that it benefits all members, not just those who will be dual. We have written up a model motion, which outlines the exact functionality of how this rule change will work, with a little bit of help from our friends in the NEC to iron out the details.
Members with dual membership, who will pay the student rate, will be able to select one CLP as their primary one and the other as secondary. Membership rights would be restricted at the secondary address to ensure party democracy – they will not be able to vote twice in NEC elections, vote twice in one-member-one-vote ballots, nor be elected as delegate to conferences for both constituencies.
The face of Young Labour is changing, and our members undertaking higher education are participating in a changed arena after some shake-ups in the student wing over the last couple of years. We want to make sure our young members feel included year-round and are able to participate fully.


labourlist--2020-11-20--Jewish Labour Movement pauses engagement with party

The suspension of the Labour whip from Jeremy Corbyn has had a timescale of three months applied to it , though I ’ m told this is “ reviewable ” and could be shorter or longer depending on what happens next .
This is pending an investigation under Parliamentary Labour Party rules , about which there is little detail so far .
It is understood that Corbyn ’ s lawyers are challenging the latest developments , making some of the same arguments as those put forward by Corbyn-supporting members of Labour ’ s national executive committee who have written a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The full details can be found here .
The effect of the NEC ’ s disciplinary process being concluded is that both Corbyn allies on the ruling body have become more vocal and local parties more willing to consider motions that may be considered “ incompetent business ” by the party .
Dulwich and West Norwood Labour last night passed , by 87 votes to 34 , a motion of no confidence in the general secretary calling “ for the NEC to take immediate steps to remove him from office ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed motions calling for the whip to be restored to Corbyn , including at least one – Rushcliffe – that has clearly expressed support for Corbyn ’ s response to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission report .
The Jewish Labour Movement has sent an email to its members this morning offering “ practical guidance in line with our duty of care ” in response to such motions .
The affiliate organisation has also touched on some of the points raised by LabourList reporting around the dilemma that the party now faces : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaints or continue trying to clear the backlog as Starmer ’ s spokesperson suggested this week ?
JLM has announced that it expects Labour to suspend all NEC antisemitism disputes panels .
This does seem to be the most logical route , but it is complicated by the uncertain path to implementing a new independent process without party conference as explained here .
JLM has also revealed that it was in “ formal dialogue ” with the party until yesterday but this is “ now under review ” .
It is a worrying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Corbyn suspension , particularly as the EHRC recommended engagement with the Jewish community as an action in itself .
Away from Labour news , the government is making a mockery of Anti-Bullying Week 2020 .
The Cabinet Office inquiry into allegations of bullying by Priti Patel did find evidence that she broke the ministerial code , it has been reported , yet Boris Johnson is not expected to sack the Home Secretary and Tory MPs have been happy to defend her .
Labour has said the matter has “ all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Chancellor , meanwhile , is preparing to impose a public sector pay freeze , as recommended by right-wing think the Centre for Policy Studies .
NHS workers are expected to be exempt , but as we all know they are not the only ones who have risked their lives on the frontline during the crisis .
A rally for fair pay is being held on Monday , to which you can sign up here .

The suspension of the Labour whip from Jeremy Corbyn has had a timescale of three months applied to it, though I’m told this is “reviewable” and could be shorter or longer depending on what happens next. This is pending an investigation under Parliamentary Labour Party rules, about which there is little detail so far. It is understood that Corbyn’s lawyers are challenging the latest developments, making some of the same arguments as those put forward by Corbyn-supporting members of Labour’s national executive committee who have written a joint letter to general secretary David Evans. The full details can be found here.
The effect of the NEC’s disciplinary process being concluded is that both Corbyn allies on the ruling body have become more vocal and local parties more willing to consider motions that may be considered “incompetent business” by the party. Dulwich and West Norwood Labour last night passed, by 87 votes to 34, a motion of no confidence in the general secretary calling “for the NEC to take immediate steps to remove him from office”. A number of other local parties have passed motions calling for the whip to be restored to Corbyn, including at least one – Rushcliffe – that has clearly expressed support for Corbyn’s response to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission report.
The Jewish Labour Movement has sent an email to its members this morning offering “practical guidance in line with our duty of care” in response to such motions. The affiliate organisation has also touched on some of the points raised by LabourList reporting around the dilemma that the party now faces: does it pause the processing of all complaints or continue trying to clear the backlog as Starmer’s spokesperson suggested this week?
JLM has announced that it expects Labour to suspend all NEC antisemitism disputes panels. This does seem to be the most logical route, but it is complicated by the uncertain path to implementing a new independent process without party conference as explained here. JLM has also revealed that it was in “formal dialogue” with the party until yesterday but this is “now under review”. It is a worrying consequence of Labour’s poor handling of the Corbyn suspension, particularly as the EHRC recommended engagement with the Jewish community as an action in itself.
Away from Labour news, the government is making a mockery of Anti-Bullying Week 2020. The Cabinet Office inquiry into allegations of bullying by Priti Patel did find evidence that she broke the ministerial code, it has been reported, yet Boris Johnson is not expected to sack the Home Secretary and Tory MPs have been happy to defend her. Labour has said the matter has “all the hallmarks of a prime ministerial cover-up”.
The Chancellor, meanwhile, is preparing to impose a public sector pay freeze, as recommended by right-wing think the Centre for Policy Studies. NHS workers are expected to be exempt, but as we all know they are not the only ones who have risked their lives on the frontline during the crisis. A rally for fair pay is being held on Monday, to which you can sign up here.


labourlist--2020-11-20--Concerns mount over public sector pay freeze in spending review

Concerns are mounting over a potential public sector pay freeze as part of the government response to the coronavirus economic crisis set to be presented in the Chancellor ’ s spending review on Wednesday .
Right-wing think tank Centre for Policy Studies has argued in newly published research that a three-year pay freeze could save £23bn .
Trade union Unite has slammed the suggestion as “ insulting ” to public sector workers .
Update , 8.30am : It has been reported that Rishi Sunak will bring in a public sector pay freeze , from which NHS workers including doctors and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has estimated that this could save £15.3bn over three years .
Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail highlighted the sacrifice made by public sector employees throughout the pandemic , saying that they have “ kept the NHS running , the schools open and refuse being collected ” .
She said : “ These are the very same workers who have had their pay held down in real terms during a decade of Tory austerity .
It should not be forgotten that more than an estimated 600 NHS and social care workers , often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ causes linked to Covid-19.
” The CPS think thank report argues that private sector workers have suffered far more than those in the public sector , with businesses cutting hours , wages and jobs , and that a 1 % pay rise cap could save the government £11.6bn .
Warning that the think tank is being used as an “ outrider to pave the way ” for Rishi Sunak , Cartmail added : “ The CPS ’ analysis is insulting to those public sector workers that have underpinned the fabric of society during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson ’ s much-vaunted ‘ levelling up ’ agenda means anything , he should be telling Rishi Sunak to loosen the purse strings on public sector pay for those workers , many of whom have lost up to £3,000-a-year in real terms during the austerity decade.
” The concerns raised by Unite follow Treasury documents leaked in May this year that provided the Chancellor with a “ blueprint ” to pay for the crisis – including a pay freeze for public sector employees and raised taxes .
Earlier this year , thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for fair pay for NHS staff and true recognition of their work during the pandemic after the government announced a pay rise for doctors in July .
The Chancellor had announced a pay increase of up to 3.1 % for public sector workers including doctors , teachers and police officers – but social care workers , nurses and others were left out of the new offer .
Labour warned at the time that the pay rise for some public sector workers earlier in the year “ won ’ t make up for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with wages still left below 2010 levels once inflation is accounted for .
The opposition party has pushed the Conservative administration to rule out a public sector wage freeze to pay for the Covid crisis , but government ministers have refused to commit to maintaining their pay .
Shadow health minister Justin Madders this week said : “ The NHS will only survive the winter if its workforce are valued and supported .
The evidence from the British Medical Association to the health and social care committee this morning was stark.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health staff were not prepared to see “ so much illness and death ” as the pandemic struck , and that many were experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety before the health crisis .
Madders added : “ Does the minister understand how demoralising it is for staff to hear reports that they may face yet another two-year pay freeze ?
I asked those on the government benches to rule this out last week.
” A survey by the Royal College of Nursing showed that 36 % of NHS nurses were considering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic and a committee report in September showed there were 40,000 unfilled nursing vacancies .
14 health unions including Unite urged the Prime Minister to award NHS staff with an early pay rise ahead of Christmas to ensure that health workers “ feel valued by the entire country , and the government too ” earlier this month .
Unite pointed out today that while the Tories have rejected a pay rise for the public sector , a recent National Audit Office report found that almost half of the £18bn spent on Covid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process .
This followed reports earlier in the week , involving a company in a US court case , that the government paid a businessman £21m to act as a ‘ go-between ’ to secure personal protective equipment for the NHS during the pandemic .

Concerns are mounting over a potential public sector pay freeze as part of the government response to the coronavirus economic crisis set to be presented in the Chancellor’s spending review on Wednesday.
Right-wing think tank Centre for Policy Studies has argued in newly published research that a three-year pay freeze could save £23bn. Trade union Unite has slammed the suggestion as “insulting” to public sector workers.
Update, 8.30am: It has been reported that Rishi Sunak will bring in a public sector pay freeze, from which NHS workers including doctors and nurses will be exempt. The CPS has estimated that this could save £15.3bn over three years.
Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail highlighted the sacrifice made by public sector employees throughout the pandemic, saying that they have “kept the NHS running, the schools open and refuse being collected”.
She said: “These are the very same workers who have had their pay held down in real terms during a decade of Tory austerity. It should not be forgotten that more than an estimated 600 NHS and social care workers, often on low pay, have died from causes linked to Covid-19.”
The CPS think thank report argues that private sector workers have suffered far more than those in the public sector, with businesses cutting hours, wages and jobs, and that a 1% pay rise cap could save the government £11.6bn.
Warning that the think tank is being used as an “outrider to pave the way” for Rishi Sunak, Cartmail added: “The CPS’ analysis is insulting to those public sector workers that have underpinned the fabric of society during this continuing pandemic.
“If Boris Johnson’s much-vaunted ‘levelling up’ agenda means anything, he should be telling Rishi Sunak to loosen the purse strings on public sector pay for those workers, many of whom have lost up to £3,000-a-year in real terms during the austerity decade.”
The concerns raised by Unite follow Treasury documents leaked in May this year that provided the Chancellor with a “blueprint” to pay for the crisis – including a pay freeze for public sector employees and raised taxes.
Earlier this year, thousands of NHS workers protested across the UK calling for fair pay for NHS staff and true recognition of their work during the pandemic after the government announced a pay rise for doctors in July.
The Chancellor had announced a pay increase of up to 3.1% for public sector workers including doctors, teachers and police officers – but social care workers, nurses and others were left out of the new offer.
Labour warned at the time that the pay rise for some public sector workers earlier in the year “won’t make up for a decade of real-term pay cuts”, with wages still left below 2010 levels once inflation is accounted for.
The opposition party has pushed the Conservative administration to rule out a public sector wage freeze to pay for the Covid crisis, but government ministers have refused to commit to maintaining their pay.
Shadow health minister Justin Madders this week said: “The NHS will only survive the winter if its workforce are valued and supported. The evidence from the British Medical Association to the health and social care committee this morning was stark.”
The BMA chairman had told the committee that health staff were not prepared to see “so much illness and death” as the pandemic struck, and that many were experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety before the health crisis.
Madders added: “Does the minister understand how demoralising it is for staff to hear reports that they may face yet another two-year pay freeze? I asked those on the government benches to rule this out last week.”
A survey by the Royal College of Nursing showed that 36% of NHS nurses were considering leaving, compared to 28% before the pandemic and a committee report in September showed there were 40,000 unfilled nursing vacancies.
14 health unions including Unite urged the Prime Minister to award NHS staff with an early pay rise ahead of Christmas to ensure that health workers “feel valued by the entire country, and the government too” earlier this month.
Unite pointed out today that while the Tories have rejected a pay rise for the public sector, a recent National Audit Office report found that almost half of the £18bn spent on Covid contracts were awarded without a competitive tendering process.
This followed reports earlier in the week, involving a company in a US court case, that the government paid a businessman £21m to act as a ‘go-between’ to secure personal protective equipment for the NHS during the pandemic.


labourlist--2020-11-19--Labour slams Tory “indifference” to gender pay gap and calls for action

Marsha de Cordova has criticised the Tories for their “ indifference ” to gender pay inequality – and called for the government to “ prevent this crisis from further cementing women ’ s economic inequality ” .
Marking Equal Pay Day on November 20th , the date that women effectively stop earning when their income is compared against men , de Cordova highlighted that 8.5 million women are forecast to retire before equal pay is achieved .
Labour has pointed out that progress towards closing the gender pay gap , which currently stands at 14.6 % for UK workers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years under successive Conservative governments .
The Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary said : “ Government has failed to tackle the gender pay gap and has ignored the impact this crisis has had on women .
The Conservatives ’ indifference risks the clock being turned back on women ’ s equality .
“ We need urgent action to modernise equal pay legislation and restart pay gap reporting .
The government must act now to prevent this crisis from further cementing women ’ s economic inequality.
” In the years between 2002 and 2010 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 7 % but in the decade since the Tory/Lib Dem coalition first took office that progress has stalled and pay inequality has fallen by just 2.4 % .
Pay equality is not expected to be achieved until 2052 at the current pace of change , according to analysis by Labour , meaning that women in their mid-30s will never know equal pay in their working lives .
The party has called for : • “ Modernising equal pay legislation so that women have the right to know what their male colleague doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Immediately confirming that gender pay reporting for companies will be mandatory again in April 2021 ; and • “ Publishing a review of the economic impact of covid on women and tackling structural inequalities as a priority in the forthcoming spending review.
” The Government Equalities Office announced in March that it would not be taking action against employers who fail to submit their pay gap data due to the pandemic , effectively suspending the requirement for the year .
Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary slammed the decision at the time as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus “ thrives on inequality ” and that such inequalities “ amplify the impact of the pandemic ” .
De Cordova said : “ The pandemic has shown that women are more likely than men to take over caring duties , more likely to be made redundant and make up most of the workforce within the health and social care sector.
” Government figures showed that more women are on furlough than men across all age groups and the TUC has highlighted that the impact of Covid has been particularly acute for BAME @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in lower paid , insecure work .
Labour MP Stella Creasy put forward proposals last month to require wider reporting from organisations in relation pay inequality , lowering the threshold for those required to publish gender pay gap data from 250 employees to 100 .
The legislation passed its first reading in the Commons unopposed , but as a ten-minute rule bill is unlikely to make further progress as this type of bill is not normally given priority by the government in the parliamentary calendar .

Marsha de Cordova has criticised the Tories for their “indifference” to gender pay inequality – and called for the government to “prevent this crisis from further cementing women’s economic inequality”.
Marking Equal Pay Day on November 20th, the date that women effectively stop earning when their income is compared against men, de Cordova highlighted that 8.5 million women are forecast to retire before equal pay is achieved.
Labour has pointed out that progress towards closing the gender pay gap, which currently stands at 14.6% for UK workers, has slowed significantly over the past ten years under successive Conservative governments.
The Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary said: “Government has failed to tackle the gender pay gap and has ignored the impact this crisis has had on women. The Conservatives’ indifference risks the clock being turned back on women’s equality.
“We need urgent action to modernise equal pay legislation and restart pay gap reporting. The government must act now to prevent this crisis from further cementing women’s economic inequality.”
In the years between 2002 and 2010, the gender pay gap narrowed by over 7% but in the decade since the Tory/Lib Dem coalition first took office that progress has stalled and pay inequality has fallen by just 2.4%.
Pay equality is not expected to be achieved until 2052 at the current pace of change, according to analysis by Labour, meaning that women in their mid-30s will never know equal pay in their working lives. The party has called for:
“Modernising equal pay legislation so that women have the right to know what their male colleague doing the same work is paid;
“Immediately confirming that gender pay reporting for companies will be mandatory again in April 2021; and
“Publishing a review of the economic impact of covid on women and tackling structural inequalities as a priority in the forthcoming spending review.”
The Government Equalities Office announced in March that it would not be taking action against employers who fail to submit their pay gap data due to the pandemic, effectively suspending the requirement for the year.
Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary slammed the decision at the time as “negligent”, pointing out that coronavirus “thrives on inequality” and that such inequalities “amplify the impact of the pandemic”.
De Cordova said: “The pandemic has shown that women are more likely than men to take over caring duties, more likely to be made redundant and make up most of the workforce within the health and social care sector.”
Government figures showed that more women are on furlough than men across all age groups and the TUC has highlighted that the impact of Covid has been particularly acute for BAME women, who are likely to be in lower paid, insecure work.
Labour MP Stella Creasy put forward proposals last month to require wider reporting from organisations in relation pay inequality, lowering the threshold for those required to publish gender pay gap data from 250 employees to 100.
The legislation passed its first reading in the Commons unopposed, but as a ten-minute rule bill is unlikely to make further progress as this type of bill is not normally given priority by the government in the parliamentary calendar.


labourlist--2020-11-19--Labour warns of “triple-whammy cash crisis” for businesses ahead of Christmas

Labour has warned of a “ triple-whammy cash crisis ” in the run-up to Christmas as analysis has found that non-food retail , hospitality , leisure and cultural businesses have seen a £61bn hit to their takings compared to 2019 .
Lucy Powell MP has highlighted that businesses over the festive period face “ tumbling turnover , plummeting profits and crumbling confidence ” – caused by government failure to effectively manage the pandemic .
She said : “ The coronavirus crunch has wiped billions of pounds off company balance sheets and with the Chancellor ’ s sleight of hand on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facing a cash crisis that has his name all over it .
“ The run-up to Christmas is an absolutely critical time of year for so many businesses on our high streets facing a triple whammy of tumbling turnover , plummeting profits and crumbling confidence as a result of the government ’ s failure to tackle the coronavirus.
” With House of Commons Library data showing that UK businesses in sectors such as hospitality and leisure have seen turnover fall by up to half compared to 2019 , Labour has warned that billions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this Christmas .
The shadow minister for business and consumers added : “ Many companies are hanging on by their fingertips , if they are left to go bust by the government , we ’ ll see a bleak mid-winter for many , and an avalanche of job losses.
” Struggling fashion chains Peacocks and Jaeger , with 423 and 76 stores and concessions respectively , have gone into administration after a two-week deadline to find a buyer ended without a deal , putting 4,700 jobs at risk .
Non-food retailers normally take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ £39bn – in the period leading up to Christmas , twice as much as what the firms usually expect to take during the much slower months of January and February .
Businesses in accommodation and food services , and those in the arts , entertainment and leisure sector , have recorded significant falls in their turnover of 79 % and 71 % respectively when compared to the usual figure for October .
Seven in ten food and accommodation services firms have also reported that their profits were down by more than 20 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four in ten down by more than 50 % .
The research showed that four in ten in the sector , which is heavily reliant on the Christmas period for its viability , have reported that they have no cash reserves or that they will last less than three months .
Labour has also emphasised that while Rishi Sunak declared he was introducing bigger business grants upon the announcement of a second national second lockdown , of up to £3,000 per month , most firms will receive much less .
The local restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second lockdown provide the smallest rateable value businesses eligible for the relief with just half of the weekly cash amount they received in March .
Businesses in the next largest group , those with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000 , are eligible to receive less than a third of the weekly amount they were granted during the first lockdown earlier in the year .
Anneliese Dodds has criticised the government for “ always running to keep up ” after the Chancellor used his third economic update within a month to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second coronavirus wave .
The Shadow Chancellor slammed the government for making a “ last-minute ” U-turn when he extended the furlough scheme , just hours before it was due to end , after months of rejecting Labour calls to renew the support .

Labour has warned of a “triple-whammy cash crisis” in the run-up to Christmas as analysis has found that non-food retail, hospitality, leisure and cultural businesses have seen a £61bn hit to their takings compared to 2019.
Lucy Powell MP has highlighted that businesses over the festive period face “tumbling turnover, plummeting profits and crumbling confidence” – caused by government failure to effectively manage the pandemic.
She said: “The coronavirus crunch has wiped billions of pounds off company balance sheets and with the Chancellor’s sleight of hand on business grants, many firms are now facing a cash crisis that has his name all over it.
“The run-up to Christmas is an absolutely critical time of year for so many businesses on our high streets facing a triple whammy of tumbling turnover, plummeting profits and crumbling confidence as a result of the government’s failure to tackle the coronavirus.”
With House of Commons Library data showing that UK businesses in sectors such as hospitality and leisure have seen turnover fall by up to half compared to 2019, Labour has warned that billions of pounds in turnover are at stake this Christmas.
The shadow minister for business and consumers added: “Many companies are hanging on by their fingertips, if they are left to go bust by the government, we’ll see a bleak mid-winter for many, and an avalanche of job losses.”
Struggling fashion chains Peacocks and Jaeger, with 423 and 76 stores and concessions respectively, have gone into administration after a two-week deadline to find a buyer ended without a deal, putting 4,700 jobs at risk.
Non-food retailers normally take around a fifth of their turnover – £39bn – in the period leading up to Christmas, twice as much as what the firms usually expect to take during the much slower months of January and February.
Businesses in accommodation and food services, and those in the arts, entertainment and leisure sector, have recorded significant falls in their turnover of 79% and 71% respectively when compared to the usual figure for October.
Seven in ten food and accommodation services firms have also reported that their profits were down by more than 20% over the same period, with nearly four in ten down by more than 50%.
The research showed that four in ten in the sector, which is heavily reliant on the Christmas period for its viability, have reported that they have no cash reserves or that they will last less than three months.
Labour has also emphasised that while Rishi Sunak declared he was introducing bigger business grants upon the announcement of a second national second lockdown, of up to £3,000 per month, most firms will receive much less.
The local restrictions support grant launched by the Chancellor for the second lockdown provide the smallest rateable value businesses eligible for the relief with just half of the weekly cash amount they received in March.
Businesses in the next largest group, those with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000, are eligible to receive less than a third of the weekly amount they were granted during the first lockdown earlier in the year.
Anneliese Dodds has criticised the government for “always running to keep up” after the Chancellor used his third economic update within a month to unveil more financial support for businesses in the second coronavirus wave.
The Shadow Chancellor slammed the government for making a “last-minute” U-turn when he extended the furlough scheme, just hours before it was due to end, after months of rejecting Labour calls to renew the support.