labourlist--2020-08-25--Megan Hayman: Why I’m standing to be Young Labour’s under 18s officer

The past few years have seen an uprising of younger generations taking to the streets to demand action on everything from climate justice to a second referendum .
Young Labour had an opportunity to be a real positive force for change , at the forefront of empowering young people to stand up for what they believe in – but it didn ’ t make the most of it .
Thousands of the most dedicated , passionate young activists across the country are all united in one organisation , so why waste that potential ?
As we near the autumn , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ era of Young Labour officials to be elected , and I ’ m asking you to support me in becoming the next under 18s officer .
My name is Megan Hayman , I ’ m 15 years old , and an ardent supporter of the youth section of our party .
Through attending youth strike for climate protests , and writing articles arguing for votes at 16 , I realised that there were so many amazing young activists out there .
But without properly organising , we aren ’ t as powerful as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I want to change that .
My location in the Midlands makes me the ideal candidate to move us away from a London-centric youth movement and engage with under 18s across the UK .
I pledge to visit as many Constituency Labour Parties as possible – no matter how few young members they have – and properly listen to their ideas because the job of under 18s officer isn ’ t just to represent members from London .
And I will speak to under 18s who aren ’ t yet members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can include them in our movement .
Factionalism is one of the biggest problems that has plagued the youth section of our party , and that needs to change .
If elected , I plan to create a safe space where young members can be educated , develop ideas , and debate free from those constraints .
It is also vital to me that these spaces are welcoming to all members aged under 18 , regardless of age , gender , sexuality , religion , or anything else .
This must be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stronger as a united Young Labour .
I have experiences unique to other candidates , and many of the things we fight for are personal to me , so I will never give up on them .
My anorexia means I have an understanding of our mental health services , and I will campaign tirelessly with our young members to make sure that they are adequately funded .
I am also autistic , so I understand what it feels like not to be fully accommodated for , and accessibility is another priority I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When you make your nominations and cast your votes , please consider supporting me .
I am prepared to fully commit myself to this role .
My membership number is L1794834 , and you can find me on Twitter or Instagram if you have any further questions .

The past few years have seen an uprising of younger generations taking to the streets to demand action on everything from climate justice to a second referendum. Young Labour had an opportunity to be a real positive force for change, at the forefront of empowering young people to stand up for what they believe in – but it didn’t make the most of it. Thousands of the most dedicated, passionate young activists across the country are all united in one organisation, so why waste that potential?
As we near the autumn, it’s time for a new era of Young Labour officials to be elected, and I’m asking you to support me in becoming the next under 18s officer. My name is Megan Hayman, I’m 15 years old, and an ardent supporter of the youth section of our party. Through attending youth strike for climate protests, and writing articles arguing for votes at 16, I realised that there were so many amazing young activists out there. But without properly organising, we aren’t as powerful as we have the potential to be, and I want to change that.
My location in the Midlands makes me the ideal candidate to move us away from a London-centric youth movement and engage with under 18s across the UK. I pledge to visit as many Constituency Labour Parties as possible – no matter how few young members they have – and properly listen to their ideas because the job of under 18s officer isn’t just to represent members from London. And I will speak to under 18s who aren’t yet members of a party to find out how we can include them in our movement.
Factionalism is one of the biggest problems that has plagued the youth section of our party, and that needs to change. If elected, I plan to create a safe space where young members can be educated, develop ideas, and debate free from those constraints. It is also vital to me that these spaces are welcoming to all members aged under 18, regardless of age, gender, sexuality, religion, or anything else. This must be a priority moving forward, because we are stronger as a united Young Labour.
I have experiences unique to other candidates, and many of the things we fight for are personal to me, so I will never give up on them. My anorexia means I have an understanding of our mental health services, and I will campaign tirelessly with our young members to make sure that they are adequately funded. I am also autistic, so I understand what it feels like not to be fully accommodated for, and accessibility is another priority I will focus on within Young Labour.
When you make your nominations and cast your votes, please consider supporting me. I am prepared to fully commit myself to this role. My membership number is L1794834, and you can find me on Twitter or Instagram if you have any further questions.


labourlist--2020-08-25--The ticking time bomb of Covid youth unemployment can be avoided

The Covid-19 crisis has seen many lose family , freedom and employment .
In this moment of despair , the public will not look kindly upon politicians who point-score .
The Labour Party is therefore left with two vital roles .
First , strong leadership and scrutiny .
Second , clear and credible solutions .
Labour has rightly steered clear of rhetoric : a party that simply criticises others in a time of crisis is unpalatable .
But the opposition must still ask deeply inconvenient questions .
Was the UK too slow to enter lockdown ?
Were appropriate border checks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quicker ?
Why was there no advance government strategy for protective equipment , despite the expert warnings ?
How did the UK ’ s track and trace system flop ?
Why has Britain ’ s economy been hit so much harder ?
Strong leadership is not just about highlighting past failures .
It must also involve presenting the public with a vision of the future , building a plan and offering a coherent narrative for improving lives .
It is for this reason that the West Midlands police and crime commissioner David Jamieson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deal : Avoiding the ticking time bomb of youth unemployment in the West Midlands .
At first glance , one could be forgiven for feeling exhausted at the revolving door of bad news .
A crime wave does little to alleviate these emotions .
But as we all know , politics is not the for the faint-hearted .
It is no secret that there are significant pockets of deprivation in this West Midlands .
Crime is already a serious challenge , resulting from a cocktail of social problems that have been exacerbated by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , mental health support , domestic violence prevention , reducing exclusion from education or meaningful opportunities for training , skilled work and fair pay .
And the situation is set to deteriorate further .
Economists predict mass unemployment , with young people affected most , particularly underrepresented groups .
Most will not turn to crime , and instead suffer the hardship of poverty and struggling in silence .
Sadly , however , evidence shows that a minority of these young people , and indeed adults , will find themselves caught in criminality – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deepening poverty and desperation of the pandemic .
The challenge will certainly not be for the West Midlands alone , and genuine concerns over public disorder and major social disquiet will just as likely be heard in the wood-panelled rooms of Westminster .
More important than ever , the public want solutions – credible ones that offer hope .
This is what the Future Generations Deal provides .
No matter your background , rich or poor , you want to see a country that is working well .
A nation besieged by crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that standard .
A society with huge hospital waiting lists , poor living conditions for our older generations and environmental catastrophes caused by climate change will likewise have failed the test .
This presents a crucial opportunity – because the ticking time bomb can be avoided .
The huge economic and social costs of crime , the social and health fallout of long term unemployment and the costs of welfare can be avoided .
The answer ?
A series of government job subsidy programmes .
Our underfunded NHS needs a future generation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy and green industries needs a deluge of high-skilled green jobs and a pipeline of brilliant future thinkers ; and our country needs a generation of young people who have been given every single chance to succeed .
This means acknowledging the mental health crisis in young people .
It means more further education places and a recognition of alternative routes to success and respect for individual creativity .
It means being patient with our young people and having the right kind of training and social support at work – transforming low confidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we embrace a Future Generations Deal that makes a bold investment in our youth , we will emerge from this global pandemic as a safer , healthier and more visionary society .

The Covid-19 crisis has seen many lose family, freedom and employment. In this moment of despair, the public will not look kindly upon politicians who point-score. The Labour Party is therefore left with two vital roles. First, strong leadership and scrutiny. Second, clear and credible solutions.
Labour has rightly steered clear of rhetoric: a party that simply criticises others in a time of crisis is unpalatable. But the opposition must still ask deeply inconvenient questions. Was the UK too slow to enter lockdown? Were appropriate border checks delayed? Does testing need to be quicker? Why was there no advance government strategy for protective equipment, despite the expert warnings? How did the UK’s track and trace system flop? Why has Britain’s economy been hit so much harder?
Strong leadership is not just about highlighting past failures. It must also involve presenting the public with a vision of the future, building a plan and offering a coherent narrative for improving lives. It is for this reason that the West Midlands police and crime commissioner David Jamieson issued his recent report A Future Generations Deal: Avoiding the ticking time bomb of youth unemployment in the West Midlands.
At first glance, one could be forgiven for feeling exhausted at the revolving door of bad news. A crime wave does little to alleviate these emotions. But as we all know, politics is not the for the faint-hearted. It is no secret that there are significant pockets of deprivation in this West Midlands. Crime is already a serious challenge, resulting from a cocktail of social problems that have been exacerbated by years of underinvestment in substance misuse treatment, mental health support, domestic violence prevention, reducing exclusion from education or meaningful opportunities for training, skilled work and fair pay. And the situation is set to deteriorate further.
Economists predict mass unemployment, with young people affected most, particularly underrepresented groups. Most will not turn to crime, and instead suffer the hardship of poverty and struggling in silence. Sadly, however, evidence shows that a minority of these young people, and indeed adults, will find themselves caught in criminality – derived from existing social barriers and the deepening poverty and desperation of the pandemic. The challenge will certainly not be for the West Midlands alone, and genuine concerns over public disorder and major social disquiet will just as likely be heard in the wood-panelled rooms of Westminster.
More important than ever, the public want solutions – credible ones that offer hope. This is what the Future Generations Deal provides. No matter your background, rich or poor, you want to see a country that is working well. A nation besieged by crime due to mass unemployment does not meet that standard. A society with huge hospital waiting lists, poor living conditions for our older generations and environmental catastrophes caused by climate change will likewise have failed the test.
This presents a crucial opportunity – because the ticking time bomb can be avoided. The huge economic and social costs of crime, the social and health fallout of long term unemployment and the costs of welfare can be avoided. The answer? A series of government job subsidy programmes. Our underfunded NHS needs a future generation of young talent; our revolution in renewable energy and green industries needs a deluge of high-skilled green jobs and a pipeline of brilliant future thinkers; and our country needs a generation of young people who have been given every single chance to succeed.
This means acknowledging the mental health crisis in young people. It means more further education places and a recognition of alternative routes to success and respect for individual creativity. It means being patient with our young people and having the right kind of training and social support at work – transforming low confidence into tomorrow’s leaders. If we embrace a Future Generations Deal that makes a bold investment in our youth, we will emerge from this global pandemic as a safer, healthier and more visionary society.


labourlist--2020-08-27--Labour slams Tories for “turning their back” on “levelling up” promise

Labour has condemned the Tories for “ turning their back ” on their “ levelling up ” pledge as data shows three in four jobs in the struggling automative industry are in areas that the Conservatives vowed to protect .
Responding to analysis of data from the business register and employment survey , Labour has today called for action to save the automotive sector , which saw production plummet 99.7 % in April due to the coronavirus pandemic .
The party says the figures from the survey show that 76 % of direct employment in the automotive industry are in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the North , Midlands , Yorkshire and Wales .
Labour has highlighted that car production was down by nearly half in the first half of 2020 , while the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has estimated over 11,000 job losses in the sector .
Lucy Powell said : “ The UK ’ s world-leading automotive industry has been rocked by coronavirus and livelihoods are on the line .
But ministers won ’ t listen to reason and are refusing to recognise some sectors have been hit harder than others .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sectors that need it with a focus on creating skilled , green jobs – and do right by the communities across the UK they promised to protect.
” The Tory campaign in the general election last year emphasised a ‘ levelling up ’ agenda across the country , promising to reverse years of chronic under-investment in the North and other regions outside of the south of England .
Reminding voters of this election pitch today , Labour ’ s shadow minister for business concluded that a failure to intervene “ would be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boris Johnson elected ” .
According to the analysis , of the 50 seats with the highest proportion of employment in the automotive industry currently , the vast majority are in the North , Midlands , Yorkshire , and Wales .
The constituency with the highest proportion of jobs in the automotive sector are Washington and Sunderland West , which has 10,000 jobs and 22 % of the areas workforce employed the automotive industry .
Johnson repeated his vow to “ unite and to level up ” in a speech made to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which he also pledged to make sure the UK can “ build , build , build ” its way back to prosperity with a “ new deal ” .
But Labour leader Keir Starmer warned that the investment outlined by the Prime Minister was insufficient while TUC general secretary Frances O ’ Grady declared that Johnson had simply “ rehashed old promises ” .
Labour has repeatedly called for the Chancellor to rethink what it calls a “ one-size-fits-all ” approach to withdrawing the furlough scheme and for the government to extend targeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is most needed .

Labour has condemned the Tories for “turning their back” on their “levelling up” pledge as data shows three in four jobs in the struggling automative industry are in areas that the Conservatives vowed to protect.
Responding to analysis of data from the business register and employment survey, Labour has today called for action to save the automotive sector, which saw production plummet 99.7% in April due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The party says the figures from the survey show that 76% of direct employment in the automotive industry are in constituencies that Boris Johnson promised to protect across the North, Midlands, Yorkshire and Wales.
Labour has highlighted that car production was down by nearly half in the first half of 2020, while the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has estimated over 11,000 job losses in the sector.
Lucy Powell said: “The UK’s world-leading automotive industry has been rocked by coronavirus and livelihoods are on the line. But ministers won’t listen to reason and are refusing to recognise some sectors have been hit harder than others.
“They must urgently target support at the sectors that need it with a focus on creating skilled, green jobs – and do right by the communities across the UK they promised to protect.”
The Tory campaign in the general election last year emphasised a ‘levelling up’ agenda across the country, promising to reverse years of chronic under-investment in the North and other regions outside of the south of England.
Reminding voters of this election pitch today, Labour’s shadow minister for business concluded that a failure to intervene “would be a betrayal of many communities which helped get Boris Johnson elected”.
According to the analysis, of the 50 seats with the highest proportion of employment in the automotive industry currently, the vast majority are in the North, Midlands, Yorkshire, and Wales.
The constituency with the highest proportion of jobs in the automotive sector are Washington and Sunderland West, which has 10,000 jobs and 22% of the areas workforce employed the automotive industry.
Johnson repeated his vow to “unite and to level up” in a speech made to the public in June this year, in which he also pledged to make sure the UK can “build, build, build” its way back to prosperity with a “new deal”.
But Labour leader Keir Starmer warned that the investment outlined by the Prime Minister was insufficient while TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady declared that Johnson had simply “rehashed old promises”.
Labour has repeatedly called for the Chancellor to rethink what it calls a “one-size-fits-all” approach to withdrawing the furlough scheme and for the government to extend targeted support to businesses in sectors where it is most needed.


labourlist--2020-08-27--WATCH: In conversation with… Anneliese Dodds MP

Join us at 5.30pm on Tuesday , September 1st , for our latest “ In conversation with… ” online event @ @ @ @ @ and Labour ’ s Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds .
If readers have suggestions for questions @ @ @ @ @ by Dodds , which is the focus of the event , please feel free to @ @ @ @ @ advance .
You will also be able to offer suggestions during the live broadcast .
@ @ @ @ @ to show the livestream below when the event starts at 5.30pm .
You will also @ @ @ @ @ directly on YouTube by clicking here .

Join us at 5.30pm on Tuesday, September 1st, for our latest “In conversation with…” online event featuring LabourList editor Sienna Rodgers and Labour’s Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds.
If readers have suggestions for questions about the policy brief held by Dodds, which is the focus of the event, please feel free to email them to us in advance. You will also be able to offer suggestions during the live broadcast.
This page will refresh automatically to show the livestream below when the event starts at 5.30pm. You will also be able to watch it directly on YouTube by clicking here.


labourlist--2020-08-27--Why Ed Davey’s win is good news for Labour

“ I ’ m an anti-Conservative politician and I ’ ve fought them all my life.
” These were the words of Ed Davey to Business Insider earlier this month .
It conveniently overlooked five years of austerity-driven coalition government in which he served as a minister .
In the interview , Davey also described Keir Starmer as a “ very smart ” leader who would realise that Labour need the Lib Dems to boot the Conservatives out of office .
With an unpopular Tory government , the Lib Dems under Davey are expected to win seats from Boris Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reach for Labour .
In most of their target seats , the Lib Dems are the second party , with Labour significantly behind .
The message from Davey was clear : “ Under my leadership , there will be no deal of any sort with the Conservatives.
” His leadership is going to be about setting himself up as a more palatable , ‘ stable ’ alternative in those key seats against a divisive and shambolic Tory leader .
Davey represents the comfortable option for Starmer compared to Moran .
Labelled by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she was much happier to engage with ‘ culture war ’ issues on which the Labour leader has so far stayed quiet .
Starmer is attempting to build a coalition for Labour that stretches from north-London boroughs to northern towns like Hartlepool .
The new Labour leader has chosen to focus on Tory mistakes and Boris Johnson ’ s incompetence , rather than tricky social or cultural tensions .
This is a tactic that has not been adopted without criticism , and Moran had the potential to apply pressure on those sensitive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Lib Dem members as “ more radical than Labour “ .
Free of the tuition fee betrayal attached to her competitor Davey , who served as a cabinet minister from 2012 until the election in 2015 , she appealed more to students and young people .
She remains an avid supporter of the EU and has spoken positively about the UK rejoining .
Her leadership campaign rested on the “ three pillars ” of “ education , the environment and the economy ” .
With her messaging , the Lib Dems might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off Labour in metropolitan areas and university towns – which would often mean reducing Labour majorities but not making gains .
In contrast , earlier this month Davey said the Lib Dems could support Boris Johnson ’ s trade deal with the EU .
Today , he told party members to “ wake up and smell the coffee ” and set out his focus to “ rebuild the Lib Dems to national relevance ” .
The Lib Dems have always had a tension between its more progressive and ‘ small-c ’ conservative bases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latter in a bid to win moderate Tory votes .
But it also means that he won ’ t be launching an offensive likely to win back the levels of support that the Lib Dems previously found in places like London in the pre-coalition era .
Davey very much wants to be the ‘ sensible politician ’ in the room .
Although the Lib Dems are now the second party in 91 constituencies following the 2019 election , up from 38 in 2017 , the odds of them surging to their former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under Davey .
He has pitched himself firmly in the centre ground , appealing to the soft right .
With his sensible politician and ‘ small-c ’ conservative positioning , Davey is most likely to steal moderate Tory voters for whom Johnson is too much – too chaotic , too dangerous – but for whom voting Labour is a stretch too far .
As such , his victory over Moran should be seen as good news for Labour .

“I’m an anti-Conservative politician and I’ve fought them all my life.” These were the words of Ed Davey to Business Insider earlier this month. It conveniently overlooked five years of austerity-driven coalition government in which he served as a minister. In the interview, Davey also described Keir Starmer as a “very smart” leader who would realise that Labour need the Lib Dems to boot the Conservatives out of office.
With an unpopular Tory government, the Lib Dems under Davey are expected to win seats from Boris Johnson’s government that are too hard to reach for Labour. In most of their target seats, the Lib Dems are the second party, with Labour significantly behind. The message from Davey was clear: “Under my leadership, there will be no deal of any sort with the Conservatives.” His leadership is going to be about setting himself up as a more palatable, ‘stable’ alternative in those key seats against a divisive and shambolic Tory leader.
Davey represents the comfortable option for Starmer compared to Moran. Labelled by some as a “woke warrior”, she was much happier to engage with ‘culture war’ issues on which the Labour leader has so far stayed quiet. Starmer is attempting to build a coalition for Labour that stretches from north-London boroughs to northern towns like Hartlepool. The new Labour leader has chosen to focus on Tory mistakes and Boris Johnson’s incompetence, rather than tricky social or cultural tensions. This is a tactic that has not been adopted without criticism, and Moran had the potential to apply pressure on those sensitive areas.
Moran tried to sell herself to Lib Dem members as “more radical than Labour“. Free of the tuition fee betrayal attached to her competitor Davey, who served as a cabinet minister from 2012 until the election in 2015, she appealed more to students and young people. She remains an avid supporter of the EU and has spoken positively about the UK rejoining. Her leadership campaign rested on the “three pillars” of “education, the environment and the economy”. With her messaging, the Lib Dems might have been better placed to takes votes off Labour in metropolitan areas and university towns – which would often mean reducing Labour majorities but not making gains.
In contrast, earlier this month Davey said the Lib Dems could support Boris Johnson’s trade deal with the EU. Today, he told party members to “wake up and smell the coffee” and set out his focus to “rebuild the Lib Dems to national relevance”. The Lib Dems have always had a tension between its more progressive and ‘small-c’ conservative bases – and Davey is pitching more towards the latter in a bid to win moderate Tory votes. But it also means that he won’t be launching an offensive likely to win back the levels of support that the Lib Dems previously found in places like London in the pre-coalition era. Davey very much wants to be the ‘sensible politician’ in the room.
Although the Lib Dems are now the second party in 91 constituencies following the 2019 election, up from 38 in 2017, the odds of them surging to their former heady 2010 levels of support are unlikely under Davey. He has pitched himself firmly in the centre ground, appealing to the soft right. With his sensible politician and ‘small-c’ conservative positioning, Davey is most likely to steal moderate Tory voters for whom Johnson is too much – too chaotic, too dangerous – but for whom voting Labour is a stretch too far. As such, his victory over Moran should be seen as good news for Labour.


labourlist--2020-08-27--How Labour’s complaints process has evolved – and improved – since 2015

When I joined Labour ’ s national executive committee in 2014 , the NEC disputes committee determined which disciplinary cases should be referred to Labour ’ s national constitutional committee ( NCC ) .
The meeting also allocated volunteer NEC members to chair disciplinary case hearings .
These disputes meetings were quick and held between equality and org sub meetings every other month .
After the 2015 and 2016 leadership elections , for various reasons all NEC meetings became longer and more complicated .
The party saw a dramatic rise in membership , which was exciting and fantastic but brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led to an increase in the number of cases coming to disputes committee meetings .
These meetings became more tense and at times chaotic .
It became clear that the whole process wasn ’ t functioning as well as it needed to , and changes would need to be made .
At the same time , there was a growing concern about the increase in cases of complaints relating to antisemitism within the party .
This became an urgent issue to address and various internal reviews were commissioned .
In December 2016 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committee adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism .
In 2017 , the # MeToo movement highlighted sexual harassment in public life , including politics where imbalances of power potentially create an environment where abuse can thrive .
One former NEC member , Bex Bailey ( who for years had been working to reform Labour ’ s sexually harassment policy ) disclosed that she had been raped and had been encouraged to keep quiet to protect her political career .
Members disclosed their own experiences of sexual harassment and it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reform .
A new process for sexual harassment complaints saw ten members of the NEC volunteer to hear cases in special disciplinary panels made up of three members .
I was one of these volunteers .
We all undertook special training in order to hear cases , which were fully anonymised .
People could make complaints via a new hotline .
These changes were positive and important .
When Jennie Formby became general secretary in 2018 , she introduced new , small NEC panels to hear cases relating to complaints of antisemitism .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at further improvements to the complaints and disciplinary process .
Many members had become disillusioned with Labour ’ s disciplinary and complaints process .
Calls grew for a new , independent process to replace it ( something I strongly support ) .
In 2019 , the NEC got new powers to resolve disciplinary cases .
There was also a broader range of sanctions for people shown to be guilty of various offences .
This brought further improvements to the speed at which some cases could be resolved .
In 2020 , the NEC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from membership appeals to complaints relating to protected characteristics .
Instead of one meeting for a few hours every other month , panels of NEC members have been meeting for two full days every week in August .
These meetings take place online , making it easier for volunteers to participate .
I try to sit on at least one panel a month and in my experience these panels have been constructive , fair and non-factional .
It ’ s encouraging that many cases have been resolved .
The most complicated cases have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can still be a lengthy process .
This causes understandable frustration to all involved .
The last six years have been extremely eventful , with three general elections , a Scottish independence referendum , the EU referendum , three leadership elections and more .
This put enormous pressures on staff time and contributed to the backlog of disciplinary cases .
Lots of improvements have been made over the last six years but more needs to be done .
The EHRC inquiry report may also lead to additional changes being made to Labour Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all leadership candidates in 2020 commit to introducing a new , independent complaints process .
I support this move , and hope it will restore people ’ s trust and confidence .

When I joined Labour’s national executive committee in 2014, the NEC disputes committee determined which disciplinary cases should be referred to Labour’s national constitutional committee (NCC). The meeting also allocated volunteer NEC members to chair disciplinary case hearings. These disputes meetings were quick and held between equality and org sub meetings every other month.
After the 2015 and 2016 leadership elections, for various reasons all NEC meetings became longer and more complicated. The party saw a dramatic rise in membership, which was exciting and fantastic but brought new logistical challenges. The leadership elections led to an increase in the number of cases coming to disputes committee meetings. These meetings became more tense and at times chaotic. It became clear that the whole process wasn’t functioning as well as it needed to, and changes would need to be made.
At the same time, there was a growing concern about the increase in cases of complaints relating to antisemitism within the party. This became an urgent issue to address and various internal reviews were commissioned. In December 2016, a special meeting of the NEC equality committee adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism.
In 2017, the #MeToo movement highlighted sexual harassment in public life, including politics where imbalances of power potentially create an environment where abuse can thrive. One former NEC member, Bex Bailey (who for years had been working to reform Labour’s sexually harassment policy) disclosed that she had been raped and had been encouraged to keep quiet to protect her political career. Members disclosed their own experiences of sexual harassment and it was clear the current complaints process needed immediate reform.
A new process for sexual harassment complaints saw ten members of the NEC volunteer to hear cases in special disciplinary panels made up of three members. I was one of these volunteers. We all undertook special training in order to hear cases, which were fully anonymised. People could make complaints via a new hotline. These changes were positive and important.
When Jennie Formby became general secretary in 2018, she introduced new, small NEC panels to hear cases relating to complaints of antisemitism. A working group was established to look at further improvements to the complaints and disciplinary process. Many members had become disillusioned with Labour’s disciplinary and complaints process. Calls grew for a new, independent process to replace it (something I strongly support).
In 2019, the NEC got new powers to resolve disciplinary cases. There was also a broader range of sanctions for people shown to be guilty of various offences. This brought further improvements to the speed at which some cases could be resolved.
In 2020, the NEC panels hear a range of cases, from membership appeals to complaints relating to protected characteristics. Instead of one meeting for a few hours every other month, panels of NEC members have been meeting for two full days every week in August. These meetings take place online, making it easier for volunteers to participate. I try to sit on at least one panel a month and in my experience these panels have been constructive, fair and non-factional. It’s encouraging that many cases have been resolved. The most complicated cases have been referred to the NCC, which can still be a lengthy process. This causes understandable frustration to all involved.
The last six years have been extremely eventful, with three general elections, a Scottish independence referendum, the EU referendum, three leadership elections and more. This put enormous pressures on staff time and contributed to the backlog of disciplinary cases. Lots of improvements have been made over the last six years but more needs to be done. The EHRC inquiry report may also lead to additional changes being made to Labour Party process.
It was good to see all leadership candidates in 2020 commit to introducing a new, independent complaints process. I support this move, and hope it will restore people’s trust and confidence.


labourlist--2020-08-27--We were right to run secret defensive campaign in 2017, ex-official tells Forde Inquiry

Labour ’ s former executive director for elections , campaigns and organisation Patrick Heneghan has defended the secret defensive campaign run by Corbynsceptic staffers during the 2017 election .
In a blog post titled “ Labour ’ s 2017 campaign and the myth of the stab in the back ” , setting out in full the revelations first reported by HuffPost UK this morning , Heneghan confirms claims made in the leaked report .
The document on Labour ’ s handling of antisemitism complaints , which leaked online in April , alleged that HQ staff who opposed Jeremy Corbyn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” campaign to defend MPs on the party ’ s right .
According to the leaked report , Labour HQ operated a “ secret key seats team ” based in Ergon House without the leader ’ s office knowing .
This has led some members to conclude that they sabotaged the 2017 effort .
Corbynite party activists have argued that , without this secret team , Labour in 2017 could have done better than depriving Theresa May of a Tory majority – and could have won the election instead .
Heneghan has now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but he has rejected claims of sabotage , describing them as a “ deflection tactic to absolve the architects of the 2019 campaign of their culpability ” .
In his account of the internal battles during the 2017 campaign , which has also been sent to the independent Forde Inquiry looking into the leaking and contents of the report , the former Labour official has written : “ On 19th May at 8am I met with a senior member of Corbyn ’ s team who gave me a list of seats that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our latest polling showed some of these seats as being very marginal .
“ I don ’ t care ” was the response .
I was told if this leaked , I would be “ going in the Skwawkbox ” .
“ The seats to defund were largely MPs considered by Corbyn ’ s team to be political opponents ( many of them would fall to the Tories in 2019 ) .
I was also given a list of seats that needed extra funding .
Most of these had majorities of over 10,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Defending the secret parallel campaign , Heneghan has said that organisers should not “ go along with an Emperor ’ s new clothes fantasy that the leader is popular in every demographic in every constituency ” .
He added : “ To suggest these questions of judgement are akin to sabotage is laughable .
Yes , there were differences of opinion on how to get the best result possible .
In the end I think the balance between offensive and defensive was probably just about right given the facts and data we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MP for Bermondsey , has tweeted to describe Heneghan ’ s post as a “ revealing insight into the mindset of those who took over from professional campaigners/strategists like him ” .
Bermondsey and Old Southwark is one of the “ hitlist ” seats that received extra funding thanks to Heneghan and other staffers , who refused to take them off the defensive list as requested by Corbyn ’ s team .
The other “ hitlist ” constituencies – which would have been defunded under instructions from the leader ’ s office but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listed by HuffPost UK : The seats then held by Watson , Flint and Wilson were lost in 2019 .
Many of these constituencies enjoyed Labour vote increases in 2017 , but had their majorities cut down significantly in the December election last year .
Steve Howell , who worked as a Labour strategist during this period , has tweeted that the parallel campaign “ wasn ’ t ‘ legal ’ as [ Heneghan ] claims ” because “ spending MUST be authorised by the leader ’ s campaign committee ” .
Heneghan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 after a 19-year career with Labour , and was replaced by Unite staffer Niall Sookoo .
It was reported in June that the party suspended Heneghan as part of the leaked report investigation .
Submissions for the leaked report probe chaired by Martin Forde QC closed in early August after a two-week extension .
Ex-staffers named in the report told the inquiry that their private messages were ‘ misused ’ to portray them as racist and sexist .
Corbyn , John McDonnell and other former shadow ministers sent in their own submission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accusation that staffers sabotaged the 2017 election campaign and alleged that diversion of party funds could constitute fraud .
The Forde Inquiry was originally expected to conclude in mid-July , but the chair described this timescale as “ impractical ” .
The website now states that it aims to deliver the final report “ by the end of 2020 ” .

Labour’s former executive director for elections, campaigns and organisation Patrick Heneghan has defended the secret defensive campaign run by Corbynsceptic staffers during the 2017 election.
In a blog post titled “Labour’s 2017 campaign and the myth of the stab in the back”, setting out in full the revelations first reported by HuffPost UK this morning, Heneghan confirms claims made in the leaked report.
The document on Labour’s handling of antisemitism complaints, which leaked online in April, alleged that HQ staff who opposed Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership had run a “parallel” campaign to defend MPs on the party’s right.
According to the leaked report, Labour HQ operated a “secret key seats team” based in Ergon House without the leader’s office knowing. This has led some members to conclude that they sabotaged the 2017 effort.
Corbynite party activists have argued that, without this secret team, Labour in 2017 could have done better than depriving Theresa May of a Tory majority – and could have won the election instead.
Heneghan has now confirmed that this secret operation took place, but he has rejected claims of sabotage, describing them as a “deflection tactic to absolve the architects of the 2019 campaign of their culpability”.
In his account of the internal battles during the 2017 campaign, which has also been sent to the independent Forde Inquiry looking into the leaking and contents of the report, the former Labour official has written:
“On 19th May at 8am I met with a senior member of Corbyn’s team who gave me a list of seats that should be defunded. I countered that our latest polling showed some of these seats as being very marginal. “I don’t care” was the response. I was told if this leaked, I would be “going in the Skwawkbox”. “The seats to defund were largely MPs considered by Corbyn’s team to be political opponents (many of them would fall to the Tories in 2019). I was also given a list of seats that needed extra funding. Most of these had majorities of over 10,000 but were strong allies of the leadership.”
Defending the secret parallel campaign, Heneghan has said that organisers should not “go along with an Emperor’s new clothes fantasy that the leader is popular in every demographic in every constituency”.
He added: “To suggest these questions of judgement are akin to sabotage is laughable. Yes, there were differences of opinion on how to get the best result possible. In the end I think the balance between offensive and defensive was probably just about right given the facts and data we had.”
Neil Coyle, the Corbynsceptic MP for Bermondsey, has tweeted to describe Heneghan’s post as a “revealing insight into the mindset of those who took over from professional campaigners/strategists like him”.
Bermondsey and Old Southwark is one of the “hitlist” seats that received extra funding thanks to Heneghan and other staffers, who refused to take them off the defensive list as requested by Corbyn’s team.
The other “hitlist” constituencies – which would have been defunded under instructions from the leader’s office but were defended by HQ officials – are listed by HuffPost UK:
Tom Watson’s West Bromwich East
Yvette Cooper’s Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford
Caroline Flint’s Don Valley
Dan Jarvis’ Barnsley Central
Kate Green’s Stretford and Urmston
Bridget Phillipson’s Houghton and Sunderland South
Rachel Reeves’s Leeds West
Chris Bryant’s Rhondda
Seema Malhotra’s Feltham and Heston
Angela Eagle’s Wallasey
Kevan Jones’ Durham North
John Healey’s Wentworth and Dearne
Phil Wilson’s Sedgefield
The seats then held by Watson, Flint and Wilson were lost in 2019. Many of these constituencies enjoyed Labour vote increases in 2017, but had their majorities cut down significantly in the December election last year.
Steve Howell, who worked as a Labour strategist during this period, has tweeted that the parallel campaign “wasn’t ‘legal’ as [Heneghan] claims” because “spending MUST be authorised by the leader’s campaign committee”.
Heneghan quit his senior party post in September 2017 after a 19-year career with Labour, and was replaced by Unite staffer Niall Sookoo. It was reported in June that the party suspended Heneghan as part of the leaked report investigation.
Submissions for the leaked report probe chaired by Martin Forde QC closed in early August after a two-week extension. Ex-staffers named in the report told the inquiry that their private messages were ‘misused’ to portray them as racist and sexist.
Corbyn, John McDonnell and other former shadow ministers sent in their own submission, which backed the report’s accusation that staffers sabotaged the 2017 election campaign and alleged that diversion of party funds could constitute fraud.
The Forde Inquiry was originally expected to conclude in mid-July, but the chair described this timescale as “impractical”. The website now states that it aims to deliver the final report “by the end of 2020”.


labourlist--2020-08-27--Hancock’s new Covid payment? Too little, too late

Matt Hancock has announced that people on low incomes who test positive for Covid-19 will start receiving payments of £132 for their 10-day self-isolation period , while others who have come into contact with them will receive £182 to spend 14 days of isolation .
The scheme , which will come into effect on September 1st , only applies to people living in areas with a “ high incidence ” of the virus , and will be trialled in the North West before being expanded to include other areas .
The move comes after evidence that people are not self-isolating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a surprise to the government – there have been plenty of warnings .
Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds highlighted last month that two million people are ineligible for sick pay , and that this is undermining the track and trace programme .
Earlier in August , the mayors of Greater Manchester and Liverpool joined with the TUC to call on the Chancellor to make sure workers told to self-isolate would receive pay .
The mayor of London has repeatedly urged the government to financially support those staying home to prevent the spread of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test , track and trace system – Tory Baroness Dido Harding – told a press briefing in July that she had concerns about the absence of support for people facing the need to take time off work .
But the new payment is unlikely to be welcomed by many .
Considering how long it has taken the government to move on this issue of financial support , it is stunningly underwhelming .
For those who test positive , they will face a choice between taking the payment of just £13.20 each day to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) or going out to work anyway .
For those who have come into contact with someone who tests positive , they get just £14 per day – or £91 per week .
Hancock is insisting that this is enough to persuade people to stay at home .
To put the new figures in context , statutory sick pay in the UK – already one of the lowest in Europe – is £95.85 per week .
Which begs the question , why does Hancock think that people isolating to prevent the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone claiming sick pay for ` any other reason ?
The benefit is also only payable to people on Universal Credit or in receipt of working tax credits .
Those already receiving UC see a 63p increase in their benefit for each £1 their earnings fall if they go into self-isolation .
But there are lots of low earners living in low-income households who are not on UC – large numbers of young , single people for example .
If told to self-isolate by the government ’ s test and trace programme , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefit from either the earnings protection under UC or the new benefit unveiled by the Health Secretary today .
Dodds has reminded us that the Chancellor is now offering people a benefit lower than the level of statutory sick pay – something which he himself said that he could not live on .
The Shadow Chancellor has also voiced concern that it ’ s only being rolled for in areas with high rates of Covid-19 : “ The instruction to self-isolate applies to everyone in the country , so everyone should get the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , TUC general secretary France O ’ Grady this morning slammed the payment as “ paltry ” , declaring that it won ’ t make the difference needed .
“ The sooner government gets on with delivering fair sick pay for everyone , the quicker we will beat this pandemic , ” she said .
“ It should be at least as much as the real living wage – £320 a week – so everyone who needs to self-isolate can afford to.
” The support is just not enough and it has come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in June that abiding by isolation mandated by the NHS test and trace system was a “ civic duty ” .
He then spent the next two months ignore the millions unable to support themselves while isolating , and unable to claim adequate help from the state .
If the government wants to see people staying at home , instead of pressing ahead and going to work , it needs to support them to do so .
Workers must not be left with a choice of doing the right thing for their communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the table .
This payment is simply too little , too late .

Matt Hancock has announced that people on low incomes who test positive for Covid-19 will start receiving payments of £132 for their 10-day self-isolation period, while others who have come into contact with them will receive £182 to spend 14 days of isolation. The scheme, which will come into effect on September 1st, only applies to people living in areas with a “high incidence” of the virus, and will be trialled in the North West before being expanded to include other areas. The move comes after evidence that people are not self-isolating, which should not have come as a surprise to the government – there have been plenty of warnings.
Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds highlighted last month that two million people are ineligible for sick pay, and that this is undermining the track and trace programme. Earlier in August, the mayors of Greater Manchester and Liverpool joined with the TUC to call on the Chancellor to make sure workers told to self-isolate would receive pay. The mayor of London has repeatedly urged the government to financially support those staying home to prevent the spread of the virus. Even the head of the test, track and trace system – Tory Baroness Dido Harding – told a press briefing in July that she had concerns about the absence of support for people facing the need to take time off work.
But the new payment is unlikely to be welcomed by many. Considering how long it has taken the government to move on this issue of financial support, it is stunningly underwhelming. For those who test positive, they will face a choice between taking the payment of just £13.20 each day to help support themselves (and any dependents) or going out to work anyway. For those who have come into contact with someone who tests positive, they get just £14 per day – or £91 per week. Hancock is insisting that this is enough to persuade people to stay at home. To put the new figures in context, statutory sick pay in the UK – already one of the lowest in Europe – is £95.85 per week. Which begs the question, why does Hancock think that people isolating to prevent the spread of the virus should be paid less than someone claiming sick pay for `any other reason?
The benefit is also only payable to people on Universal Credit or in receipt of working tax credits. Those already receiving UC see a 63p increase in their benefit for each £1 their earnings fall if they go into self-isolation. But there are lots of low earners living in low-income households who are not on UC – large numbers of young, single people for example. If told to self-isolate by the government’s test and trace programme, people in this group will see no benefit from either the earnings protection under UC or the new benefit unveiled by the Health Secretary today.
Dodds has reminded us that the Chancellor is now offering people a benefit lower than the level of statutory sick pay – something which he himself said that he could not live on. The Shadow Chancellor has also voiced concern that it’s only being rolled for in areas with high rates of Covid-19: “The instruction to self-isolate applies to everyone in the country, so everyone should get the support they need to self-isolate.” Meanwhile, TUC general secretary France O’Grady this morning slammed the payment as “paltry”, declaring that it won’t make the difference needed. “The sooner government gets on with delivering fair sick pay for everyone, the quicker we will beat this pandemic,” she said. “It should be at least as much as the real living wage – £320 a week – so everyone who needs to self-isolate can afford to.”
The support is just not enough and it has come far too late. Hancock told us in June that abiding by isolation mandated by the NHS test and trace system was a “civic duty”. He then spent the next two months ignore the millions unable to support themselves while isolating, and unable to claim adequate help from the state. If the government wants to see people staying at home, instead of pressing ahead and going to work, it needs to support them to do so. Workers must not be left with a choice of doing the right thing for their communities as a whole, and putting food on the table. This payment is simply too little, too late.


labourlist--2020-08-26--Every job matters. Labour must stand with Britain’s rural workforce

In these extraordinary times , the opportunity to imagine other times and places , to daydream , or to simply enjoy the imaginary worlds of TV and radio , have been a solace to many as they manage their lives from home .
For many , the most appreciated ‘ place ’ is their regular dose of soap – not the hand-washing sort , but the imaginary places of Corrie , Eastenders , The Archers .
As a political activist reading LabourList , I wonder whether you have ever thought about how the characters in these imaginary places might vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ place ’ ?
How you might appear in each soap as a campaigner on election day ?
While that ’ s all fictional , Labour does have to apply its imagination to the real world situation of our coast and country communities , given more people live in the real world equivalents of The Archers ’ Borsetshire ( the rural UK ) than live in the Eastenders ’ Walford ( Greater London ) .
And of course to win a general election , any party needs to win in the communities of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as the city .
The Labour : Coast & Country virtual conference on September 5th is the next step in helping the party show it both understands the issues facing non-urban communities , and that it can offer them a future-facing vision they can buy into .
The conference brings together a wider ranging group of frontbench MPs , local representatives and many members to highlight the issues and emerging Labour solutions as we all head towards a bumper set of local elections in 2021 .
Surprisingly enough , the issues are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others Labour fights on for the communities it already represents : • The already limited availability of affordable housing , which the planning white paper will exacerbate ; • The lack of connectivity , with vast swathes of the country left without any public transport , coupled with limited decent broadband and mobile signal ; and • A dependence on only a few sectors of economic activity – e.g .
tourism , wholesale and retail , manufacturing and public services .
In some cases the solutions to these challenges would be the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a national response .
Yet the context of living in less densely populated areas – with an older population , with greater numbers of self- and multiply-employed people , often on lower incomes , and with more small businesses – does mean we have to think differently about the right solution .
Both in terms of how we engage those communities on what ’ s needed and what we put in place as a result .
Ensuring that ‘ every child matters ’ in Suffolk isn ’ t the same as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s why rural-proofing is a minimum requirement for future Labour policy , and why a distinct manifesto for these communities and their challenges is a high priority .
As the government ’ s blunt Covid-19 response continues , recent Labour research shows the one-size-fit-all approach to furlough is putting millions of jobs at risk – with rural and semi-rural communities in England most affected as a third of the workforces in Cornwall , Cumbria , Devon , Dorset , Staffordshire and Worcestershire are on furlough .
As we head towards May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county councils , English mayors , the Scottish parliament and Welsh Senedd mean that we have almost a general election to contest .
While our strengths will lie in many of the mayoral contests and in Wales , we must make sure that we have a relevant , future-focused story to tell in Scotland and in England , too , coupled with an appropriate storyteller .
The county elections might seem least important , but that attitude would be both an unduly defensive position to take and one that neglects opportunities .
Labour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the counties include many of the seats needed for a general election victory .
One key step will be quickly identifying the Labour spokesperson for the English counties .
A second will be ensuring that there is a distinct counties/rural manifesto .
Given the furlough figures , there ’ s a clear opportunity to tell a Labour story about those employees and their future .
From the Tolpuddle martyrs to today , Labour is on the side of the worker – wherever they work , whatever their job .
Can Labour win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasingly rural and coastal ?
Some might say not because they aren ’ t ‘ labour people ’ , ‘ labour voters ’ , or even ‘ labour places ’ .
Yet Labour has and does represent such places .
Our challenge is to imagine what we could do , how we would engage , how we would hear and be heard , how we would represent , and ultimately how we would govern – for the communities of coast , country and city – as the next Labour government .
Please join @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond , to contribute your imagination and effort to this eminently winnable opportunity .

In these extraordinary times, the opportunity to imagine other times and places, to daydream, or to simply enjoy the imaginary worlds of TV and radio, have been a solace to many as they manage their lives from home. For many, the most appreciated ‘place’ is their regular dose of soap – not the hand-washing sort, but the imaginary places of Corrie, Eastenders, The Archers. As a political activist reading LabourList, I wonder whether you have ever thought about how the characters in these imaginary places might vote? How you might campaign in their ‘place’? How you might appear in each soap as a campaigner on election day?
While that’s all fictional, Labour does have to apply its imagination to the real world situation of our coast and country communities, given more people live in the real world equivalents of The Archers’ Borsetshire (the rural UK) than live in the Eastenders’ Walford (Greater London). And of course to win a general election, any party needs to win in the communities of the coast and the country, as well as the city. The Labour: Coast & Country virtual conference on September 5th is the next step in helping the party show it both understands the issues facing non-urban communities, and that it can offer them a future-facing vision they can buy into.
The conference brings together a wider ranging group of frontbench MPs, local representatives and many members to highlight the issues and emerging Labour solutions as we all head towards a bumper set of local elections in 2021. Surprisingly enough, the issues are much the same as many of the others Labour fights on for the communities it already represents:
The already limited availability of affordable housing, which the planning white paper will exacerbate;
The lack of connectivity, with vast swathes of the country left without any public transport, coupled with limited decent broadband and mobile signal; and
A dependence on only a few sectors of economic activity – e.g. tourism, wholesale and retail, manufacturing and public services.
In some cases the solutions to these challenges would be the same as those Labour already has in mind as a national response. Yet the context of living in less densely populated areas – with an older population, with greater numbers of self- and multiply-employed people, often on lower incomes, and with more small businesses – does mean we have to think differently about the right solution. Both in terms of how we engage those communities on what’s needed and what we put in place as a result.
Ensuring that ‘every child matters’ in Suffolk isn’t the same as it is in Southwark, for example. That’s why rural-proofing is a minimum requirement for future Labour policy, and why a distinct manifesto for these communities and their challenges is a high priority. As the government’s blunt Covid-19 response continues, recent Labour research shows the one-size-fit-all approach to furlough is putting millions of jobs at risk – with rural and semi-rural communities in England most affected as a third of the workforces in Cornwall, Cumbria, Devon, Dorset, Staffordshire and Worcestershire are on furlough.
As we head towards May 2021, the elections for the English county councils, English mayors, the Scottish parliament and Welsh Senedd mean that we have almost a general election to contest. While our strengths will lie in many of the mayoral contests and in Wales, we must make sure that we have a relevant, future-focused story to tell in Scotland and in England, too, coupled with an appropriate storyteller. The county elections might seem least important, but that attitude would be both an unduly defensive position to take and one that neglects opportunities. Labour can only improve its county presence, and the counties include many of the seats needed for a general election victory.
One key step will be quickly identifying the Labour spokesperson for the English counties. A second will be ensuring that there is a distinct counties/rural manifesto. Given the furlough figures, there’s a clear opportunity to tell a Labour story about those employees and their future. From the Tolpuddle martyrs to today, Labour is on the side of the worker – wherever they work, whatever their job.
Can Labour win in areas that are less urban, increasingly rural and coastal? Some might say not because they aren’t ‘labour people’, ‘labour voters’, or even ‘labour places’. Yet Labour has and does represent such places. Our challenge is to imagine what we could do, how we would engage, how we would hear and be heard, how we would represent, and ultimately how we would govern – for the communities of coast, country and city – as the next Labour government. Please join us on the September 5th, and beyond, to contribute your imagination and effort to this eminently winnable opportunity.


labourlist--2020-08-26--Labour slams Johnson over “mutant algorithm” exam results claim

Kate Green has slammed Boris Johnson for “ shamelessly trying to avoid taking responsibility ” by claiming that a “ mutant algorithm ” had been responsible for thousands of students having their exam results downgraded .
The Shadow Education Secretary reacted this afternoon to the comment made by the Prime Minister earlier today about the revising down of nearly 40 % of A-Level students ’ teacher-predicted grades by the exams regulator .
During an address to pupils at a secondary school in the East Midlands this afternoon , Johnson claimed : “ I ’ m afraid your grades were almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m very , very glad that it has finally been sorted out.
” Green said that the government ’ s standardisation process was to blame for the moderated grades , which the Prime Minister had defended on results day as “ robust ” and “ good and dependable for employers ” .
Responding to his comment today , Green said : “ Boris Johnson is shamelessly trying to avoid taking responsibility for the exams fiasco that his government created .
“ Responsibility for this shambles lies squarely with Downing Street and the Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they wanted the algorithm to work and were warned weeks in advance of issues , but repeatedly refused to address the problems they had created .
“ It is this Tory government ’ s incompetence that is to blame for the exams fiasco.
” The government announced that students would receive grades standardised by an algorithm designed by Ofqual in April instead of sitting the tests after schools were closed in response to the coronavirus crisis .
The regulator took teacher-estimated grades and then issued results to pupils after moderation based on historical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous levels of attainment in cohorts , and the expected national distribution of grades .
But following a public outcry with the release of A-Level results earlier this month , in which 2 in 5 students in England saw their teacher-predicted grade moderated down , the government performed what Labour called a “ screeching U-turn ” .
Despite having repeatedly defended the algorithm , Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announced that it would be scrapped and that the government would accept the initial teacher predictions as the final awards for students .
The Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned in advance that the algorithm would lead to unfair and incorrect grades being awarded , but insisted on applying the standardisation to the results anyway .
Labour has called for “ full transparency ” on the chaos , which saw a U-turn on other school results as well .
It also demanded that the Department for Education publish all correspondence to and from the Education Secretary about the algorithm .

Kate Green has slammed Boris Johnson for “shamelessly trying to avoid taking responsibility” by claiming that a “mutant algorithm” had been responsible for thousands of students having their exam results downgraded.
The Shadow Education Secretary reacted this afternoon to the comment made by the Prime Minister earlier today about the revising down of nearly 40% of A-Level students’ teacher-predicted grades by the exams regulator.
During an address to pupils at a secondary school in the East Midlands this afternoon, Johnson claimed: “I’m afraid your grades were almost derailed by a mutant algorithm… I’m very, very glad that it has finally been sorted out.”
Green said that the government’s standardisation process was to blame for the moderated grades, which the Prime Minister had defended on results day as “robust” and “good and dependable for employers”.
Responding to his comment today, Green said: “Boris Johnson is shamelessly trying to avoid taking responsibility for the exams fiasco that his government created.
“Responsibility for this shambles lies squarely with Downing Street and the Department for Education, who set out how they wanted the algorithm to work and were warned weeks in advance of issues, but repeatedly refused to address the problems they had created.
“It is this Tory government’s incompetence that is to blame for the exams fiasco.”
The government announced that students would receive grades standardised by an algorithm designed by Ofqual in April instead of sitting the tests after schools were closed in response to the coronavirus crisis.
The regulator took teacher-estimated grades and then issued results to pupils after moderation based on historical data for each centre or school, previous levels of attainment in cohorts, and the expected national distribution of grades.
But following a public outcry with the release of A-Level results earlier this month, in which 2 in 5 students in England saw their teacher-predicted grade moderated down, the government performed what Labour called a “screeching U-turn”.
Despite having repeatedly defended the algorithm, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announced that it would be scrapped and that the government would accept the initial teacher predictions as the final awards for students.
The Times reported last week that Williamson had been warned in advance that the algorithm would lead to unfair and incorrect grades being awarded, but insisted on applying the standardisation to the results anyway.
Labour has called for “full transparency” on the chaos, which saw a U-turn on other school results as well. It also demanded that the Department for Education publish all correspondence to and from the Education Secretary about the algorithm.


labourlist--2020-08-26--Rolling list: Labour group nominations of NEC local government rep candidates

Labour ’ s internal elections are underway .
The contest due to end in November will elect nine CLP and two local government reps to the party ’ s governing body , alongside one treasurer and one rep each for youth , disability and Wales .
Over 170 Labour members are standing for the positions across 18 available national executive committee seats .
The party has published their statements online , and you can have a look at what LabourList knows about them here .
All candidates need to be nominated to secure a place on the ballot .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting the backing of five Labour groups .
The nomination period started on July 11th and closes on September 27th .
Ballots will be dispatched to members from October 19th , before voting closes on November 12th .
The local government reps are elected by a one-member-one-vote ballot of Labour councillors , directly-elected mayors , and police and crime commissioners .
LabourList has put together a full guide to the NEC contests that outlines the key functions of Labour ’ s ruling body , which NEC seats are up this summer , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominating and voting processes .
Below is the list of nominations from Labour groups .

Labour’s internal elections are underway. The contest due to end in November will elect nine CLP and two local government reps to the party’s governing body, alongside one treasurer and one rep each for youth, disability and Wales.
Over 170 Labour members are standing for the positions across 18 available national executive committee seats. The party has published their statements online, and you can have a look at what LabourList knows about them here.
All candidates need to be nominated to secure a place on the ballot. For the local government reps, this means getting the backing of five Labour groups. The nomination period started on July 11th and closes on September 27th.
Ballots will be dispatched to members from October 19th, before voting closes on November 12th. The local government reps are elected by a one-member-one-vote ballot of Labour councillors, directly-elected mayors, and police and crime commissioners.
LabourList has put together a full guide to the NEC contests that outlines the key functions of Labour’s ruling body, which NEC seats are up this summer, the timetable for the elections, and the nominating and voting processes.
Below is the list of nominations from Labour groups.
Jo Bird, Nick Forbes, Alice Perry and Matt White have secured places on the ballot paper.
Jo Bird – 13 nominations
EAST AYRSHIRE COUNCIL
EAST STAFFORDSHIRE
HASTINGS
LANCASTER
MALVERN HILLS
NEATH PORT TALBOT
NEWARK AND SHERWOOD
RUSHCLIFFE
SEFTON
SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE
SOUTH RIBBLE
THANET
WYRE
Johanna Black – 1 nomination
GOSPORT
Nick Forbes – 71 nominations
ADUR
ALLERDALE
BARNET
BASINGSTOKE AND DEANE
BASSETLAW
BIRMINGHAM
BRENTWOOD
BRISTOL
CHESHIRE WEST AND CHESTER
CORBY
CUMBRIA
DARTFORD
DURHAM
EALING
FLINTSHIRE
GEDLING
GRAVESHAM
HACKNEY
HAMMERSMITH AND FULHAM
HIGH PEAK
IPSWICH
KETTERING
KIRKLEES
KNOWSLEY
LAMBETH
LANCASTER
LEEDS
LICHFIELD
LIVERPOOL
MANCHESTER
MANSFIELD
MEDWAY
MERTON
MIDLOTHIAN COUNCIL
NEWCASTLE UNDER LYME
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
NEWHAM
NEWPORT
NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE
NORTH TYNESIDE
NORTH WARWICKSHIRE
NORTH WEST LEICESTERSHIRE
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
NORWICH
NOTTINGHAM
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
OLDHAM
OXFORD
PLYMOUTH
POWYS
ROCHDALE
ROTHERHAM
SEDGEMOOR
SELBY
SLOUGH
SOMERSET
SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE
SOUTH TYNESIDE
SOUTHAMPTON
SOUTHEND-ON-SEA
SOUTHWARK
STEVENAGE
STOCKPORT
SURREY HEATH
TELFORD AND WREKIN
TRAFFORD
WALTHAM FOREST
WEST OXFORDSHIRE
WESTMINSTER
WIRRAL
WREXHAM
Simon Jeal – 1 nomination
BROMLEY
Alice Perry – 71 nominations
ADUR
ALLERDALE
BARNET
BASSETLAW
BIRMINGHAM
BRENTWOOD
BRISTOL
CHESHIRE WEST AND CHESTER
CORBY
CUMBRIA
DARTFORD
DURHAM
EALING
FLINTSHIRE
GEDLING
GLASGOW
GRAVESHAM
HACKNEY
HAMMERSMITH AND FULHAM
HARINGEY
HIGH PEAK
IPSWICH
ISLINGTON
KETTERING
KIRKLEES
KNOWSLEY
LAMBETH
LEEDS
LICHFIELD
LIVERPOOL
MANCHESTER
MANSFIELD
MEDWAY
MERTON
MIDLOTHIAN COUNCIL
NEWCASTLE UNDER LYME
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
NEWHAM
NEWPORT
NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE
NORTH TYNESIDE
NORTH WARWICKSHIRE
NORTH WEST LEICESTERSHIRE
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
NORWICH
NOTTINGHAM
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
OLDHAM
OXFORD
PLYMOUTH
POWYS
ROCHDALE
ROTHERHAM
SEDGEMOOR
SELBY
SLOUGH
SOMERSET
SOUTH TYNESIDE
SOUTHAMPTON
SOUTHEND-ON-SEA
SOUTHWARK
STEVENAGE
STOCKPORT
SURREY HEATH
TELFORD AND WREKIN
TRAFFORD
WALTHAM FOREST
WEST OXFORDSHIRE
WESTMINSTER
WIRRAL
WREXHAM
Phillippa Storey – 3 nominations
BASINGSTOKE AND DEANE
HASTINGS
YORK
Matt White – 11 nominations
EAST AYRSHIRE COUNCIL
EAST STAFFORDSHIRE
HARINGEY
MALVERN HILLS
NEATH PORT TALBOT
NEWARK AND SHERWOOD
RUSHCLIFFE
SEFTON
SOUTH RIBBLE
THANET
WYRE


labourlist--2020-08-26--Labour is back in the ring – but Keir Starmer’s job has hardly started

The Labour Party is back in the ring .
The latest polling shows that Keir Starmer has passed the early tests of his leadership with distinction .
In his first four months , he has demonstrated good judgement , competence and resolve – both in holding the government to account and in starting to change the Labour Party .
But Starmer knows the job has hardly started .
Most people don ’ t think much about politics and their views of parties take many years to change .
Impressions of the new leader may be broadly positive , but millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still see the party as untrustworthy , divided , extreme or irrelevant .
Labour ’ s challenge is to build connections with people who feel the party is not there for them .
This doesn ’ t mean targeting one group over another , or one type of place , because the party has lost votes almost everywhere .
Starmer needs to build an extraordinary breadth of support that unites people with very different lives and world views .
The task is to translate the passion of committed progressives who agitate for vital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majoritarian form of Labour politics , which builds and channels a quiet , broad-based conviction that deep change must come .
Starmer must nurture and champion aspirations that feel homegrown everywhere , rather than appearing to impose the values of liberal-minded minorities onto people who find protest culture alien .
The party will succeed when it is the conducting rod for almost everyone who wants Britain to turn a new page , wherever they live and whatever their background .
Boris Johnson ’ s hapless handling of this year ’ s terrible pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labour to present itself as a serious government-in-waiting .
We ’ ve seen a glimpse of just how prepared Starmer and his team are to strategically capitalise on the government ’ s failings , with their role in escalating pressure during the exam debacle .
But nothing should be taken for granted because we know the Labour Party usually loses post-recession elections .
Labour will need to spend years persuading voters that fundamental change is the only way to bring people security in their lives and competent stewardship of the country .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a disadvantage on two fronts .
First , at a point of national crisis , the Conservatives are seeking to adopt a pale imitation of social democracy , stealing ideas from Keynes , New Labour and continental welfare states .
We can expect the government to fight the next four years on the centre ground .
Second , it is becoming clear that the next election will be a contest between three candidates for Prime Minister , not two : Starmer , Johnson and Sunak .
Starmer is starting to edge ahead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but we know the Conservative Party is ruthless .
The moment Johnson is no longer seen as a winner , he will be replaced and Rishi Sunak has few of the Prime Minister ’ s glaring flaws .
Labour must work on the basis that Starmer will have to best two Conservative rivals in succession to win the next election .
In a world turned upside down in just four months , the four years until the 2024 election are of course a political eternity and Starmer ’ s party faces its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the biggest set of ‘ mid-term ’ elections we ’ ve known , Labour must make real progress .
Above all , the party will need to reverse its fortunes in Scotland , both because Labour has little chance of winning a general election without more Scottish seats , and because a Labour recovery is essential to maintain Scotland ’ s place in the UK .
The aim must be to overtake a Scottish Conservative party tainted by Boris Johnson and to prevent an outright SNP majority .
If Scottish Labour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ main opposition party and principal defender of the union , the SNP will use every Conservative misstep in London to further the case for independence until it is seen as a post-Covid inevitability .
Keir Starmer knows all this , and we can expect to see him spending more time in Scotland than any Labour leader since Gordon Brown .
Early and decisive intervention will be needed if the Scottish campaign is not shaping up .
For the Labour Party in England and Wales , the 2021 Scottish elections are not someone else @ @ @ @

The Labour Party is back in the ring. The latest polling shows that Keir Starmer has passed the early tests of his leadership with distinction. In his first four months, he has demonstrated good judgement, competence and resolve – both in holding the government to account and in starting to change the Labour Party.
But Starmer knows the job has hardly started. Most people don’t think much about politics and their views of parties take many years to change. Impressions of the new leader may be broadly positive, but millions of the voters Labour needs to win still see the party as untrustworthy, divided, extreme or irrelevant.
Labour’s challenge is to build connections with people who feel the party is not there for them. This doesn’t mean targeting one group over another, or one type of place, because the party has lost votes almost everywhere. Starmer needs to build an extraordinary breadth of support that unites people with very different lives and world views.
The task is to translate the passion of committed progressives who agitate for vital causes like Black Lives Matter into a majoritarian form of Labour politics, which builds and channels a quiet, broad-based conviction that deep change must come. Starmer must nurture and champion aspirations that feel homegrown everywhere, rather than appearing to impose the values of liberal-minded minorities onto people who find protest culture alien. The party will succeed when it is the conducting rod for almost everyone who wants Britain to turn a new page, wherever they live and whatever their background.
Boris Johnson’s hapless handling of this year’s terrible pandemic and recession has created the chance for Labour to present itself as a serious government-in-waiting. We’ve seen a glimpse of just how prepared Starmer and his team are to strategically capitalise on the government’s failings, with their role in escalating pressure during the exam debacle.
But nothing should be taken for granted because we know the Labour Party usually loses post-recession elections. Labour will need to spend years persuading voters that fundamental change is the only way to bring people security in their lives and competent stewardship of the country.
In this endeavour, the party is at a disadvantage on two fronts. First, at a point of national crisis, the Conservatives are seeking to adopt a pale imitation of social democracy, stealing ideas from Keynes, New Labour and continental welfare states. We can expect the government to fight the next four years on the centre ground.
Second, it is becoming clear that the next election will be a contest between three candidates for Prime Minister, not two: Starmer, Johnson and Sunak. Starmer is starting to edge ahead of Johnson on questions of competence and trust, but we know the Conservative Party is ruthless. The moment Johnson is no longer seen as a winner, he will be replaced and Rishi Sunak has few of the Prime Minister’s glaring flaws. Labour must work on the basis that Starmer will have to best two Conservative rivals in succession to win the next election.
In a world turned upside down in just four months, the four years until the 2024 election are of course a political eternity and Starmer’s party faces its first real test in May next year. In the biggest set of ‘mid-term’ elections we’ve known, Labour must make real progress. Above all, the party will need to reverse its fortunes in Scotland, both because Labour has little chance of winning a general election without more Scottish seats, and because a Labour recovery is essential to maintain Scotland’s place in the UK.
The aim must be to overtake a Scottish Conservative party tainted by Boris Johnson and to prevent an outright SNP majority. If Scottish Labour cannot regain its place as the main opposition party and principal defender of the union, the SNP will use every Conservative misstep in London to further the case for independence until it is seen as a post-Covid inevitability.
Keir Starmer knows all this, and we can expect to see him spending more time in Scotland than any Labour leader since Gordon Brown. Early and decisive intervention will be needed if the Scottish campaign is not shaping up. For the Labour Party in England and Wales, the 2021 Scottish elections are not someone else’s problem.


labourlist--2020-08-28--This is a dangerous time for the stability of Montenegro and the Balkans

On Sunday , August 30th , the people of Montenegro will go to the polls to vote for a new government at the end of a campaign riven with political mud-slinging , simmering ethnic violence and increasing interference from the Serbian Orthodox Church .
The SOC are using this moment to mobilise opponents of a new freedom of religion law requiring the registration of church property .
For much of the 20th century , Montenegro was a part of Yugoslavia .
It largely escaped the violent conflict that engulfed the region in the 1990s , and finally became independent from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The SOC had initially laid claim to the property of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church after the fall of King Nikola in 1918 , and the controversial new law is designed to require proof of ownership prior to that historic date .
Recent history has seen Montenegro join NATO and begin the accession process to join the EU .
But while Montenegro and its neighbours North Macedonia , Albania , Kosovo and Bosnia Herzegovina look increasingly to alliances with Western democracies , Serbia plays a two-faced game of holding hands with Russia whilst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ variety of issues in Montenegro similar to those in other fledging democracies , such as organised crime and corruption , this small Balkan state of approximately 640,000 is making some progress .
Sinisa Vukovic , a native Montenegrin and professor of international relations and conflict management at John Hopkins University , describes Montenegrin democracy as “ a work in progress ” that will continue to require the support and advice of other Western liberal democracies , as well as that of NATO .
Indeed , as he and other Montenegrins point out , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracy going forwards .
The SOC was one of the main protagonists in the wars in Croatia and Bosnia in the 1990s , when its clergy frequently appeared alongside notorious war criminals , even blessing the infamous para-military ‘ Scorpion ’ unit under Milosevic ’ s command immediately prior to the atrocities in Srebrenica .
These facts seem to have evaded British MPs Tim Farron ( Lib Dem ) and Steve Baker ( Conservative ) , who jointly authored an op-ed in Newsweek at the beginning of July exhorting Nato and Britain “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” , suggesting that the government forced the law through parliament and has been harassing dissenters ever since .
As John Grogan , former Labour MP for Keighley and chair of the all-party parliamentary group for Montenegro ( 2015-17 ) , points out in a column for the EU Political Report , the law in question has taken five years of planning and consultation .
It is backed by a variety of parties in the parliament and has the support of the Venice Commission , an advisory body of the Council of Europe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Berlin Wall and composed of independent experts in the field of constitutional law .
The Commission commended the work of the Montenegrin authorities and observed that “ providing a new legal framework for the exercise of the right to freedom of religion or belief which takes due account of the current and historical conditions of the country is today a necessity ” .
The Farron/Baker Newsweek piece is composed of standard phrases that opposition figures and church leaders in Montenegro use to criticise the newly adopted law on freedom of religion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ another Newsweek article authored by Rev Johnnie Moore and Nury Turkel , of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom , which screamed : “ Jews , Muslims and Christians are all persecuted in Europe .
It must stop now.
” In mainstream Montenegrin media , Serb nationalist opposition parties refer to the DPS ( present party of government ) as infidels and dream of the Montenegrin coastline being part of greater Serbia again .
All of this is a gift for anti-European forces , spurred on by Vladimir Putin and Steve Bannon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illiberal forces directed against the democratic achievements of Western civilisation , cultivating a special intolerance towards NATO , which is currently the strongest foothold against Russian influence in the Balkans .
With the pandemic limiting the scope of election observations , this is an extremely dangerous time for the stability of not only Montenegro but for the entire region .
Those calling for NATO intervention to save the Serbian Orthodox Christians might wish they had read their history books .

On Sunday, August 30th, the people of Montenegro will go to the polls to vote for a new government at the end of a campaign riven with political mud-slinging, simmering ethnic violence and increasing interference from the Serbian Orthodox Church. The SOC are using this moment to mobilise opponents of a new freedom of religion law requiring the registration of church property.
For much of the 20th century, Montenegro was a part of Yugoslavia. It largely escaped the violent conflict that engulfed the region in the 1990s, and finally became independent from Serbia in 2006 after a peaceful referendum. The SOC had initially laid claim to the property of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church after the fall of King Nikola in 1918, and the controversial new law is designed to require proof of ownership prior to that historic date.
Recent history has seen Montenegro join NATO and begin the accession process to join the EU. But while Montenegro and its neighbours North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo and Bosnia Herzegovina look increasingly to alliances with Western democracies, Serbia plays a two-faced game of holding hands with Russia whilst half-heartedly pursuing EU accession.
Notwithstanding a variety of issues in Montenegro similar to those in other fledging democracies, such as organised crime and corruption, this small Balkan state of approximately 640,000 is making some progress. Sinisa Vukovic, a native Montenegrin and professor of international relations and conflict management at John Hopkins University, describes Montenegrin democracy as “a work in progress” that will continue to require the support and advice of other Western liberal democracies, as well as that of NATO. Indeed, as he and other Montenegrins point out, prospective EU membership is the guarantor of democracy going forwards.
The SOC was one of the main protagonists in the wars in Croatia and Bosnia in the 1990s, when its clergy frequently appeared alongside notorious war criminals, even blessing the infamous para-military ‘Scorpion’ unit under Milosevic’s command immediately prior to the atrocities in Srebrenica. These facts seem to have evaded British MPs Tim Farron (Lib Dem) and Steve Baker (Conservative), who jointly authored an op-ed in Newsweek at the beginning of July exhorting Nato and Britain “to stand with Montenegro’s Christians”, suggesting that the government forced the law through parliament and has been harassing dissenters ever since.
As John Grogan, former Labour MP for Keighley and chair of the all-party parliamentary group for Montenegro (2015-17), points out in a column for the EU Political Report, the law in question has taken five years of planning and consultation. It is backed by a variety of parties in the parliament and has the support of the Venice Commission, an advisory body of the Council of Europe created in 1990 after the fall of the Berlin Wall and composed of independent experts in the field of constitutional law. The Commission commended the work of the Montenegrin authorities and observed that “providing a new legal framework for the exercise of the right to freedom of religion or belief which takes due account of the current and historical conditions of the country is today a necessity”.
The Farron/Baker Newsweek piece is composed of standard phrases that opposition figures and church leaders in Montenegro use to criticise the newly adopted law on freedom of religion. It came hot on the heels of another Newsweek article authored by Rev Johnnie Moore and Nury Turkel, of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, which screamed: “Jews, Muslims and Christians are all persecuted in Europe. It must stop now.”
In mainstream Montenegrin media, Serb nationalist opposition parties refer to the DPS (present party of government) as infidels and dream of the Montenegrin coastline being part of greater Serbia again. All of this is a gift for anti-European forces, spurred on by Vladimir Putin and Steve Bannon’s henchmen, who promote retrograde illiberal forces directed against the democratic achievements of Western civilisation, cultivating a special intolerance towards NATO, which is currently the strongest foothold against Russian influence in the Balkans.
With the pandemic limiting the scope of election observations, this is an extremely dangerous time for the stability of not only Montenegro but for the entire region. Those calling for NATO intervention to save the Serbian Orthodox Christians might wish they had read their history books.


labourlist--2020-08-28--“Get off the sidelines and tackle Scotland’s jobs crisis,” Dodds and Leonard tell SNP

UK Labour ’ s Anneliese Dodds and Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard have come together today and told the SNP government to “ get off the sidelines and tackle Scotland ’ s jobs crisis ” .
The Shadow Chancellor ’ s intervention , amid the deepening economic crisis caused by coronavirus , comes ahead of a visit to cultural venue Summerhall in Edinburgh with Leonard today .
It is the first visit to Scotland of a UK Labour frontbencher under Keir Starmer ’ s leadership .
The new UK leader has not yet visited in person but has held ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visit regularly .
Dodds is taking the opportunity to join Leonard in backing calls for the SNP government to do more to support working-age people , as figures show that the pandemic-fuelled jobs crisis will hit Scotland hard .
New data from Indeed UK , a leading jobs site , suggests that Scotland has suffered the highest fall in jobs vacancies in the UK – being furthest below last year ’ s trend among all UK regions , with a 58 % drop .
Scotland ’ s unemployment rate of 4.5 % is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while its working-age economic inactivity rate of 22.2 % is also higher than the UK average , according to the Office for National Statistics .
Commenting on her visit and fresh demands of the SNP government , Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds said : “ The impact of the public health crisis on Edinburgh is stark .
“ I visit family here during the festival season every year , when the city is normally packed with performers and spectators .
The local economy has clearly taken a huge hit from Covid-19 , but we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for what ’ s happening .
“ The Chancellor ’ s one-size-fits-all withdrawal of the jobs retention scheme is causing economic havoc across the UK , but just because the Tories have presided over a jobs crisis in Westminster doesn ’ t mean the SNP can be proud of their record in Holyrood .
“ Scotland has the highest unemployment rate in the UK and has suffered the highest year-on-year fall in job vacancies .
Nicola Sturgeon and her SNP government need to get off the sidelines and do much more to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t end up in long-term unemployment.
” UK Labour has consistently warned the UK government of a growing jobs crisis , particularly in areas reliant on tourism , and the party launched a ‘ jobs , jobs , jobs ’ campaign at the end of July .
The shadow Treasury team warned that a failure to reverse the “ disastrous one-size-fits-all plan ” adopted by Chancellor Rishi Sunak for ending the furlough scheme in October would be a “ historic mistake ” .
But despite the warnings from Labour and from think tanks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scarring ” , government ministers are pressing ahead with plans to scrap the scheme , while other European countries have extended theirs .
Scottish Labour has urged the SNP to introduce a “ full-time , well-paid jobs guarantee ” , as well as to adopt a green economic plan in the form of a Scottish Green New Deal that would create 130,000 new jobs .
Leonard today said : “ I am delighted to be joining Anneliese at Summerhall this afternoon , and I welcome her support for our Jobs for Good campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normal self at this time of year , and that is a reflection of the huge economic impact that Covid-19 is having not just on our capital city , but on the whole of Scotland .
“ Just as Scotland was unprepared for the public health crisis , so too are we unprepared for the developing economic crisis .
“ The UK government must think again about its rash withdrawal of the furlough scheme , and the Scottish government must waste no more time in rolling out a quality jobs guarantee scheme before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be contesting the upcoming Holyrood elections in May 2021 as the third biggest party after the SNP and Tories .
The SNP is polling very well and currently has a 27-37 % lead .
LabourList will be holding a live ‘ in conversation ’ event with Anneliese Dodds from 5.30pm on Tuesday , September 1st .

UK Labour’s Anneliese Dodds and Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard have come together today and told the SNP government to “get off the sidelines and tackle Scotland’s jobs crisis”.
The Shadow Chancellor’s intervention, amid the deepening economic crisis caused by coronavirus, comes ahead of a visit to cultural venue Summerhall in Edinburgh with Leonard today.
It is the first visit to Scotland of a UK Labour frontbencher under Keir Starmer’s leadership. The new UK leader has not yet visited in person but has held ‘Call Keir’ events and vowed to visit regularly.
Dodds is taking the opportunity to join Leonard in backing calls for the SNP government to do more to support working-age people, as figures show that the pandemic-fuelled jobs crisis will hit Scotland hard.
New data from Indeed UK, a leading jobs site, suggests that Scotland has suffered the highest fall in jobs vacancies in the UK – being furthest below last year’s trend among all UK regions, with a 58% drop.
Scotland’s unemployment rate of 4.5% is among the highest in the UK, while its working-age economic inactivity rate of 22.2% is also higher than the UK average, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Commenting on her visit and fresh demands of the SNP government, Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds said: “The impact of the public health crisis on Edinburgh is stark.
“I visit family here during the festival season every year, when the city is normally packed with performers and spectators. The local economy has clearly taken a huge hit from Covid-19, but we can’t just blame the virus for what’s happening.
“The Chancellor’s one-size-fits-all withdrawal of the jobs retention scheme is causing economic havoc across the UK, but just because the Tories have presided over a jobs crisis in Westminster doesn’t mean the SNP can be proud of their record in Holyrood.
“Scotland has the highest unemployment rate in the UK and has suffered the highest year-on-year fall in job vacancies. Nicola Sturgeon and her SNP government need to get off the sidelines and do much more to ensure workers who lose their jobs don’t end up in long-term unemployment.”
UK Labour has consistently warned the UK government of a growing jobs crisis, particularly in areas reliant on tourism, and the party launched a ‘jobs, jobs, jobs’ campaign at the end of July.
The shadow Treasury team warned that a failure to reverse the “disastrous one-size-fits-all plan” adopted by Chancellor Rishi Sunak for ending the furlough scheme in October would be a “historic mistake”.
But despite the warnings from Labour and from think tanks who say the move risks “economic scarring”, government ministers are pressing ahead with plans to scrap the scheme, while other European countries have extended theirs.
Scottish Labour has urged the SNP to introduce a “full-time, well-paid jobs guarantee”, as well as to adopt a green economic plan in the form of a Scottish Green New Deal that would create 130,000 new jobs.
Leonard today said: “I am delighted to be joining Anneliese at Summerhall this afternoon, and I welcome her support for our Jobs for Good campaign.
“Edinburgh is unrecognisable from its normal self at this time of year, and that is a reflection of the huge economic impact that Covid-19 is having not just on our capital city, but on the whole of Scotland.
“Just as Scotland was unprepared for the public health crisis, so too are we unprepared for the developing economic crisis.
“The UK government must think again about its rash withdrawal of the furlough scheme, and the Scottish government must waste no more time in rolling out a quality jobs guarantee scheme before the furlough scheme ends.”
Scottish Labour will be contesting the upcoming Holyrood elections in May 2021 as the third biggest party after the SNP and Tories. The SNP is polling very well and currently has a 27-37% lead.
LabourList will be holding a live ‘in conversation’ event with Anneliese Dodds from 5.30pm on Tuesday, September 1st.