labourlist--2020-02-28--From tackling toxic air to freezing fares, Sadiq Khan is delivering for Londoners

I was delighted to join our mayor of London , Sadiq Khan , today as he announced that he has delivered on a key manifesto promise – to triple the amount of protected space for cycling in London since 2016 , and ahead of schedule too .
This will make journeys safer and more convenient for those who ride bikes in London .
It will also encourage more people to get out of their cars and onto their bikes , which is one of the most effective tools we have to tackle London ’ s toxic air .
As a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parliamentary group on cycling , I know the benefits cycling can have on your health and fitness .
But it has much wider benefits for society too , as demonstrated in the report published by parliament ’ s transport committee , which I sit on .
That ’ s why I ’ m so pleased to have a London mayor who has made cycling a priority , and that he is getting such impressive results .
Sadiq ’ s action , which includes record levels of investment in cycling infrastructure , has led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ London , with journeys totalling an impressive four million kilometres being taken by bike across the city every day .
He is also making great progress towards his aim of 80 % of all journeys to be made by walking , cycling or public transport by 2041 .
In stark comparison , his Tory opponent in the two-horse race that is the upcoming mayoral election , Shaun Bailey , is opposed to new cycling infrastructure and wants to rip up the new cycle superhighway on the embankment .
He has also opposed every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tackle air pollution in London , all the while defending the government ’ s repeated failure to act on the environment when they should be taking the action we desperately need .
But fortunately for Londoners , they have a chance to re-elect Sadiq as their mayor on May 7th .
Because not only has Sadiq made it easier and safer to cycle , he ’ s also improving our city in a whole host of different ways .
He has kept his promise to be the bus driver ’ s son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ introducing the ‘ hopper ’ bus fare and freezing TfL fares , for example .
He has a plan to tackle violent crime , by being tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime – investing over £70m in community and sports projects to create more opportunities for young Londoners and funding 1,300 extra police by increasing council tax by 26p a week .
Whether it ’ s getting real results and improving cycling in our city , or taking the bold action necessary to clean up our toxic air , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its values of fairness , equality and sustainability .

I was delighted to join our mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, today as he announced that he has delivered on a key manifesto promise – to triple the amount of protected space for cycling in London since 2016, and ahead of schedule too.
This will make journeys safer and more convenient for those who ride bikes in London. It will also encourage more people to get out of their cars and onto their bikes, which is one of the most effective tools we have to tackle London’s toxic air.
As a cycling fan and co-chair of the cross-party parliamentary group on cycling, I know the benefits cycling can have on your health and fitness. But it has much wider benefits for society too, as demonstrated in the report published by parliament’s transport committee, which I sit on.
That’s why I’m so pleased to have a London mayor who has made cycling a priority, and that he is getting such impressive results. Sadiq’s action, which includes record levels of investment in cycling infrastructure, has led to more people than ever cycling in London, with journeys totalling an impressive four million kilometres being taken by bike across the city every day.
He is also making great progress towards his aim of 80% of all journeys to be made by walking, cycling or public transport by 2041. In stark comparison, his Tory opponent in the two-horse race that is the upcoming mayoral election, Shaun Bailey, is opposed to new cycling infrastructure and wants to rip up the new cycle superhighway on the embankment.
He has also opposed every single other action that Sadiq has taken to tackle air pollution in London, all the while defending the government’s repeated failure to act on the environment when they should be taking the action we desperately need.
But fortunately for Londoners, they have a chance to re-elect Sadiq as their mayor on May 7th. Because not only has Sadiq made it easier and safer to cycle, he’s also improving our city in a whole host of different ways. He has kept his promise to be the bus driver’s son who will make commuting more affordable by introducing the ‘hopper’ bus fare and freezing TfL fares, for example.
He has a plan to tackle violent crime, by being tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime – investing over £70m in community and sports projects to create more opportunities for young Londoners and funding 1,300 extra police by increasing council tax by 26p a week.
Whether it’s getting real results and improving cycling in our city, or taking the bold action necessary to clean up our toxic air, Sadiq is standing up for London and its values of fairness, equality and sustainability.


labourlist--2020-02-28--Exclusive: Keir Starmer vows to consult Labour members on electoral reform

Labour leadership race frontrunner Keir Starmer has vowed to consult party members on electoral reform and include it in a constitutional convention if he becomes the next leader , LabourList can reveal .
The news comes as leadership candidates have responded to questions put to them by the Electoral Reform Society , a political pressure group in favour of replacing the UK ’ s first-past-the-post voting system with one of proportional representation .
In their responses on political reform , both Keir Starmer and Rebecca Long-Bailey advocated a constitutional convention – as promised in Labour ’ s 2019 manifesto – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change in the electoral system .
Starmer said : “ We ’ ve got to address the fact that millions of people vote in safe seats and they feel their voice doesn ’ t count .
That ’ s got to be addressed by electoral reform .
We will never get full participation in our electoral system until we do that at every level.
” “ I would consult the party membership on electoral reform and include it within the constitutional convention that looks at wider democratic renewal – including abolishing the Lords @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federalism.
” Long-Bailey noted to the ERS that she has “ committed to abolishing the House of Lords , and replacing it with an elected Senate outside London ” , and that this new chamber would “ be elected with a proportional voting system , and have a codified mandate ” .
She added : “ But we can not stop there in seeking to overhaul the deeply undemocratic makeup of the British state .
We should also empower a constitutional convention to explore more proportional representation , and really meaningful devolution of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and nations.
” Lisa Nandy did not respond to the ERS by the deadline , but at the hustings hosted jointly with Open Labour in January the Wigan MP said “ we should trial PR , and we should do it in areas that it doesn ’ t automatically benefit us ” .
Deputy leadership frontrunner Angela Rayner noted her “ personal support for moving to STV or preferential voting systems in our internal party elections ” , and pledged to “ facilitate the debate ” around electoral reform .
She also said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be “ scrapping the House of Lords and replacing it with an elected House ” in government , while in opposition she has called for Labour to introduce “ people ’ s peerages ” .
According to this suggestion put forward by Rayner , Labour would see its nominations to the Lords determined “ through our democratic structures rather than simply appointed by the leader ” .
Rival candidate Richard Burgon said he would push for Labour to back a change in the electoral system if party members supported it , and reiterated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abolishing the House of Lords .
Dawn Butler confirmed that she “ fully support [ s ] voting reform ” , favours a constitutional convention and highlighted the “ need to stop the implementation of unfair boundary changes ” as well as mandatory voter ID .
The Brent MP also emphasised that she has “ backed calls for a switch to STV for internal elections ” , which would make it easier for candidates not included on factional slates to win positions on Labour ’ s ruling body .
The deputy hopeful added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for example through party conference , should consider this issue of electoral reform and have their say in deciding our policy for the next election.
” Ian Murray described himself to the ERS as a “ long-standing supporter of a constitutional convention ” that would “ examine House of Lords reform ” , and cited his “ Labour Campaign for Britain ’ s Future ” proposal .
He added : “ As a former councillor in Edinburgh , I campaigned for the introduction of STV for local council elections in Scotland and would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts of the UK.
” Labour members , registered supporters and affiliate members have started receiving their ballots .
Voting in the contests will end on April 2nd , before the result is announced two days later .

Labour leadership race frontrunner Keir Starmer has vowed to consult party members on electoral reform and include it in a constitutional convention if he becomes the next leader, LabourList can reveal.
The news comes as leadership candidates have responded to questions put to them by the Electoral Reform Society, a political pressure group in favour of replacing the UK’s first-past-the-post voting system with one of proportional representation.
In their responses on political reform, both Keir Starmer and Rebecca Long-Bailey advocated a constitutional convention – as promised in Labour’s 2019 manifesto – and said it would look at a change in the electoral system.
Starmer said: “We’ve got to address the fact that millions of people vote in safe seats and they feel their voice doesn’t count. That’s got to be addressed by electoral reform. We will never get full participation in our electoral system until we do that at every level.”
“I would consult the party membership on electoral reform and include it within the constitutional convention that looks at wider democratic renewal – including abolishing the Lords and furthering devolution on the principles of federalism.”
Long-Bailey noted to the ERS that she has “committed to abolishing the House of Lords, and replacing it with an elected Senate outside London”, and that this new chamber would “be elected with a proportional voting system, and have a codified mandate”.
She added: “But we cannot stop there in seeking to overhaul the deeply undemocratic makeup of the British state. We should also empower a constitutional convention to explore more proportional representation, and really meaningful devolution of power to our local communities, regions and nations.”
Lisa Nandy did not respond to the ERS by the deadline, but at the hustings hosted jointly with Open Labour in January the Wigan MP said “we should trial PR, and we should do it in areas that it doesn’t automatically benefit us”.
Deputy leadership frontrunner Angela Rayner noted her “personal support for moving to STV or preferential voting systems in our internal party elections”, and pledged to “facilitate the debate” around electoral reform.
She also said her “top constitutional priority” would be “scrapping the House of Lords and replacing it with an elected House” in government, while in opposition she has called for Labour to introduce “people’s peerages”.
According to this suggestion put forward by Rayner, Labour would see its nominations to the Lords determined “through our democratic structures rather than simply appointed by the leader”.
Rival candidate Richard Burgon said he would push for Labour to back a change in the electoral system if party members supported it, and reiterated his backing for votes at 16 and abolishing the House of Lords.
Dawn Butler confirmed that she “fully support[s] voting reform”, favours a constitutional convention and highlighted the “need to stop the implementation of unfair boundary changes” as well as mandatory voter ID.
The Brent MP also emphasised that she has “backed calls for a switch to STV for internal elections”, which would make it easier for candidates not included on factional slates to win positions on Labour’s ruling body.
The deputy hopeful added: “I believe our members, for example through party conference, should consider this issue of electoral reform and have their say in deciding our policy for the next election.”
Ian Murray described himself to the ERS as a “long-standing supporter of a constitutional convention” that would “examine House of Lords reform”, and cited his “Labour Campaign for Britain’s Future” proposal.
He added: “As a former councillor in Edinburgh, I campaigned for the introduction of STV for local council elections in Scotland and would strongly support this being introduced in other parts of the UK.”
Labour members, registered supporters and affiliate members have started receiving their ballots. Voting in the contests will end on April 2nd, before the result is announced two days later.


labourlist--2020-02-28--Council by-elections: Former Labour MP Laura Smith elected in Cheshire

Voters went to the polls in several local authorities yesterday for council by-elections , including one ward which elected former Labour MP Laura Smith .
Smith became the MP for Crewe and Nantwich in 2017 with a majority of just 48 but the party lost the constituency to the Tories by 8,508 votes in December .
Yesterday saw her elected as a councillor to Crewe South ward after a by-election was triggered following the death of Labour councillor Dorothy Flude .
Labour saw a 7.5 % fall in its vote share in the ward with an increase for the Tories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a total of 54.1 % of votes cast in the end .
Smith took to social media , thanking supporters and saying that she is “ looking forward to a fresh start ” .
Labour also held Millfield ward in Blaby , Leicestershire .
Nick Brown was elected in the by-election triggered by the death of councillor and mayor Bill Wright .
The Lib Dems gained Duxford on Cambridgeshire County Council from the Tories , after the resignation of councillor Peter Topping .
The Lib Dems saw a 26.3 % increase in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seat .
Labour also didn ’ t stand a candidate in nearby Whittlesford ward on South Cambridgeshire Council , also up for grabs because of Topping ’ s resignation .
The seat saw a 30 % swing towards the Lib Dems but the Tories held the seat .
The Conservatives held Hillingdon East ward in London .
Annelise Gabrielle contested the seat for Labour but saw a 12.7 % decrease in the party ’ s vote .
In Wales , Plaid Cymru won Gwersyllt North ward in Wrexham .
Labour placed second in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an independent councillor .

Voters went to the polls in several local authorities yesterday for council by-elections, including one ward that elected former Labour MP Laura Smith.
Smith became the MP for Crewe and Nantwich in 2017 with a majority of just 48, but the party lost the constituency to the Tories by 8,508 votes in December.
Yesterday she was elected as a councillor to Crewe South ward after a by-election was triggered following the death of Labour councillor Dorothy Flude.
Labour saw a 7.5% fall in its vote share in the ward, with an increase for the Tories of 10.3% – though Smith took a total of 54.1% of votes cast in the end.
Smith took to social media, thanking supporters and saying that she is “looking forward to a fresh start”.
Labour also held Millfield ward in Blaby, Leicestershire. Nick Brown was elected in the by-election triggered by the death of councillor and mayor Bill Wright.
The Lib Dems gained Duxford on Cambridgeshire County Council from the Tories, after the resignation of councillor Peter Topping. The Lib Dems saw a 26.3% increase in their vote. Labour did not contest the seat.
Labour also didn’t stand a candidate in nearby Whittlesford ward on South Cambridgeshire Council, also up for grabs because of Topping’s resignation. The seat saw a 30% swing towards the Lib Dems but the Tories held the seat.
The Conservatives held Hillingdon East ward in London. Annelise Gabrielle contested the seat for Labour but saw a 12.7% decrease in the party’s vote.
In Wales, Plaid Cymru won Gwersyllt North ward in Wrexham. Labour placed second in the vote triggered by the resignation of an independent councillor.
Clayton & Openshaw ward in Manchester. Independent GAIN from Lab:
IND: 47.9% (+3.4)
LAB: 43.6% (-1.4)
CON: 4.1% (+0.6)
LDEM: 2.3% (-1.0)
GRN: 2.1% (-1.6)
Duxford ward in Cambridgeshire. Lib Dem GAIN from Con:
LDEM: 59.6% (+26.3)
CON: 40.4% (-14.7)
Crewe South ward in Cheshire. Lab HOLD:
LAB: 54.1% (-7.5)
CON: 35.8% (+10.3)
GRN: 4.4% (+4.4)
IND (Cartlidge): 3.6% (+3.6)
IND (Silvester): 2.2% (+2.2)
Millfield ward in Blaby, Leicestershire. Lab HOLD:
LAB: 52.2% (-1.0)
CON: 43.0% (-3.8)
GRN: 4.8% (+4.8)
Whittlesford ward in South Cambridgeshire. Con HOLD:
CON: 55.2% (-8.1)
LDEM: 44.8% (+30.3)
Hillingdon East ward in Hillingdon, London. Con HOLD:
CON: 68.8% (+9.1)
LAB: 23.5% (-12.7)
LDEM: 4.1% (+4.1)
GRN: 2.8% (+2.8)
UKIP: 0.8% (+0.8)
Gwersyllt North ward in Wrexham, north Wales result. Plaid Cymru GAIN from independent:
PC: 36.6% (+36.6)
LAB: 16.8% (-10.7)
CON: 15.1% (-5.0)
IND (Davies): 9.9% (+9.9)
IND (McCan): 8.3% (+8.3)
LDEM: 7.9% (+7.9)
IND (Hay): 3.7% (+3.7)
GRN: 1.7% (+1.7)


labourlist--2020-02-28--Labour’s leadership race heats up – but is it all too late?

Lisa Nandy didn ’ t hold back last night .
First , in the sense that she became the second Labour leadership candidate to voluntarily publish a donor list earlier than required .
The move comes after Rebecca Long-Bailey released her own list of campaign funding sources , and Unite ’ s Len McCluskey called on her rivals to follow suit .
One of them has now done so .
The latest disclosure shows that Nandy has so far received around £190,000 in terms of donations over £1,500 – around half of the amount declared by Long-Bailey .
You can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s list here .
Young Labour has now written a letter to help pressure Keir Starmer to publish early , but it seems likely that the frontrunner will wait until the parliamentary website updates his register of interests page , which he said would “ probably be on Monday ” .
Second , Nandy caused the first big disagreement in a Labour leadership debate during the hustings hosted by Sky News .
She has been a little combative before , when she strongly criticised the open selections policy advocated by Long-Bailey .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forceful , and directed mostly towards Starmer .
Talking about Labour ’ s handling of antisemitism , she implied that the frontrunner had failed to acknowledge “ how badly the shadow cabinet as a whole got this wrong ” .
Then she went further , claiming that shadow cabinet members did not take up the offer of seeing Labour ’ s submission to the Equality and Human Rights Commission .
Starmer replied that this was “ absolute nonsense ” .
You can read the full exchange here .
While Nandy has used one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offensive on Starmer , and we will be keeping a keen eye on whether she does the same at the next hustings on Saturday , Long-Bailey is aiming to beef up her core vote .
Corbynites have been saying in recent weeks that it ’ s time to be bold – with Long-Bailey trailing behind in second place according to polling and nominations , Jeremy Corbyn must make an intervention .
This intervention has now been made this morning in the form of a video .
It is a sort of interview , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labour left candidate discuss plans for a green industrial revolution .
They are sitting in a room that has had all the heating turned off – tying in with the conversation topic , but also a bit of an inside joke because Corbyn is known to hate heating , which I ’ ve heard before as people have complained of “ freezing ” in shadow cabinet meetings .
Can Long-Bailey and Nandy turn this contest around ?
If a majority of those eligible to vote in this leadership election have already cast their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
New polling will hopefully give us further insight into what Labour members are thinking – watch out for that news on LabourList .

Lisa Nandy didn’t hold back last night. First, in the sense that she became the second Labour leadership candidate to voluntarily publish a donor list earlier than required. The move comes after Rebecca Long-Bailey released her own list of campaign funding sources, and Unite’s Len McCluskey called on her rivals to follow suit. One of them has now done so.
The latest disclosure shows that Nandy has so far received around £190,000 in terms of donations over £1,500 – around half of the amount declared by Long-Bailey. You can have a close look at Nandy’s list here. Young Labour has now written a letter to help pressure Keir Starmer to publish early, but it seems likely that the frontrunner will wait until the parliamentary website updates his register of interests page, which he said would “probably be on Monday”.
Second, Nandy caused the first big disagreement in a Labour leadership debate during the hustings hosted by Sky News. She has been a little combative before, when she strongly criticised the open selections policy advocated by Long-Bailey. The rebuke we saw last night was more forceful, and directed mostly towards Starmer.
Talking about Labour’s handling of antisemitism, she implied that the frontrunner had failed to acknowledge “how badly the shadow cabinet as a whole got this wrong”. Then she went further, claiming that shadow cabinet members did not take up the offer of seeing Labour’s submission to the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Starmer replied that this was “absolute nonsense”. You can read the full exchange here.
While Nandy has used one of the last debates to launch an offensive on Starmer, and we will be keeping a keen eye on whether she does the same at the next hustings on Saturday, Long-Bailey is aiming to beef up her core vote. Corbynites have been saying in recent weeks that it’s time to be bold – with Long-Bailey trailing behind in second place according to polling and nominations, Jeremy Corbyn must make an intervention.
This intervention has now been made this morning in the form of a video. It is a sort of interview, which sees the outgoing leader and the Labour left candidate discuss plans for a green industrial revolution. They are sitting in a room that has had all the heating turned off – tying in with the conversation topic, but also a bit of an inside joke because Corbyn is known to hate heating, which I’ve heard before as people have complained of “freezing” in shadow cabinet meetings.
Can Long-Bailey and Nandy turn this contest around? If a majority of those eligible to vote in this leadership election have already cast their ballots, it is thought very unlikely. New polling will hopefully give us further insight into what Labour members are thinking – watch out for that news on LabourList.


labourlist--2020-02-28--WATCH: Long-Bailey releases video with Corbyn

Labour leadership candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey has released an interview-style video with outgoing leader Jeremy Corbyn .
The two discuss Labour @ @ @ @ @ green industrial revolution , the government ’ s failure to take action on the climate @ @ @ @ @ reaching net-zero by 2030 .
The video is seen as a bid to shore up @ @ @ @ @ Labour leadership contest , as Keir Starmer is perceived to be the clear frontrunner based @ @ @ @ @

Labour leadership candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey has released an interview-style video with outgoing leader Jeremy Corbyn.
The two discuss Labour’s plans for a green industrial revolution, the government’s failure to take action on the climate crisis and the likelihood of reaching net-zero by 2030.
The video is seen as a bid to shore up support for Long-Bailey in the Labour leadership contest, as Keir Starmer is perceived to be the clear frontrunner based on polling and nominations.


labourlist--2020-02-27--Lisa Nandy goes on the attack in Sky News leadership debate

Lisa Nandy went on the attack during the latest televised Labour leadership debate hosted by Sky News tonight with a pointed remark directed towards frontrunner Keir Starmer on antisemitism .
One audience member asked : “ The overwhelming majority of Labour Party members are not antisemitic .
What will you do to dispel the misconception among voters that antisemitism is rife in the party ?
” Lisa Nandy was the first candidate to respond .
She vowed to “ deal with it ” , before pointing out that she “ broke collective responsibility ” and “ spoke up on every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
The Wigan MP then turned to frontrunner Keir Starmer , saying : “ I will just say this to Keir , is that I believe that you are sincere about this , but if we do not acknowledge how badly the shadow cabinet as a whole got this wrong , we will not earn the trust of the Jewish community ” .
Starmer replied : “ Well , Lisa , you were in the shadow cabinet when this issue came up as well.
” This prompted Nandy to say : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I spoke out publicly – and then I left and I didn ’ t return.
” Nandy then raised the issue of the Equality and Human Rights Commission submission by the Labour Party , which is being investigated by the equalities body over its handling of antisemitism .
She said : “ The shadow cabinet was offered sight of the submission to the EHRC… and apparently not a single person took up the offer of seeing the party ’ s position on that.
” Starmer interjected : “ That ’ s nonsense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about what actually happened… Shadow cabinet should be confidential , and I don ’ t break confidences .
It was Tom Watson and I that were asking for that submission and were offered it .
“ So this was complete nonsense .
That ’ s what we were trying to do .
I argued we should change the definition to the international definition .
I argued for months in the shadow cabinet , and in the end we did it.
” The Holborn and St Pancras MP was then asked by Sophy Ridge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out on antisemitism in the shadow cabinet .
He said : “ Given where we ’ ve got to , I think the last thing our members , our movement and our country want , is us all trying to take lumps out of each other about who did what.
” Pushed on the question , Starmer added : “ Look , Rebecca didn ’ t speak out in the same way as I did in my view , but I really don ’ t think – and I don ’ t think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s right for us to try to score points now off each other in relation to this.
” Long-Bailey was offered a right of reply , and she said : “ Keir knows that I spoke at shadow cabinet a number of times about this .
I was often the shadow cabinet member that did the media to try and explain what was happening.
” The Shadow Business Secretary reiterated that she “ expressed my concern many , many times about how we weren ’ t tackling this in the way that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of the debate hosted by Sky News , the audience were asked to raise their hands to indicate which candidate they thought had ‘ won ’ .
They overwhelmingly voted in favour of Nandy .
Audience members were 100 voters made up of one third Labour members , one third current Labour supporters and one third former Labour voters .

Lisa Nandy went on the attack during the latest televised Labour leadership debate hosted by Sky News tonight with a pointed remark directed towards frontrunner Keir Starmer on antisemitism.
One audience member asked: “The overwhelming majority of Labour Party members are not antisemitic. What will you do to dispel the misconception among voters that antisemitism is rife in the party?”
Lisa Nandy was the first candidate to respond. She vowed to “deal with it”, before pointing out that she “broke collective responsibility” and “spoke up on every occasion in the three years after that”.
The Wigan MP then turned to frontrunner Keir Starmer, saying: “I will just say this to Keir, is that I believe that you are sincere about this, but if we do not acknowledge how badly the shadow cabinet as a whole got this wrong, we will not earn the trust of the Jewish community”.
Starmer replied: “Well, Lisa, you were in the shadow cabinet when this issue came up as well.” This prompted Nandy to say: “I spoke out, I spoke out, I spoke out publicly – and then I left and I didn’t return.”
Nandy then raised the issue of the Equality and Human Rights Commission submission by the Labour Party, which is being investigated by the equalities body over its handling of antisemitism.
She said: “The shadow cabinet was offered sight of the submission to the EHRC… and apparently not a single person took up the offer of seeing the party’s position on that.”
Starmer interjected: “That’s nonsense. Absolute nonsense. Hear me out about what actually happened… Shadow cabinet should be confidential, and I don’t break confidences. It was Tom Watson and I that were asking for that submission and were offered it.
“So this was complete nonsense. That’s what we were trying to do. I argued we should change the definition to the international definition. I argued for months in the shadow cabinet, and in the end we did it.”
The Holborn and St Pancras MP was then asked by Sophy Ridge whether rival candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey had spoken out on antisemitism in the shadow cabinet.
He said: “Given where we’ve got to, I think the last thing our members, our movement and our country want, is us all trying to take lumps out of each other about who did what.”
Pushed on the question, Starmer added: “Look, Rebecca didn’t speak out in the same way as I did in my view, but I really don’t think – and I don’t think it’s fair or it’s right for us to try to score points now off each other in relation to this.”
Long-Bailey was offered a right of reply, and she said: “Keir knows that I spoke at shadow cabinet a number of times about this. I was often the shadow cabinet member that did the media to try and explain what was happening.”
The Shadow Business Secretary reiterated that she “expressed my concern many, many times about how we weren’t tackling this in the way that I thought we should”.
At the end of the debate hosted by Sky News, the audience were asked to raise their hands to indicate which candidate they thought had ‘won’. They overwhelmingly voted in favour of Nandy.
Audience members were 100 voters made up of one third Labour members, one third current Labour supporters and one third former Labour voters.


labourlist--2020-02-27--Nandy becomes second leadership candidate to release donor list

Lisa Nandy has become the second candidate in Labour ’ s leadership contest to voluntarily release a list of donors before it appears on the parliamentary register of members ’ interests online .
The move comes after Rebecca Long-Bailey published her funder list , which consisted mostly of Unite the Union and Momentum donations , and after Unite ’ s Len McCluskey called for other leadership candidates to follow suit .
Keir Starmer has disclosed a number of donations via the parliamentary website , but not all of his most recent large donations .
He told ITV ’ s Peston @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely appear on the MPs ’ register of interests on Monday .
Starmer ’ s campaign has said he is being supported through union funding , online donations and individual contributions .
The frontrunner has described the demands to reveal funders as a “ non-story ” .
The financial backers of the Wigan MP who have donated over £1,500 include : • Mark Glover , a former Labour councillor and the CEO of Newington Communications , a PR consultancy with clients such as Anglian Water , Canary Wharf Group and e-Power .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ councillor and former director of Bury ’ s council house management company Six Town Housing .
• Eric Salama , who was chief executive of market research company Kantar until last month .
• Sonny Leong , who is currently the Chair of Chinese for Labour , a party-affiliated socialist society .
• Tom Shutes , a businessman who is involved in the regeneration of Grimsby .
• Howard Bernstein , who was Manchester Council ’ s chief executive from 1998 to 2017 and is vice-chair of the Jewish Leadership Council .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is also Lisa Nandy ’ s husband .
• Better World Ltd , whose director is Henry Tinsley , the former chair of Green & Blacks who has made donations to both Labour and the Liberal Democrats .
• Innovation in Housing Ltd , who director is Vaqas Farooq , a real estate lawyer and board member of law firm Shoosmiths .
• GMB , the party-affiliated trade union that helped Nandy make the ballot paper in the leadership contest .
• John Reid , a Labour peer who served as Home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mills , the pro-Brexit major donor to Labour who founded consumer products company JML and chaired Labour Leave .

Lisa Nandy has become the second candidate in Labour’s leadership contest to voluntarily release a list of donors before it appears on the parliamentary register of members’ interests online.
The move comes after Rebecca Long-Bailey published her funder list, which consisted mostly of Unite the Union and Momentum donations, and after Unite’s Len McCluskey called for other leadership candidates to follow suit.
Keir Starmer has disclosed a number of donations via the parliamentary website, but not all of his most recent large donations. He told ITV’s Peston that the “next tranche” would likely appear on the MPs’ register of interests on Monday.
Starmer’s campaign has said he is being supported through union funding, online donations and individual contributions. The frontrunner has described the demands to reveal funders as a “non-story”.
The financial backers of the Wigan MP who have donated over £1,500 include:
Mark Glover, a former Labour councillor and the CEO of Newington Communications, a PR consultancy with clients such as Anglian Water, Canary Wharf Group and e-Power.
Ann Luise Fitzwalter, a former Bury councillor and former director of Bury’s council house management company Six Town Housing.
Eric Salama, who was chief executive of market research company Kantar until last month.
Sonny Leong, who is currently the Chair of Chinese for Labour, a party-affiliated socialist society.
Tom Shutes, a businessman who is involved in the regeneration of Grimsby.
Howard Bernstein, who was Manchester Council’s chief executive from 1998 to 2017 and is vice-chair of the Jewish Leadership Council.
Jason Stockwood, vice-chair of online insurance broker Simply Business.
Andrew Colis, a public relations consultant who is also Lisa Nandy’s husband.
Better World Ltd, whose director is Henry Tinsley, the former chair of Green & Blacks who has made donations to both Labour and the Liberal Democrats.
Innovation in Housing Ltd, who director is Vaqas Farooq, a real estate lawyer and board member of law firm Shoosmiths.
GMB, the party-affiliated trade union that helped Nandy make the ballot paper in the leadership contest.
Simon Tuttle, chair of advocacy group Hope not Hate.
John Reid, a Labour peer who served as Home Secretary under Tony Blair.
John Mills, the pro-Brexit major donor to Labour who founded consumer products company JML and chaired Labour Leave.


labourlist--2020-02-27--Let’s stop public money going towards land used for fox hunting

This month has marked 15 years since hunting with dogs was banned in England and Wales .
The Hunting Act was one of Labour ’ s proudest achievements in government , putting an end to the cruel “ sport ” of fox hunting .
It was a landmark moment in the fight against animal cruelty .
But we are still nowhere near the end of the fight against blood sports .
There are 299 hunts still active across Britain .
The sheer scale of the problem is shocking .
Loopholes are being exploited , exemptions are being taken to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ban on fox hunting has never been clearer .
The government ’ s new Agriculture Bill tries to overhaul what funding government gives to farmers .
As ever with this government , the headlines are positive but there ’ s less to celebrate when it comes to the detail .
The new bill sees the system of payments to farmers move to a Public Money for Public Goods approach , which would mean farmers get more government funding for looking after their land and their environment .
This is good in principle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get into what exactly is being rewarded by government .
Labour has tabled an amendment to stop public money going towards land that is used for fox hunting , or where an offence under the Hunting Act has taken place .
It can not be right for public money designed to fund very real public goods , such as animal welfare , could end up being be paid where land is also used for hunting with dogs .
We must make sure that public money does not support a cruel sport that should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hunts need land to operate on – and the more they are denied it , the less opportunity there will be to flout the law .
This was recognised by the Labour group of Nottinghamshire County Council , who successfully passed a motion calling for the end of hunting , including exempt hunting , on council-owned land .
By preventing support payments being paid to landowners convicted of knowingly allowing illegal hunting to take place , we can make them think twice before allowing hunting and embolden the police to pursue charges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broken .
I was proud to stand as a candidate at the last election on Labour ’ s Animal Welfare Manifesto .
This has committed to strengthening the Hunting Act and closing all of the loopholes that are used for hunting foxes , deer and hares .
The last general election showed there was clear public support for a renewed and strengthened ban on fox hunting .
I ’ ve spoken out on this in the Commons again and again – and Labour is more committed to strengthening the fox hunting ban than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight to end the hunting of animals with dogs once and for all .
Cruelly chasing a terrified animal for hours on end just for entertainment can not be allowed in any form .
The end goal is clear , but it requires us to be on our guard , and vigilant to new opportunities to put an end to the chasing and killing of animals .
Labour ’ s amendments to the Agriculture Bill would be another important milestone on the way to stopping this cruelty .

This month has marked 15 years since hunting with dogs was banned in England and Wales. The Hunting Act was one of Labour’s proudest achievements in government, putting an end to the cruel “sport” of fox hunting. It was a landmark moment in the fight against animal cruelty. But we are still nowhere near the end of the fight against blood sports.
There are 299 hunts still active across Britain. The sheer scale of the problem is shocking. Loopholes are being exploited, exemptions are being taken to the extreme, and the need to strengthen the ban on fox hunting has never been clearer.
The government’s new Agriculture Bill tries to overhaul what funding government gives to farmers. As ever with this government, the headlines are positive but there’s less to celebrate when it comes to the detail. The new bill sees the system of payments to farmers move to a Public Money for Public Goods approach, which would mean farmers get more government funding for looking after their land and their environment. This is good in principle, but the problem arises when we get into what exactly is being rewarded by government.
Labour has tabled an amendment to stop public money going towards land that is used for fox hunting, or where an offence under the Hunting Act has taken place. It cannot be right for public money designed to fund very real public goods, such as animal welfare, could end up being be paid where land is also used for hunting with dogs. We must make sure that public money does not support a cruel sport that should have been consigned to history long ago.
Hunts need land to operate on – and the more they are denied it, the less opportunity there will be to flout the law. This was recognised by the Labour group of Nottinghamshire County Council, who successfully passed a motion calling for the end of hunting, including exempt hunting, on council-owned land.
By preventing support payments being paid to landowners convicted of knowingly allowing illegal hunting to take place, we can make them think twice before allowing hunting and embolden the police to pursue charges where they suspect the law has been broken.
I was proud to stand as a candidate at the last election on Labour’s Animal Welfare Manifesto. This has committed to strengthening the Hunting Act and closing all of the loopholes that are used for hunting foxes, deer and hares. The last general election showed there was clear public support for a renewed and strengthened ban on fox hunting. I’ve spoken out on this in the Commons again and again – and Labour is more committed to strengthening the fox hunting ban than ever.
Labour is committed to the fight to end the hunting of animals with dogs once and for all. Cruelly chasing a terrified animal for hours on end just for entertainment cannot be allowed in any form. The end goal is clear, but it requires us to be on our guard, and vigilant to new opportunities to put an end to the chasing and killing of animals. Labour’s amendments to the Agriculture Bill would be another important milestone on the way to stopping this cruelty.


labourlist--2020-02-27--Tony Blair is wrong – Labour should have nothing to do with the Lib Dems

Back in the day , on the old London Labour Party executive , I used to say that my degree in politics and economics was of much less use then a degree in psychology would have been .
That thought has regularly reappeared in recent years as the Bennite cultish heresy has resurfaced , taken over and nearly destroyed the Labour Party as an electable organisation .
I have been slightly more taken aback by the re-emergence of the Roy Jenkins heresy – that the worst thing to happen to British politics was the Labour/Liberal split of the early 20th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out that this fundamentally assumed that the creation of the Labour Party was a historic mistake .
It also implicitly criticises social democracy worldwide for breaking from liberalism , especially with our focus on collective action and provision .
It was disappointing and surprising when Tony Blair revived the Jenkins heresy by urging a reunification of Labour and the Lib Dems last week .
Surprising , because Tony ’ s victory in 1997 comprehensively refuted the lazy assumption , especially after our 1992 defeat , that Labour could not – on its own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this defeatist attitude is the semi-regular reach for the panacea of proportional representation , rather than grapple with reasons for our defeat and try to win under the existing electoral rules .
After the 1992 election loss , Tony demonstrated beyond doubt that a Labour Party with a broad appeal could capture the imagination – and the votes – of the British people with our 1997 landslide .
It is incomprehensible to me that he should join those downgrading his triumph , but that is a matter for others to speculate on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of the faults that he finds in Jeremy Corbyn ’ s Labour are replicated and indeed magnified in the Lib Dems .
The crucial difference is that as we seem to be seeing a surge of support for sensible candidates , Labour appear to have a self-correcting mechanism which is extremely lacking in the Lib Dems .
They are not a serious party aiming for majority government and don ’ t need to act accordingly – we do .
Furthermore , the appalling behaviour of Lib Dems in areas across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Rather than follow the fantasies of Jenkins , the Labour Party needs to get back to basics – focus on Clause I of our constitution , to be a party fighting and winning elections .
A party based on collective action of members ’ unions and local councils , defending and improving the lives of our people , valuing communities and community values .
The last Labour government did a huge amount to bring about so many beneficial changes .
It ’ s therefore surprising that Tony Blair doesn ’ t value @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We should remember that while Jenkins wrote a biography of Gladstone , Tony Crossland wrote The Future of Socialism .
Going forward , our focus should be on a socialism applicable to the 21st century that can win an election in the UK – not look back glowingly at failure .

Back in the day, on the old London Labour Party executive, I used to say that my degree in politics and economics was of much less use then a degree in psychology would have been. That thought has regularly reappeared in recent years as the Bennite cultish heresy has resurfaced, taken over and nearly destroyed the Labour Party as an electable organisation.
I have been slightly more taken aback by the re-emergence of the Roy Jenkins heresy – that the worst thing to happen to British politics was the Labour/Liberal split of the early 20th century. Roy Hattersley used to point out that this fundamentally assumed that the creation of the Labour Party was a historic mistake. It also implicitly criticises social democracy worldwide for breaking from liberalism, especially with our focus on collective action and provision.
It was disappointing and surprising when Tony Blair revived the Jenkins heresy by urging a reunification of Labour and the Lib Dems last week. Surprising, because Tony’s victory in 1997 comprehensively refuted the lazy assumption, especially after our 1992 defeat, that Labour could not – on its own – defeat the Tories.
A variation of this defeatist attitude is the semi-regular reach for the panacea of proportional representation, rather than grapple with reasons for our defeat and try to win under the existing electoral rules. After the 1992 election loss, Tony demonstrated beyond doubt that a Labour Party with a broad appeal could capture the imagination – and the votes – of the British people with our 1997 landslide. It is incomprehensible to me that he should join those downgrading his triumph, but that is a matter for others to speculate on.
It is especially odd given that many of the faults that he finds in Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour are replicated and indeed magnified in the Lib Dems. The crucial difference is that as we seem to be seeing a surge of support for sensible candidates, Labour appear to have a self-correcting mechanism which is extremely lacking in the Lib Dems. They are not a serious party aiming for majority government and don’t need to act accordingly – we do. Furthermore, the appalling behaviour of Lib Dems in areas across the country make them unacceptable to many local parties.
Rather than follow the fantasies of Jenkins, the Labour Party needs to get back to basics – focus on Clause I of our constitution, to be a party fighting and winning elections. A party based on collective action of members’ unions and local councils, defending and improving the lives of our people, valuing communities and community values.
The last Labour government did a huge amount to bring about so many beneficial changes. It’s therefore surprising that Tony Blair doesn’t value it as much as we do. We should remember that while Jenkins wrote a biography of Gladstone, Tony Crossland wrote The Future of Socialism. Going forward, our focus should be on a socialism applicable to the 21st century that can win an election in the UK – not look back glowingly at failure.


labourlist--2020-02-27--Sadiq Khan shows interest in backing Bloomberg and Buttigieg in US primary

Sadiq Khan has shown interest in backing Mike Bloomberg and Pete Buttigieg in the ongoing US Democratic primary .
In an interview with Politico , the Labour mayor of London said it was important that the US Democrats “ pick someone who can beat Trump ” .
He went on to say that he thought Bloomberg and Buttigieg were “ interesting ” , and appeared to rule out their more left-wing rivals in the contest .
Asked about the ongoing primary , Khan said : “ The key thing for the Democrats is to pick someone who can beat Trump… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He clearly gets under Trump ’ s skin .
“ If it ’ s Bloomberg vs Trump it will be a really interesting campaign ; two New Yorkers .
One of whom is a successful self-made billionaire .
The other one less successful , lost his dad ’ s money , doing less well.
” The mayor added : “ I think Buttigieg is interesting .
I ’ d query whether Sanders or Warren or Biden would do as well .
But let ’ s wait and see.
” Buttigieg is the youngest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 38 .
He is the mayor of South Bend , Indiana and would be the first openly gay President if successful .
‘ Mayor Pete ’ , as he is often known , was a late addition to the race , announcing his candidacy in April 2019 .
He previously stood to be the chairman of the Democratic National Committee .
He has dismissed plans to overhaul to US healthcare with a government-run system put forward by Sanders , and has instead suggested one that would preserve private insurance schemes .
78-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York who endorsed the Republican President George W Bush in 2004 before leaving the GOP in 2007 .
The ex-mayor only registered as a Democratic in October 2018 , shortly before launching his bid to become the Democratic candidate for President .
Bloomberg is a billionaire and has used more than $ 500m of his personal fortune on television and online advertising in the campaign so far .

Sadiq Khan has shown interest in backing Mike Bloomberg and Pete Buttigieg in the ongoing US Democratic primary.
In an interview with Politico, the Labour mayor of London said it was important that the US Democrats “pick someone who can beat Trump”.
He went on to say that he thought Bloomberg and Buttigieg were “interesting”, and appeared to rule out their more left-wing rivals in the contest.
Asked about the ongoing primary, Khan said: “The key thing for the Democrats is to pick someone who can beat Trump… I think Mike Bloomberg is interesting. He clearly gets under Trump’s skin.
“If it’s Bloomberg vs Trump it will be a really interesting campaign; two New Yorkers. One of whom is a successful self-made billionaire. The other one less successful, lost his dad’s money, doing less well.”
The mayor added: “I think Buttigieg is interesting. I’d query whether Sanders or Warren or Biden would do as well. But let’s wait and see.”
Buttigieg is the youngest candidate in the race at the age of 38. He is the mayor of South Bend, Indiana and would be the first openly gay President if successful.
‘Mayor Pete’, as he is often known, was a late addition to the race, announcing his candidacy in April 2019. He previously stood to be the chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
He has dismissed plans to overhaul to US healthcare with a government-run system put forward by Sanders, and has instead suggested one that would preserve private insurance schemes.
78-year-old Bloomberg is the former Republican mayor of New York who endorsed the Republican President George W Bush in 2004 before leaving the GOP in 2007.
The ex-mayor only registered as a Democratic in October 2018, shortly before launching his bid to become the Democratic candidate for President.
Bloomberg is a billionaire and has used more than $500m of his personal fortune on television and online advertising in the campaign so far.


labourlist--2020-02-28--Exclusive: Members expect Starmer to shift party to centre, poll shows

Keir Starmer is set to win Labour ’ s leadership contest decisively , while Angela Rayner is the clear frontrunner in the deputy leadership race , according to a new poll by Survation for LabourList .
The results of the new research also suggest that those eligible to vote in the internal elections believe Starmer will position the Labour Party “ further to the centre ” – rather than keep it broadly the same or turn left .
Labour members , registered supporters and affiliate members surveyed favoured Yvette Cooper as the next Shadow Chancellor , and a majority said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invited into the next shadow cabinet .
Of those who had seen coverage of the leadership hustings and televised debates , 37 % said Lisa Nandy had performed best of the three candidates , with 30 % picking Starmer and 24 % Long-Bailey .
1,196 members of the selectorate from February 21st to 24th .
The poll showed Starmer clinching the leadership race on round two of counting , with 64 % of votes against 36 % for main rival Long-Bailey , while Rayner led in the deputy contest with 35 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 23 % , while Allin-Khan and Murray are close to each other with 17 % and 14 % of first preference votes respectively .
Butler was last with 10 % .
Burgon had the highest percentage ranking him last ( 47 % ) , followed by Murray ( 42 % ) .
With second preferences taken into account , however , Rayner reached the winning threshold by the third round of voting .
According to the new poll , Burgon would receive a boost from the second preferences of those voters who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s popularity as a second preference with Ian Murray , Rosena Allin-Khan and Richard Burgon supporters is high enough to assure her victory , the findings suggest .
On the future direction of Labour under the different potential leaders , respondents overwhelmingly thought Starmer would position the party “ further to the centre ” ( 79 % ) rather than “ left ” ( 1 % ) or “ broadly the same ” ( 18 % ) .
The result reveals a stark contrast to perceptions of Long-Bailey , who they thought would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same ” ( 76 % ) .
The next most popular option was “ further to the left ” ( 18 % ) .
The answers to the same question for Nandy were very close to the results for Starmer , indicating that Labour members , affiliate members and registered supporters see the two candidates as politically aligned .
Survey respondents were asked to pick from a range of possible successors to John McDonnell as Shadow Chancellor , and Yvette Cooper came top with former leader Ed Miliband second .
Clive Lewis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Treasury and on the Labour left , was rated in third place , while Corbynsceptic favourite Rachel Reeves was the fourth most popular choice .
The full results were as follows : A majority of the representative sample of Labour members , registered supporters and affiliate members surveyed , 54 % , said Corbyn should not be invited to the shadow cabinet , with 35 % saying he should be .
Asked about their “ top issue or policy when it comes to choosing who to vote for in the Labour leadership contest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indicate that “ credibility as a potential Prime Minister ” was a priority .
34 % picked the credibility option , while 14 % picked “ maintaining current Labour platform ” , 12 % “ anti-austerity policies ” , 11 % “ uniting the party ” and a further 11 % “ winning back traditional Labour voters ” .
Breaking the results down by leadership preference , the credibility answer was chosen by 53 % of Starmer supporters but only 5 % of Long-Bailey backers , who instead said they prioritised continuity and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the deputy leader were different , the poll showed , with party unity coming top out of the answers selected by respondents .
Survation surveyed 1,196 Labour members , affiliate members and registered supporters between 21st and 24th February 2020 via LabourList ’ s database .
They were interviewed online .
Data were weighted to the profile of the selectorate for the 2020 Labour leadership and deputy leadership elections – party members , affiliate members and registered supporters – and by age , sex , region , membership status , and 2016 Labour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Survation to add statistical heft to our reader surveys .
Full data tables and methodology can be viewed here .

Keir Starmer is set to win Labour’s leadership contest decisively, while Angela Rayner is the clear frontrunner in the deputy leadership race, according to a new poll by Survation for LabourList.
The results of the new research also suggest that those eligible to vote in the internal elections believe Starmer will position the Labour Party “further to the centre” – rather than keep it broadly the same or turn left.
Labour members, registered supporters and affiliate members surveyed favoured Yvette Cooper as the next Shadow Chancellor, and a majority said outgoing leader Jeremy Corbyn should not be invited into the next shadow cabinet.
Of those who had seen coverage of the leadership hustings and televised debates, 37% said Lisa Nandy had performed best of the three candidates, with 30% picking Starmer and 24% Long-Bailey.
Survation / LabourList poll
Leadership:
Round one
Keir Starmer 45%
Rebecca Long-Bailey 34%
Lisa Nandy 21%
Round two
Keir Starmer 64%
Rebecca Long-Bailey 36%
Deputy leadership:
Round one
Angela Rayner 35%
Richard Burgon 23%
Dr Rosena Allin-Khan 17%
Ian Murray 14%
Dawn Butler 10%
1,196 members of the selectorate from February 21st to 24th.
The poll showed Starmer clinching the leadership race on round two of counting, with 64% of votes against 36% for main rival Long-Bailey, while Rayner led in the deputy contest with 35% of first preferences.
Burgon placed second with 23%, while Allin-Khan and Murray are close to each other with 17% and 14% of first preference votes respectively. Butler was last with 10%. Burgon had the highest percentage ranking him last (47%), followed by Murray (42%).
With second preferences taken into account, however, Rayner reached the winning threshold by the third round of voting. According to the new poll, Burgon would receive a boost from the second preferences of those voters who had selected Dawn Butler.
But Rayner’s popularity as a second preference with Ian Murray, Rosena Allin-Khan and Richard Burgon supporters is high enough to assure her victory, the findings suggest.
On the future direction of Labour under the different potential leaders, respondents overwhelmingly thought Starmer would position the party “further to the centre” (79%) rather than “left” (1%) or “broadly the same” (18%).
The result reveals a stark contrast to perceptions of Long-Bailey, who they thought would keep Labour’s position “broadly the same” (76%). The next most popular option was “further to the left” (18%).
The answers to the same question for Nandy were very close to the results for Starmer, indicating that Labour members, affiliate members and registered supporters see the two candidates as politically aligned.
Survey respondents were asked to pick from a range of possible successors to John McDonnell as Shadow Chancellor, and Yvette Cooper came top with former leader Ed Miliband second.
Clive Lewis, currently Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury and on the Labour left, was rated in third place, while Corbynsceptic favourite Rachel Reeves was the fourth most popular choice.
The full results were as follows:
Yvette Cooper 22%
Ed Miliband 15%
Clive Lewis 13%
Rachel Reeves 10%
Anneliese Dodds 6%
Jon Trickett 4%
Jonathan Ashworth 3%
John McDonnell* 3%
Barry Gardiner* 1%
Rebecca Long-Bailey* 1%
Another MP 4%
Don’t know 19% *Write-in responses
A majority of the representative sample of Labour members, registered supporters and affiliate members surveyed, 54%, said Corbyn should not be invited to the shadow cabinet, with 35% saying he should be.
Asked about their “top issue or policy when it comes to choosing who to vote for in the Labour leadership contest”, respondents were most likely to indicate that “credibility as a potential Prime Minister” was a priority.
34% picked the credibility option, while 14% picked “maintaining current Labour platform”, 12% “anti-austerity policies”, 11% “uniting the party” and a further 11% “winning back traditional Labour voters”.
Breaking the results down by leadership preference, the credibility answer was chosen by 53% of Starmer supporters but only 5% of Long-Bailey backers, who instead said they prioritised continuity and anti-austerity policies.
The selectorate priorities for the deputy leader were different, the poll showed, with party unity coming top out of the answers selected by respondents.
Survation surveyed 1,196 Labour members, affiliate members and registered supporters between 21st and 24th February 2020 via LabourList’s database. They were interviewed online.
Data were weighted to the profile of the selectorate for the 2020 Labour leadership and deputy leadership elections – party members, affiliate members and registered supporters – and by age, sex, region, membership status, and 2016 Labour leadership vote.
LabourList has partnered up with Survation to add statistical heft to our reader surveys. Full data tables and methodology can be viewed here.


labourlist--2020-02-28--Len McCluskey: Why I’m backing Rebecca Long-Bailey for leader

There are three very good people in the contest for the Labour leadership .
I believe that none of them will seek to turn our party back to where we were before Jeremy Corbyn ’ s leadership , and they all understand that now is certainly not the time to try .
But there is only one choice .
And for my union , that choice is Rebecca Long-Bailey .
Labour must use this time of Tory rule to reconnect with its natural supporters , while maintaining its strong electoral coalition in London and other big cities .
Becky is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lead that challenge , to unite our party and to take forward a message that can build a red bridge between the metropolitan areas , where so many young professionals have been drawn to Labour , and our industrial heartlands in the Midlands and the North – the towns and cities that are still traditional Labour areas but which we lost at the general election .
She has already demonstrated a determination to bridge the gap between the Remain view than dominates among the party leadership and membership , and the support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters in the red wall constituencies that fell .
I am in no doubt that Becky is not only extremely capable , but courageous , too .
Her pioneering of the Green Industrial Revolution , so crucial to tackling our climate emergency and investing in our manufacturing industries and decent jobs , along with her unequivocal championing of Labour ’ s popular policies , including a £10 minimum wage , abolishing zero hours contracts , regional investment banks and the public ownership plans , in a way that really speaks to our communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she will have her own priorities and do things her own way .
As Labour ’ s first female leader , she can connect our party with wider sections of the electorate .
I ’ m certain that she will approach the way in which Labour has always been seen as the party of the low-paid and the vulnerable differently .
For the fact is that the majority of the population doesn ’ t fall into that category .
There are vast numbers of people with average or even well-paid jobs , living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still aspire to a better Britain , and certainly for their children .
Becky is able to talk to them , develop strong policies for them , just as well as those more vulnerable families who Labour has so firmly stood up for .
When she talks of aspirational socialism , for me , this is what she means .
It ’ s continuity socialism defined by who Rebecca Long-Bailey is .
Loyalty is important , too .
It ’ s important for my union , for Labour members and , in my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the only one vying for party members ’ votes who stood firm during the shameful 2016 PLP coup against Corbyn .
Labour has come a long way in the last four years – a long way towards becoming the democratic socialist party the country needs and the majority of its members want .
We know those that , throughout the years of Jeremy Corbyn ’ s leadership , wanted a return to the old days of New Labour , now see this leadership election as the chance to turn back the clock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that under Corbyn , Labour recruited around 400,000 new members to become the largest political party in Britain and the biggest socialist party in Europe .
It expressed the desire of millions of British people for an end to austerity and for fundamental change in our society , taking Labour ’ s share of the vote from 30 % in 2015 to 40 % just two years later , an unprecedented achievement .
Yes , the general election was a disaster .
A setback of monumental proportions after all our advances .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down to Brexit , in not only creating a divided party and a fundamental disconnect between Labour and our heartlands , which I feared it would , but in fuelling the perception of a weak leader .
That ’ s why we need to remind people what our party stood for , the achievements of the last four years , why young people gravitated to it and that there ’ s still a cause to fight for .
Which is why I urge members not to sit on their hands , nor be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enemies both inside and outside of the Labour Party .
But ultimately it ’ s up to Becky to show that she can inject the magic back into our party .
And if she can do that , then she will win .

There are three very good people in the contest for the Labour leadership. I believe that none of them will seek to turn our party back to where we were before Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, and they all understand that now is certainly not the time to try. But there is only one choice. And for my union, that choice is Rebecca Long-Bailey.
Labour must use this time of Tory rule to reconnect with its natural supporters, while maintaining its strong electoral coalition in London and other big cities. Becky is undoubtedly the best placed of the three to lead that challenge, to unite our party and to take forward a message that can build a red bridge between the metropolitan areas, where so many young professionals have been drawn to Labour, and our industrial heartlands in the Midlands and the North – the towns and cities that are still traditional Labour areas but which we lost at the general election.
She has already demonstrated a determination to bridge the gap between the Remain view than dominates among the party leadership and membership, and the support for Leave held by so many Labour voters in the red wall constituencies that fell.
I am in no doubt that Becky is not only extremely capable, but courageous, too. Her pioneering of the Green Industrial Revolution, so crucial to tackling our climate emergency and investing in our manufacturing industries and decent jobs, along with her unequivocal championing of Labour’s popular policies, including a £10 minimum wage, abolishing zero hours contracts, regional investment banks and the public ownership plans, in a way that really speaks to our communities, is testimony to that.
But she will have her own priorities and do things her own way. As Labour’s first female leader, she can connect our party with wider sections of the electorate. I’m certain that she will approach the way in which Labour has always been seen as the party of the low-paid and the vulnerable differently.
For the fact is that the majority of the population doesn’t fall into that category. There are vast numbers of people with average or even well-paid jobs, living in reasonable or good homes, who still aspire to a better Britain, and certainly for their children. Becky is able to talk to them, develop strong policies for them, just as well as those more vulnerable families who Labour has so firmly stood up for. When she talks of aspirational socialism, for me, this is what she means. It’s continuity socialism defined by who Rebecca Long-Bailey is.
Loyalty is important, too. It’s important for my union, for Labour members and, in my experience, for ordinary people. Becky is the only one vying for party members’ votes who stood firm during the shameful 2016 PLP coup against Corbyn.
Labour has come a long way in the last four years – a long way towards becoming the democratic socialist party the country needs and the majority of its members want. We know those who, throughout the years of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, wanted a return to the old days of New Labour, now see this leadership election as a chance to turn back the clock.
So let’s not forget that under Corbyn, Labour recruited around 400,000 new members to become the largest political party in Britain and the biggest socialist party in Europe. It expressed the desire of millions of British people for an end to austerity and for fundamental change in our society, taking Labour’s share of the vote from 30% in 2015 to 40% just two years later, an unprecedented achievement.
Yes, the general election was a disaster. A setback of monumental proportions after all our advances. And yes, I believe it was largely down to Brexit, in not only creating a divided party and a fundamental disconnect between Labour and our heartlands, which I feared it would, but in fuelling the perception of a weak leader.
That’s why we need to remind people what our party stood for, the achievements of the last four years, why young people gravitated to it and that there’s still a cause to fight for. Which is why I urge members not to sit on their hands, nor be deflected by the siren voices of our enemies both inside and outside of the Labour Party. But ultimately it’s up to Becky to show that she can inject the magic back into our party. And if she can do that, then she will win.


labourlist--2020-02-28--How Labour’s new leadership must handle Brexit in coming months

Politics has been relentless since the 2014 Scottish independence referendum .
But since Labour ’ s devastating defeat in the 2019 general election , it feels like we are in a different world .
There is rarely urgent business on the floor of the House of Commons , the political and Europe editors have disappeared from the rolling news channels , and politics no longer dominates our lives .
And yet this is precisely the time we need to be paying attention .
The decisions being made now are determining our long-term future , and demand our attention and scrutiny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a free trade agreement “ underpinned by provisions ensuring a level playing field ” – a pledge they ditched as quickly as it takes to say ’ 80-seat majority ’ .
Boris Johnson has gone from promising regulatory alignment to regulatory freedom .
Many businesses don ’ t fear alignment , they demand it .
Our economy has grown by just 0.5 % over the last 12 months .
We lack consumer and investor confidence .
A chill can be felt as growth in China , India and Germany slows down .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the end of the year .
We can not let the Tories inflict harm on our economy , our jobs , and our public services .
The single biggest issue facing us this year is signing a trade deal with the EU .
The first priority for our new leader , the Shadow Chancellor and the Shadow Business Secretary will be to ensure that either the government secures a deal , or it secures an extension to the transition period .
The government ’ s blueprint for a new relationship with our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighbour can only be described as deluded and reckless : “ We will not be extending the transition period .
It simply defers the moment at which we are in charge of our own destiny.
” These words put fear into any business leader .
We have a government that is prepared to inflict long-term damage to our jobs and economy , in favour of sovereignty .
Labour must thwart the dangerous and destructive consequence of this Conservative dogma .
A no-deal Brexit will be catastrophic .
In ruling out extending the transition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jeopardise business security in favour of uncertainty .
It expects to complete negotiations that normally take years in just ten months , with a cavalier disregard for the consequences of failing to meet such self-imposed timelines .
How does our incoming leadership team handle this ?
First , we need honesty with the British people .
How does Johnson even think he can negotiate and ratify a complex trade deal in ten months ?
The negotiating mandate seeks to cherry pick , without making any concessions .
He ’ s setting himself up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brexit won ’ t hit him and his out-of-touch government .
Secondly , we need to explain the risk .
We have powerful arguments and need our front-bench ‘ A team ’ to articulate them .
Leaving the EU on World Trade Organisation terms will mean trade tariffs that will hit everyone in the pocket from New Year ’ s day 2021 , and trade barriers that will drastically slow down the movement of goods .
We must remind people of the treasury analysis that predicts a contracting economy , and that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protections – like the right to paid holidays , safe limits on working hours and environmental standards .
We have to pin that on them .
Our biggest challenge is to ensure that the Johnson administration either leaves with a deal , or extends the transition period .
That can only happen if extraordinary pressure is brought to bear on the government ; once again uniting business and workers with Labour at the heart of that campaign .
Next , we can ’ t just criticise the government but must also put our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needn ’ t oversteer from our manifesto commitment for a comprehensive customs union and single market alignment – to protect jobs , rights , living standards , our economy and our public services .
We have to be the party that consistently and coherently makes the case for continuing high standards with no weakening of rights and protections , both inside and outside of the EU .
Finally , we must ensure that the Tories own the failure .
Any economic damage is on them .
The blame for jobs lost , businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest at Johnson ’ s door .
We must never stop reminding them of that .
Johnson has been seduced by the promise of a trade deal with the US .
But in chasing that dream he is willing to throw us into a no-deal Brexit , and throw Britain into a recession .
We are up against a powerful Tory government that has the numbers to do what it wants .
Labour has a duty to stand up for people who will suffer .
The fightback has begun .

Politics has been relentless since the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. But since Labour’s devastating defeat in the 2019 general election, it feels like we are in a different world. There is rarely urgent business on the floor of the House of Commons, the political and Europe editors have disappeared from the rolling news channels, and politics no longer dominates our lives. And yet this is precisely the time we need to be paying attention. The decisions being made now are determining our long-term future, and demand our attention and scrutiny.
The Tories fought the election promising a free trade agreement “underpinned by provisions ensuring a level playing field” – a pledge they ditched as quickly as it takes to say ’80-seat majority’. Boris Johnson has gone from promising regulatory alignment to regulatory freedom. Many businesses don’t fear alignment, they demand it. Our economy has grown by just 0.5% over the last 12 months. We lack consumer and investor confidence. A chill can be felt as growth in China, India and Germany slows down. We are at risk of being in recession before the end of the year. We cannot let the Tories inflict harm on our economy, our jobs, and our public services.
The single biggest issue facing us this year is signing a trade deal with the EU. The first priority for our new leader, the Shadow Chancellor and the Shadow Business Secretary will be to ensure that either the government secures a deal, or it secures an extension to the transition period. The government’s blueprint for a new relationship with our most important trading partner and nearest geographical neighbour can only be described as deluded and reckless: “We will not be extending the transition period. It simply defers the moment at which we are in charge of our own destiny.” These words put fear into any business leader.
We have a government that is prepared to inflict long-term damage to our jobs and economy, in favour of sovereignty. Labour must thwart the dangerous and destructive consequence of this Conservative dogma. A no-deal Brexit will be catastrophic. In ruling out extending the transition period, the government is willing to jeopardise business security in favour of uncertainty. It expects to complete negotiations that normally take years in just ten months, with a cavalier disregard for the consequences of failing to meet such self-imposed timelines.
How does our incoming leadership team handle this? First, we need honesty with the British people. How does Johnson even think he can negotiate and ratify a complex trade deal in ten months? The negotiating mandate seeks to cherry pick, without making any concessions. He’s setting himself up to fail, safe that a no-deal Brexit won’t hit him and his out-of-touch government.
Secondly, we need to explain the risk. We have powerful arguments and need our front-bench ‘A team’ to articulate them. Leaving the EU on World Trade Organisation terms will mean trade tariffs that will hit everyone in the pocket from New Year’s day 2021, and trade barriers that will drastically slow down the movement of goods. We must remind people of the treasury analysis that predicts a contracting economy, and that the Tories’ ideology seeks to undermine important protections – like the right to paid holidays, safe limits on working hours and environmental standards. We have to pin that on them.
Our biggest challenge is to ensure that the Johnson administration either leaves with a deal, or extends the transition period. That can only happen if extraordinary pressure is brought to bear on the government; once again uniting business and workers with Labour at the heart of that campaign.
Next, we can’t just criticise the government but must also put our own solutions on the table. Labour needn’t oversteer from our manifesto commitment for a comprehensive customs union and single market alignment – to protect jobs, rights, living standards, our economy and our public services. We have to be the party that consistently and coherently makes the case for continuing high standards with no weakening of rights and protections, both inside and outside of the EU.
Finally, we must ensure that the Tories own the failure. Any economic damage is on them. The blame for jobs lost, businesses closing, and industries jeopardised will firmly rest at Johnson’s door. We must never stop reminding them of that. Johnson has been seduced by the promise of a trade deal with the US. But in chasing that dream he is willing to throw us into a no-deal Brexit, and throw Britain into a recession. We are up against a powerful Tory government that has the numbers to do what it wants. Labour has a duty to stand up for people who will suffer. The fightback has begun.


labourlist--2020-03-01--Sunday shows: Rebecca Long-Bailey, John McDonnell and Richard Burgon

John McDonnell appeared on the show this morning to talk about the resignation of the senior civil servant Philip Rutnam , the upcoming budget and the Labour leadership race .
• On the resignation of Rutnam following allegations of bullying by Priti Patel : “ I can ’ t remember a case like this , there must be something pretty bad that ’ s gone on.
” • On Boris Johnson : “ Within a couple of months he ’ s lost his chancellor and now it looks as though he ’ s going to lose his Home Secretary as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Boris Johnson ’ s own abilities.
” • On government plans for the budget : “ It doesn ’ t look like they ’ re going to use the scale of investment that ’ s needed to solve the problems.
” • He added : “ They are not tackling how you pay for those services , in particular fair taxation system and tackling tax avoidance.
” • Asked “ what ’ s gone wrong ” for Rebecca Long-Bailey in the Labour leadership race : “ I don ’ t think it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Members will make the decision .
We ’ ll see what comes out in the final vote.
” • On whether he is resigned to Long-Bailey losing to Keir Starmer : “ I still hope she wins .
I think there ’ s a good chance she will – we ’ ve got a long way to go in the election campaign.
” • Shown a clip of the tv debate where the candidates clashed on antisemitism and asked whether Long-Bailey spoke out while in the shadow cabinet : “ She did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So did Becky.
” • Asked if he is worried about the next leader abandoning Corbynism : “ No… All three of them have actually endorsed the overall political analysis that we had.
” • On the failure of Corbyn and himself to win the election : “ Brexit overtook us and it was like a tsunami hitting us.
” • Asked if he had any regrets about his time as Shadow Chancellor : “ Up until 2017 , it was easy – end austerity .
After that , we never really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been firmer about that.
” Richard Burgon told Andrew Marr that Labour would be in government now if not for the 2016 coup , invited Tony Blair to study at his Tony Benn college and explained why he has not signed up to the pledges put forward by the Board of Deputies of British Jews ( BoD ) .
• Asked whether he is the ‘ continuity Corbyn ’ candidate : “ I certainly am and I want to defend what I think are the three pillars of Corbynism : democratic members-led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party and an anti-war , internationalist party.
” • On the last election : “ I think it became a Brexit election .
Brexit ended up overshadowing traditional party loyalties… I think we could have won it if it hadn ’ t been for Brexit.
” • On why Labour lost : “ It wasn ’ t our socialist policies that caused us to lose… What changed in those two years was the Brexit issue .
And also the right-wing press upping it ’ s game and demonising Jeremy.
” • On Starmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I don ’ t think there is a future for the Labour politically , morally or electorally by trying to triangulate our way back to power.
” • On loyalty to the leadership : “ If it hadn ’ t have been for the disloyalty and disgraceful behaviour by members of the Parliamentary Labour Party in 2016 , we would be three years into a Labour government by now.
” • On the last manifesto : “ Whoever is elected to be the leader of the Labour Party , they won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single socialist policy without the express permission of Labour members.
” • On his pledge to create a Tony Benn school : “ What this is about , the Tony Benn school of political education , is offering something that will empower Labour members – not just books and writings by Tony Benn.
” • Asked if Blair be welcome to come talk at the college : “ He would be welcome to come and learn… Blair introduced tuition fees – he could come and study for free at the Tony Benn school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ The students could interview him if they so wished.
” • On his past comment that “ zionism is the enemy of peace ” : “ I made a mistake in saying that… I think it ’ s important that we all get involved in the Labour Party fulfilling our moral duty to fight antisemitism.
” • On his refusal to sign up to the BoD pledges : “ I feel uncomfortable as a non-Jewish person , signing up to a pledge that refers to other Jewish groups as “ fringe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work with the BoD and groups rights across the Jewish community.
” Labour leadership candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey was on 5 Live Politics – formerly Pienaar ’ s Politics – today , and discussed the resignation of senior civil servant Rutnam .
• She said that she wants to see an immediate “ independent judge-led inquiry – not led by cabinet office , so that the government has the ability to influence what happens in that investigation ” .
• Long-Bailey added that she feels the government should “ offer to pay this particular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or at least promise not to seek costs in his case after what he ’ s been through ” .
• She pledged that , as Labour leader , she would hire her “ own senior judge or ex-permanent secretary to investigate this matter as quickly as possible ” .
• This differs from the plan put forward by her fellow candidate , Starmer , who has called for an investigation led by the cabinet secretary .

Ridge on Sunday
John McDonnell appeared on the show this morning to talk about the resignation of the senior civil servant Philip Rutnam, the upcoming budget and the Labour leadership race.
On the resignation of Rutnam following allegations of bullying by Priti Patel: “I can’t remember a case like this, there must be something pretty bad that’s gone on.”
On Boris Johnson: “Within a couple of months, he’s lost his chancellor and now it looks as though he’s going to lose his Home Secretary as well. I think that says something about Boris Johnson’s own abilities.”
On government plans for the budget: “It doesn’t look like they’re going to use the scale of investment that’s needed to solve the problems… They are not tackling how you pay for those services, in particular fair taxation system and tackling tax avoidance.”
Asked “what’s gone wrong” for Rebecca Long-Bailey in the Labour leadership race: “I don’t think it’s a matter of going wrong. Members will make the decision. We’ll see what comes out in the final vote.”
On whether he is resigned to Long-Bailey losing to Keir Starmer: “I still hope she wins. I think there’s a good chance she will – we’ve got a long way to go in the election campaign.”
Shown a clip of the TV debate where the candidates clashed on antisemitism and asked whether Long-Bailey spoke out while in the shadow cabinet: “She did. I was there. Keir did. So did Becky.”
Asked if he is worried about the next leader abandoning Corbynism: “No… All three of them have actually endorsed the overall political analysis that we had.”
On the failure of Corbyn and himself to win the election: “Brexit overtook us, and it was like a tsunami hitting us.”
Asked if he had any regrets about his time as Shadow Chancellor: “Up until 2017, it was easy – end austerity. After that, we never really had a clear narrative and I should have been firmer about that.”
"It's becoming a bit interminable." Shadow Chancellor @johnmcdonnellMP tells @SophyRidgeSky any one of the Labour leadership candidates "would make a good leader of the party" – but says the contest has "gone on a bit". Follow #Ridge live: https://t.co/bFXOdYFYmN pic.twitter.com/Dgiad7FuGg — Sophy Ridge on Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) March 1, 2020
The Andrew Marr Show
Richard Burgon told Andrew Marr that Labour would be in government now if not for the 2016 coup, invited Tony Blair to study at his Tony Benn college and explained why he has not signed up to the pledges put forward by the Board of Deputies of British Jews.
On whether he is the ‘continuity Corbyn’ candidate: “I certainly am and I want to defend what I think are the three pillars of Corbynism: democratic members-led party, and anti-austerity, public ownership party and an anti-war, internationalist party.”
On the last election: “I think it became a Brexit election. Brexit ended up overshadowing traditional party loyalties… I think we could have won it if it hadn’t been for Brexit.”
On why Labour lost: “It wasn’t our socialist policies that caused us to lose… What changed in those two years was the Brexit issue. And also the right-wing press upping it’s game and demonising Jeremy.”
On Starmer moving the party towards the centre: “I don’t think there is a future for the Labour politically, morally or electorally, by trying to triangulate our way back to power.”
On loyalty to the leadership: “If it hadn’t have been for the disloyalty and disgraceful behaviour by members of the Parliamentary Labour Party in 2016, we would be three years into a Labour government by now.”
On the last manifesto: “Whoever is elected to be the leader of the Labour Party, they won’t have a mandate to ditch a single socialist policy without the express permission of Labour members.”
On his pledge to create a Tony Benn school: “What this is about, the Tony Benn School of Political Education, is offering something that will empower Labour members – not just books and writings by Tony Benn.”
Asked if Blair be welcome to come talk at the college: “He would be welcome to come and learn… Blair introduced tuition fees – he could come and study for free at the Tony Benn school of political education… The students could interview him if they so wished.”
On his past comment that “Zionism is the enemy of peace”: “I made a mistake in saying that… I think it’s important that we all get involved in the Labour Party fulfilling our moral duty to fight antisemitism.”
On his refusal to sign up to the BoD pledges: “I feel uncomfortable as a non-Jewish person, signing up to a pledge that refers to other Jewish groups as “fringe Jewish groups”… I want to work with the BoD and groups rights across the Jewish community.”
#Marr: Could Tony Blair be a lecturer at a new ‘Tony Benn School of Political Education’? Labour deputy leadership candidate Richard Burgon: "He’d be welcome to come and learn"https://t.co/71YLU60AZN pic.twitter.com/qeq7mhBD8F — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) March 1, 2020
5 Live Politics
Labour leadership candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey was on 5 Live Politics – formerly Pienaar’s Politics – today, and discussed the resignation of senior civil servant Rutnam.


labourlist--2020-02-29--Long-Bailey’s plan to stop the “corrupting influence of corporate money in politics”

Labour leadership hopeful Rebecca Long-Bailey has released a six-point plan to stop the “ corrupting influence of corporate money in politics ” , prevent “ vested interests ” from “ buying policy ” and “ end the gentleman ’ s club in Westminster ” .
1 .
No influence without taxation – a ban on all political donations from tax avoiders and tax evaders , as well as those not domiciled in the UK 2 .
Closing the loopholes – stopping shell companies that funnel dark money into politics , and ending the secrecy of “ donor clubs ” that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donors 3 .
Maximum transparency – repealing the Lobbying Act and introducing a corporate lobbying register that would cover in-house lobbyists and think tanks , and be extended to meetings with all senior government staff 4 .
No delays – publishing all large political donations that have been accepted by political parties , so the public is able to find out instantly about potential conflicts of interest or outside influences , including during an election campaign 5 .
Serving the public full-time – a ban on MPs taking paid second jobs , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professional qualification such as nursing 6 .
Stop the revolving door – introduce a new business appointments committee to replace the ineffective Advisory Committee on Business Appointments , that will prevent former ministers lobbying government for a minimum of five years after leaving office

Labour leadership hopeful Rebecca Long-Bailey has released a six-point plan to stop the “corrupting influence of corporate money in politics”, prevent “vested interests” from “buying policy” and “end the gentleman’s club in Westminster”.
1. No influence without taxation – a ban on all political donations from tax avoiders and tax evaders, as well as those not domiciled in the UK
2. Closing the loopholes – stopping shell companies that funnel dark money into politics, and ending the secrecy of “donor clubs” that are used to hide the names of donors
3. Maximum transparency – repealing the Lobbying Act and introducing a corporate lobbying register that would cover in-house lobbyists and think tanks, and be extended to meetings with all senior government staff
4. No delays – publishing all large political donations that have been accepted by political parties, so the public is able to find out instantly about potential conflicts of interest or outside influences, including during an election campaign
5. Serving the public full-time – a ban on MPs taking paid second jobs, with exceptions for those working to keep a professional qualification such as nursing
6. Stop the revolving door – introduce a new business appointments committee to replace the ineffective Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, that will prevent former ministers lobbying government for a minimum of five years after leaving office