labourlist--2020-10-05--Child hunger doesn’t stop for the holidays. Extend free school meals

NHS surcharges for migrant workers .
The A-level results fiasco .
The evictions ban .
The government has been forced to make U-turn after U-turn by repeatedly finding itself on the wrong side of issues that should never have been up for debate .
The free school meals debacle before the summer did nothing to dispel the notion that this Boris Johnson-led government is not only devoid of compassion and decency but tone-deaf , too – riddled with a political ineptness that Chris ‘ Failing ’ Grayling would be proud of .
Here was a government , in the midst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feed more than one million children .
It was only after Marcus Rashford ’ s high-profile intervention that the government finally relented and made an embarrassing and entirely avoidable about-face .
It is barely believable , then , that the Prime Minister is now set to withdraw the scheme again .
We are facing further restrictions that Johnson has said will last for at least six months and huge swathes of the country are already enduring even tougher measures .
The Chancellor ’ s replacement for furlough may offer some respite to businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could still lose their job or see their income fall dramatically .
Things are set to get harder , not easier , for families already struggling .
The situation could not be more stark .
More than 200,000 children have had to skip meals because their family could not access sufficient food during lockdown , and 2.4 million children are living in food insecure households .
The Trussell Trust has forecast that there will be a 61 % increase in food parcels needed between October and December , and warned that extreme poverty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government is now refusing to extend the free school meal voucher scheme over the autumn half-term and Christmas holidays .
The government has said its holiday activities and food programme underlines the commitment to tackling holiday hunger .
Yet this ‘ commitment ’ covers only 17 local authority areas and has not yet been extended for the autumn half-term and the Christmas holidays .
Even if it was renewed , the programme would remain a postcode lottery when we desperately need a system that ensures every child in our country has enough to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a child lives in Sheffield or Southend – if they have not got enough to eat , they have not got enough to eat .
It is not just the school holidays where a child ’ s access to a proper meal is being rescinded .
As the Co-operative Party has highlighted , due to a lack of clear guidance from the government , self-isolating pupils could also be going hungry because they aren ’ t receiving free school meals .
Given that one in five schools has had Covid-19 cases , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children across the country .
The government needs to step up and guarantee free school meals for self-isolating pupils .
If not , children who have already faced months of disruption to their education could face a fortnight of hunger .
I would agree with those who say we need a long-term , permanent solution to this issue .
We can not go from school holiday to school holiday repeatedly appealing to the government to make the right decision .
Even before this pandemic , child poverty and hunger were rising exponentially and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look to embed a free meals scheme on a permanent basis all year round , irrespective of postcode .
The call by the child food poverty task force to fund three national food strategy policy recommendations , including the expansion of free school meals to every child from a household on Universal Credit , must be enacted .
But this could take months of campaigning to achieve , which means we must also focus on the immediate necessity to prevent holiday hunger this autumn half-term .
We have two weeks to ensure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic has devastated the lives and livelihoods of our residents .
Families have lost all or some of their income .
Businesses that have taken years of hard work to build up have had to close overnight .
The tragic result of this will be more children living in poverty and more children not having enough to eat .
This is true irrespective of whether it is term time or during the school holidays .
Child hunger does not stop for the school holidays .
Sign our petition , ‘ Boris Johnson : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holidays – extend free school meals ’ .

NHS surcharges for migrant workers. The A-level results fiasco. The evictions ban. The government has been forced to make U-turn after U-turn by repeatedly finding itself on the wrong side of issues that should never have been up for debate. The free school meals debacle before the summer did nothing to dispel the notion that this Boris Johnson-led government is not only devoid of compassion and decency but tone-deaf, too – riddled with a political ineptness that Chris ‘Failing’ Grayling would be proud of. Here was a government, in the midst of the global pandemic, refusing to feed more than one million children.
It was only after Marcus Rashford’s high-profile intervention that the government finally relented and made an embarrassing and entirely avoidable about-face. It is barely believable, then, that the Prime Minister is now set to withdraw the scheme again. We are facing further restrictions that Johnson has said will last for at least six months and huge swathes of the country are already enduring even tougher measures. The Chancellor’s replacement for furlough may offer some respite to businesses and workers, but millions of people could still lose their job or see their income fall dramatically. Things are set to get harder, not easier, for families already struggling.
The situation could not be more stark. More than 200,000 children have had to skip meals because their family could not access sufficient food during lockdown, and 2.4 million children are living in food insecure households. The Trussell Trust has forecast that there will be a 61% increase in food parcels needed between October and December, and warned that extreme poverty could double by Christmas. Yet the government is now refusing to extend the free school meal voucher scheme over the autumn half-term and Christmas holidays.
The government has said its holiday activities and food programme underlines the commitment to tackling holiday hunger. Yet this ‘commitment’ covers only 17 local authority areas and has not yet been extended for the autumn half-term and the Christmas holidays. Even if it was renewed, the programme would remain a postcode lottery when we desperately need a system that ensures every child in our country has enough to eat. It does not matter if a child lives in Sheffield or Southend – if they have not got enough to eat, they have not got enough to eat.
It is not just the school holidays where a child’s access to a proper meal is being rescinded. As the Co-operative Party has highlighted, due to a lack of clear guidance from the government, self-isolating pupils could also be going hungry because they aren’t receiving free school meals. Given that one in five schools has had Covid-19 cases, this could be affecting a significant number of children across the country. The government needs to step up and guarantee free school meals for self-isolating pupils. If not, children who have already faced months of disruption to their education could face a fortnight of hunger.
I would agree with those who say we need a long-term, permanent solution to this issue. We cannot go from school holiday to school holiday repeatedly appealing to the government to make the right decision. Even before this pandemic, child poverty and hunger were rising exponentially and it is clear that the government must look to embed a free meals scheme on a permanent basis all year round, irrespective of postcode.
The call by the child food poverty task force to fund three national food strategy policy recommendations, including the expansion of free school meals to every child from a household on Universal Credit, must be enacted. But this could take months of campaigning to achieve, which means we must also focus on the immediate necessity to prevent holiday hunger this autumn half-term. We have two weeks to ensure that 1.4 million children are fed.
This pandemic has devastated the lives and livelihoods of our residents. Families have lost all or some of their income. Businesses that have taken years of hard work to build up have had to close overnight. The tragic result of this will be more children living in poverty and more children not having enough to eat. This is true irrespective of whether it is term time or during the school holidays. Child hunger does not stop for the school holidays.
Sign our petition, ‘Boris Johnson: Child hunger does not stop for the holidays – extend free school meals’.


labourlist--2020-10-05--Shannon Jezzard: Why I’m standing to be Young Labour’s eastern representative

Back in July , when nominations opened for the Young Labour elections , I launched my campaign to be eastern representative on the Young Labour national committee and chair of eastern Young Labour .
I was encouraged to see the number of young people across the region who were keen to get involved with my campaign for socialist representation and am grateful to have made the ballot , leading with 40 nominations from incredible Young Labour activists across the East of England .
Since joining the party in 2015 , enthused by the left-wing leadership of Jeremy Corbyn and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 general election , I have been massively inspired by the amount of talent and drive from Young Labour members throughout the eastern region .
Like many young people , it was easy to find myself disenfranchised with electoral politics – but in Labour , largely due to the support and guidance from those in my local Constituency Labour Party ( CLP ) as well as Young Labour comrades throughout the region , I found my political home within the movement .
Being a young member on the left is not without its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best course of action is always to stay and fight to ensure that Labour continues to represent the people too often left behind .
With a legacy of over ten years of devastating cuts , Tory austerity has decimated our public services and left far too many people across our regions in desperate situations .
In my hometown in Essex , due to a lack of safe and secure affordable housing and exploitative Tory policy , I have seen the impact that permitted developments have had on too many families .
With house @ @ @ @ @ @ @ council housing across the board , too many young people have been forced into private renting – where over a third of their salary goes towards exploitative landlords .
As a private renter myself , I know how living in insecure housing can feel for young people at the moment .
From precarious housing and employment , it has never been more important for young people to join both trade and tenants ’ unions – and become active in them and fight for the rights they deserve .
Collective action is integral to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work on a programme of political education to be delivered for Young Labour members across the East , empowering them to organise within their communities and workplaces , to secure the best situations possible going forward under this Tory government .
The pandemic has brought along its own obstacles .
From retail staff to carers and teachers , young workers have been at the forefront of this pandemic – only to be met with the government ’ s measly statutory sick pay if they have to self-isolate .
Alongside the devastating losses of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faced a plethora of redundancies from industries across the board .
As a young worker myself , I experienced redundancy as a result of Covid .
And whilst the furlough scheme offered support to workers over the past few months , we can only expect more redundancies to come .
This will leave too many young people without income and receiving little support from this incompetent government .
Students have been massively impacted , from the stress of receiving their A-Level grades to now having to isolate in their halls and participate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fees and rents .
If anything , this pandemic has shown just how right we were to fight for a National Education Service with free education from cradle to grave , giving everyone a good opportunity to learn and develop their skills no matter their background or age .
Young people are on the frontline , bearing the brunt of this crisis .
A government , which told us to get back to work and ‘ Eat Out to Help Out ’ whilst forcing us back into schools and universities , now points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at its own incompetence – as the reason the virus is out of control .
It is unacceptable , and I would fight to make sure that Labour rejects this contemptible narrative .
We deserve better , and I believe that by making eastern Young Labour a campaigning force on relevant issues such as housing , climate change and insecure work , we can achieve that .
Collectively , we need to ensure we hold the leadership to account .
From delivering a green new deal to supporting transgender rights and the Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a force that does not shy away from the struggles of challenging the status quo .
During the Peterborough by-election , I saw the number of young activists who descended on the city from across the region to help elect a Labour MP .
Whilst our young members are dedicated door-knockers and campaigners , they can not just be treated as foot soldiers come election time .
I believe through political education , we can encourage young activists to stand for positions themselves .
As the youngest councillor in Harlow , I know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ council chamber providing a voice for their local residents .
Too often , young people ’ s issues are overlooked .
By encouraging Young Labour members across the region to stand for council themselves , and providing the advice and guidance they need to do so , we will see a shift in the dynamic as young candidates bring a new energy to every election they run in .
I will not let eastern Young Labour members be forgotten about .
Having travelled around the region as youth representative of the regional executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Young Labour groups , I know how difficult it can be to organise in our region due to terrible transport links in areas that are too often forgotten about by those in Westminster .
I no longer want to see any ‘ true-blue ’ constituencies throughout our region , and I believe we can achieve that by empowering young members across the East with accessible training , resources , support and guidance for both new and established Young Labour groups .
Having chaired my own Young Labour group over the past three years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ active group – from hosting events , fundraisers and campaign days to engaging other young members for whom a CLP meeting can often be an all too daunting place .
I want to work on the safeguarding of all our young members across the region , and demand as much support as the party is able to provide in terms of safety and inclusivity .
Young Labour , with over 100,000 members has the power to shift and influence the direction of the party .
But for this to be achieved , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solid representation in its regions .
I am standing for eastern representative because I want Young Labour to be a campaigning force that empowers our young activists with opportunities and education .
When ballots drop on the 19th , please do vote for me , Shannon Jezzard , for a socialist eastern Young Labour .

Back in July, when nominations opened for the Young Labour elections, I launched my campaign to be eastern representative on the Young Labour national committee and chair of eastern Young Labour. I was encouraged to see the number of young people across the region who were keen to get involved with my campaign for socialist representation and am grateful to have made the ballot, leading with 40 nominations from incredible Young Labour activists across the East of England.
Since joining the party in 2015, enthused by the left-wing leadership of Jeremy Corbyn and then becoming active within the movement during the 2017 general election, I have been massively inspired by the amount of talent and drive from Young Labour members throughout the eastern region. Like many young people, it was easy to find myself disenfranchised with electoral politics – but in Labour, largely due to the support and guidance from those in my local Constituency Labour Party (CLP) as well as Young Labour comrades throughout the region, I found my political home within the movement. Being a young member on the left is not without its challenges but, for me, the best course of action is always to stay and fight to ensure that Labour continues to represent the people too often left behind.
With a legacy of over ten years of devastating cuts, Tory austerity has decimated our public services and left far too many people across our regions in desperate situations. In my hometown in Essex, due to a lack of safe and secure affordable housing and exploitative Tory policy, I have seen the impact that permitted developments have had on too many families. With house prices soaring and a complete lack of council housing across the board, too many young people have been forced into private renting – where over a third of their salary goes towards exploitative landlords. As a private renter myself, I know how living in insecure housing can feel for young people at the moment.
From precarious housing and employment, it has never been more important for young people to join both trade and tenants’ unions – and become active in them and fight for the rights they deserve. Collective action is integral to our movement, and I want to work on a programme of political education to be delivered for Young Labour members across the East, empowering them to organise within their communities and workplaces, to secure the best situations possible going forward under this Tory government.
The pandemic has brought along its own obstacles. From retail staff to carers and teachers, young workers have been at the forefront of this pandemic – only to be met with the government’s measly statutory sick pay if they have to self-isolate. Alongside the devastating losses of family and friends, young people have faced a plethora of redundancies from industries across the board. As a young worker myself, I experienced redundancy as a result of Covid. And whilst the furlough scheme offered support to workers over the past few months, we can only expect more redundancies to come. This will leave too many young people without income and receiving little support from this incompetent government.
Students have been massively impacted, from the stress of receiving their A-Level grades to now having to isolate in their halls and participate in virtual lectures – all whilst paying extortionate fees and rents. If anything, this pandemic has shown just how right we were to fight for a National Education Service with free education from cradle to grave, giving everyone a good opportunity to learn and develop their skills no matter their background or age.
Young people are on the frontline, bearing the brunt of this crisis. A government, which told us to get back to work and ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ whilst forcing us back into schools and universities, now points its finger at us – rather than at its own incompetence – as the reason the virus is out of control. It is unacceptable, and I would fight to make sure that Labour rejects this contemptible narrative.
We deserve better, and I believe that by making eastern Young Labour a campaigning force on relevant issues such as housing, climate change and insecure work, we can achieve that. Collectively, we need to ensure we hold the leadership to account. From delivering a green new deal to supporting transgender rights and the Black Lives Matter movement, we must remain a force that does not shy away from the struggles of challenging the status quo.
During the Peterborough by-election, I saw the number of young activists who descended on the city from across the region to help elect a Labour MP. Whilst our young members are dedicated door-knockers and campaigners, they cannot just be treated as foot soldiers come election time. I believe through political education, we can encourage young activists to stand for positions themselves.
As the youngest councillor in Harlow, I know the importance of young representatives in the council chamber providing a voice for their local residents. Too often, young people’s issues are overlooked. By encouraging Young Labour members across the region to stand for council themselves, and providing the advice and guidance they need to do so, we will see a shift in the dynamic as young candidates bring a new energy to every election they run in.
I will not let eastern Young Labour members be forgotten about. Having travelled around the region as youth representative of the regional executive committee and organising campaign days with several Young Labour groups, I know how difficult it can be to organise in our region due to terrible transport links in areas that are too often forgotten about by those in Westminster. I no longer want to see any ‘true-blue’ constituencies throughout our region, and I believe we can achieve that by empowering young members across the East with accessible training, resources, support and guidance for both new and established Young Labour groups.
Having chaired my own Young Labour group over the past three years, I know the importance of an active group – from hosting events, fundraisers and campaign days to engaging other young members for whom a CLP meeting can often be an all too daunting place. I want to work on the safeguarding of all our young members across the region, and demand as much support as the party is able to provide in terms of safety and inclusivity.
Young Labour, with over 100,000 members has the power to shift and influence the direction of the party. But for this to be achieved, we need to be a strong body with solid representation in its regions. I am standing for eastern representative because I want Young Labour to be a campaigning force that empowers our young activists with opportunities and education. When ballots drop on the 19th, please do vote for me, Shannon Jezzard, for a socialist eastern Young Labour.


labourlist--2020-10-06--Starmer: Ferrier refusing to quit “beggars belief”

Keir Starmer has declared it “ beggars belief that Margaret Ferrier thinks it is appropriate to continue as an MP ” after it was revealed that the SNP representative had breached coronavirus regulations several times .
Commenting ahead of a ‘ Call Keir ’ event that the Labour leader will be holding via Zoom with residents in Ferrier ’ s constituency today , he described her resistance to step down as a “ gross error of judgement ” .
Speaking ahead of the remote meeting , Starmer said that he wants to “ speak directly to local residents about this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feeing angry and frustrated about the situation ” .
He added : “ I also want to hear how the community is coping with coronavirus , how they feel the UK and Scottish governments have handled the pandemic , and what the Labour Party needs to do to rebuild trust among those voters we have lost.
” The MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West , who was elected to represent the SNP but has now had the whip suspended , is facing calls to quit parliament after it was revealed that Ferrier travelled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 .
She has said that she felt unwell and took a coronavirus test before embarking on a 380-mile train journey to London , while waiting for the result instead of self-isolating , and delivered a speech on Covid in the House of Commons .
The Scottish MP then received a positive result and again chose not to self-isolate but took another train to return to Glasgow .
She apologised in a statement on last week for the behaviour , which led to a police investigation .
Labour ’ s Ian Murray wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week in the search for answers over the scandal that saw the MP flagrantly breach Covid rules .
The Shadow Scottish Secretary asked why action was “ not taken immediately to withdraw the whip ” once the details were known , and why it took “ public outrage ” before Blackford “ openly criticised ” Ferrier ’ s actions .
The comments from Keir Starmer today follow those of the Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard , who declared on Monday that kicking Ferrier out of her party was the “ only step available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The ‘ Call Keir ’ meeting is part of a series of public events launched in April to allow people to highlight issues relating to the health crisis that they want raised with government , and to facilitate discussion about why Labour lost in 2019 .

Keir Starmer has declared it “beggars belief that Margaret Ferrier thinks it is appropriate to continue as an MP” after it was revealed that the SNP representative had breached coronavirus regulations several times.
Commenting ahead of a ‘Call Keir’ event that the Labour leader will be holding via Zoom with residents in Ferrier’s constituency today, he described her resistance to step down as a “gross error of judgement”.
Speaking ahead of the remote meeting, Starmer said that he wants to “speak directly to local residents about this scandal, to those locally who are feeing angry and frustrated about the situation”.
He added: “I also want to hear how the community is coping with coronavirus, how they feel the UK and Scottish governments have handled the pandemic, and what the Labour Party needs to do to rebuild trust among those voters we have lost.”
The MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West, who was elected to represent the SNP but has now had the whip suspended, is facing calls to quit parliament after it was revealed that she travelled from Glasgow to London and back with Covid-19.
Ferrier has said she felt unwell and took a coronavirus test before embarking on a 380-mile train journey to London, while waiting for the result instead of self-isolating, and delivered a speech on Covid in the House of Commons.
The Scottish MP then received a positive result and again chose not to self-isolate but took another train to return to Glasgow. She apologised in a statement on last week for the behaviour, which led to a police investigation.
Labour’s Ian Murray wrote to SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford last week in the search for answers over the scandal that saw the MP flagrantly breach Covid rules and put other people’s lives at risk.
The Shadow Scottish Secretary asked why action was “not taken immediately to withdraw the whip” once the details were known, and why it took “public outrage” before Blackford “openly criticised” Ferrier’s actions.
The comments from Keir Starmer today follow those of the Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard, who declared on Monday that kicking Ferrier out of her party was the “only step available to the SNP leadership now”.
The ‘Call Keir’ meeting is part of a series of public events launched in April to allow people to highlight issues relating to the health crisis that they want raised with government, and to facilitate discussion about why Labour lost in 2019.


labourlist--2020-10-06--Labour calls for transparency on Covid rules as MPs back ‘rule of six’

Justin Madders has called for transparency from the government on coronavirus restrictions introduced during the pandemic as MPs retrospectively back the ‘ rule of six ’ by 287 to 17 votes .
Contributing to the debate ahead of the vote in parliament this evening , the shadow health minister said Labour welcomes the “ intention behind the rule of six as a simple , easily understood message ” .
But he added : “ The timeline of these regulations has been the perfect demonstration of the lack of strategy , lack of transparency and the lack of accountability that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Following media briefings the night before , an announcement was made by the Prime Minister on the rule of six – not to this place , as it should have been… I call that a discourtesy to this place.
” Madders told MPs that as well as showing a lack of respect to parliament , it demonstrated a lack of confidence in the measures being proposed , for scrutiny and for thought on the practicalities of enforcing the new rules .
The rule of six , which makes social gatherings of more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in mid-September after a spike in the number of Covid cases across the country .
The shadow minister asked the government this evening : “ How can we expect anyone to possibly adhere to the minutia of these regulations if they only appear for the first time a quarter of an hour before they become law ?
” He repeated Labour ’ s offer to the government for MPs to meet and debate coronavirus restrictions in parliament at short notice , before they are introduced , to ensure that “ democracy still functions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying : “ To take people with us , we need more transparency .
We need to see the evidence behind the restrictions that are being introduced.
” MPs voted to renew the emergency powers granted to the government under the Coronavirus Act in March , which introduced extraordinary measures in the pandemic , at the end of last month .
In an attempt to prevent a full-scale rebellion within the Tories , Matt Hancock said MPs would have a say on national restrictions and “ votes wherever possible ” , resulting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evening .
The vote tonight follows growing unrest on the Tory backbenchers over several of the restrictions , and MPs will be also asked to vote retrospectively on the measures introduced in the North of England on Wednesday evening .
The Tory rebels are led by Steve Baker , who argued ahead of the vote : “ Consensus among Conservative MPs seems to be around two points – that children should be excluded from the rule of six and that the 10pm curfew is not justified by evidence .
“ I wouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either issue .
The reality is we need to persuade the government on all these matters.
” Commenting on the rule of six , Keir Starmer said : “ There are of course arguments about whether it should be six or a different number , I think clarity and simplicity is really important here , and therefore we will support the rule of six tonight .
”

Justin Madders has called for transparency from the government on coronavirus restrictions introduced during the pandemic as MPs retrospectively back the ‘rule of six’ by 287 to 17 votes.
Contributing to the debate ahead of the vote in parliament this evening, the shadow health minister said Labour welcomes the “intention behind the rule of six as a simple, easily understood message”.
But he added: “The timeline of these regulations has been the perfect demonstration of the lack of strategy, lack of transparency and the lack of accountability that has been the hallmark of this government.
“Following media briefings the night before, an announcement was made by the Prime Minister on the rule of six – not to this place, as it should have been… I call that a discourtesy to this place.”
Madders told MPs that as well as showing a lack of respect to parliament, it demonstrated a lack of confidence in the measures being proposed, for scrutiny and for thought on the practicalities of enforcing the new rules.
The rule of six, which makes social gatherings of more than six people unlawful, was introduced in mid-September after a spike in the number of Covid cases across the country.
The shadow minister asked the government this evening: “How can we expect anyone to possibly adhere to the minutia of these regulations if they only appear for the first time a quarter of an hour before they become law?”
He repeated Labour’s offer to the government for MPs to meet and debate coronavirus restrictions in parliament at short notice, before they are introduced, to ensure that “democracy still functions”.
Madders concluded his remarks by saying: “To take people with us, we need more transparency. We need to see the evidence behind the restrictions that are being introduced.”
MPs voted to renew the emergency powers granted to the government under the Coronavirus Act in March, which introduced extraordinary measures in the pandemic, at the end of last month.
In an attempt to prevent a full-scale rebellion within the Tories, Matt Hancock said MPs would have a say on national restrictions and “votes wherever possible”, resulting in retrospective votes such as the one this evening.
The vote tonight follows growing unrest on the Tory backbenchers over several of the restrictions, and MPs will be also asked to vote retrospectively on the measures introduced in the North of England on Wednesday evening.
The Tory rebels are led by Steve Baker, who argued ahead of the vote: “Consensus among Conservative MPs seems to be around two points – that children should be excluded from the rule of six and that the 10pm curfew is not justified by evidence.
“I wouldn’t expect to win a vote on either issue. The reality is we need to persuade the government on all these matters.”
Commenting on the rule of six, Keir Starmer said: “There are of course arguments about whether it should be six or a different number, I think clarity and simplicity is really important here, and therefore we will support the rule of six tonight.”


labourlist--2020-10-06--Harding breaks promise to stay neutral and backs Tory immigration plans

Baroness Dido Harding has voted with the Conservatives on a parliamentary vote on the government ’ s plans for immigration and their impact on social care despite having promised to remain neutral due to her roles in the NHS .
According to reports in the The Mirror this afternoon , Cabinet Secretary Simon Case wrote in a letter that test-and-trace boss Harding had promised to avoid votes relating to health and social care .
But the Conservative life peer voted against the amendment tabled by Labour on Monday to review the implications that the government ’ s immigration plans would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angela Smith said : “ Baroness Harding either never intended to keep her commitment not to vote on health and social care issues or just didn ’ t care enough to find out what the Tory whips had told her to vote against .
Either way , it ’ s brazen behaviour.
” The opposition won the division on the amendment , which will require the government to carry out an independent review .
304 members voted in favour of the change to the bill , while 224 voted against .
The Labour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She voted against a review to understand the impact on the social care sector after the government has ended freedom of movement in the EU .
That is both shocking and extraordinary given her NHS roles.
” Harding is executive chair of the National Institute for Health Protection ( NIHP ) , which is a public body that brings together Public Health England and the NHS test and trace programme .
Its officials are civil servants .
Smith raised concerns last month in a letter to the Cabinet Secretary .
She highlighted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service code , which includes the obligation to “ not act in a way determined by party political considerations ” .
She described Harding continuing her membership of the Conservative group in the Lords while holding her NHS positions as a “ flagrant breach of the code ” , adding that she knows of “ no other example where this has been tolerated ” .
Smith argued that Harding could be made a government minister and consequently be made accountable to parliament .
She asked why the Prime Minister had not taken this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up the NHS test and trace programme early in the pandemic .
She recently assumed the role with the NIHP when the new body was created in August .
Former Labour lord chancellor Charlie Falconer accused Boris Johnson in September of corrupting the UK constitution by appointing Harding to the influential twin civil service roles in the fight against Covid-19 .
He said : “ It is such a corruption of our constitution to make a Tory backbencher in parliament a senior civil servant without any process and without even requiring the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is hardly surprising that our track and trace system is going so wrong if your talent pool is restricted to Tory backbenchers in parliament.
” The government has faced significant criticism since appointing Harding to the prominent roles in the country ’ s fight against the pandemic as she has been a Tory peer since August 2014 and is married to Conservative MP John Penrose .

Baroness Dido Harding has voted with the Conservatives on a parliamentary vote on the government’s plans for immigration and their impact on social care despite having promised to remain neutral due to her roles in the NHS.
According to reports in the The Mirror this afternoon, Cabinet Secretary Simon Case wrote in a letter that test-and-trace boss Harding had promised to avoid votes relating to health and social care.
But the Conservative life peer voted against the amendment tabled by Labour on Monday to review the implications that the government’s immigration plans would have on staffing for the sector.
Angela Smith said: “Baroness Harding either never intended to keep her commitment not to vote on health and social care issues or just didn’t care enough to find out what the Tory whips had told her to vote against. Either way, it’s brazen behaviour.”
The opposition won the division on the amendment, which will require the government to carry out an independent review. 304 members voted in favour of the change to the bill, while 224 voted against.
The Labour leader of the Lords added: “She voted against a review to understand the impact on the social care sector after the government has ended freedom of movement in the EU. That is both shocking and extraordinary given her NHS roles.”
Harding is executive chair of the National Institute for Health Protection (NIHP), which is a public body that brings together Public Health England and the NHS test and trace programme. Its officials are civil servants.
Smith raised concerns last month in a letter to the Cabinet Secretary. She highlighted that Harding should be bound by the civil service code, which includes the obligation to “not act in a way determined by party political considerations”.
She described Harding continuing her membership of the Conservative group in the Lords while holding her NHS positions as a “flagrant breach of the code”, adding that she knows of “no other example where this has been tolerated”.
Smith argued that Harding could be made a government minister and consequently be made accountable to parliament. She asked why the Prime Minister had not taken this step.
Harding was appointed to head up the NHS test and trace programme early in the pandemic. She recently assumed the role with the NIHP when the new body was created in August.
Former Labour lord chancellor Charlie Falconer accused Boris Johnson in September of corrupting the UK constitution by appointing Harding to the influential twin civil service roles in the fight against Covid-19.
He said: “It is such a corruption of our constitution to make a Tory backbencher in parliament a senior civil servant without any process and without even requiring the most basic rules of political impartiality.
“It is hardly surprising that our track and trace system is going so wrong if your talent pool is restricted to Tory backbenchers in parliament.”
The government has faced significant criticism since appointing Harding to the prominent roles in the country’s fight against the pandemic as she has been a Tory peer since August 2014 and is married to Conservative MP John Penrose.


labourlist--2020-10-06--Why Labour should review its strategy of abstention on second reading

In the aftermath of the shock election defeat of 2015 , Harriet Harman determined that the electorate had spoken and that we should respect their wishes and abstain on the now infamous welfare bill .
In doing so , many members and Labour voters believed we left behind a core Labour value of protecting the most vulnerable in society .
Those who abstained on the bill will point out that it was a second reading and that we had the opportunity to amend at later stages .
They would say that if we failed to amend the bill , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But we had the opportunity to do that either way .
A second reading vote is asking whether the bill is aligned to our values – it is not asking whether legalisation on this area is needed .
Unfortunately , to those outside of parliament the intricacies of procedure are ignored , with the headlines instead reading : “ Labour fails to oppose welfare bill ” .
Two weeks ago , I broke the whip for the first time in my parliamentary career when I voted against the overseas operations bill .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other NGOs opposed the bill but a strategic decision was made for Labour to abstain on the bill .
I understand the desire to be more strategic .
At times Jeremy ( and myself ) fell into some of the culture war traps the Tories laid for us .
We should have our values and stand up for them , but that doesn ’ t mean opening ourselves up for attacks on all sides .
Progressive patriotism à la “ cool Britannia ” or families values in all their diversity are important areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will never out-Tory the Tories .
Within hours of us abstaining on the overseas operations bill the Conservatives sent an email to supporters , saying : Similar messages were posted across social media blasting us for being anti-veterans .
John Healey MP did a fantastic job of countering these claims , as did backbenchers like Dan Jarvis MP , but they were overshadowed by our abstention .
If the bill was as bad for veterans as we said , why abstain ?
We were in effect squeezed on both sides , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A failing of leaders can be to try to overcompensate for the perceived failures of their predecessors .
Jeremy saw the failing of Harriet to take a principled stand on the welfare bill and rightly sort to reverse that , but how far did the pendulum swing ?
Initially Keir seemed not to have fallen into this trap and took a principled stand by opposing the second reading of the immigration bill , despite acknowledging the need for a bill on immigration .
Yet in recent weeks , Keir – in trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is attempting to swing the pendulum back the other way .
The strategy of abstention on second reading needs to be reviewed : if Labour believes the face of the bill is not acceptable to be law , we should oppose it .
If we are to be a successful opposition , our vote must follow our voice ( as the parliamentary dictum states ) .
We win ourselves no supporters by sitting on the fence .

In the aftermath of the shock election defeat of 2015, Harriet Harman determined that the electorate had spoken and that we should respect their wishes and abstain on the now infamous welfare bill. In doing so, many members and Labour voters believed we left behind a core Labour value of protecting the most vulnerable in society.
Those who abstained on the bill will point out that it was a second reading and that we had the opportunity to amend at later stages. They would say that if we failed to amend the bill, we could oppose at the third reading. But we had the opportunity to do that either way.
A second reading vote is asking whether the bill is aligned to our values – it is not asking whether legalisation on this area is needed. Unfortunately, to those outside of parliament the intricacies of procedure are ignored, with the headlines instead reading: “Labour fails to oppose welfare bill”.
Two weeks ago, I broke the whip for the first time in my parliamentary career when I voted against the overseas operations bill. The British Legion, Amnesty International and countless other NGOs opposed the bill but a strategic decision was made for Labour to abstain on the bill.
I understand the desire to be more strategic. At times Jeremy (and myself) fell into some of the culture war traps the Tories laid for us. We should have our values and stand up for them, but that doesn’t mean opening ourselves up for attacks on all sides. Progressive patriotism à la “cool Britannia” or families values in all their diversity are important areas to claim as Labour. But we will never out-Tory the Tories.
Within hours of us abstaining on the overseas operations bill the Conservatives sent an email to supporters, saying:
“Just yesterday Sir Keir Starmer asked his party to rediscover its patriotism. But today Labour refused to back our bill to protect our soldiers and veterans, despite tens of thousands of you demanding they do the right thing. Proving that we are still the only party who will deliver on its promises to our troops.”
Similar messages were posted across social media blasting us for being anti-veterans. John Healey MP did a fantastic job of countering these claims, as did backbenchers like Dan Jarvis MP, but they were overshadowed by our abstention. If the bill was as bad for veterans as we said, why abstain? We were in effect squeezed on both sides, and it looked as if we supported nobody.
A failing of leaders can be to try to overcompensate for the perceived failures of their predecessors. Jeremy saw the failing of Harriet to take a principled stand on the welfare bill and rightly sort to reverse that, but how far did the pendulum swing?
Initially Keir seemed not to have fallen into this trap and took a principled stand by opposing the second reading of the immigration bill, despite acknowledging the need for a bill on immigration. Yet in recent weeks, Keir – in trying to break from Jeremy’s style – is attempting to swing the pendulum back the other way. The strategy of abstention on second reading needs to be reviewed: if Labour believes the face of the bill is not acceptable to be law, we should oppose it.
If we are to be a successful opposition, our vote must follow our voice (as the parliamentary dictum states). We win ourselves no supporters by sitting on the fence.


labourlist--2020-10-06--Hancock cannot say how many are spreading Covid due to Excel blunder

Jonathan Ashworth has criticised the government ’ s “ incompetence ” after the Health Secretary told the Commons that he does not know how many people could be unknowingly spreading Covid due to the Excel blunder .
Matt Hancock made the admission while being grilled on the issue by the Shadow Health Secretary during a parliamentary session of health and social care questions this afternoon .
Ashworth asked : “ Given the ONS has today said that deaths have increased for three weeks in a row , given the rising prevalence of the virus , can he understand the upset @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
“ And can he tell us today what he couldn ’ t tell us yesterday : of the 48,000 contacts – not the index cases , the contacts – how many have been traced , and how many are now isolating ?
” The Health Secretary replied : “ We have obviously been continuing to contact both the index cases and the contacts .
Of course , the total number of contacts depends on how many contacts each index case has… “ That information will , of course , be made available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been completed , but you can ’ t know in advance how many contacts there are because you have to do the interviews with the index cases first.
” Ashworth ’ s questions follow reports that nearly 16,000 coronavirus cases went unpublished in the government ’ s daily reports and were not passed on to contact tracers last week , due to what the Prime Minister called a “ computing issue ” .
The Health Secretary told the Commons on Monday that 51 % of the missed cases have been contacted but refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their potential contacts had been reached .
Ashworth added : “ Because of this government ’ s incompetence , there are potentially thousands of people who have been exposed to the virus who could be wandering around not knowing they were exposed and could be infecting people.
” “ And the Health Secretary couldn ’ t even tell us if they ’ ve been traced .
Ministers urgently need to get a grip of their test and trace service.
” The backlog of infections , which was left out of Public Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as many as 48,000 people who had been near someone who tested positive for Covid were not contacted and told to self-isolate .
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner called on Health Secretary Matt Hancock to resign his post over the recent fiascos in the test and trace system this morning , and said that he should “ hang his head in shame ” over the mistake .
The Shadow Health Secretary used a Commons speech on Monday to highlight the impact of the error on local infection rates , as both areas currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in lockdown saw significant case increases .
According to official figures published on October 4th , Manchester ’ s weekly case average jumped from 238 per 100,000 people to 295 per 100,000 .
In rural Newark and Sherwood , the case average rose from 65 per 100,000 people to 73 per 100,000 .
Keir Starmer called for an “ urgent review into whether these local lockdowns are working in the way intended ” last week , as he pointed out that of the 48 areas that have seen additional restrictions , only one @ @ @ @ @ @

Jonathan Ashworth has criticised the government’s “incompetence” after the Health Secretary told the Commons that he does not know how many people could be unknowingly spreading Covid due to the Excel blunder.
Matt Hancock made the admission while being grilled on the issue by the Shadow Health Secretary during a parliamentary session of health and social care questions this afternoon.
Ashworth asked: “Given the ONS has today said that deaths have increased for three weeks in a row, given the rising prevalence of the virus, can he understand the upset and anger over the Excel spreadsheet blunder?
“And can he tell us today what he couldn’t tell us yesterday: of the 48,000 contacts – not the index cases, the contacts – how many have been traced, and how many are now isolating?”
The Health Secretary replied: “We have obviously been continuing to contact both the index cases and the contacts. Of course, the total number of contacts depends on how many contacts each index case has…
“That information will, of course, be made available in the normal way when it has been completed, but you can’t know in advance how many contacts there are because you have to do the interviews with the index cases first.”
Ashworth’s questions follow reports that nearly 16,000 coronavirus cases went unpublished in the government’s daily reports and were not passed on to contact tracers last week, due to what the Prime Minister called a “computing issue”.
The Health Secretary told the Commons on Monday that 51% of the missed cases have been contacted but refused to say at the time how many of their potential contacts had been reached.
Ashworth added: “Because of this government’s incompetence, there are potentially thousands of people who have been exposed to the virus who could be wandering around not knowing they were exposed and could be infecting people.”
“And the Health Secretary couldn’t even tell us if they’ve been traced. Ministers urgently need to get a grip of their test and trace service.”
The backlog of infections, which was left out of Public Health England’s daily figures, meant as many as 48,000 people who had been near someone who tested positive for Covid were not contacted and told to self-isolate.
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner called on Health Secretary Matt Hancock to resign his post over the recent fiascos in the test and trace system this morning, and said that he should “hang his head in shame” over the mistake.
The Shadow Health Secretary used a Commons speech on Monday to highlight the impact of the error on local infection rates, as both areas currently not under local additional restrictions and others in lockdown saw significant case increases.
According to official figures published on October 4th, Manchester’s weekly case average jumped from 238 per 100,000 people to 295 per 100,000. In rural Newark and Sherwood, the case average rose from 65 per 100,000 people to 73 per 100,000.
Keir Starmer called for an “urgent review into whether these local lockdowns are working in the way intended” last week, as he pointed out that of the 48 areas that have seen additional restrictions, only one has seen those measures removed.


labourlist--2020-10-06--SNP must end “scourge of child poverty”, says Richard Leonard

Richard Leonard has called on the SNP government in Holyrood to tackle the “ scourge of child poverty ” after a new report has revealed that Scotland is currently on track to miss its targets .
Responding to a report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation published on Monday that found 230,000 children are currently growing up in poverty in Scotland , he said the “ stark evidence ” should be a call to action for Nicola Sturgeon .
Leonard urged the Scottish government to significantly increase the coverage of the forthcoming Scottish child payment , which is intended to support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new report , the Scottish Labour leader said : “ In the midst of the pandemic , it has become even more difficult for many people to enjoy a good quality of life – something that everyone deserves .
“ Ministers must listen to all those who are campaigning to eradicate poverty , and act , starting by implementing an interim payment equivalent in value to the forthcoming Scottish child payment until it can be rolled out , as well as looking at ways to increase this payment ’ s reach… “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rowntree Foundation this week showed that Scotland is not on course to meet its interim child poverty targets within three years.
” The 230,000 figure reported by the JRF means that 24 % of Scottish children are growing up in poverty , an increase on five years previously and 6 % higher than the 18 % target rate set by the SNP in their interim child poverty targets .
Leonard added : “ We simply can not allow the scourge of child poverty to blight our society any further – this must be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government.
” The new report has documented a variety of challenges facing Scotland ’ s poorest residents as a result of Covid .
The mean hours worked for Scottish workers have fallen during the pandemic whilst those claiming Universal Credit has doubled .
The issues have been particularly acute for young people , with the report arguing that more needed to be done to meet targets and that Scotland now faces a “ crucial moment ” in the battle to eradicate child poverty .
The proposed Scottish child payment , which will start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see low-income families with a child under six able to apply for a grant of £10 per child , per week – equivalent to £520 of support per year .
The report found that the proposed payment could lift 25,000 children out of poverty – just over 10 % of those currently impacted – but would have to be enacted alongside a halt to proposed cuts to the increased rate of Universal Credit .
The Labour Party recently backed a campaign by over 50 organisations opposing the cuts to the higher benefit rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , after it was found that 700,000 families nationally could fall into poverty as a result .

Richard Leonard has called on the SNP government in Holyrood to tackle the “scourge of child poverty” after a new report has revealed that Scotland is currently on track to miss its targets.
Responding to a report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation published on Monday that found 230,000 children are currently growing up in poverty in Scotland, he said the “stark evidence” should be a call to action for Nicola Sturgeon.
Leonard urged the Scottish government to significantly increase the coverage of the forthcoming Scottish child payment, which is intended to support low-income households with children.
Commenting on the new report, the Scottish Labour leader said: “In the midst of the pandemic, it has become even more difficult for many people to enjoy a good quality of life – something that everyone deserves.
“Ministers must listen to all those who are campaigning to eradicate poverty, and act, starting by implementing an interim payment equivalent in value to the forthcoming Scottish child payment until it can be rolled out, as well as looking at ways to increase this payment’s reach…
“The stark evidence presented by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation this week showed that Scotland is not on course to meet its interim child poverty targets within three years.”
The 230,000 figure reported by the JRF means that 24% of Scottish children are growing up in poverty, an increase on five years previously and 6% higher than the 18% target rate set by the SNP in their interim child poverty targets.
Leonard added: “We simply cannot allow the scourge of child poverty to blight our society any further – this must be a call to action for the Scottish government.”
The new report has documented a variety of challenges facing Scotland’s poorest residents as a result of Covid. The mean hours worked for Scottish workers have fallen during the pandemic whilst those claiming Universal Credit has doubled.
The issues have been particularly acute for young people, with the report arguing that more needed to be done to meet targets and that Scotland now faces a “crucial moment” in the battle to eradicate child poverty.
The proposed Scottish child payment, which will start to be implemented from November, would see low-income families with a child under six able to apply for a grant of £10 per child, per week – equivalent to £520 of support per year.
The report found that the proposed payment could lift 25,000 children out of poverty – just over 10% of those currently impacted – but would have to be enacted alongside a halt to proposed cuts to the increased rate of Universal Credit.
The Labour Party recently backed a campaign by over 50 organisations opposing the cuts to the higher benefit rate, introduced to help cope with coronavirus, after it was found that 700,000 families nationally could fall into poverty as a result.


labourlist--2020-10-06--Public wants “roadmap” for the Covid crisis, says Starmer

Keir Starmer has declared that the British public wants to see a “ roadmap to get out of where we are now and to where we need to be ” in the coronavirus crisis in response to a speech by the Prime Minister at Tory conference .
Responding to Boris Johnson ’ s keynote address to the Conservative Party this afternoon , the Labour leader told Sky News that people also want the Prime Minister to admit that there are “ real problems ” with the current strategy .
Starmer said : “ What NHS workers on the frontline , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to today and the country want from the Prime Minister is a sort of frank acknowledgement that there are real problems with the government ’ s approach .
“ Everybody can see that infection rates are rising .
Lots of areas are in restriction and don ’ t seem to be coming out of it and the testing regime just isn ’ t working .
“ What people wanted was a frank acceptance that those problems are there and a roadmap to get out of where we are now , and to where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if you like , from here through to when we get a vaccination.
” The speech from Johnson today received widespread criticism from commentators for its lack of policy detail , being described as “ alphabet soup of a speech ” by one and “ empty headline pitches ” to distract the country from Covid by another .
Labour ’ s deputy leader Angela Rayner criticised the Prime Minister following his keynote speech to the virtual conference today , arguing that he delivered the “ usual bluster and no plan for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used the remote speech to his party this afternoon to reiterate many of the promises already made but not yet delivered by government , including “ levelling up ” and fixing the “ injustice of care home funding ” .
He went on to promise that every home would be powered by offshore wind by 2030 , and repeated his 2019 manifesto election pledge to encourage a new market in long-term fixed rate mortgages in an effort to “ fix our broken housing market ” .
Rishi Sunak made his own speech to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anneliese Dodds accused the Chancellor of having “ nothing new to say ” on how the UK will handle the Covid economic crisis .
Starmer called for an “ urgent review into whether these local lockdowns are working in the way intended ” last week as he highlighted that of the 48 areas that have seen additional restrictions , only one has seen those measures removed .

Keir Starmer has declared that the British public wants to see a “roadmap to get out of where we are now and to where we need to be” in the coronavirus crisis in response to a speech by the Prime Minister at Tory conference.
Responding to Boris Johnson’s keynote address to the Conservative Party this afternoon, the Labour leader told Sky News that people also want the Prime Minister to admit that there are “real problems” with the current strategy.
Starmer said: “What NHS workers on the frontline, the professionals I’ve been speaking to today and the country want from the Prime Minister is a sort of frank acknowledgement that there are real problems with the government’s approach.
“Everybody can see that infection rates are rising. Lots of areas are in restriction and don’t seem to be coming out of it and the testing regime just isn’t working.
“What people wanted was a frank acceptance that those problems are there and a roadmap to get out of where we are now, and to where we need to be – a roadmap, if you like, from here through to when we get a vaccination.”
The speech from Johnson today received widespread criticism from commentators for its lack of policy detail, being described as “alphabet soup of a speech” by one and “empty headline pitches” to distract the country from Covid by another.
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner criticised the Prime Minister following his keynote speech to the virtual conference today, arguing that he delivered the “usual bluster and no plan for the months ahead”.
The Prime Minister used the remote speech to his party this afternoon to reiterate many of the promises already made but not yet delivered by government, including “levelling up” and fixing the “injustice of care home funding”.
He went on to promise that every home would be powered by offshore wind by 2030, and repeated his 2019 manifesto election pledge to encourage a new market in long-term fixed rate mortgages in an effort to “fix our broken housing market”.
Rishi Sunak made his own speech to the conference on Monday. Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds accused the Chancellor of having “nothing new to say” on how the UK will handle the Covid economic crisis.
Starmer called for an “urgent review into whether these local lockdowns are working in the way intended” last week as he highlighted that of the 48 areas that have seen additional restrictions, only one has seen those measures removed.


labourlist--2020-10-06--Another U-turn is possible. Demand large-scale council house building now

Hopes of a radical change in national housing policy appeared to be dashed by the election of the Conservative government last year .
However , the current crisis precipitated by the pandemic has opened up possibilities that would have seemed unfeasible just a few months ago .
The government has had to abandon its free market orthodoxy and take state action that it would not have contemplated before coronavirus .
At the general election , the Conservatives said Labour ’ s £98bn spending programme would bankrupt the country .
This figure now looks like small change in comparison to what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Harold MacMillan once spoke of the “ opposition of events ” that force a government ’ s hand .
Such was the pandemic , which forced this government to do things that it would have denounced as madness before .
And it has been forced into a series of U-turns ; it was even possible for a 22-year-old footballer to sufficiently embarrass the government to execute an about-turn in relation to summer holiday school meals .
As the old maxim has it : strike while the iron is hot .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make a U-turn on the question of funding council and ‘ social ’ housing .
This is a time for audacity rather than timidity .
There is a growing consensus , despite difference of emphases , on the need for a big building programme of social rent housing .
The parliamentary housing communities and local government select ( HCLG ) committee said : “ A social housebuilding programme should be top of the government ’ s agenda to rebuild the country from the impact of Covid-19.
” Even the Tories in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Housing must be a central part of the national recovery from coronavirus .
Now is the time for a genuine renaissance in council housebuilding that reduces homelessness , gets rough sleepers off the streets for good , supports people ’ s well-being and is climate friendly.
” The HCLG committee was right when it said that this can not happen without a significant increase in government grant .
It was disappointing therefore that the only reference in Keir Starmer ’ s speech on housing associated “ fixing the housing crisis ” with enabling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labour committed at its conference last year and in the 2019 manifesto to : • including at least 100,000 council homes funded by £10bn grant annually ; • and end Right to Buy rather than just suspending it .
The voting on the composite resolution was unanimous .
The opinion of the membership is clear .
The housing crisis has been exacerbated by the pandemic , and will be worsened by the end of the Covid moratorium on evictions .
Local authorities do not have the resources to manage a large increase in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old system of paying for each household in temporary accommodation and imposed a fixed sum for each council .
There is no way that the crisis can be resolved without a large-scale council house building programme and an end to the haemorrhaging of stock through Right to Buy .
‘ Generation rent ’ needs decent , secure and affordable homes to rent – and the best means of delivering that is through council housing .
One of the consequences of large-scale council house building would be that hundreds of thousands of people would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is therefore likely that market prices would come down as a result , for those who want to buy , making homes more affordable .
The Labour Campaign for Council Housing is calling on Labour to mobilise a campaign that can bring together organisations , including the growing tenant movement , to demand the government funds a large-scale council house building programme .
The campaign is calling on MPs , constituency parties , trades unions and tenant organisations to lobby the leadership to campaign along these lines .
The pandemic has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We can not wait for the next general election .
Labour can show those forced into the private sector that it is prepared to struggle with them for their interests .
The crisis affords an opportunity to push the government into another U-turn .

Hopes of a radical change in national housing policy appeared to be dashed by the election of the Conservative government last year. However, the current crisis precipitated by the pandemic has opened up possibilities that would have seemed unfeasible just a few months ago. The government has had to abandon its free market orthodoxy and take state action that it would not have contemplated before coronavirus.
At the general election, the Conservatives said Labour’s £98bn spending programme would bankrupt the country. This figure now looks like small change in comparison to what this government has spent. Former Prime Minister Harold MacMillan once spoke of the “opposition of events” that force a government’s hand. Such was the pandemic, which forced this government to do things that it would have denounced as madness before. And it has been forced into a series of U-turns; it was even possible for a 22-year-old footballer to sufficiently embarrass the government to execute an about-turn in relation to summer holiday school meals.
As the old maxim has it: strike while the iron is hot. This is surely the time to press the government to make a U-turn on the question of funding council and ‘social’ housing. This is a time for audacity rather than timidity. There is a growing consensus, despite difference of emphases, on the need for a big building programme of social rent housing. The parliamentary housing communities and local government select (HCLG) committee said: “A social housebuilding programme should be top of the government’s agenda to rebuild the country from the impact of Covid-19.”
Even the Tories in the Local Government Association have said: “Housing must be a central part of the national recovery from coronavirus. Now is the time for a genuine renaissance in council housebuilding that reduces homelessness, gets rough sleepers off the streets for good, supports people’s well-being and is climate friendly.” The HCLG committee was right when it said that this cannot happen without a significant increase in government grant. It was disappointing therefore that the only reference in Keir Starmer’s speech on housing associated “fixing the housing crisis” with enabling young people to buy a home.
Labour committed at its conference last year and in the 2019 manifesto to:
build 155,000 social rent homes a year;
including at least 100,000 council homes funded by £10bn grant annually;
and end Right to Buy rather than just suspending it.
The voting on the composite resolution was unanimous. The opinion of the membership is clear.
The housing crisis has been exacerbated by the pandemic, and will be worsened by the end of the Covid moratorium on evictions. Local authorities do not have the resources to manage a large increase in homeless families since the government abandoned the old system of paying for each household in temporary accommodation and imposed a fixed sum for each council. There is no way that the crisis can be resolved without a large-scale council house building programme and an end to the haemorrhaging of stock through Right to Buy. ‘Generation rent’ needs decent, secure and affordable homes to rent – and the best means of delivering that is through council housing. One of the consequences of large-scale council house building would be that hundreds of thousands of people would no longer be forced into the market. It is therefore likely that market prices would come down as a result, for those who want to buy, making homes more affordable.
The Labour Campaign for Council Housing is calling on Labour to mobilise a campaign that can bring together organisations, including the growing tenant movement, to demand the government funds a large-scale council house building programme. The campaign is calling on MPs, constituency parties, trades unions and tenant organisations to lobby the leadership to campaign along these lines. The pandemic has highlighted the scale of the housing crisis. We cannot wait for the next general election. Labour can show those forced into the private sector that it is prepared to struggle with them for their interests. The crisis affords an opportunity to push the government into another U-turn.


labourlist--2020-10-06--“Usual bluster and no plan”: Rayner slams PM’s conference speech

Angela Rayner has criticised the Prime Minister following his keynote speech to the Conservative Party conference today and argued that he delivered the “ usual bluster and no plan for the months ahead ” .
Boris Johnson used his remote address to speak about the UK in a post-Covid world , reiterating many of the promises already made but not yet delivered by government , including “ levelling up ” and fixing the “ injustice of care home funding ” .
Johnson repeated his 2019 general election manifesto pledge to encourage a new market in long-term fixed rate mortgages in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housing market ” .
He said the government would enable “ buyers the chance to take out a long-term , fixed-rate mortgage of up to 95 % of the value of the home – vastly reducing the size of the deposit and giving the chance of home ownership ” .
The Prime Minister also confirmed the government ’ s commitment , briefed earlier today , to ensure that every home in the country is powered by offshore wind within the next ten years .
“ Your kettle , your washing machine , your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electric vehicle – the whole lot of them will get their juice cleanly and without guilt from the breezes that blow around these islands , ” he said .
“ As Saudi Arabia is to oil , the UK is to wind – a place of almost limitless resource , but in the case of wind without , the carbon emissions and without the damage to the environment.
” The Prime Minister also used the speech to attack Labour for arguing that “ everything can be funded by ‘ Uncle Sugar ’ , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to praise the private sector and its contribution in the coronavirus pandemic .
He said : “ It isn ’ t the state that produces the new drugs and the therapies that we ’ re now using .
It isn ’ t the state that will hold the intellectual property of the vaccine if and when we get one… “ It was the private sector with its rational interest in innovation , competition and market share and , yes , sales .
We must not draw the wrong economic conclusions from this crisis.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he accused Labour of “ sniping from the sidelines ” during Covid , continuing to “ flirt ” with people who seek to undermine the union , secretly working to reverse Brexit and not supporting the UK ’ s armed forces .
Johnson also used today as a chance to reject suggestions that he had “ lost his mojo ” as a result of contracting coronavirus earlier this year , dismissing the idea as “ drivel ” .
But he did tell viewers this afternoon that the reason he had such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a result of being too fat , and explained that he has lost 20lbs since his illness .
Commenting soon afterwards , Rayner said : “ The British people needed to hear the Prime Minister set out how he and his government will get a grip of the crisis .
Instead we got the usual bluster and no plan for the months ahead .
“ We end this Conservative conference as we started it : with a shambolic testing system , millions of jobs at risk and an incompetent government that has lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Britain back.
” Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy slammed Johnson as “ not up to the job ” of being Prime Minister on social media in response to the speech .
He declared that the UK needs leadership in the pandemic , but instead has a “ pound-shop Donald Trump waffling about losing weight , spouting mindless rhetoric and failing to recognise his own catastrophic mistakes ” .
Commenting on the Prime Minister ’ s pledge on offshore wind , shadow energy and green new deal minister Alan Whitehead declared that “ today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but sorely lacking in substance ” .
He highlighted that although Johnson claimed offshore wind would power every home within the next ten years , the target of 40GW outlined by the Prime Minister in his speech is only half of what will be needed by 2030 .
Whitehead added : “ He also didn ’ t set out how the current grid system will be updated to cope with energy generation on that scale .
Currently wind farms are all individually linked to the grid – the equivalent of every single house @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather than a local relay station .
“ And crucially , offshore wind energy alone simply can not do what the Prime Minister is saying .
To power every home by 2030 we need other forms of low-carbon energy generation too , to offset the variability of wind , like solar , tidal lagoons , biomass stations and hydrogen.
” The speech from Johnson today received widespread criticism from commentators for its lack of policy detail , being described as “ alphabet soup of a speech ” by one and “ empty headline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid by another .
Responding to the speech this afternoon , GMB national secretary Jude Brimble said : “ The Prime Minister loves to promise the grass is greener in the sunlit uplands – without any kind of proper plan .
It ’ s not going to wash anymore.
” UNISON assistant general secretary Christina McAnea urged the government to roll out green energy plans more parts of the economy and described decarbonising electricity as “ only part of the challenge ” .
She added : “ Let ’ s hope the Prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power is not just his usual hot air and bluster , which won ’ t be enough to keep the lights on or warm the nation ’ s homes .
Firm action is needed , and fast.
” General secretary of the shopworkers ’ union Usdaw Paddy Lillis stressed that while Johnson said he wants Britain to “ build back better ” , he “ failed to offer any comfort or help for the retail industry ” .
TUC general secretary Frances O ’ Grady emphasised that the UK is in a jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality seemed missing from Boris Johnson ’ s speech ” .
She called on the Prime Minister to “ do far more to stop redundancies ” .
O ’ Grady also welcomed the new investment in offshore wind announced , but pointed out that the government needs to create “ many more good jobs ” and urged greater investment in green transport and infrastructure .
Former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell also took to social media to criticise the Prime Minister ’ s address , arguing that it was “ possibly the most delusional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our country ” .
He added : “ Johnson ignores the rising number of people dying from Covid , people losing their jobs and a new round of austerity being planned .
This was an extremely misjudged attempt to avoid the real world.
” Rishi Sunak made his own speech to the conference on Monday .
Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds accused the Chancellor of having “ nothing new to say ” on how the UK will handle the Covid economic crisis .

Angela Rayner has criticised the Prime Minister following his keynote speech to the Conservative Party conference today and argued that he delivered the “usual bluster and no plan for the months ahead”.
Boris Johnson used his remote address to speak about the UK in a post-Covid world, reiterating many of the promises already made but not yet delivered by government, including “levelling up” and fixing the “injustice of care home funding”.
Johnson repeated his 2019 general election manifesto pledge to encourage a new market in long-term fixed rate mortgages in an effort to “fix our broken housing market”.
He said the government would enable “buyers the chance to take out a long-term, fixed-rate mortgage of up to 95% of the value of the home – vastly reducing the size of the deposit and giving the chance of home ownership”.
The Prime Minister also confirmed the government’s commitment, briefed earlier today, to ensure that every home in the country is powered by offshore wind within the next ten years.
“Your kettle, your washing machine, your cooker, your heating, your plug-in electric vehicle – the whole lot of them will get their juice cleanly and without guilt from the breezes that blow around these islands,” he said.
“As Saudi Arabia is to oil, the UK is to wind – a place of almost limitless resource, but in the case of wind without, the carbon emissions and without the damage to the environment.”
The Prime Minister also used the speech to attack Labour for arguing that “everything can be funded by ‘Uncle Sugar’, the taxpayer”. He went on to praise the private sector and its contribution in the coronavirus pandemic.
He said: “It isn’t the state that produces the new drugs and the therapies that we’re now using. It isn’t the state that will hold the intellectual property of the vaccine if and when we get one…
“It was the private sector with its rational interest in innovation, competition and market share and, yes, sales. We must not draw the wrong economic conclusions from this crisis.”
In the course of the speech, he accused Labour of “sniping from the sidelines” during Covid, continuing to “flirt” with people who seek to undermine the union, secretly working to reverse Brexit and not supporting the UK’s armed forces.
Johnson also used today as a chance to reject suggestions that he had “lost his mojo” as a result of contracting coronavirus earlier this year, dismissing the idea as “drivel”.
But he did tell viewers this afternoon that the reason he had such a negative experience of the virus was as a result of being too fat, and explained that he has lost 20lbs since his illness.
Commenting soon afterwards, Rayner said: “The British people needed to hear the Prime Minister set out how he and his government will get a grip of the crisis. Instead we got the usual bluster and no plan for the months ahead.
“We end this Conservative conference as we started it: with a shambolic testing system, millions of jobs at risk and an incompetent government that has lost control of this virus and is holding Britain back.”
Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy slammed Johnson as “not up to the job” of being Prime Minister on social media in response to the speech.
He declared that the UK needs leadership in the pandemic, but instead has a “pound-shop Donald Trump waffling about losing weight, spouting mindless rhetoric and failing to recognise his own catastrophic mistakes”.
Commenting on the Prime Minister’s pledge on offshore wind, shadow energy and green new deal minister Alan Whitehead declared that “today’s announcement is big on style but sorely lacking in substance”.
He highlighted that although Johnson claimed offshore wind would power every home within the next ten years, the target of 40GW outlined by the Prime Minister in his speech is only half of what will be needed by 2030.
Whitehead added: “He also didn’t set out how the current grid system will be updated to cope with energy generation on that scale. Currently wind farms are all individually linked to the grid – the equivalent of every single house having a cable to the mains grid rather than a local relay station.
“And crucially, offshore wind energy alone simply cannot do what the Prime Minister is saying. To power every home by 2030 we need other forms of low-carbon energy generation too, to offset the variability of wind, like solar, tidal lagoons, biomass stations and hydrogen.”
The speech from Johnson today received widespread criticism from commentators for its lack of policy detail, being described as “alphabet soup of a speech” by one and “empty headline pitches” to distract the country from Covid by another.
Responding to the speech this afternoon, GMB national secretary Jude Brimble said: “The Prime Minister loves to promise the grass is greener in the sunlit uplands – without any kind of proper plan. It’s not going to wash anymore.”
UNISON assistant general secretary Christina McAnea urged the government to roll out green energy plans more parts of the economy and described decarbonising electricity as “only part of the challenge”.
She added: “Let’s hope the Prime Minister’s pledge of more wind power is not just his usual hot air and bluster, which won’t be enough to keep the lights on or warm the nation’s homes. Firm action is needed, and fast.”
General secretary of the shopworkers’ union Usdaw Paddy Lillis stressed that while Johnson said he wants Britain to “build back better”, he “failed to offer any comfort or help for the retail industry”.
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady emphasised that the UK is in a jobs crisis, and argued that “this reality seemed missing from Boris Johnson’s speech”. She called on the Prime Minister to “do far more to stop redundancies”.
O’Grady also welcomed the new investment in offshore wind announced, but pointed out that the government needs to create “many more good jobs” and urged greater investment in green transport and infrastructure.
Former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell also took to social media to criticise the Prime Minister’s address, arguing that it was “possibly the most delusional Prime Ministerial speech in the history of our country”.
He added: “Johnson ignores the rising number of people dying from Covid, people losing their jobs and a new round of austerity being planned. This was an extremely misjudged attempt to avoid the real world.”
Rishi Sunak made his own speech to the conference on Monday. Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds accused the Chancellor of having “nothing new to say” on how the UK will handle the Covid economic crisis.


labourlist--2020-10-06--We’ve launched GMB for a Green New Deal to save jobs and the planet

Our industries are in crisis .
We are facing a historic economic downturn , with millions out of work and many more expected to follow .
Combined with record-high temperatures , what may have seemed like once-in-a-lifetime events are now becoming a regularity , from global recessions to catastrophic natural disasters .
We need work to live , but we can not live without the environment .
Against this crisis of Covid and climate , how can we save jobs while saving the planet on which they depend ?
We launched GMB for a Green New Deal to do both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the third-largest trade union in the UK , we have an opportunity to lessen the impact of the climate emergency through the creation of secure , well-paid , green jobs .
Our members work in a range of industries , from energy to aviation , and have ready-to-use skills and expertise for the green economy – from retrofitting homes to turbine production .
The current situation for workers may be uncertain , but there is no reason why the future can not be one of security , safety , and possibility .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new deal are massive .
A full transition from fossil fuels to fully renewable energy sources could create more than three times as many jobs in these sectors than in oil and gas .
By current estimates , the growth of jobs in wind energy exceeds the number of oil jobs affected by a transition to renewables .
Being ambitious on the climate not only has the potential to create vast numbers of jobs , but is the sensible thing to do to protect those already in existence .
Still , for British @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good to be true .
Deindustrialisation has historically had a devastating impact on families and communities across the country , with the memories of the miners ’ strike and regional decline still fresh for many .
It is understandable , then , that workers might be cautious when hearing about industries that must end for the sake of others and the skills they will now need to be able to stay employed .
That is why workers are at the heart of our plans for a zero-carbon economy .
Education and re-skilling should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with adequate support and security in place for workers to make the switch .
Likewise , transition programmes should be tailored to suit the needs of local communities affected by a phase out of fossil fuels .
This could be achieved through community investment funds , drawing on the example of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany , where the federal government committed funds to establishing research centres and better transport to attract technology-intensive industries to the area .
Most importantly , existing rights of workers in fossil fuel industries should be guaranteed , protected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ achieved by ensuring that any transition programme is accountable to work and community representatives , and that jobs are created for those lost with equivalent terms and permanent contracts .
Lastly , union rights should be safeguarded through recognition agreements and sectoral bargaining .
This would empower workers in all industries to green their workplaces while improving conditions and union representation .
The green new deal is representative of the broader change we would like to see across the union .
Recent reports have highlighted institutional issues in bullying , sexism , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from decision-making , particularly underrepresented voices , such as women and those from minority ethnic backgrounds .
We need drastic reform to ensure that GMB , and the labour movement as a whole , is not only a safe space but also open , democratic , and led by its members – all of them .
GMB for a Green New Deal was formed on these very principles , and we hope that our efforts will encourage others in the labour movement to push for change , which we know must come from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the planet .
For too long , we have treated climate change , now climate emergency , as a fringe interest of academics and activists , and without much thought to the world in which people spend most of their time – work .
As workers , we know better than anyone how our industries operate , as well as the skills and expertise needed to keep them running .
Who better than workers to design , implement and power the green new deal ?

Our industries are in crisis. We are facing a historic economic downturn, with millions out of work and many more expected to follow. Combined with record-high temperatures, what may have seemed like once-in-a-lifetime events are now becoming a regularity, from global recessions to catastrophic natural disasters. We need work to live, but we cannot live without the environment. Against this crisis of Covid and climate, how can we save jobs while saving the planet on which they depend?
We launched GMB for a Green New Deal to do both. As trade unionists in GMB, the third-largest trade union in the UK, we have an opportunity to lessen the impact of the climate emergency through the creation of secure, well-paid, green jobs. Our members work in a range of industries, from energy to aviation, and have ready-to-use skills and expertise for the green economy – from retrofitting homes to turbine production. The current situation for workers may be uncertain, but there is no reason why the future cannot be one of security, safety, and possibility.
For workers, the benefits of the green new deal are massive. A full transition from fossil fuels to fully renewable energy sources could create more than three times as many jobs in these sectors than in oil and gas. By current estimates, the growth of jobs in wind energy exceeds the number of oil jobs affected by a transition to renewables. Being ambitious on the climate not only has the potential to create vast numbers of jobs, but is the sensible thing to do to protect those already in existence.
Still, for British workers, these promises may sound too good to be true. Deindustrialisation has historically had a devastating impact on families and communities across the country, with the memories of the miners’ strike and regional decline still fresh for many. It is understandable, then, that workers might be cautious when hearing about industries that must end for the sake of others and the skills they will now need to be able to stay employed. That is why workers are at the heart of our plans for a zero-carbon economy.
Education and re-skilling should be free and accessible to all, with adequate support and security in place for workers to make the switch. Likewise, transition programmes should be tailored to suit the needs of local communities affected by a phase out of fossil fuels. This could be achieved through community investment funds, drawing on the example of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany, where the federal government committed funds to establishing research centres and better transport to attract technology-intensive industries to the area.
Most importantly, existing rights of workers in fossil fuel industries should be guaranteed, protected, and strengthened. This could be achieved by ensuring that any transition programme is accountable to work and community representatives, and that jobs are created for those lost with equivalent terms and permanent contracts. Lastly, union rights should be safeguarded through recognition agreements and sectoral bargaining. This would empower workers in all industries to green their workplaces while improving conditions and union representation.
The green new deal is representative of the broader change we would like to see across the union. Recent reports have highlighted institutional issues in bullying, sexism, and structural biases that lock out grassroots members from decision-making, particularly underrepresented voices, such as women and those from minority ethnic backgrounds. We need drastic reform to ensure that GMB, and the labour movement as a whole, is not only a safe space but also open, democratic, and led by its members – all of them. GMB for a Green New Deal was formed on these very principles, and we hope that our efforts will encourage others in the labour movement to push for change, which we know must come from the bottom-up.
We can save jobs and the planet. For too long, we have treated climate change, now climate emergency, as a fringe interest of academics and activists, and without much thought to the world in which people spend most of their time – work. As workers, we know better than anyone how our industries operate, as well as the skills and expertise needed to keep them running. Who better than workers to design, implement and power the green new deal?


labourlist--2020-10-07--PMQs: Starmer walks a tightrope on Covid restrictions

Boris Johnson came prepared to Prime Minister ’ s Questions session this afternoon .
As Keir Starmer predictably kicked off with the Tory Excel blunder , which saw nearly 16,000 cases not passed on to contact tracers , Johnson had his answer ready and rehearsed .
It was a technical error , a “ computer glitch ” .
The Labour leader explained that if this were an “ isolated example ” ( pun intended ? )
, the public might be able to understand .
“ But there is a pattern here – on care homes , protective equipment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The Prime Minister ignores the warning signs , hurtles towards a car crash , looks in the rear mirror and says ‘ what ’ s all that about ?
’ It is quite literally government in hindsight.
” Starmer told MPs that today marks 100 days since the introduction of the first local Covid restrictions , and highlighted that in 19 of the 20 areas with those measures infections had risen .
“ It ’ s obvious that something has gone wrong here , ” he argued .
“ So what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do about it ?
” Johnson ’ s response was predictable .
He accused Starmer of flip-flopping on the measures .
A return to a familiar line for the PM .
He slammed Starmer for saying he supported the ‘ rule of six ’ previously , and pointed out that Labour abstained on a vote on the measure yesterday .
“ Let me take this slowly for him , ” the Labour leader replied , looking not a bit exasperated .
Labour supports measures and wants track and trace to work , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is messing it up and it ’ s our job to point it out ” .
But this afternoon highlighted the tricky position in which the Labour leader finds himself .
One question is “ screaming out ” , he explained : “ Is there a scientific basis for the 10pm rule ?
” If there is , he told the PM , publish it .
If not , review the curfew .
Johnson replied that the “ basis ” for the rule was enough for Labour to back it two weeks ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backed Covid restrictions , arguing that the government has access to the scientific evidence and the opposition does not .
And the Labour leader is keen to be ‘ constructive ’ in the crisis .
But criticising the rules now – no matter how legitimate , after seeing their application – means Starmer falls into the Tory trap : seen to back the rules , only to later disagree with them .
The nuance of the party ’ s position is buried .
Labour could change tack and only back measures for which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then , of course , Labour risks being painted as undermining the ‘ national effort ’ .
Tricky all round .

Boris Johnson came prepared to Prime Minister’s Questions session this afternoon. As Keir Starmer predictably kicked off with the Tory Excel blunder, which saw nearly 16,000 cases not passed on to contact tracers, Johnson had his answer ready and rehearsed. It was a technical error, a “computer glitch”. The Labour leader explained that if this were an “isolated example” (pun intended?), the public might be able to understand. “But there is a pattern here – on care homes, protective equipment, exams, testing,” Starmer said. “The Prime Minister ignores the warning signs, hurtles towards a car crash, looks in the rear mirror and says ‘what’s all that about?’ It is quite literally government in hindsight.”
Starmer told MPs that today marks 100 days since the introduction of the first local Covid restrictions, and highlighted that in 19 of the 20 areas with those measures infections had risen. “It’s obvious that something has gone wrong here,” he argued. “So what’s the Prime Minister going to do about it?” Johnson’s response was predictable. He accused Starmer of flip-flopping on the measures – a familiar line for the PM. He slammed the Labour leader for saying he supported the ‘rule of six’ previously, and pointed out that Labour abstained on a vote on the measure yesterday. “Let me take this slowly for him,” the Labour leader replied, looking not a bit exasperated. Labour supports measures and wants track and trace to work, he told him, “but the government is messing it up and it’s our job to point it out”.
But this afternoon highlighted the tricky position in which the Labour leader finds himself. One question is “screaming out”, he explained: “Is there a scientific basis for the 10pm rule?” If there is, he told the PM, publish it. If not, review the curfew. Johnson replied that the “basis” for the rule was enough for Labour to back it two weeks ago. The party has so far repeatedly backed Covid restrictions, arguing that the government has access to the scientific evidence and the opposition does not. And the Labour leader is keen to be ‘constructive’ in the crisis. Criticising the rules now – no matter how legitimate, after seeing their application – means Starmer falls into the Tory trap: seen to back the rules, only to later disagree with them. The nuance of the party’s position is buried under ‘Captain Hindsight’ accusations. Labour could change tack and only back measures for which the government can provide evidence – though Labour would risk being painted as undermining the ‘national effort’. Tricky all round.