labourlist--2020-08-10--Labour MPs express solidarity with Dawn Butler after police car stop

Labour MPs have expressed solidarity with Dawn Butler MP after she described how she had been the victim of “ racial profiling ” when stopped by the police while travelling through London in a car .
Her parliamentary colleagues reacted to reports from the Labour MP for Brent Central on social media , who told how she had been stopped by the Metropolitan Police on Sunday afternoon while driving through Hackney .
Shadow Northern Ireland minister Karin Smyth took to Twitter and described it as “ typical of Dawn Butler to both call out the problem and use her experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Shadow cabinet members David Lammy and Jon Ashworth also tweeted their support for the MP .
Lammy sent “ love and prayers ” to Butler while Ashworth wrote : “ Awful .
Solidarity Dawn Butler.
” LabourList has requested comment from the Labour Party and from Keir Starmer ’ s office , but has been referred back to Butler by the party and not received a response from the leadership .
Other colleagues such as Nadia Whittome contacted the MP expressing their concern for her wellbeing , while Virendra Sharma MP wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police everywhere need to learn lessons with some humility.
” In response to the incident , former Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott tweeted : “ This is so unsurprising .
When will the Metropolitan police give up on racial profiling ?
# BlackLivesMatter.
” Ilford South MP Sam Tarry shared footage of Butler discussing the incident with Channel 4 and described it as a “ must see interview ” .
In the video clip , Butler said : “ The Met Police is systematically racist and it needs to change.
” Commenting on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since speaking out about the incident , Stella Creasy MP declared : “ The savagery of response to Dawn Butler highlighting her experience of stop and search is horrific – it is on all of us to stand up to that and ensure she can work with the police to address these concerns.
” Wes Streeting said : “ Dawn isn ’ t looking for your sympathy .
She ’ s highlighting real issues about use of stop and search and the way in which it is undermining confidence in an important policing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among black communities.
” In footage of the police stop recorded by Butler , officers said that they were searching the area because of “ gang and knife crime ” .
The Labour MP said later that “ it ’ s obviously racial profiling ” .
She told the Press Association : “ We know that the police is institutionally racist and what we have to do is weed that out .
We have to stop seeing black with crime .
We have to stop associating being black and driving a nice car @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sky News , Butler said : “ It is tiring and exhausting and mentally draining if you ’ re black and getting treated like that .
Yes there are issues , but deal with it in an equitable way , in an unbiased way , not in a racist way .
“ If you ’ re profiling cars because they ’ re not from the area that ’ s a ridiculous way to police .
If you ’ re stopping cars because of the make that ’ s a ridiculous way to police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cars because of the colour of the people inside them , that ’ s racist.
” The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that an officer had “ incorrectly entered the registration into a police computer which identified the car as registered to an address in Yorkshire ” .

Labour MPs have expressed solidarity with Dawn Butler MP after she described how she had been the victim of “racial profiling” when stopped by the police while travelling through London in a car.
Her parliamentary colleagues reacted to reports from the Labour MP for Brent Central on social media, who told how she had been stopped by the Metropolitan Police on Sunday afternoon while driving through Hackney.
Shadow Northern Ireland minister Karin Smyth took to Twitter and described it as “typical of Dawn Butler to both call out the problem and use her experience to help others make the change”.
Shadow cabinet members David Lammy and Jon Ashworth also tweeted their support for the MP. Lammy sent “love and prayers” to Butler while Ashworth wrote: “Awful. Solidarity Dawn Butler.”
LabourList has requested comment from the Labour Party and from Keir Starmer’s office, but has been referred back to Butler by the party and not received a response from the leadership.
Update, 1.48pm: Labour leader Keir Starmer has tweeted: “I reached out yesterday to @DawnButlerBrent to discuss the incidence she reported and to offer our support. All allegations of racial profiling must be taken extremely seriously by the Metropolitan police.
“It is imperative that the Black community have trust and confidence in our police. The abuse Dawn has received over social media is wrong and must be condemned.”
Other colleagues such as Nadia Whittome contacted the MP expressing their concern for her wellbeing, while Virendra Sharma MP wrote: “Solidarity with Dawn. The police everywhere need to learn lessons with some humility.”
In response to the incident, former Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott tweeted: “This is so unsurprising. When will the Metropolitan police give up on racial profiling? #BlackLivesMatter.”
Ilford South MP Sam Tarry shared footage of Butler discussing the incident with Channel 4 and described it as a “must see interview”. In the video clip, Butler said: “The Met Police is systematically racist and it needs to change.”
Commenting on the backlash Butler has seen on Twitter since speaking out about the incident, Stella Creasy MP declared: “The savagery of response to Dawn Butler highlighting her experience of stop and search is horrific – it is on all of us to stand up to that and ensure she can work with the police to address these concerns.”
Wes Streeting said: “Dawn isn’t looking for your sympathy. She’s highlighting real issues about use of stop and search and the way in which it is undermining confidence in an important policing tool and the Met itself – especially among black communities.”
In footage of the police stop recorded by Butler, officers said that they were searching the area because of “gang and knife crime”. The Labour MP said later that “it’s obviously racial profiling”.
She told the Press Association: “We know that the police is institutionally racist and what we have to do is weed that out. We have to stop seeing black with crime. We have to stop associating being black and driving a nice car with crime.”
In an interview with Sky News, Butler said: “It is tiring and exhausting and mentally draining if you’re black and getting treated like that. Yes there are issues, but deal with it in an equitable way, in an unbiased way, not in a racist way.
“If you’re profiling cars because they’re not from the area that’s a ridiculous way to police. If you’re stopping cars because of the make that’s a ridiculous way to police. And if you’re stopping cars because of the colour of the people inside them, that’s racist.”
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that an officer had “incorrectly entered the registration into a police computer which identified the car as registered to an address in Yorkshire”.


labourlist--2020-08-10--WATCH: People “just can’t afford” to self-isolate, warns Burnham

Andy Burnham has warned that “ many people are struggling to self-isolate because they just can ’ t afford it ” and called on the government to make sure employees can do so with full pay during the coronavirus pandemic .
In an interview with BBC Breakfast this morning , the mayor of Greater Manchester told viewers that the only way to make sure the test and trace system works effectively is to ensure people have access to proper sick pay .
Burnham said that too many workers in the UK are ineligible for the statutory benefit and , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of benefit is too low with people given only £95.85 per week to live on .
Commenting on those told to stay home in the pandemic , he said : “ Many people are struggling to self-isolate because they just can ’ t afford it .
They ’ re in jobs where they know they they won ’ t be paid if they try and do it , they may fear losing their jobs .
“ There ’ s a problem with so many people in this country not having access to statutory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do have it , it ’ s only £95 a week .
So we ’ re launching a campaign today – myself , the mayor of local city region and the TUC .
“ We ’ re saying to the government , you ’ ve got to give all employees in the country the ability to self-isolate on full pay .
And it is only that approach in view that will really get this test and trace system working properly.
” In order to qualify for statutory sick pay , workers in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threshold .
This means that they must earn at least £120 a week to claim the benefit .
Last month , Anneliese Dodds warned that the two million workers in the country currently ineligible for statutory sick pay undermines the government ’ s test and trace programme and efforts to prevent a second wave of the virus .
The head of the government ’ s Covid-19 “ test and trace ” programme , Dido Harding , has also raised concerns over the absence of support for employees facing the need to take time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay .
She told a press briefing : “ It ’ s particularly challenging for that workforce… I continue to make the case that we need to think about how we support people in those lowest paid roles and the self-employed .
”

Andy Burnham has warned that “many people are struggling to self-isolate because they just can’t afford it” and called on the government to make sure employees can do so with full pay during the coronavirus pandemic.
In an interview with BBC Breakfast this morning, the mayor of Greater Manchester told viewers that the only way to make sure the test and trace system works effectively is to ensure people have access to proper sick pay.
Burnham said that too many workers in the UK are ineligible for the statutory benefit and, for those that do qualify, the level of benefit is too low with people given only £95.85 per week to live on.
Commenting on those told to stay home in the pandemic, he said: “Many people are struggling to self-isolate because they just can’t afford it. They’re in jobs where they know they they won’t be paid if they try and do it, they may fear losing their jobs.
“There’s a problem with so many people in this country not having access to statutory sick pay but also for those who do have it, it’s only £95 a week. So we’re launching a campaign today – myself, the mayor of local city region and the TUC.
“We’re saying to the government, you’ve got to give all employees in the country the ability to self-isolate on full pay. And it is only that approach in view that will really get this test and trace system working properly.”
"So many people are struggling to self-isolate because they just can't afford it"
Greater Manchester Mayor @AndyBurnhamGM tells #BBCBreakfast he's calling for government support so people can self-isolate on full pay.https://t.co/0CiRnto9Iw pic.twitter.com/DoP2i0vR3I — BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) August 10, 2020
In order to qualify for statutory sick pay, workers in the UK have to meet the minimum income threshold. This means that they must earn at least £120 a week to claim the benefit.
Last month, Anneliese Dodds warned that the two million workers in the country currently ineligible for statutory sick pay undermines the government’s test and trace programme and efforts to prevent a second wave of the virus.
The head of the government’s Covid-19 “test and trace” programme, Dido Harding, has also raised concerns over the absence of support for employees facing the need to take time off work but unable to receive sick pay.
She told a press briefing: “It’s particularly challenging for that workforce… I continue to make the case that we need to think about how we support people in those lowest paid roles and the self-employed.”


labourlist--2020-08-10--Labour mayors join TUC to launch ‘Time Out to Help Out’  campaign

The mayors of Greater Manchester and the Liverpool city region have joined with the TUC to launch the ‘ Time Out to Help Out ’ campaign calling on the government to pay workers when self-isolating during the pandemic .
The new initiative kicked-off today and backed by trade unions Unison , GMB , Usdaw , Unite and the CWU has stressed that large number of people are being asked to stay home under the national NHS test and trace system .
The mayors have highlighted that the programme has identified 22,000 people in their regions , and said that those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ choose between putting food on the table or keeping their communities safe ” .
The Labour mayors and TUC general secretary Frances O ’ Grady are demanding that employers pay their staff as usual while they are isolating and then be allowed to claim back the difference between that wage and statutory sick pay .
Commenting on the government ’ s coronavirus test and trace programme , Burnham said : “ NHS Test and Trace will never work properly until all employees are supported to follow its requests .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in helping to get Covid-19 under control .
But what ’ s not right is forcing some of our workers – many doing the lowest paid jobs or self-employed – to make a choice between self-isolating or face a drastic loss of income.
” “ That ’ s why we ’ re proposing an alternative system that ’ s currently in place to make sure workers are paid fairly if they are requested to self-isolate .
“ Only by ending the pay penalty will we see the national NHS Test and Trace service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is currently standing at 53 % in Greater Manchester.
” In order to qualify for statutory sick pay , workers in the UK have to meet the minimum income threshold .
This means that they must earn at least £120 a week to receive the benefit .
An estimated two million do not meet this criteria .
Commenting on the dilemma workers face , Rotheram said : “ With no guarantee that their incomes will not be hit , millions of people – many who can ’ t work from home or are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of being asked to self-isolate .
“ We can not beat this virus by asking people to choose between putting food on the table or keeping their communities safe .
People should be supported , not penalised , for doing the right thing and isolating at home .
“ And the government are right to want self-isolating to be seen as a national duty .
But when performing other national duties like jury service , we do not expect people to be left destitute .
This should be no different.
” The ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has highlighted that for those who are eligible for statutory sick pay , the benefit amounts to 21 % of the median weekly earnings of workers in Greater Manchester and 22 % in the Liverpool city region .
It also emphasised that there are 90,000 ineligible employees in Greater Manchester and 47,000 in Liverpool – and that there are 186,000 and 84,000 self-employed people in the respective regions left worse-off under current arrangements .
TUC general secretary O ’ Grady said : “ It ’ s not viable to ask workers to self-isolate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial hardship .
Until ministers fix this problem , people will continue to struggle to follow official advice .
“ Wherever possible , employers should do the right thing and pay workers their full pay .
But the government must also ensure that every worker gets financial support .
Too many- including the two million who currently don ’ t qualify for sick pay , or the seven million only getting SSP – will not be able to afford to isolate.
” Labour recently warned the government that leaving two million people in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undermines the government ’ s test and trace programme and efforts to prevent a second wave of Covid-19 .
Head of the government ’ s coronavirus “ test and trace ” programme Dido Harding has also raised concerns over the absence of support for people facing the need to take time off work but unable to claim .
She told a press briefing : “ It ’ s particularly challenging for that workforce… I continue to make the case that we need to think about how we support people in those lowest paid @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The mayors of Greater Manchester and the Liverpool city region have joined with the TUC to launch the ‘Time Out to Help Out’ campaign calling on the government to pay workers when self-isolating during the pandemic.
The new initiative kicked-off today and backed by trade unions Unison, GMB, Usdaw, Unite and the CWU has stressed that large number of people are being asked to stay home under the national NHS test and trace system.
The mayors have highlighted that the programme has identified 22,000 people in their regions, and said that those instructed to self-isolate should not have to “choose between putting food on the table or keeping their communities safe”.
The Labour mayors and TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady are demanding that employers pay their staff as usual while they are isolating and then be allowed to claim back the difference between that wage and statutory sick pay.
Commenting on the government’s coronavirus test and trace programme, Burnham said: “NHS Test and Trace will never work properly until all employees are supported to follow its requests.
“It’s right that everybody plays their part in helping to get Covid-19 under control. But what’s not right is forcing some of our workers – many doing the lowest paid jobs or self-employed – to make a choice between self-isolating or face a drastic loss of income.”
“That’s why we’re proposing an alternative system that’s currently in place to make sure workers are paid fairly if they are requested to self-isolate.
“Only by ending the pay penalty will we see the national NHS Test and Trace service reach everyone they need to, which is currently standing at 53% in Greater Manchester.”
In order to qualify for statutory sick pay, workers in the UK have to meet the minimum income threshold. This means that they must earn at least £120 a week to receive the benefit. An estimated two million do not meet this criteria.
Commenting on the dilemma workers face, Rotheram said: “With no guarantee that their incomes will not be hit, millions of people – many who can’t work from home or are self-employed – will be dreading the idea of being asked to self-isolate.
“We cannot beat this virus by asking people to choose between putting food on the table or keeping their communities safe. People should be supported, not penalised, for doing the right thing and isolating at home.
“And the government are right to want self-isolating to be seen as a national duty. But when performing other national duties like jury service, we do not expect people to be left destitute. This should be no different.”
The ‘Time Out to Help Out’ campaign has highlighted that for those who are eligible for statutory sick pay, the benefit amounts to 21% of the median weekly earnings of workers in Greater Manchester and 22% in the Liverpool city region.
It also emphasised that there are 90,000 ineligible employees in Greater Manchester and 47,000 in Liverpool – and that there are 186,000 and 84,000 self-employed people in the respective regions left worse-off under current arrangements.
TUC general secretary O’Grady said: “It’s not viable to ask workers to self-isolate if that means they are plunged into financial hardship. Until ministers fix this problem, people will continue to struggle to follow official advice.
“Wherever possible, employers should do the right thing and pay workers their full pay. But the government must also ensure that every worker gets financial support. Too many- including the two million who currently don’t qualify for sick pay, or the seven million only getting SSP – will not be able to afford to isolate.”
Labour recently warned the government that leaving two million people in the country ineligible for statutory sick pay undermines the government’s test and trace programme and efforts to prevent a second wave of Covid-19.
Head of the government’s coronavirus “test and trace” programme Dido Harding has also raised concerns over the absence of support for people facing the need to take time off work but unable to claim.
She told a press briefing: “It’s particularly challenging for that workforce… I continue to make the case that we need to think about how we support people in those lowest paid roles and the self employed.”


labourlist--2020-08-10--If Labour stands as an anti-racist party, it must challenge state violence

2020 has been a tumultuous year , and the Covid-19 pandemic may yet prove to be the defining event of the decade .
But the urgency of the global Black Lives Matter ( BLM ) protests has recently eclipsed coronavirus , with BLM protesters even outnumbering those who participated in the iconic civil rights protests of the 1960s .
The injustice of George Floyd ’ s death and the anguish it provoked resonated profoundly with the experiences of Black and Asian communities in the UK .
BLM activists are clear : the hollow promises of empty representation simply will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demands for structural changes and an end to violent interventions by the state – both at home and abroad .
Academics , scholars and activists have long called for us to defund the police .
The BLM movement has now catapulted those demands into the national conversation .
The appetite for change does not stop there .
We must look further if we are to truly dismantle the systemic racism that permeates the British state and its institutions .
The Home Office policy of creating a ‘ hostile environment ’ is racist state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Theresa May or Priti Patel and Sajid Javid .
And increasing stop and search capacity necessarily involves a reduction in the civil liberties of Black people , who are disproportionately targeted – even if Conservative London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey does appear now to support its use .
Many are still firmly of the mindset that policing in this country is somehow untainted by the racism that informs its American counterpart , and uncritically accept the insistence that here we are “ policed by consent ” .
That platitude is refuted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have come into police contact – Sean Rigg in 2008 , Olaseni Lewis in 2010 , Kingsley Burrell in 2011 , Sarah Reed in 2016 , Rashan Charles in 2017 – all without a single police officer being convicted .
Our society is infected by the intrusion of policing into our education system , mental health services and youth centres .
This has been normalised under the guise of ‘ protecting our safety and security ’ and the shadow cast by ‘ Prevent ’ , which creeps into every corner of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state .
It is in this context that we must view the death of Shukri Abdi , for which there has still been no justice .
What role does the Labour Party have to play in all of this ?
Firstly , there is an urgent need for us , as socialists , to be able to articulate and advocate for more than just simple , individualistic acts of performative anti-racism .
A requirement to undertake ‘ unconscious bias ’ training serves no useful purpose if the system that perpetuates racism remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for structural change through challenging state violence .
The most important task for anti-racists is to liberate the oppressed , both at home and across the world , by building meaningful and resolute solidarity amongst all .
We will advance a way forward at our digital conference being held between August 21st and 23rd , hosted by Labour Against Racism And Fascism ( LARAF ) and Socialists of Colour ( SoC ) .
Our event is centred around challenging state violence .
Through discussions and workshops , led by socialist leaders and grassroots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explore crucial issues such as the strategy behind the call to defund the police and organising Black and Asian trade union power .
Building on the success of last year ’ s event , which saw over 100 anti-racist and anti-fascist activists come together for a day-long programme , attendees can look forward to another inspiring summer conference this month .
One key message from last year ’ s conference , which will be particularly relevant under Keir Starmer ’ s leadership , is the need for Labour to ‘ walk the walk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Labour Party to adopt the policies of grassroots campaigns are observing the new leader closely following the departure of Jeremy Corbyn .
LARAF has sought to speak to the new party leadership about racism , but they appear to have chosen to ignore our representations .
We instead received a response to our letter over six weeks later – a pro forma reply from the membership department that failed to address any of the concerns raised .
With Keir Starmer in June describing a major BLM demand as a “ nonsense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ moment ” , in comments that he has since said he regrets , there can only be one call for anti-racists – to organise , both outside and inside the Labour Party .
If Labour stands as an anti-racist party , it must challenge state violence .
More experienced anti-racists will no doubt remember dark days before Corbyn ’ s leadership , typified by the infamous ‘ controls on immigration ’ mugs , and will be expecting Starmer to maintain Corbyn ’ s resolute commitment to anti-racism – including upholding commitments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manifestos .
He will have to work hard to prove that the party is not reverting to a discredited and cowardly capitulation towards racism .
To build an anti-racist Labour Party , Labour must listen to its anti-racists .
It should start on August 21st-23rd at the LARAF and SoC summer conference Challenging State Violence .

2020 has been a tumultuous year, and the Covid-19 pandemic may yet prove to be the defining event of the decade. But the urgency of the global Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests has recently eclipsed coronavirus, with BLM protesters even outnumbering those who participated in the iconic civil rights protests of the 1960s.
The injustice of George Floyd’s death and the anguish it provoked resonated profoundly with the experiences of Black and Asian communities in the UK. BLM activists are clear: the hollow promises of empty representation simply will not do. Instead, we have heard demands for structural changes and an end to violent interventions by the state – both at home and abroad. Academics, scholars and activists have long called for us to defund the police. The BLM movement has now catapulted those demands into the national conversation.
The appetite for change does not stop there. We must look further if we are to truly dismantle the systemic racism that permeates the British state and its institutions. The Home Office policy of creating a ‘hostile environment’ is racist state oppression, whether delivered by Amber Rudd and Theresa May or Priti Patel and Sajid Javid. And increasing stop and search capacity necessarily involves a reduction in the civil liberties of Black people, who are disproportionately targeted – even if Conservative London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey does appear now to support its use.
Many are still firmly of the mindset that policing in this country is somehow untainted by the racism that informs its American counterpart, and uncritically accept the insistence that here we are “policed by consent”. That platitude is refuted by the deaths of scores of Black people who have come into police contact – Sean Rigg in 2008, Olaseni Lewis in 2010, Kingsley Burrell in 2011, Sarah Reed in 2016, Rashan Charles in 2017 – all without a single police officer being convicted.
Our society is infected by the intrusion of policing into our education system, mental health services and youth centres. This has been normalised under the guise of ‘protecting our safety and security’ and the shadow cast by ‘Prevent’, which creeps into every corner of the daily lives of our communities racialised by the state. It is in this context that we must view the death of Shukri Abdi, for which there has still been no justice.
What role does the Labour Party have to play in all of this? Firstly, there is an urgent need for us, as socialists, to be able to articulate and advocate for more than just simple, individualistic acts of performative anti-racism. A requirement to undertake ‘unconscious bias’ training serves no useful purpose if the system that perpetuates racism remains unchanged. There is a clear need for structural change through challenging state violence. The most important task for anti-racists is to liberate the oppressed, both at home and across the world, by building meaningful and resolute solidarity amongst all.
We will advance a way forward at our digital conference being held between August 21st and 23rd, hosted by Labour Against Racism And Fascism (LARAF) and Socialists of Colour (SoC). Our event is centred around challenging state violence. Through discussions and workshops, led by socialist leaders and grassroots campaigners across three days, we will explore crucial issues such as the strategy behind the call to defund the police and organising Black and Asian trade union power. Building on the success of last year’s event, which saw over 100 anti-racist and anti-fascist activists come together for a day-long programme, attendees can look forward to another inspiring summer conference this month.
One key message from last year’s conference, which will be particularly relevant under Keir Starmer’s leadership, is the need for Labour to ‘walk the walk’ on anti-racism. Anti-racists who look to the Labour Party to adopt the policies of grassroots campaigns are observing the new leader closely following the departure of Jeremy Corbyn. LARAF has sought to speak to the new party leadership about racism, but they appear to have chosen to ignore our representations. We instead received a response to our letter over six weeks later – a pro forma reply from the membership department that failed to address any of the concerns raised.
With Keir Starmer in June describing a major BLM demand as a “nonsense” and referring to the movement as a “moment”, in comments that he has since said he regrets, there can only be one call for anti-racists – to organise, both outside and inside the Labour Party.
If Labour stands as an anti-racist party, it must challenge state violence. More experienced anti-racists will no doubt remember dark days before Corbyn’s leadership, typified by the infamous ‘controls on immigration’ mugs, and will be expecting Starmer to maintain Corbyn’s resolute commitment to anti-racism – including upholding commitments in the first ever race and faith manifestos. He will have to work hard to prove that the party is not reverting to a discredited and cowardly capitulation towards racism.
To build an anti-racist Labour Party, Labour must listen to its anti-racists. It should start on August 21st-23rd at the LARAF and SoC summer conference Challenging State Violence.
@LARAFLabour | @SocofColour


labourlist--2020-08-10--Labour investigates data breach after members’ information was stolen

The Labour Party has told members that it has launched an investigation following a data breach in which a “ historic backup file containing personal information was stolen by a cybercriminal ” .
In an email to a number of members this afternoon , the party described how one of its suppliers – a company called Blackbaud – had “ been the victim of a sophisticated ransomware attack , which occurred earlier this year ” .
The message from the party was only sent to members affected by the breach .
LabourList understands that it was received by around 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the breach covers a period that goes back several years .
Labour has stressed that “ no sensitive information , such as bank account information , passwords or usernames , was taken ” .
According to the email sent by the party this afternoon , the information affected includes : In the correspondence , Labour has said that the supplier ’ s security experts have investigated the incident and that the company has received assurances that the personal information was deleted after the payment of a ransom .
The party said that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as our governance , legal , data protection and IT teams to gather more information about the breach ” and has reported the breach to the Information Commissioner ’ s Office .
This follows recent reports that several people are considering legal action against Labour after the leaking of an internal report – lawyer Mark Lewis told BBC Newsnight that this was partly due to data breaches and misuse of private information .
The Labour leadership election that took place earlier this year was also engulfed in a row over alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information in the course of the candidates ’ campaigns .
Below is the full text of the email sent to members .
You may have heard that one of our suppliers , Blackbaud , has suffered a data breach .
The Labour Party takes its responsibilities regarding data security very seriously and this notice is intended to provide further information about this situation .
Blackbaud have notified the Labour Party that they have been the victim of a sophisticated ransomware attack , which occurred earlier this year .
During this time , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stolen by a cybercriminal .
It is important to immediately note that no sensitive information , such as bank account information , passwords or usernames , was taken .
Blackbaud have also confirmed that they have paid the ransom demanded by the cybercriminal and have received assurances that the data was destroyed as a result .
Blackbaud have confirmed to us that the following personal data was affected : We have been assured by Blackbaud that their security experts have fully investigated the attack and are in constant contact with the Information Commissioner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) about the situation .
Actions the Labour Party has taken The Labour Party has launched its own investigation and is working closely with Blackbaud , as well as our Governance , Legal , Data Protection and IT teams to gather more information about the breach .
We will take any measures necessary to protect your data , and in line with our data protection obligations , we have also notified the ICO about this breach .
What you need to do While there is no action you need to take at this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of any suspicious activity or suspected identity theft , you should notify the proper law enforcement authorities .
We very much regret the concern or inconvenience caused as a result of this news .

The Labour Party has told members that it has launched an investigation following a data breach in which a “historic backup file containing personal information was stolen by a cybercriminal”.
In an email to a number of members this afternoon, the party described how one of its suppliers – a company called Blackbaud – had “been the victim of a sophisticated ransomware attack, which occurred earlier this year”.
The message from the party was only sent to members affected by the breach. LabourList understands that it was received by around 3% of the overall membership and that the breach covers a period that goes back several years.
Labour has stressed that “no sensitive information, such as bank account information, passwords or usernames, was taken”. According to the email sent by the party this afternoon, the information affected includes:
Names;
Email addresses;
Telephone numbers; and
Amounts donated to the Labour Party.
In the correspondence, Labour has said that the supplier’s security experts have investigated the incident and that the company has received assurances that the personal information was deleted after the payment of a ransom.
The party said that it is “working closely with Blackbaud, as well as our governance, legal, data protection and IT teams to gather more information about the breach” and has reported the breach to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
This follows recent reports that several people are considering legal action against Labour after the leaking of an internal report – lawyer Mark Lewis told BBC Newsnight that this was partly due to data breaches and misuse of private information.
The Labour leadership election that took place earlier this year was also engulfed in a row over alleged misuse of Labour Party members’ personal information in the course of the candidates’ campaigns.
Below is the full text of the email sent to members.
Dear member,
Important message from the Labour Party.
Blackbaud data breach
You may have heard that one of our suppliers, Blackbaud, has suffered a data breach. The Labour Party takes its responsibilities regarding data security very seriously and this notice is intended to provide further information about this situation.
What happened
Blackbaud have notified the Labour Party that they have been the victim of a sophisticated ransomware attack, which occurred earlier this year. During this time, a historic backup file containing personal information was stolen by a cybercriminal. It is important to immediately note that no sensitive information, such as bank account information, passwords or usernames, was taken. Blackbaud have also confirmed that they have paid the ransom demanded by the cybercriminal and have received assurances that the data was destroyed as a result.
Blackbaud have confirmed to us that the following personal data was affected:
Names
Email addresses;
Telephone numbers;
Amounts donated to the Labour Party.
We have been assured by Blackbaud that their security experts have fully investigated the attack and are in constant contact with the Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”) about the situation.
Actions the Labour Party has taken
The Labour Party has launched its own investigation and is working closely with Blackbaud, as well as our Governance, Legal, Data Protection and IT teams to gather more information about the breach. We will take any measures necessary to protect your data, and in line with our data protection obligations, we have also notified the ICO about this breach.
What you need to do
While there is no action you need to take at this time, if you do become aware of any suspicious activity or suspected identity theft, you should notify the proper law enforcement authorities.
We very much regret the concern or inconvenience caused as a result of this news.
The Labour Party


labourlist--2020-08-10--“Allegations of racial profiling must be taken extremely seriously,” says Starmer

Keir Starmer has said that “ all allegations of racial profiling must be taken extremely seriously ” after Dawn Butler reported that she was a victim of racial profiling when stopped by the police over the weekend .
Commenting this afternoon , the Labour leader said that he “ reached out yesterday to Dawn Butler to discuss the incident she reported and to offer our support ” .
The Brent Central MP tweeted on Sunday afternoon that she had been stopped .
Starmer declared that “ it is imperative that the Black community have trust and confidence in our police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labour backbencher has been subjected to on Twitter since speaking out about the incident .
LabourList understands that the leader of the opposition ’ s office has been liaising with Butler since the incident on Sunday and that Starmer ’ s team have been in touch with City Hall .
He had received criticism for not responding quickly enough .
Owen Jones tweeted : “ It is very unfortunate that a Conservative Prime Minister with a history of overt racism has spoken out about Dawn Butler before the Labour leader.
” Shortly before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive committee candidate Jermain Jackman said : “ I don ’ t know about everyone else on the [ timeline ] but Keir has already shown me his true colours & time after time his masks slips .
“ So whatever statement the leader of the opposition ’ s office intend to put out , I want to be the first to say… Save it !
We already know how you feel about Black people and Black members.
” Starmer faced a backlash earlier in the summer when he described the Black Lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during an interview with BBC News .
He later clarified that he had meant it was a “ defining moment ” in race relations .
Labour frontbencher Nick Thomas-Symonds has also posted on Twitter this afternoon to say that “ it is vital concerns about stop and search are listened to , whoever they are raised by ” .
The Shadow Home Secretary also said that he has contacted Butler and added : “ It is right that a senior officer has been in touch to discuss the mistakes made .
The vile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is totally unacceptable.
” Butler has said that it was “ obviously racial profiling ” .
In footage of the police stop recorded by the Labour MP , officers said that they were searching the area because of “ gang and knife crime ” .
In an interview with Sky News , she said : “ It is tiring and exhausting and mentally draining if you ’ re black and getting treated like that .
Yes there are issues , but deal with it in an equitable way , in an unbiased way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If you ’ re profiling cars because they ’ re not from the area that ’ s a ridiculous way to police .
If you ’ re stopping cars because of the make that ’ s a ridiculous way to police .
And if you ’ re stopping cars because of the colour of the people inside them , that ’ s racist.
” Butler added in an interview today : “ This can not continue .
In light of Black Lives Matters what we ’ re trying to do is dismantle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Macpherson has said that the Met Police is institutionally racist .
“ Cressida Dick doesn ’ t like that term – that is not something that she should be saying .
What she should be saying is : I lead an organisation that is still institutionally racist after 20 years – I need to stop that.
” A number of other parliamentary colleagues of the Labour MP have taken to social media since the police stop to express solidarity and concern for her wellbeing .

Keir Starmer has said that “all allegations of racial profiling must be taken extremely seriously” after Dawn Butler reported that she was a victim of racial profiling when stopped by the police over the weekend.
Commenting this afternoon, the Labour leader said that he “reached out yesterday to Dawn Butler to discuss the incident she reported and to offer our support”. The Brent Central MP tweeted on Sunday afternoon that she had been stopped.
Starmer declared that “it is imperative that the Black community have trust and confidence in our police” and condemned the abuse that the Labour backbencher has been subjected to on Twitter since speaking out about the incident.
LabourList understands that the leader of the opposition’s office has been liaising with Butler since the incident on Sunday and that Starmer’s team have been in touch with City Hall.
He had received criticism for not responding quickly enough. Owen Jones tweeted: “It is very unfortunate that a Conservative Prime Minister with a history of overt racism has spoken out about Dawn Butler before the Labour leader.”
Shortly before Starmer issued his statement, Labour national executive committee candidate Jermain Jackman said: “I don’t know about everyone else on the [timeline] but Keir has already shown me his true colours & time after time his masks slips.
“So whatever statement the leader of the opposition’s office intend to put out, I want to be the first to say… Save it! We already know how you feel about Black people and Black members.”
Starmer faced a backlash earlier in the summer when he described the Black Lives Matter movement as “a moment” during an interview with BBC News. He later clarified that he had meant it was a “defining moment” in race relations.
Labour frontbencher Nick Thomas-Symonds has also posted on Twitter this afternoon to say that “it is vital concerns about stop and search are listened to, whoever they are raised by”.
The Shadow Home Secretary also said that he has contacted Butler and added: “It is right that a senior officer has been in touch to discuss the mistakes made. The vile abuse Dawn has recieved on social media is totally unacceptable.”
Butler has said that it was “obviously racial profiling”. In footage of the police stop recorded by the Labour MP, officers said that they were searching the area because of “gang and knife crime”.
In an interview with Sky News, she said: “It is tiring and exhausting and mentally draining if you’re black and getting treated like that. Yes there are issues, but deal with it in an equitable way, in an unbiased way, not in a racist way.
“If you’re profiling cars because they’re not from the area that’s a ridiculous way to police. If you’re stopping cars because of the make that’s a ridiculous way to police. And if you’re stopping cars because of the colour of the people inside them, that’s racist.”
Butler added in an interview today: “This cannot continue. In light of Black Lives Matters what we’re trying to do is dismantle the structural racism that takes place and Macpherson has said that the Met Police is institutionally racist.
“Cressida Dick doesn’t like that term – that is not something that she should be saying. What she should be saying is: I lead an organisation that is still institutionally racist after 20 years – I need to stop that.”
A number of other parliamentary colleagues of the Labour MP have taken to social media since the police stop to express solidarity and concern for her wellbeing.


labourlist--2020-08-10--We should welcome trade with the US – but not a trade deal

I am not going to repeat the well-known case against a trade deal with the US .
The risks to public health , animal welfare , the NHS and public services are familiar to most LabourList readers .
But there are other reasons for which Labour should oppose the deal .
A trade deal offers no tangible benefits – no jobs , no great boost to economic growth or productivity .
Political discourse on trade assumes the opposite : that more trade makes everyone better off .
This idea is based on a series of myths , and now is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out the truths about the economic impact of trade .
If a company sells more , it can employ more workers .
If a country sells more , there will be more export jobs but not more employment overall .
Some sectors will recruit staff as they expand to supply exports .
Other sectors will contract as their production is supplanted by imports .
Trade will change the patterns of employment – geographically , by sector and by skills .
A sharp change in trading conditions , which could follow a trade deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , causing a short-term rise in unemployment .
But in the long run the level of employment depends on other factors , not trade .
As Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman put it : “ When the US Secretary of Commerce returns from a trip abroad with billions of dollars in new orders for US companies , he may or may not be instrumental in creating thousands of export-related jobs .
If he is , he is instrumental in destroying a roughly equal number of jobs elsewhere in the economy.
” This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1776 , The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith mocked the belief that foreign trade made the country richer because it brought gold and silver into the country .
If a company sells more , it makes more money and is better off .
Today if a country sells more , it acquires more foreign exchange – dollars , euro , etc .
What can you do with foreign exchange ?
The only answer is buy stuff priced in dollars , euro , etc – mostly imports .
The real value of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are real benefits to be had from trade .
The international division of labour and the diffusion of technology can increase the country ’ s potential output .
When the same level of employment produces higher output , we say productivity has increased .
In opposing a US trade deal , Labour should emphasise that we are not anti-trade , but that we should aim for trading relationships that significantly enhance productivity .
Our trade policy should coordinate with our industrial policy with exactly this aim .
If we agree that trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deals ?
In fact , a great amount of trade takes place without bilateral trade deals .
The US tops the charts of export partners , with 19 % of UK exports going there in 2018 , and it is number two for imports , with 11 % of imports that same year – all without a deal .
Like most such agreements , the US deal will have minimal impact on the country ’ s prosperity .
The Department for International Trade has published its assessment of the value of a deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long run by as much as 0.16 % .
To put that in context , UK GDP was around £2,200bn in cash terms before the pandemic .
The DIT thinks a US trade deal will raise GDP by around £3.4bn over the next 15 years .
By contrast , 15 years of modest economic growth – say 1.5 % a year – would lift GDP to £2,705bn .
Adding £3.4bn is not such a big deal .
If we want to know what does drive rising prosperity , we will have to look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US deal entirely , Labour has the chance to shift the discussion of trade towards firmer ground where the costs and benefits of future deals can be assessed .
Does a speculative 0.2 % of GDP in the distant future outweigh the costs of short-term disruption , limitation to policymaking on public health , product standards , animal welfare , innovation , environmental rules and public services ?
We should welcome trade with the US , but a trade deal is not worth it .

I am not going to repeat the well-known case against a trade deal with the US. The risks to public health, animal welfare, the NHS and public services are familiar to most LabourList readers. But there are other reasons for which Labour should oppose the deal.
A trade deal offers no tangible benefits – no jobs, no great boost to economic growth or productivity. Political discourse on trade assumes the opposite: that more trade makes everyone better off. This idea is based on a series of myths, and now is a teachable moment when Labour can set out the truths about the economic impact of trade.
Myth: trade creates jobs
If a company sells more, it can employ more workers. If a country sells more, there will be more export jobs but not more employment overall. Some sectors will recruit staff as they expand to supply exports. Other sectors will contract as their production is supplanted by imports.
Trade will change the patterns of employment – geographically, by sector and by skills. A sharp change in trading conditions, which could follow a trade deal, will disrupt existing patterns of employment, causing a short-term rise in unemployment. But in the long run the level of employment depends on other factors, not trade.
As Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman put it: “When the US Secretary of Commerce returns from a trip abroad with billions of dollars in new orders for US companies, he may or may not be instrumental in creating thousands of export-related jobs. If he is, he is instrumental in destroying a roughly equal number of jobs elsewhere in the economy.”
Myth: exports make us richer
This is probably the oldest trade myth. Back in 1776, The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith mocked the belief that foreign trade made the country richer because it brought gold and silver into the country.
If a company sells more, it makes more money and is better off. Today if a country sells more, it acquires more foreign exchange – dollars, euro, etc. What can you do with foreign exchange? The only answer is buy stuff priced in dollars, euro, etc – mostly imports. The real value of exports is to pay for imports.
Truth: trade can increase productivity
There are real benefits to be had from trade. The international division of labour and the diffusion of technology can increase the country’s potential output. When the same level of employment produces higher output, we say productivity has increased.
In opposing a US trade deal, Labour should emphasise that we are not anti-trade, but that we should aim for trading relationships that significantly enhance productivity. Our trade policy should coordinate with our industrial policy with exactly this aim.
Myth: our prosperity depends on trade deals
If we agree that trade has benefits, do we need trade deals? In fact, a great amount of trade takes place without bilateral trade deals. The US tops the charts of export partners, with 19% of UK exports going there in 2018, and it is number two for imports, with 11% of imports that same year – all without a deal.
Like most such agreements, the US deal will have minimal impact on the country’s prosperity. The Department for International Trade has published its assessment of the value of a deal, which shows GDP rising in the long run by as much as 0.16%.
To put that in context, UK GDP was around £2,200bn in cash terms before the pandemic. The DIT thinks a US trade deal will raise GDP by around £3.4bn over the next 15 years. By contrast, 15 years of modest economic growth – say 1.5% a year – would lift GDP to £2,705bn. Adding £3.4bn is not such a big deal. If we want to know what does drive rising prosperity, we will have to look elsewhere than trade deals.
By opposing the US deal entirely, Labour has the chance to shift the discussion of trade towards firmer ground where the costs and benefits of future deals can be assessed. Does a speculative 0.2% of GDP in the distant future outweigh the costs of short-term disruption, limitation to policymaking on public health, product standards, animal welfare, innovation, environmental rules and public services? We should welcome trade with the US, but a trade deal is not worth it.


labourlist--2020-08-11--WATCH: Labour Together’s ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast’ workshop

Labour Together is hosting a series of events – comprising panels with speakers from across the labour movement , Q & A sessions and workshops – for members interested in exploring its recent election review .
The report on Labour ’ s 2019 general election campaign made dozens of detailed recommendations for the party , described as needing a “ major overhaul ” of its “ political strategy , organisation and campaigning infrastructure ” .
The first workshop event on August 3rd explored the political strategy put forward by the review and particularly by Datapraxis founder Paul Hilder .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ panel .
The second event , on the idea that “ culture eats strategy for breakfast ” , took place on Monday .
The speakers were the Jewish Labour Movement ’ s Sarah Sackman , former Labour community organising lead Sotez Chowdhury and activist Chardine Taylor Stone .
Chaired by LabourList ‘ s editor , the panel discussed ways of improving Labour ’ s party culture , from the relationship between Labour HQ and volunteer activists to the need for more political education .
Below is the recording of the event before attendees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can sign up on Labour Together ’ s website to any of the events being held over the coming weeks .

Labour Together is hosting a series of events – comprising panels with speakers from across the labour movement, Q&A sessions and workshops – for members interested in exploring its recent election review.
The report on Labour’s 2019 general election campaign made dozens of detailed recommendations for the party, described as needing a “major overhaul” of its “political strategy, organisation and campaigning infrastructure”.
The first workshop event on August 3rd explored the political strategy put forward by the review and particularly by Datapraxis founder Paul Hilder. He joined commissioner Lucy Powell MP on the panel.
The second event, on the idea that “culture eats strategy for breakfast”, took place on Monday. The speakers were the Jewish Labour Movement’s Sarah Sackman, former Labour community organising lead Sotez Chowdhury and activist Chardine Taylor Stone.
Chaired by LabourList‘s editor, the panel discussed ways of improving Labour’s party culture, from the relationship between Labour HQ and volunteer activists to the need for more political education.
Below is the recording of the event before attendees engaged via break out rooms. You can sign up on Labour Together’s website to any of the events being held over the coming weeks.


labourlist--2020-08-11--LGBT+ Labour calls for “measurable action” over Rosie Duffield comments

The party-affiliated group LGBT+ Labour has issued a statement criticising Labour MP Rosie Duffield over her recent comments about women and calling for “ measurable action ” from the leadership .
The 45-year-old socialist society , which has patrons from across Labour ’ s spectrum but would usually be seen as aligned with the new leadership , said it had decided to comment “ with great sadness ” .
The statement describes Duffield ’ s assertion that “ only women have a cervix ” as “ exclusionary language ” and “ very troubling ” , and says the criticism that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
LGBT+ Labour also highlights that the Canterbury MP shared a Spectator article that referred to a “ transgender thought police ” and to the Labour Campaign for Trans Rights as “ authoritarian… petulant youngsters ” .
The campaign group LCTR had asked the Labour Party whips to “ take this forward ” and for Labour ’ s complaints team to “ take forward the numerous complaints we know of already ” about Duffield .
The Spectator piece , written by trans Labour member Dr Debbie Hayton , called on Keir Starmer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LCTR and “ speak out against those in his party who are condemning women for airing their thoughts ” .
Starmer has not commented publicly about Duffield ’ s tweets or the criticism she received from party members .
Several Labour MPs , including frontbenchers Rachel Reeves , Jess Phillips and Wes Streeting , have defended their colleague .
In an interview earlier this month , Phillips said : “ I hand on heart don ’ t think that Rosie Duffield is a transphobe.
” The shadow minister has been criticised herself in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Place UK .
The LGBT+ Labour statement released on Monday evening reads : “ We have spent the past few days reaching out to Rosie Duffield and her office to attempt to initiate steps towards an apology and reparations .
“ Since we have approached Rosie Duffield , she has continued to like and share tweets from people known by the trans community as hostile to their rights .
“ Unfortunately we have not reached a conclusion that our committee sees as an adequate response for her repeated actions.
” The group has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take measurable action on this situation ” and confirmed that it “ will be writing to Keir Starmer on behalf of our members to ask for a response ” .
Kira Lewis , who is currently running for Labour ’ s national executive committee ( NEC ) youth representative post against incumbent Lara McNeill , wrote the LGBT+ Labour statement according to a tweet .
Labour peers Philip Hunt and Glenys Thornton , who is the party ’ s shadow spokesperson for health in the House of Lords , have both agreed via @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
LabourList has contacted Rosie Duffield and Keir Starmer ’ s office for comment .

The party-affiliated group LGBT+ Labour has issued a statement criticising Labour MP Rosie Duffield over her recent comments about women and calling for “measurable action” from the leadership.
The 45-year-old socialist society, which has patrons from across Labour’s spectrum but would usually be seen as aligned with the new leadership, said it had decided to comment “with great sadness”.
The statement describes Duffield’s assertion that “only women have a cervix” as “exclusionary language” and “very troubling”, and says the criticism that followed was “met with hostility”.
LGBT+ Labour also highlights that the Canterbury MP shared a Spectator article that referred to a “transgender thought police” and to the Labour Campaign for Trans Rights as “authoritarian… petulant youngsters”.
The campaign group LCTR had asked the Labour Party whips to “take this forward” and for Labour’s complaints team to “take forward the numerous complaints we know of already” about Duffield.
The Spectator piece, written by trans Labour member Dr Debbie Hayton, called on Keir Starmer to “dismiss the wild demands” of LCTR and “speak out against those in his party who are condemning women for airing their thoughts”.
Starmer has not commented publicly about Duffield’s tweets or the criticism she received from party members. Several Labour MPs, including frontbenchers Rachel Reeves, Jess Phillips and Wes Streeting, have defended their colleague.
In an interview earlier this month, Phillips said: “I hand on heart don’t think that Rosie Duffield is a transphobe.” The shadow minister has been criticised herself in the past for defending Woman’s Place UK.
The LGBT+ Labour statement released on Monday evening reads: “We have spent the past few days reaching out to Rosie Duffield and her office to attempt to initiate steps towards an apology and reparations.
“Since we have approached Rosie Duffield, she has continued to like and share tweets from people known by the trans community as hostile to their rights.
“Unfortunately we have not reached a conclusion that our committee sees as an adequate response for her repeated actions.”
The group has now demanded that the Labour leadership “take measurable action on this situation” and confirmed that it “will be writing to Keir Starmer on behalf of our members to ask for a response”.
Kira Lewis, who is currently running for Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) youth representative post against incumbent Lara McNeill, wrote the LGBT+ Labour statement according to a tweet.
Labour peers Philip Hunt and Glenys Thornton, who is the party’s shadow spokesperson for health in the House of Lords, have both said via tweets that the statement is “nonsense”.
Update, 5pm:
Duffield later responded on social media. She wrote: “The last few days have been difficult and distressing for myself and my fantastic team of staff. I am, and always have been, completely supportive of trans rights.”
She added: “This conversation has been too toxic and ruled by bad faith actors for far too long. The issues have been hijacked by those at either extreme of the political spectrum, and used on social media as a tool to further personal agendas.
“I will not accept different groups of women being pitted against each other and I know that we can work together towards language that accommodates everyone.”
The Canterbury MP said she understands how “choice of language is important in this debate and acknowledge that carelessness can cause offence – I am sorry for any offence my own recent use of language on this issue may have caused”.


labourlist--2020-08-11--PM risks “robbing a generation of their future” over exam unfairness, Starmer warns

Keir Starmer is set to warn that the Prime Minister risks “ robbing a generation of young people of their future ” unless he urgently tackles the unfairness in this year ’ s replacement exam results system .
The Labour leader is making the intervention following the SQA results scandal in Scotland last week and ahead of A-level and GCSE results being released in England on August 13th and 20th .
After protests and a bid by Scottish Labour to remove Scottish Education Secretary John Swinney from post , the SNP government has today announced that the downgrading will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ahead of a meeting with teachers and parents in Wakefield on Wednesday , Starmer said : “ Pupils and parents are rightly worried that years of hard work are about to be undone because a computer has decided to mark their child down .
“ For too long , the Tories have considered the needs of young people as an afterthought when their needs should have been central .
“ It ’ s a blatant injustice that thousands of hard-working young people risk having their futures decided on the basis of their postcode @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a humiliating U-turn after a shambolic few days .
With 24 hours before results are released , I would urge the Prime Minister to change course , or he risks robbing a generation of their future.
” It has been reported that the scale of downgrading in England is expected to be even greater than the 124,000 teacher-estimated grades initially rejected in Scotland .
Around 250,000 pupils will receive A-Level results on Thursday .
Details of the model being used to determine the English results will not be published until after they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is demanding that the government clarify now which pupils are likely to be worst affected .
To make the system introduced during the coronavirus crisis fairer , Labour is also calling on the government to help students correct their grades through an appeals process or by taking resits .
The government has proposed that pupils not satisfied with their grades will be able to take resits later this year .
But Labour has accused the government of having “ set out no credible plan for how this will happen ” .
The opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that no student can be moderated down to below a grade four in English or Maths , equivalent of the old C grade , because this has significant consequences for their life chances .
Labour is also calling for statutory guidance for providers of higher and further education to guarantee more flexibility on admissions of those affected by the standardisation process and miss out on their required grades .
Ofqual set out its approach for assessments during the pandemic in April – though not the details of the standardisation model .
Schools and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grade for each subject and a ranking within their class .
These predictions are moderated by Ofqual using historical data on outcomes for each centre , or school , previous levels of attainment of students in this school year and the previous one , and the expected national distribution of grades .
The body has acknowledged that , with its approach to results , “ there will be students who may have achieved grades which were higher ( or lower ) than the calculated grades they will receive this summer , if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government is set to announce that students in England , Wales and Northern Ireland will be able to use their mock exam results as final grades if they are better than the modelled grades .

Keir Starmer is set to warn that the Prime Minister risks “robbing a generation of young people of their future” unless he urgently tackles the unfairness in this year’s replacement exam results system.
The Labour leader is making the intervention following the SQA results scandal in Scotland last week and ahead of A-level and GCSE results being released in England on August 13th and 20th.
After protests and a bid by Scottish Labour to remove Scottish Education Secretary John Swinney from post, the SNP government has today announced that the downgrading will be abandoned and teacher estimates used instead.
Ahead of a meeting with teachers and parents in Wakefield on Wednesday, Starmer said: “Pupils and parents are rightly worried that years of hard work are about to be undone because a computer has decided to mark their child down.
“For too long, the Tories have considered the needs of young people as an afterthought when their needs should have been central.
“It’s a blatant injustice that thousands of hard-working young people risk having their futures decided on the basis of their postcode.
“The SNP have been forced into a humiliating U-turn after a shambolic few days. With 24 hours before results are released, I would urge the Prime Minister to change course, or he risks robbing a generation of their future.”
It has been reported that the scale of downgrading in England is expected to be even greater than the 124,000 teacher-estimated grades initially rejected in Scotland. Around 250,000 pupils will receive A-Level results on Thursday.
Details of the model being used to determine the English results will not be published until after they are revealed to students, but Labour is demanding that the government clarify now which pupils are likely to be worst affected.
To make the system introduced during the coronavirus crisis fairer, Labour is also calling on the government to help students correct their grades through an appeals process or by taking resits.
The government has proposed that pupils not satisfied with their grades will be able to take resits later this year. But Labour has accused the government of having “set out no credible plan for how this will happen”.
The opposition party is urging the government to ensure that no student can be moderated down to below a grade four in English or Maths, equivalent of the old C grade, because this has significant consequences for their life chances.
Labour is also calling for statutory guidance for providers of higher and further education to guarantee more flexibility on admissions of those affected by the standardisation process and miss out on their required grades.
Ofqual set out its approach for assessments during the pandemic in April – though not the details of the standardisation model. Schools and teachers will provide pupils with a predicted grade for each subject and a ranking within their class.
These predictions are moderated by Ofqual using historical data on outcomes for each centre, or school, previous levels of attainment of students in this school year and the previous one, and the expected national distribution of grades.
The body has acknowledged that, with its approach to results, “there will be students who may have achieved grades which were higher (or lower) than the calculated grades they will receive this summer, if the exams had taken place”.
The government is set to announce that students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be able to use their mock exam results as final grades if they are better than the modelled grades.


labourlist--2020-08-11--Councillors call on Labour leadership to back campaign to cancel council debt

A group of Labour councillors have called on the leadership of the Labour Party to back a campaign for the cancellation of local authority debt and warned that councils “ face a financial meltdown ” .
30 Nottingham councillors have sent a letter to Labour leader Keir Starmer , deputy Angela Rayner and Shadow Secretary for Communities and Local Government Steve Reed today , also calling for them to back council funding based on local needs .
The group has said that the government has “ refused to honour its commitment to councils to ‘ do what it takes ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local authorities as “ unfair and unjust ” .
They are calling for the party to : • Lead a campaign for the cancellation of debts to the Public Works Loan Board ; • Work with local councils to develop a funding framework that acknowledges local needs ; and • Commit to an active national campaign that mobilises Labour members , the trade unions and local communities .
In June , Labour mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees joined 16 council leaders , eight MPs and councillors from across the country to back a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Housing calling for the cancellation of councils ’ debts .
The campaign has argued that the government set a precedent by cancelling the debt owed by NHS trusts to ease the pressure they faced during the pandemic , which amounted to a sum total of £13.4bn .
It has also stressed that cancelling the £82bn of local authority debt would provide councils with an additional £4.5bn spending power each year , by removing the annual spending on servicing the debt .
The campaign has described in its mission statement how local authorities entered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and highlighted that the National Audit Office reported a real-terms budget reduction of 49.1 % between 2010 and 2018 .
Supporters of the campaign include Labour left MPs John McDonnell , Richard Burgon , Zarah Sultana , Paula Barker , Ian Byrne , Clive Lewis , Claudia Webbe and Mick Whitley .
The Labour Campaign for Council Housing also wrote to the leadership last month , saying that the party must “ support and campaign for debt cancellation ” for councils in the pandemic – or face a “ new phase of austerity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the letter sent to the Labour leadership today .
As concerned local councillors and trade unionists we are facing a financial crisis that has been exacerbated by the Covid emergency , but in reality has been years in the making as austerity has taken its toll .
Local authorities face a financial meltdown .
We have , with the commitment of our frontline workers , continued to try and provide services , supported vulnerable residents , develop mutual aid initiatives and have worked to mitigate the worst impact of Covid-19 on our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honour its commitment to councils to ‘ do what it takes ’ .
Despite additional money Nottingham and local district councils still face massive shortfalls , without further funding jobs and services will be lost .
We therefore feel that our situation is unfair and unjust .
To ask councils to cut jobs & services in the face of this funding crisis will mean our communities will suffer .
As Labour councillors we are demanding action in three areas : 1 ) Labour nationally lead a campaign calling for cancellation of debts to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last decade council funding has been massively cut .
This has forced councils to look to other methods to raise funds , like increasing council tax , raising charges for services and being encouraged to borrow to buy property to develop rental income streams .
Policy areas agreed to try meet local spending and manifesto commitments .
Covering the annual borrowing costs sucks funds out of our city .
Debts to the Public Works Loan Board should be scrapped to give councils a fresh start like they were in the NHS .
2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local councils on fair funding Labour nationally works with local councils to develop a funding framework which acknowledges local needs .
To highlight the need for an overhaul of the ‘ fair funding ’ review .
If deprivation , disadvantage & service provision are to be addressed fairly , it can only be done through a system that acknowledges local need in a revised allocation formula .
Campaigning for a grants based scheme that fully funds local authorities .
The Labour Party commits to an active national campaign , a campaign that mobilises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our local communities .
An immediate demand of the campaign is that any additional use of reserves and any new borrowing to cover extra costs of the current emergency to be fully refunded now .
The councillors named below are calling for the Labour leadership to organise a national campaign , highlighting the crisis facing our local public services and public sector workers .
We are calling for this to happen as soon as possible with the leadership making an immediate public commitment to these demands .

A group of Labour councillors have called on the leadership of the Labour Party to back a campaign for the cancellation of local authority debt and warned that councils “face a financial meltdown”.
30 Nottingham councillors have sent a letter to Labour leader Keir Starmer, deputy Angela Rayner and Shadow Secretary for Communities and Local Government Steve Reed today, also calling for them to back council funding based on local needs.
The group has said that the government has “refused to honour its commitment to councils to ‘do what it takes’”, and described the situation facing local authorities as “unfair and unjust”. They are calling for the party to:
Lead a campaign for the cancellation of debts to the Public Works Loan Board; Work with local councils to develop a funding framework that acknowledges local needs; and Commit to an active national campaign that mobilises Labour members, the trade unions and local communities.
In June, Labour mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees joined 16 council leaders, eight MPs and councillors from across the country to back a statement by the Labour Campaign for Council Housing calling for the cancellation of councils’ debts.
The campaign has argued that the government set a precedent by cancelling the debt owed by NHS trusts to ease the pressure they faced during the pandemic, which amounted to a sum total of £13.4bn.
It has also stressed that cancelling the £82bn of local authority debt would provide councils with an additional £4.5bn spending power each year, by removing the annual spending on servicing the debt.
The campaign has described in its mission statement how local authorities entered the crisis “grossly underfunded”, and highlighted that the National Audit Office reported a real-terms budget reduction of 49.1% between 2010 and 2018.
Supporters of the campaign include Labour left MPs John McDonnell, Richard Burgon, Zarah Sultana, Paula Barker, Ian Byrne, Clive Lewis, Claudia Webbe and Mick Whitley.
The Labour Campaign for Council Housing also wrote to the leadership last month, saying that the party must “support and campaign for debt cancellation” for councils in the pandemic – or face a “new phase of austerity”.
Below is the full text of the letter sent to the Labour leadership today.
Dear Keir, Angela and Steve
As concerned local councillors and trade unionists we are facing a financial crisis that has been exacerbated by the Covid emergency, but in reality has been years in the making as austerity has taken its toll. Local authorities face a financial meltdown. We have, with the commitment of our frontline workers, continued to try and provide services, supported vulnerable residents, develop mutual aid initiatives and have worked to mitigate the worst impact of Covid-19 on our communities. The government have refused to honour its commitment to councils to ‘do what it takes’. Despite additional money Nottingham and local district councils still face massive shortfalls, without further funding jobs and services will be lost.
We therefore feel that our situation is unfair and unjust. To ask councils to cut jobs & services in the face of this funding crisis will mean our communities will suffer. As Labour councillors we are demanding action in three areas:
1) Labour nationally lead a campaign calling for cancellation of debts to the Public Work Loans Board
Over the last decade council funding has been massively cut. This has forced councils to look to other methods to raise funds, like increasing council tax, raising charges for services and being encouraged to borrow to buy property to develop rental income streams. Policy areas agreed to try meet local spending and manifesto commitments. Covering the annual borrowing costs sucks funds out of our city. Debts to the Public Works Loan Board should be scrapped to give councils a fresh start like they were in the NHS.
2) Labour nationally campaign and work with local councils on fair funding
Labour nationally works with local councils to develop a funding framework which acknowledges local needs. To highlight the need for an overhaul of the ‘fair funding’ review. If deprivation, disadvantage & service provision are to be addressed fairly, it can only be done through a system that acknowledges local need in a revised allocation formula. Campaigning for a grants based scheme that fully funds local authorities.
3) An active national campaign
The Labour Party commits to an active national campaign, a campaign that mobilises Labour members, the trade unions and our local communities. An immediate demand of the campaign is that any additional use of reserves and any new borrowing to cover extra costs of the current emergency to be fully refunded now.
The councillors named below are calling for the Labour leadership to organise a national campaign, highlighting the crisis facing our local public services and public sector workers. We are calling for this to happen as soon as possible with the leadership making an immediate public commitment to these demands.
Supported by Nottingham City councillors:
Pavlos Kotsonis, Phil Jackson, Lauren O’Grady, Cate Woodward, Salma Mumtaz, Nick Raine, Steve Battlemuch, Hassan Ahmed, Sam Gardiner, Sajid Mohammed, Ankunda Matsiko, Jawaid Khalil, Audrey Dinnall, Carol McCulloch, Maria Joannou, Chantal Lee, Adele Williams, Cheryl Barnard, Toby Neal, Zafran Khan, Mohammed Saghir, Gul Khan, Neghat Khan, Rebecca Langton, Shuguftah Quddoos, Angela Kandola, Sue Johnson, Dave Trimble, Leslie Ayoola, Linda Woodings
UNISON – Christina Sanna, Najeeb Nazir
Unite the Union – Carol Starr


labourlist--2020-08-11--Rolling list: Labour NEC youth rep candidate nominations

Labour ’ s internal elections are underway .
The contest due to end in November will elect nine CLP and two local government reps to the party ’ s governing body , alongside one treasurer and one rep each for youth , disability and Welsh Labour .
Over 170 Labour members are standing for the positions across 18 available national executive committee seats .
The party has published their statements online , and you can have a look at what LabourList knows about them here .
All candidates need to be nominated to secure a place on the ballot .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ means getting the backing of 50 young members and two affiliate groups .
The nomination period started on July 11th and closes on September 27th .
Ballots will then begin to be dispatched to members on October 19th , before voting closes on November 12th .
The youth rep is elected by an electoral college of 50 % one-member-one-vote of young members and 50 % affiliated trade unions .
LabourList has put together a full guide to the NEC contests that outlines the key functions of Labour ’ s ruling body , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the timetable for the elections , and the nominating and voting processes .
Below is the list of young member nominations for youth rep candidates .
Only candidates with more than one nomination are included .
Lara McNeill – 342 ( also nominated by Unite the Union ) Kira Lewis – 283 Tommy Kirkwood – 8 Scarlett Westbrook – 6 Theodore Michael – 5 Joshua Harcup – 3 Thomas Bradshaw – 2 Leyton McLean – 2 William Payne – 2 Alex Reekie – 2

Labour’s internal elections are underway. The contest due to end in November will elect nine CLP and two local government reps to the party’s governing body, alongside one treasurer and one rep each for youth, disability and Welsh Labour.
Over 170 Labour members are standing for the positions across 18 available national executive committee seats. The party has published their statements online, and you can have a look at what LabourList knows about them here.
All candidates need to be nominated to secure a place on the ballot. For the youth rep position, this means getting the backing of 50 young members and two affiliate groups. The nomination period started on July 11th and closes on September 27th.
Ballots will then begin to be dispatched to members on October 19th, before voting closes on November 12th. The youth rep is elected by an electoral college of 50% one-member-one-vote of young members and 50% affiliated trade unions.
LabourList has put together a full guide to the NEC contests that outlines the key functions of Labour’s ruling body, which NEC seats are up this summer, the timetable for the elections, and the nominating and voting processes.
Below is the list of young member nominations for youth rep candidates.
Lara McNeill and Kira Lewis have secured places on the ballot.
Lara McNeill – 582 (plus ASLEF, BFAWU, CWU, FBU, GMB, TSSA, Unite)
Kira Lewis – 573 (plus BAME Labour, Chinese for Labour, Community, Fabian Society, Jewish Labour Movement, Labour Campaign for International Development, Labour Party Irish Society, Socialist Environment & Resources Association, Union of Shop, Distributed & Allied Workers, UNISON)
Tommy Kirkwood – 20
Theodore Michael – 8
Avesta Afshari-Mehr – 6
Joshua Harcup – 4
Leyton McLean – 4
Alex Reekie – 2
Thomas Bradshaw – 2
William Payne – 2
Abigeal Olamide Adeyemi – 1
Anjali Cheung – 1
Bertie Esposito – 1
Callum James Trewolla – 1
Daniel Potter – 1
Fabian Opoku Sepa – 1
George Lincoln – 1
Jack Ruane – 1
Jake Rawal – 1
Joe Langabeer – 1
Joshua Brown-Smith – 1
Libby Hargreaves – 1
Megan Hunt – 1
Natalie Giles – 1
Nathan Martin – 1
Pierre Orsini – 1
Roman Raynes – 1
Ryan Smith – 1
Samuel Paris Keech – 1
Thomas Evamy – 1
Yasmin Mannion – 1
Fabian Opoku Sepa – 1
Peter Zeman – 1


labourlist--2020-08-11--Why we should worry about the steady creep of permitted development rights

The government last month unveiled changes to ‘ permitted development rights ’ .
These rights mean that it ’ s possible to undertake certain works without having to apply for planning consent .
They derive from a general permission granted by parliament , rather than a specific one from the local authority – and as such allow developers to bypass the local planning process .
Permitted development rights have existed since the introduction of a comprehensive planning system in the UK in 1948 .
But the extent of what they allow has changed significantly .
Since 2013 , the Tories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes being created through changes of use from office , agricultural , storage , light industrial , retail and various others to residential .
The latest extension of these rights includes allowing developers to demolish unused buildings and industrial premises and rebuild them as homes .
The changes have been strongly opposed in consultations , and a group of industry expert bodies recently wrote to the government urging against what it called “ reactive planning ” .
But the government has pushed ahead regardless , packaging it as part of a drive to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get out of the housing crisis .
Here ’ s why they won ’ t help .
A review of permitted development commissioned by the government and published last month concluded that they have led to the creation of “ worse quality ” homes .
Under these rights , local authorities have no opportunity to enforce space standards , housing quality standards , or design specifications for new developments .
The research found that only 22 % of dwellings created through permitted development met the nationally described space standards , compared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planning permission .
The pandemic has highlighted the stark contrast in living conditions of different people , and these varying conditions have shaped individuals ’ experiences of Covid .
From high-rise flats to suburban detached houses , the lockdown meant vastly different things for different people .
Yet in the middle of this crisis , in which people have been confined to their homes on an unprecedented scale , the government has pushed ahead to allow developers to build homes with no regard to minimum quality or space standards .
This is outlined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Town Planning Institute , the Royal Institute of British Architects , the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and the Chartered Institute of Building , which says : “ Early evidence suggests our built environment has had a significant impact on both physical and mental health outcomes , as well as on our ability to adapt to different ways of working ” .
People living in well-planned , good-quality homes , with proper considerations of access to space , essential facilities and healthcare , have a far better living experience .
The rights effectively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process , and therefore escape any obligations to provide a proportion of affordable or social homes in their schemes .
At the start of this year , analysis by the Local Government Association showed that communities lost out on more than 13,500 affordable homes in the past four years through building done under permitted development rights .
According to research by the Greater London Authority , of the 15,929 new homes built through permitted development in London between 2013 and 2019 , only 71 – or 0.4 % – were defined as “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honest , the current definition of ‘ affordable homes ’ under the National Planning Policy Framework – with rents set at 80 % of market rate – doesn ’ t represent what most people consider to be affordable .
Private rents hit a record high of £700 per month during lockdown , with the median rent highest in London at £1,425 .
Renters on average spend 41 % of their income on housing costs .
Meanwhile , house prices have rocketed by more than 270 % in the past two decades .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to £241,604 in July with research last year showing that it took until the age of 34 for most people to own their own home .
We desperately need the policies outlined in the 2019 Labour manifesto , which would have scrapped this definition for one focused on social rent homes , homes linked to local incomes and low-cost ownership homes again linked to average local earnings .
But regardless of the problems with the current definition , requirements for affordable homes are one of the few tools local authorities do have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what communities actually need .
Extending permitted development rights in this way significantly undermines the already-limited ability of communities and local councils to secure affordable homes in their areas .
We shouldn ’ t be surprised by this latest development .
From the government ’ s newly unveiled planning proposals – which will remove current mechanisms councils have to secure affordable and social homes – to the dodgy relationships and preferential deals between its ministers and developers , where this government ’ s priorities lie is clear .
They ’ re all apparently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but they ’ re not concerned at all about who can afford what ’ s built and what it ’ s actually like to live there .
This latest change to permitted development rights is a particularly pernicious way for developers to skirt their obligations to local communities .
And there is nothing that local councils can do about it .

The government last month unveiled changes to ‘permitted development rights’. These rights mean that it’s possible to undertake certain works without having to apply for planning consent. They derive from a general permission granted by parliament, rather than a specific one from the local authority – and as such allow developers to bypass the local planning process.
Permitted development rights have existed since the introduction of a comprehensive planning system in the UK in 1948. But the extent of what they allow has changed significantly. Since 2013, the Tories have hugely expanded these rights, with homes being created through changes of use from office, agricultural, storage, light industrial, retail and various others to residential.
The latest extension of these rights includes allowing developers to demolish unused buildings and industrial premises and rebuild them as homes. The changes have been strongly opposed in consultations, and a group of industry expert bodies recently wrote to the government urging against what it called “reactive planning”. But the government has pushed ahead regardless, packaging it as part of a drive to ‘build, build, build’ to get out of the housing crisis. Here’s why they won’t help.
Poor quality homes
A review of permitted development commissioned by the government and published last month concluded that they have led to the creation of “worse quality” homes. Under these rights, local authorities have no opportunity to enforce space standards, housing quality standards, or design specifications for new developments. The research found that only 22% of dwellings created through permitted development met the nationally described space standards, compared to 73% of units created with full planning permission.
The pandemic has highlighted the stark contrast in living conditions of different people, and these varying conditions have shaped individuals’ experiences of Covid. From high-rise flats to suburban detached houses, the lockdown meant vastly different things for different people. Yet in the middle of this crisis, in which people have been confined to their homes on an unprecedented scale, the government has pushed ahead to allow developers to build homes with no regard to minimum quality or space standards.
This is outlined by a joint letter from the Royal Town Planning Institute, the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and the Chartered Institute of Building, which says: “Early evidence suggests our built environment has had a significant impact on both physical and mental health outcomes, as well as on our ability to adapt to different ways of working”. People living in well-planned, good-quality homes, with proper considerations of access to space, essential facilities and healthcare, have a far better living experience.
Unaffordable homes
The rights effectively allow developers to bypass the local planning process, and therefore escape any obligations to provide a proportion of affordable or social homes in their schemes. At the start of this year, analysis by the Local Government Association showed that communities lost out on more than 13,500 affordable homes in the past four years through building done under permitted development rights. According to research by the Greater London Authority, of the 15,929 new homes built through permitted development in London between 2013 and 2019, only 71 – or 0.4% – were defined as “affordable”.
Let’s be honest, the current definition of ‘affordable homes’ under the National Planning Policy Framework – with rents set at 80% of market rate – doesn’t represent what most people consider to be affordable. Private rents hit a record high of £700 per month during lockdown, with the median rent highest in London at £1,425. Renters on average spend 41% of their income on housing costs. Meanwhile, house prices have rocketed by more than 270% in the past two decades. The average property price across the UK rose to £241,604 in July with research last year showing that it took until the age of 34 for most people to own their own home. We desperately need the policies outlined in the 2019 Labour manifesto, which would have scrapped this definition for one focused on social rent homes, homes linked to local incomes and low-cost ownership homes again linked to average local earnings.
But regardless of the problems with the current definition, requirements for affordable homes are one of the few tools local authorities do have to mandate developers to contribute something closer to what communities actually need. Extending permitted development rights in this way significantly undermines the already-limited ability of communities and local councils to secure affordable homes in their areas.
We shouldn’t be surprised by this latest development. From the government’s newly unveiled planning proposals – which will remove current mechanisms councils have to secure affordable and social homes – to the dodgy relationships and preferential deals between its ministers and developers, where this government’s priorities lie is clear. They’re all apparently for ‘build, build build’, but they’re not concerned at all about who can afford what’s built and what it’s actually like to live there. This latest change to permitted development rights is a particularly pernicious way for developers to skirt their obligations to local communities. And there is nothing that local councils can do about it.