labourlist--2020-07-13--Starmer thanks Prentis for “oustanding leadership” as UNISON head retires

Labour leader Keir Starmer has thanked Dave Prentis for his “ many years of outstanding leadership ” following the news that the UNISON general secretary will retire at the end of the year .
In a message to staff members , Prentis said : “ I ’ ve been so proud to serve as UNISON general secretary for 20 years .
It has been the honour and privilege of my life to be able to represent our incredible public service workers from across our four nations , and never more so than in the last few difficult months of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advised the President that I will retire on 31 December 2020 when my current period of office comes to an end .
In order to comply with trade union law , our NEC development and organisation committee will meet this week to discuss a timetable to elect my successor and full details will be published once that is agreed .
But I wanted you , the staff who do so much for our union , to hear the news directly from me .
“ We have been through some tough times together .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the long years of austerity where we saw our public services decimated with hundreds of thousands of jobs lost .
But we stayed strong and we built the union .
“ We are now the largest union in the UK and the fastest-growing union in Europe .
We have a vibrant lay democracy , our finances are strong and our staff are second to none in the trade union movement .
“ Every day for the past 47 years , I have been proud to serve this union and I have always been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice for all our members .
Never more so than in the past five months when I have seen our staff , our members and our public services rise to the challenge of the pandemic .
In the worst of all circumstances , I have seen our union at its very best .
“ New members are joining our union faster than ever before because they value what a strong union can provide – support when they need it , strength to fight for change and a community that means that even in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never alone .
Our enduring values of caring and solidarity will be more important than ever in the coming years .
“ As the health crisis turns to an economic crisis , we will face more challenges .
I will be here to continue to lead this union until the end of this year – we still have a great deal of work to do together .
It has been my pleasure , my honour and an absolute privilege to lead our union , UNISON.
” Responding to the announcement , Starmer – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier this year – tweeted : “ I want to thank you for your many years of outstanding leadership and for admirably representing our heroic frontline workers during the coronavirus crisis .
I know you will always contribute to our movement and that we will continue to campaign together.
” Deputy leader Angela Rayner tweeted : “ I wish @ DavePrentis a long and happy retirement , Dave has led our union for many years and has been an outstanding general secretary .
Always encouraging activists like me in the early days in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thanks for everything Dave.
” It is understood that executive members of UNISON were informed of the timing of the retirement this morning .
Prentis first took up the general secretary post in 2001 , and was re-elected in 2005 with 77 % of the vote and in 2015 with 49 % of the vote .
When the new leadership team was elected in April , Prentis wrote for LabourList that UNISON backed Starmer and Rayner “ because they were the right people for the job ” and “ have all the ingredients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is currently led by an acting general secretary and the affiliated union is choosing a new head .
At Unite , Howard Beckett , Steve Turner and Sharon Graham have all declared bids for next year ’ s general secretary election .

Labour leader Keir Starmer has thanked Dave Prentis for his “many years of outstanding leadership” following the news that the UNISON general secretary will retire at the end of the year.
In a message to staff members, Prentis said: “I’ve been so proud to serve as UNISON general secretary for 20 years. It has been the honour and privilege of my life to be able to represent our incredible public service workers from across our four nations, and never more so than in the last few difficult months of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Today I have advised the President that I will retire on 31 December 2020 when my current period of office comes to an end. In order to comply with trade union law, our NEC development and organisation committee will meet this week to discuss a timetable to elect my successor and full details will be published once that is agreed. But I wanted you, the staff who do so much for our union, to hear the news directly from me.
“We have been through some tough times together. We’ve brought our union through the long years of austerity where we saw our public services decimated with hundreds of thousands of jobs lost. But we stayed strong and we built the union.
“We are now the largest union in the UK and the fastest-growing union in Europe. We have a vibrant lay democracy, our finances are strong and our staff are second to none in the trade union movement.
“Every day for the past 47 years, I have been proud to serve this union and I have always been driven by a belief in fairness and justice for all our members. Never more so than in the past five months when I have seen our staff, our members and our public services rise to the challenge of the pandemic. In the worst of all circumstances, I have seen our union at its very best.
“New members are joining our union faster than ever before because they value what a strong union can provide – support when they need it, strength to fight for change and a community that means that even in the most worrying times, you are never alone. Our enduring values of caring and solidarity will be more important than ever in the coming years.
“As the health crisis turns to an economic crisis, we will face more challenges. I will be here to continue to lead this union until the end of this year – we still have a great deal of work to do together. It has been my pleasure, my honour and an absolute privilege to lead our union, UNISON.”
Responding to the announcement, Starmer – whose leadership bid was backed by UNISON earlier this year – tweeted: “I want to thank you for your many years of outstanding leadership and for admirably representing our heroic frontline workers during the coronavirus crisis. I know you will always contribute to our movement and that we will continue to campaign together.”
Deputy leader Angela Rayner tweeted: “I wish @DavePrentis a long and happy retirement, Dave has led our union for many years and has been an outstanding general secretary. Always encouraging activists like me in the early days in the union, always so supportive, thanks for everything Dave.”
It is understood that executive members of UNISON were informed of the timing of the retirement this morning, and that the timetable for the election will be agreed by the union’s NEC by the end of the month.
Prentis first took up the general secretary post in 2001, and was re-elected in 2005 with 77% of the vote and in 2015 with 49% of the vote.
When the new leadership team was elected in April, Prentis wrote for LabourList that UNISON backed Starmer and Rayner “because they were the right people for the job” and “have all the ingredients for a winning team”.
GMB is currently led by an acting general secretary and the affiliated union is choosing a new head. At Unite, Howard Beckett, Steve Turner and Sharon Graham have all declared bids to succeed Len McCluskey.


labourlist--2020-07-13--TSSA calls for clarity over reports of rail nationalisation

The TSSA has called for clarity over reports that the government is preparing to nationalise the railways , demanding “ unequivocal guarantees ” from ministers that there will be no cuts to services .
In a letter to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today , Manuel Cortes highlighted an article in the Sunday Telegraph , which reported that falling passenger numbers mean that it is “ almost impossible for the railways to remain in private hands ” .
The general secretary argued that “ railways run by the state , for the good of the British people are now the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and urged Shapps to work with unions to bring the rail industry back into public ownership .
Usual passenger footfall on trains across the country fell to just 4 % at the beginning of lockdown .
As the restrictions have begun to ease this has risen only slightly , reaching 10 % at the end of last month .
The government agreed in March to implement emergency measure agreements ( EMAs ) to subsidise and prevent the collapse of rail franchises .
On average , each passenger journey during lockdown has cost the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showed that the government had approved £3.5bn in additional subsidies under these EMAs to ensure that train operators could continue to function .
The agreements are due to end in September .
The Sunday Telegraph reported on Saturday that the government is not planning to continue providing the extra funding from September , and suggested that this is “ stoking suggestions that a full renationalisation is being orchestrated ” .
Below is the full text of the letter sent by Cortes today .
I know you will agree with me that our railways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the fight against this terrible pandemic – allowing our NHS workers to get to their jobs and save lives .
We also know serious questions are being asked about the future of our railways , with many private franchises teetering on the brink long before Covid-19 .
In recent days we have seen the Financial Times reporting that the Office for National Statistics ( ONS ) has reclassified our railways as being publicly owned , after your Department introduced EMAs at the start of the coronavirus pandemic .
To date , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxpayer in excess of £3.5bn in order to stave off the insolvency of private companies on our railways .
The Sunday Telegraph ( 12th July ) also reported : ” The rail industry is bracing for full nationalisation as private forecasts show passenger numbers will not return to pre-pandemic levels for at least five years .
The predictions , circulated among train operators last week , make it almost impossible for the railways to remain in private hands without continued significant taxpayer support.
” In short , railways run by the state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are now the only viable and reasonable way forward .
Our railways are simply too important to be allowed to fail – and the only way to ensure their future is to bring them into public hands .
Clarity on this point is urgently needed , and at the same time the British public need unequivocal guarantees there will be no cuts to the services we all rely on .
For reasons related to healthcare , the economy and jobs we must be told what Government plans are for after September when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is just a few short weeks away and there can be no pretence that it is any longer acceptable to continue lining the pockets of private operators – allowing shareholders to keep a 2 % profit margin , and lavish salaries for board members , while the taxpayer foots the bill .
Our union has always stood foursquare against profiteering on our railways .
However now is not the time for dogma and ideology – from any quarter .
Rather , it is the time for leadership and putting the public interest above @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent weeks you have said you will work with our rail unions , and I have fully welcomed that approach .
I ask now that you continue down that path so that together we can bring our railways into public hands for the long-term good of our country .

The TSSA has called for clarity over reports that the government is preparing to nationalise the railways, demanding “unequivocal guarantees” from ministers that there will be no cuts to services.
In a letter to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today, Manuel Cortes highlighted an article in the Sunday Telegraph, which reported that falling passenger numbers mean that it is “almost impossible for the railways to remain in private hands”.
The general secretary argued that “railways run by the state, for the good of the British people are now the only viable and reasonable way forward”, and urged Shapps to work with unions to bring the rail industry back into public ownership.
Usual passenger footfall on trains across the country fell to just 4% at the beginning of lockdown. As the restrictions have begun to ease this has risen only slightly, reaching 10% at the end of last month.
The government agreed in March to implement emergency measure agreements (EMAs) to subsidise and prevent the collapse of rail franchises. On average, each passenger journey during lockdown has cost the taxpayer £100.
Figures provided in June showed that the government had approved £3.5bn in additional subsidies under these EMAs to ensure that train operators could continue to function. The agreements are due to end in September.
The Sunday Telegraph reported on Saturday that the government is not planning to continue providing the extra funding from September, and suggested that this is “stoking suggestions that a full renationalisation is being orchestrated”.
Below is the full text of the letter sent by Cortes today.
Dear Secretary of State,
I know you will agree with me that our railways and wider transport network have been key in the fight against this terrible pandemic – allowing our NHS workers to get to their jobs and save lives.
We also know serious questions are being asked about the future of our railways, with many private franchises teetering on the brink long before Covid-19.
In recent days we have seen the Financial Times reporting that the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has reclassified our railways as being publicly owned, after your Department introduced EMAs at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
To date, the EMAs are estimated to have cost the taxpayer in excess of £3.5bn in order to stave off the insolvency of private companies on our railways.
The Sunday Telegraph (12th July) also reported:”The rail industry is bracing for full nationalisation as private forecasts show passenger numbers will not return to pre-pandemic levels for at least five years. The predictions, circulated among train operators last week, make it almost impossible for the railways to remain in private hands without continued significant taxpayer support.”
In short, railways run by the state, for the good of the British people are now the only viable and reasonable way forward. Our railways are simply too important to be allowed to fail – and the only way to ensure their future is to bring them into public hands.
Clarity on this point is urgently needed, and at the same time the British public need unequivocal guarantees there will be no cuts to the services we all rely on. For reasons related to healthcare, the economy and jobs we must be told what Government plans are for after September when the EMAs come to an end.
That is just a few short weeks away and there can be no pretence that it is any longer acceptable to continue lining the pockets of private operators – allowing shareholders to keep a 2% profit margin, and lavish salaries for board members, while the taxpayer foots the bill.
Our union has always stood foursquare against profiteering on our railways. However now is not the time for dogma and ideology – from any quarter. Rather, it is the time for leadership and putting the public interest above all other considerations.
Many times in recent weeks you have said you will work with our rail unions, and I have fully welcomed that approach. I ask now that you continue down that path so that together we can bring our railways into public hands for the long-term good of our country.
Yours sincerely,
Manuel Cortes
TSSA General Secretary


labourlist--2020-07-13--100 Days of Starmer

100 Days of Starmer

It has been 100 days since Keir Starmer became Labour leader .
There were always going to be tough challenges for any successor to Jeremy Corbyn : the party has just suffered a devastating defeat , from which it would take a historical turnaround to recover in a single term , the internal ( should I say eternal ? )
warfare is vicious , and significant numbers of members have felt deep hurt .
He was elected during a Brexit transition period after an election all about that issue .
And , most importantly , Starmer took over in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been particularly fatal in the UK where the government response is shambolic .
The new leader has adopted a softly , softly approach to opposing the government and a ruthless one for internal party politics .
Naturally , this has been divisive among Labour members , many of whom would have expected the reverse .
Starmer has reshaped the party in his image remarkably quickly .
He has forged a slim but reliable majority on Labour ’ s national executive committee , replaced Jennie Formby with a general secretary who is widely considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right , and sacked his Corbynite leadership opponent from the shadow cabinet .
The Labour frontbench has been thoroughly overhauled , both in terms of who ’ s on it and the tone that they take in interviews .
The leadership has slowly ramped up criticism of the Tories over Covid-19 , but caution is still the watchword for media engagement .
The core objective of Starmer ’ s team appears to be ‘ detoxifying ’ the Labour brand .
If we ’ re assessing these 100 days on that basis , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certainly give cause for optimism – but the party has some catching up to do , still lagging behind the Conservatives in voting intention despite their calamitous response to the crisis .
Perhaps most notably , the Keir Starmer/Anneliese Dodds team scores badly compared to the top Tory team including Rishi Sunak , who also presents a danger as a charismatic but crucially competent-looking politician with possible leadership ambitions .
Much of Labour ’ s troubles right now relate to its economic policies , as highlighted by the recent confusing messages on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the idea in principle , but it is understood that the leadership is not backing such a proposal .
The party seems to want to get away with saying nothing on taxes before the next general election campaign , but a key lesson from the 2019 defeat arguably should be that Labour needs a decent run-up for its policies – if we want a fair hearing , our ideas need to be normalised first .
And Starmer ’ s personal appeal must be put to good use .
There is a risk that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the left on the economy .
A message from LabourList to kick off the week : huge thanks to everyone who has donated over the past couple of weeks , and even bigger thanks to those who have become regular donors .
Your support , along with that of Unite and UNISON and hopefully other trade unions in the coming months , means our organisation can grow .
We are now looking for another journalist to join our team , which will allow us to expand LabourList ’ s coverage of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving a platform to views from across the party .
The details can be found here .
Sign up to LabourList ’ s morning email for everything Labour , every weekday morning .

It has been 100 days since Keir Starmer became Labour leader. There were always going to be tough challenges for any successor to Jeremy Corbyn: the party has just suffered a devastating defeat, from which it would take a historical turnaround to recover in a single term, the internal (should I say eternal?) warfare is vicious, and significant numbers of members have felt deep hurt. He was elected during a Brexit transition period after an election all about that issue. And, most importantly, Starmer took over in the middle of a deadly pandemic that has been particularly fatal in the UK where the government response is shambolic.
The new leader has adopted a softly, softly approach to opposing the government and a ruthless one for internal party politics. Naturally, this has been divisive among Labour members, many of whom would have expected the reverse. Starmer has reshaped the party in his image remarkably quickly. He has forged a slim but reliable majority on Labour’s national executive committee, replaced Jennie Formby with a general secretary who is widely considered to be on the party’s right, and sacked his Corbynite leadership opponent from the shadow cabinet. The Labour frontbench has been thoroughly overhauled, both in terms of who’s on it and the tone that they take in interviews. The leadership has slowly ramped up criticism of the Tories over Covid-19, but caution is still the watchword for media engagement.
The core objective of Starmer’s team appears to be ‘detoxifying’ the Labour brand. If we’re assessing these 100 days on that basis, the leader’s brilliant personal approval ratings certainly give cause for optimism – but the party has some catching up to do, still lagging behind the Conservatives in voting intention despite their calamitous response to the crisis. Perhaps most notably, the Keir Starmer/Anneliese Dodds team scores badly compared to the top Tory team including Rishi Sunak, who also presents a danger as a charismatic but crucially competent-looking politician with possible leadership ambitions.
Much of Labour’s troubles right now relate to its economic policies, as highlighted by the recent confusing messages on a wealth tax. Starmer said he supports the idea in principle, but it is understood that the leadership is not backing such a proposal. The party seems to want to get away with saying nothing on taxes before the next general election campaign, but a key lesson from the 2019 defeat arguably should be that Labour needs a decent run-up for its policies – if we want a fair hearing, our ideas need to be normalised first. And Starmer’s personal appeal must be put to good use. There is a risk that the Tories could appear to outflank Labour from the left on the economy.
A message from LabourList to kick off the week: huge thanks to everyone who has donated over the past couple of weeks, and even bigger thanks to those who have become regular donors. Your support, along with that of Unite and UNISON and hopefully other trade unions in the coming months, means our organisation can grow. We are now looking for another journalist to join our team, which will allow us to expand LabourList’s coverage of the labour movement and explore new ways of giving a platform to views from across the party. The details can be found here. Sign up to LabourList’s morning email for everything Labour, every weekday morning.


labourlist--2020-07-13--Government has just days left to avoid “homelessness emergency”, says Labour

The Labour Party is warning that the government has just days left to introduce legislation that would prevent a wave of evictions and prevent a “ homelessness emergency ” .
The government has been told by the opposition that it has until July 16th , given the tight parliamentary timetable , to introduce a bill to stop “ homelessness sweeping the country this winter ” .
Labour has highlighted that despite its own warnings and those from charities since the start of lockdown , the summer economic update last week “ failed to acknowledge the precarious situation for millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Thangam Debbonaire said : “ There are a quarter of a million people at risk of eviction from financial pressures caused by the Covid crisis .
While some will be looking forward to a holiday , a growing number will spend the summer worrying about where they will sleep this winter .
“ The government ’ s policies have helped property developers , second home-owners and landlords make money from housing .
But they are doing nothing to help thousands in rented accommodation , who may find themselves without anywhere to live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the housing charity Shelter found that 227,000 private renters have fallen into arrears since the start of lockdown in March , while Generation Rent has said that 45,090 households are at serious risk of homelessness this autumn .
The Shadow Housing Secretary added : “ We urgently need better support to help people pay their rent , and legal changes to help good tenants keep their homes .
Otherwise we will see huge numbers sleeping on the streets this winter.
” Labour has called for a targeted ban on evictions for those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 – it has proposed a temporary change in the law so that non-payment of rent does not count automatically as legal grounds for eviction .
The party has said that the change to the law would apply to 20 million people , or 8.5 million households , who rent their homes from private , council or housing association landlords .
Labour is urging the Conservatives to make this legislative change in addition to its manifesto commitment to scrap section 21 of the Housing Act 1998 , which allows for so called ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to repeal this section of legislation as part of their 2019 general election platform but has so far failed to do so .
Labour has said that this “ broken promise leaves people with no protection from eviction ” .

The Labour Party is warning that the government has just days left to introduce legislation that would prevent a wave of evictions and prevent a “homelessness emergency”.
The government has been told by the opposition that it has until July 16th, given the tight parliamentary timetable, to introduce a bill to stop “homelessness sweeping the country this winter”.
Labour has highlighted that despite its own warnings and those from charities since the start of lockdown, the summer economic update last week “failed to acknowledge the precarious situation for millions of renters”.
Commenting on the crisis, Thangam Debbonaire said: “There are a quarter of a million people at risk of eviction from financial pressures caused by the Covid crisis. While some will be looking forward to a holiday, a growing number will spend the summer worrying about where they will sleep this winter.
“The government’s policies have helped property developers, second home-owners and landlords make money from housing. But they are doing nothing to help thousands in rented accommodation, who may find themselves without anywhere to live later this year.”
A survey by the housing charity Shelter found that 227,000 private renters have fallen into arrears since the start of lockdown in March, while Generation Rent has said that 45,090 households are at serious risk of homelessness this autumn.
The Shadow Housing Secretary added: “We urgently need better support to help people pay their rent, and legal changes to help good tenants keep their homes. Otherwise we will see huge numbers sleeping on the streets this winter.”
Labour has called for a targeted ban on evictions for those who fall behind on their payments due to Covid-19 – it has proposed a temporary change in the law so that non-payment of rent does not count automatically as legal grounds for eviction.
The party has said that the change to the law would apply to 20 million people, or 8.5 million households, who rent their homes from private, council or housing association landlords.
Labour is urging the Conservatives to make this legislative change in addition to its manifesto commitment to scrap section 21 of the Housing Act 1998, which allows for so called ‘no-fault evictions’.
The Tories pledged to repeal this section of legislation as part of their 2019 general election platform but has so far failed to do so. Labour has said that this “broken promise leaves people with no protection from eviction”.


labourlist--2020-07-13--We’re hiring! Now accepting applications to join our team

LabourList is looking for a journalist to join our team .
We are keen to speak to people who are excited by Labour news and enjoy writing about politics .
The ideal candidate would be an excellent writer , with some experience of reporting , who is knowledgeable about politics and the Labour Party .
They should have the personal skills to develop contacts across the labour movement , as well as an eye for detail and the ability to work to tight deadlines .
They will also need to help with administrative tasks and work outside normal office hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joining LabourList at an exciting time , with the Labour Party under new leadership and the website expanding its output .
This is a full-time position , on a one-year contract , with a competitive salary .
• Picture editing – sourcing and selecting the most appropriate images • Assisting in the organisation and running of events and fundraising The successful candidate will have the following : • Excellent writing skills , including the ability to write and edit copy under pressure • Good IT skills , including the ability to work with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Labour Party • Support for the values of the Labour Party Application details : To apply , send a one-page cover letter to [ email protected ] explaining why you are right for the role ; your CV ; and three links to , or examples of , your journalism .

Job title: Reporter
Salary: £23,000-£25,000, depends on experience
Job details:
LabourList is looking for a journalist to join our team. We are keen to speak to people who are excited by Labour news and enjoy writing about politics.
The ideal candidate would be an excellent writer, with some experience of reporting, who is knowledgeable about politics and the Labour Party. They should have the personal skills to develop contacts across the labour movement, as well as an eye for detail and the ability to work to tight deadlines. They will also need to help with administrative tasks and work outside normal office hours on some occasions.
They will be joining LabourList at an exciting time, with the Labour Party under new leadership and the website expanding its output.
This is a full-time position, on a one-year contract, with a competitive salary.
Responsibilities include:
News reporting
Proofreading and sub-editing copy
Producing social media content
Picture editing – sourcing and selecting the most appropriate images
Developing the website’s multimedia content
Assisting in the organisation and running of events and fundraising
The successful candidate will have the following:
A journalism qualification and/or experience in journalism
Excellent writing skills, including the ability to write and edit copy under pressure
Excellent attention to detail and organisational skills
Good IT skills, including the ability to work with WordPress
Deep knowledge of British politics and the Labour Party
Support for the values of the Labour Party
Closing date: 2nd August 2020
Interview/start dates: Interviews in early August, for job start ASAP.
Application details: To apply, send a one-page cover letter to [email protected] explaining why you are right for the role; your CV; and three links to, or examples of, your journalism.


labourlist--2020-07-13--LMN: We’re launching the biggest ever consultation of Muslim Labour members

With each passing day , with every new bout of bigotry and baseless blame , life as a Muslim in Europe and North America – and right here in the United Kingdom – becomes increasingly difficult .
But the Labour Muslim Network ( LMN ) does not plan to sit by silently in response to the challenges that lay ahead .
Instead , we are ready to step out of the shadows and embrace our share of the responsibility to ensure the continued safety and prosperity of the Muslim community in this country .
Today , as the primary initiative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are launching the largest , most ambitious Islamophobia consultation of Muslim members of the Labour Party to date .
Targeted at every Muslim MP , every Muslim councillor and every Constituency Labour Party in the land , we fervently believe that such an exercise is long overdue .
When Boris Johnson fibbed and blustered his way to electoral success , with a free pass and even an occasional pat on the back from our country ’ s establishment , the message to Muslims was clear : you may harass us , deride @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zero cost to your credibility or electability .
Since the Prime Minister ’ s coronation and the selection of his cabinet of disaster-capitalists , he has overseen the catastrophic handling of the coronavirus pandemic .
Our national capacity to respond has been critically compromised by a decade of Conservative cuts , as well as the present preference of profits and wealth over people and public health .
While BAME communities have been disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 crisis in the UK , Muslims have tragically been affected far more than other faith groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men , and 98 in every 100,000 Muslim women sadly passing away .
Across Europe , the rabid rise of the far-right is also growing in both influence and intensity .
The flames of fascism are engulfing democracies in countries where populist leaders resort to dividing the working class .
They cite a fictional clash of civilisations , rather than addressing common material concerns .
Just this week , Muslims in Belgium were compelled to mobilise following the court ’ s callous decision to uphold a ban on the wearing of hijabs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ education institutions .
Following on from Trump ’ s US Muslim ban , there is now incessant , wanton endorsement of white supremacy straight from the White House and beyond .
And from the children of Yemen to the Uyghurs of China , all too often , we are excluded from the conversation as governments partake in the indiscriminate bombings of Muslims in some quarters of the world , while refusing to recognise – let alone respond to – Muslim suffering in others .
In this vibrant time of political organisation and invaluable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Black Lives Matter movement revitalising the civil rights struggle for a just society , we consider it to be as important a time as any for self-reflection and action .
That is why today we propose an honest account of the Labour Party ’ s relationship with its Muslim membership and those Muslims in elected office .
We are launching the biggest consultation of Muslim party members in modern history .
We will delve deep into experiences of Islamophobia within the Labour Party , the party ’ s handling of complaints with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party going forward .
We encourage all those eligible to participate – it ’ s completely confidential , and we hope it will be comprehensive .
The Muslim community in the UK refuses to be vilified by one mainstream political party and ignored by another .
Muslims in the Labour Party must be heard and engaged .
A lasting , effective commitment is a mutual one .
Change is within reach , and the Labour Party is undoubtedly the vehicle for a just and equal society .
Labour Muslim Network is launching the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set the wheels in motion .
Click here to take our survey .

With each passing day, with every new bout of bigotry and baseless blame, life as a Muslim in Europe and North America – and right here in the United Kingdom – becomes increasingly difficult. But the Labour Muslim Network (LMN) does not plan to sit by silently in response to the challenges that lay ahead. Instead, we are ready to step out of the shadows and embrace our share of the responsibility to ensure the continued safety and prosperity of the Muslim community in this country.
Today, as the primary initiative of our newly established Research Unit, we are launching the largest, most ambitious Islamophobia consultation of Muslim members of the Labour Party to date. Targeted at every Muslim MP, every Muslim councillor and every Constituency Labour Party in the land, we fervently believe that such an exercise is long overdue.
When Boris Johnson fibbed and blustered his way to electoral success, with a free pass and even an occasional pat on the back from our country’s establishment, the message to Muslims was clear: you may harass us, deride our faith and ridicule Muslim women with zero cost to your credibility or electability.
Since the Prime Minister’s coronation and the selection of his cabinet of disaster-capitalists, he has overseen the catastrophic handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Our national capacity to respond has been critically compromised by a decade of Conservative cuts, as well as the present preference of profits and wealth over people and public health. While BAME communities have been disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 crisis in the UK, Muslims have tragically been affected far more than other faith groups, with 199 in every 100,000 Muslim men, and 98 in every 100,000 Muslim women sadly passing away.
Across Europe, the rabid rise of the far-right is also growing in both influence and intensity. The flames of fascism are engulfing democracies in countries where populist leaders resort to dividing the working class. They cite a fictional clash of civilisations, rather than addressing common material concerns.
Just this week, Muslims in Belgium were compelled to mobilise following the court’s callous decision to uphold a ban on the wearing of hijabs and other ‘religious symbols’ in higher education institutions. Following on from Trump’s US Muslim ban, there is now incessant, wanton endorsement of white supremacy straight from the White House and beyond. And from the children of Yemen to the Uyghurs of China, all too often, we are excluded from the conversation as governments partake in the indiscriminate bombings of Muslims in some quarters of the world, while refusing to recognise – let alone respond to – Muslim suffering in others.
In this vibrant time of political organisation and invaluable progress, with the vast, global, Black Lives Matter movement revitalising the civil rights struggle for a just society, we consider it to be as important a time as any for self-reflection and action.
That is why today we propose an honest account of the Labour Party’s relationship with its Muslim membership and those Muslims in elected office. We are launching the biggest consultation of Muslim party members in modern history. We will delve deep into experiences of Islamophobia within the Labour Party, the party’s handling of complaints with regards to Islamophobia and proposals for the party going forward. We encourage all those eligible to participate – it’s completely confidential, and we hope it will be comprehensive.
The Muslim community in the UK refuses to be vilified by one mainstream political party and ignored by another. Muslims in the Labour Party must be heard and engaged. A lasting, effective commitment is a mutual one. Change is within reach, and the Labour Party is undoubtedly the vehicle for a just and equal society. Labour Muslim Network is launching the ‘Islamophobia within Labour’ survey to set the wheels in motion.
Click here to take our survey.


labourlist--2020-07-13--EHRC has sent draft report into antisemitism allegations, Labour confirms

The Labour Party has confirmed in a newly released statement tonight that the Equality and Human Rights Commission has sent to the party its draft report into allegations of institutional antisemitism .
According to the statement , the party will not be commenting on the contents of the draft report until the EHRC drafting process is completed .
It is first sent to Labour for review for at least 28 days .
Labour MPs and party staffers have also been asked by the party ’ s new general secretary David Evans not to comment on the arrival of the draft @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including on social media .
During this period , the EHRC ’ s findings are supposed to be kept confidential .
But as the Labour Party is prone to leaks , more information may emerge before the review period has ended .
Labour is entitled to make written representations to the Commission about the draft over the coming weeks , and these will be considered by the EHRC before the report is finalised .
If the EHRC concludes that an unlawful act has been committed but the party undertakes not to commit that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is possible that the report does not have to be published .
However , the Jewish Labour Movement has asked the party to allow publication for transparency , and hopes that a Section 23 of the Equality Act agreement for non-publication will not entered into if offered .
In an email to party staff this evening , general secretary David Evans referred to the publication of the final report , which suggests that no such agreement will be taking place .
The EHRC has also stated on its website : “ Once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a report of our findings , which may include recommendations.
” Commenting on the statement tonight , JLM said there has been an “ atmosphere of denial ” in Labour around anti-Jewish racism , adding : “ As a third party to the investigation , we have not had sight of the draft report .
“ We hope that when it is published , it will provide the kind of impartial and independent scrutiny required to force the party to comply with its duties under the Equality Act and toward our members.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the charity that made the original referral to the EHRC in 2018 , criticised new leader Keir Starmer in his comment tonight .
“ Sir Keir… has still failed to set out a timeline for fixing Labour ’ s broken disciplinary process or , with one exception in relation to Rebecca Long-Bailey , take action over incidents in the party , ” he said .
The CAA ’ s Falter concluded : “ The EHRC has considered a great deal of evidence from us and we will have more to say when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ The Equality and Human Rights Commission has provided the Labour Party with a draft of its report into allegations of antisemitism .
“ The draft report has been shared with the Labour Party as part of a process afforded to us prior to the report ’ s publication .
It is sent in confidence by the EHRC , so until that process is completed , it would be inappropriate to comment on any of the contents of the draft report – and we will not do so .
“ Keir Starmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antisemitism within the Labour Party .
Antisemitism has been a stain on the Labour Party in recent years .
It has caused unacceptable and unimaginable levels of grief and distress for many in the Jewish community , as well as members of staff .
“ Tackling antisemitism within the Labour Party is a priority and we are determined to take the further action necessary to begin restoring trust with the Jewish community .
“ We are committed to cooperating fully with the Commission ’ s investigation and implementing its recommendations when the final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making no further comment .
”

The Labour Party has confirmed in a newly released statement tonight that the Equality and Human Rights Commission has sent to the party its draft report into allegations of institutional antisemitism.
According to the statement, the party will not be commenting on the contents of the draft report until the EHRC drafting process is completed. It is first sent to Labour for review for at least 28 days.
Labour MPs and party staffers have also been asked by the party’s new general secretary David Evans not to comment on the arrival of the draft EHRC report or on the investigation, including on social media.
During this period, the EHRC’s findings are supposed to be kept confidential. But as the Labour Party is prone to leaks, more information may emerge before the review period has ended.
Labour is entitled to make written representations to the Commission about the draft over the coming weeks, and these will be considered by the EHRC before the report is finalised.
If the EHRC concludes that an unlawful act has been committed but the party undertakes not to commit that act again and takes preventative action, it is possible that the report does not have to be published.
However, the Jewish Labour Movement has asked the party to allow publication for transparency, and hopes that a Section 23 of the Equality Act agreement for non-publication will not entered into if offered.
In an email to party staff this evening, general secretary David Evans referred to the publication of the final report, which suggests that no such agreement will be taking place.
The EHRC has also stated on its website: “Once our investigation has finished we will publish a report of our findings, which may include recommendations.”
Commenting on the statement tonight, JLM said there has been an “atmosphere of denial” in Labour around anti-Jewish racism, adding: “As a third party to the investigation, we have not had sight of the draft report.
“We hope that when it is published, it will provide the kind of impartial and independent scrutiny required to force the party to comply with its duties under the Equality Act and toward our members.”
Gideon Falter of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, the charity that made the original referral to the EHRC in 2018, criticised new leader Keir Starmer in his comment tonight.
“Sir Keir… has still failed to set out a timeline for fixing Labour’s broken disciplinary process or, with one exception in relation to Rebecca Long-Bailey, take action over incidents in the party,” he said.
The CAA’s Falter concluded: “The EHRC has considered a great deal of evidence from us and we will have more to say when the report is published in due course.”
Statement from the Labour Party:
“The Equality and Human Rights Commission has provided the Labour Party with a draft of its report into allegations of antisemitism.
“The draft report has been shared with the Labour Party as part of a process afforded to us prior to the report’s publication. It is sent in confidence by the EHRC, so until that process is completed, it would be inappropriate to comment on any of the contents of the draft report – and we will not do so.
“Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner are committed to tackling antisemitism within the Labour Party. Antisemitism has been a stain on the Labour Party in recent years. It has caused unacceptable and unimaginable levels of grief and distress for many in the Jewish community, as well as members of staff.
“Tackling antisemitism within the Labour Party is a priority and we are determined to take the further action necessary to begin restoring trust with the Jewish community.
“We are committed to cooperating fully with the Commission’s investigation and implementing its recommendations when the final report is published. We will be making no further comment.”


labourlist--2020-07-13--Who will pay for the coronavirus crisis? Labour needs an answer

As Keir Starmer finishes his first 100 days as Labour leader , questions remain about the shape of his economic policy .
The tensions have become apparent in the week since the Chancellor ’ s summer statement , and result from the profound political difficulties the party faces in confronting both a Conservative government of a new type and an overwhelming pandemic crisis .
To develop a new economic narrative , Labour should adopt a laser-like focus on the specifics of Tory spending ; make clear who it thinks should bear the real costs of the crisis ; and adopt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fundamentals of the crisis as people experience it – of the role and value of work , and how we care for each other and nature .
Boris Johnson has been insisting since he became Prime Minister that austerity is over and , even prior to last year ’ s general election , his government was prepared to back this up with real spending increases .
Since the pandemic erupted , the government has spent money on an extraordinary scale , previously unimaginable in this country outside of war , paying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promising to bring forward billions in investment spending across the country .
A Tory Prime Minister claiming that his government would “ put its arms around every single worker ” is a very long way from one claiming that there is “ no such thing as society ” .
Rhetorically and politically , this is a Conservative government of a kind that we have not seen for generations .
Against this , it is tempting for Labour to simply say ‘ do this , but do more of it ’ .
Of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of course we want jobs created .
But if Labour is only saying ‘ do this , but do more of it ’ , it ’ s not opposing the government .
If anything , it ’ s reinforcing the Tories ’ central message , since it accepts what the government is doing .
And we run into a deeper issue with the public perception of numbers : £5bn ( say ) is an unimaginably big sum .
£50bn is also unimaginably big .
The difference between two unimaginably big numbers is essentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There ’ s almost nothing to be gained politically from insisting that the very big numbers should be even bigger .
This is why it was correct and necessary for Starmer to oppose the so-called ‘ job retention bonus ’ , and for Shadow Chief Secretary Bridget Phillipson to write to the Chancellor with urgent questions about the scheme .
The point at which a programme is so poorly designed that HM Revenue and Customs ’ top civil servant refused to sign it off without ministerial direction is exactly the point to attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ £9bn handout for corporations that will do little to nothing to secure jobs , as the unlikely coalition of People ’ s Quantitative Easing author Richard Murphy and Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies have pointed out .
This should be the first plank of Labour ’ s new economic narrative .
It ’ s become a cliché to talk about Keir ’ s ‘ forensic ’ approach , but the entire party could usefully set itself the task of scrutinising Tory spending , which is already starting to raise questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sort of thing branches and CLPs can help with .
And it would be a useful exercise to pick out some real villains amongst the expected recipients of the job retention bonus , especially if unemployment is rising elsewhere .
This is tied to the second plank .
Keir ’ s short , sharp video for the postponed Durham Miners ’ Gala , released over the weekend , included the claim that Labour would never allow workers and their communities to pay for the crisis .
This is an excellent line , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then , will pay ?
It does Labour no favours to pretend that dealing with the pandemic will be cost-free .
The immediate financial costs are , of course , close to zero , given interest rates for government at world-historic lows and even sometimes below zero .
But the medium- to long-term real costs in terms of changed working practices , and perhaps the shrinking of whole industries , are certainly looming .
It ’ s not plausible to pretend those costs don ’ t and won ’ t exist .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come , and start to clarify now who will pay .
Polling shows wealth taxes are overwhelmingly popular , for example , with 57 % of Tories even supporting an annual wealth tax – the Tories are even polling their own members about which tax rises they would prefer .
Labour needs to develop a language and a broad policy consensus within the party about the management of the real costs of the pandemic .
This means specifying some losers , as well as the winners ; and this really should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tax Justice UK ’ s public attitudes research discovered , generalities about opposing ‘ the rich ’ don ’ t wash with the wider public – but specifics do .
It would be useful , for example , to think about and have examples of bad businesses as well as thinking about the good .
Policy detail can follow the outlines of the narrative , but this has to be done now .
Confusion here is damaging , and throwing around some economic jargon is no substitute for real credibility .
That gets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan for the recovery should be rooted in real-life experiences , and should be able to be expressed in a language people recognise .
The sorts of plans that for example the Women ’ s Budget Group has put forward for a “ care-led recovery ” , making the case for investment in care work to create jobs , or the proposals from Autonomy and others for radical changes in how , when and where we work speak to the fundamental issues raised by the crisis .
Instead of the grandiose promises of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic programme keyed to the fine-grain detail of people ’ s lives and experiences .

As Keir Starmer finishes his first 100 days as Labour leader, questions remain about the shape of his economic policy. The tensions have become apparent in the week since the Chancellor’s summer statement, and result from the profound political difficulties the party faces in confronting both a Conservative government of a new type and an overwhelming pandemic crisis. To develop a new economic narrative, Labour should adopt a laser-like focus on the specifics of Tory spending; make clear who it thinks should bear the real costs of the crisis; and adopt a vision of the future rooted in the fundamentals of the crisis as people experience it – of the role and value of work, and how we care for each other and nature.
Boris Johnson has been insisting since he became Prime Minister that austerity is over and, even prior to last year’s general election, his government was prepared to back this up with real spending increases. Since the pandemic erupted, the government has spent money on an extraordinary scale, previously unimaginable in this country outside of war, paying the furlough wages of 8.6 million people and promising to bring forward billions in investment spending across the country. A Tory Prime Minister claiming that his government would “put its arms around every single worker” is a very long way from one claiming that there is “no such thing as society”. Rhetorically and politically, this is a Conservative government of a kind that we have not seen for generations.
Against this, it is tempting for Labour to simply say ‘do this, but do more of it’. Of course we can welcome government spending, and of course we want jobs created. But if Labour is only saying ‘do this, but do more of it’, it’s not opposing the government. If anything, it’s reinforcing the Tories’ central message, since it accepts what the government is doing. And we run into a deeper issue with the public perception of numbers: £5bn (say) is an unimaginably big sum. £50bn is also unimaginably big. The difference between two unimaginably big numbers is essentially zero in terms of public perception. There’s almost nothing to be gained politically from insisting that the very big numbers should be even bigger.
This is why it was correct and necessary for Starmer to oppose the so-called ‘job retention bonus’, and for Shadow Chief Secretary Bridget Phillipson to write to the Chancellor with urgent questions about the scheme. The point at which a programme is so poorly designed that HM Revenue and Customs’ top civil servant refused to sign it off without ministerial direction is exactly the point to attack: the bonus is a vast, £9bn handout for corporations that will do little to nothing to secure jobs, as the unlikely coalition of People’s Quantitative Easing author Richard Murphy and Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies have pointed out.
This should be the first plank of Labour’s new economic narrative. It’s become a cliché to talk about Keir’s ‘forensic’ approach, but the entire party could usefully set itself the task of scrutinising Tory spending, which is already starting to raise questions. Detailed scrutiny of local spending is the sort of thing branches and CLPs can help with. And it would be a useful exercise to pick out some real villains amongst the expected recipients of the job retention bonus, especially if unemployment is rising elsewhere.
This is tied to the second plank. Keir’s short, sharp video for the postponed Durham Miners’ Gala, released over the weekend, included the claim that Labour would never allow workers and their communities to pay for the crisis. This is an excellent line, but it begs the question: who, then, will pay? It does Labour no favours to pretend that dealing with the pandemic will be cost-free. The immediate financial costs are, of course, close to zero, given interest rates for government at world-historic lows and even sometimes below zero. But the medium- to long-term real costs in terms of changed working practices, and perhaps the shrinking of whole industries, are certainly looming.
It’s not plausible to pretend those costs don’t and won’t exist. Labour should get ahead of the arguments to come, and start to clarify now who will pay. Polling shows wealth taxes are overwhelmingly popular, for example, with 57% of Tories even supporting an annual wealth tax – the Tories are even polling their own members about which tax rises they would prefer. Labour needs to develop a language and a broad policy consensus within the party about the management of the real costs of the pandemic. This means specifying some losers, as well as the winners; and this really should be as specific as possible, since as Tax Justice UK’s public attitudes research discovered, generalities about opposing ‘the rich’ don’t wash with the wider public – but specifics do. It would be useful, for example, to think about and have examples of bad businesses as well as thinking about the good. Policy detail can follow the outlines of the narrative, but this has to be done now. Confusion here is damaging, and throwing around some economic jargon is no substitute for real credibility.
That gets us to the final plank. A plan for the recovery should be rooted in real-life experiences, and should be able to be expressed in a language people recognise. The sorts of plans that for example the Women’s Budget Group has put forward for a “care-led recovery”, making the case for investment in care work to create jobs, or the proposals from Autonomy and others for radical changes in how, when and where we work speak to the fundamental issues raised by the crisis. Instead of the grandiose promises of the Tories, Labour can develop an economic programme keyed to the fine-grain detail of people’s lives and experiences.


labourlist--2020-07-13--“A giant of the labour movement”: MPs pay tribute to UNISON’s Dave Prentis

Labour MPs have paid tribute to UNISON leader Dave Prentis – who today announced that he would be stepping down from his role as general secretary – calling him a “ giant of the labour movement ” .
Several of the party ’ s MPs have reacted on social media to the announcement from the trade union boss this morning , including Labour leader Keir Starmer who thanked him for his “ many years of outstanding leadership ” .
Angela Rayner also expressed her gratitude to the longstanding trade union leader – she said on Twitter that “ Dave has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been an outstanding general secretary ” .
The deputy Labour leader , UNISON member and former union rep described how Prentis was “ always encouraging activists like me in the early days in the union , always so supportive ” .
She added “ thanks for everything Dave ” .
In response to the news released in a message to UNISON staff members today , Jon Ashworth tweeted that Prentis is “ one of the finest and most effective trade union general secretaries we ’ ve ever seen ” .
The Shadow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ always fighting for low paid public sector workers and securing meaningful victories for UNISON ’ s members ” .
He described him as a “ giant of the labour movement ” .
Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy wished Prentis “ all the best in his final months at UNISON as well as in retirement ” , adding that he had “ contributed so much throughout his career to the rights and interests of worker ” .
Labour ’ s Carolyn Harris also took to social media to praise Prentis ’ record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breathes what it means to stand up for the rights of working people across our country ” .
The deputy leader of Welsh Labour added : “ I have no doubt retirement won ’ t stop him , either .
Thank you for everything you have done — I wish you a long and happy retirement.
” Shadow minister for Northern Ireland Karin Smyth wrote that Prentis ’ “ defence of employee rights across our country has benefited so many communities ” , saying that he had made a “ huge contribution ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health minister Alex Norris tweeted that “ the unwavering commitment Dave Prentis has given the trade union the labour movement has been exceptional ” .
He also thanked him for the support he ’ s “ given me personally ” .
Ilford North MP and UNISON member Wes Streeting responded to the general secretary ’ s retirement by saying that “ Dave will leave a huge legacy for our union – now the largest in the UK and the fastest-growing in Europe ” .
Neath MP Christina Rees said : “ Thank you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for working people across our country .
I hope you have a happy , well-deserved retirement .
You will be sadly missed — although I am sure you will not be a stranger !
” Prentis told members today that he had decided to step down at the end of his current term , which draws to a close on December 31st this year .
The union will meet this week to discuss a timetable for the election of his successor .
Prentis has held the top job in the union for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary in 2001 .
He was re-elected in 2005 with 77 % of the vote , and again in 2015 taking 49 % of the overall vote share .
UNISON endorsed both Starmer and Rayner in the leader and deputy leadership elections earlier this year .
Prentis wrote for LabourList following the contest , saying that they have the “ ingredients for a winning team ” .
UNISON is one of the biggest trade unions in the UK , with its members working in the public sector , for private contractors providing public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has over 1.3 million members .

Labour MPs have paid tribute to UNISON leader Dave Prentis – who today announced that he would be stepping down from his role as general secretary – calling him a “giant of the labour movement”.
Several of the party’s MPs have reacted on social media to the announcement from the trade union boss this morning, including Labour leader Keir Starmer who thanked him for his “many years of outstanding leadership”.
Angela Rayner also expressed her gratitude to the longstanding trade union leader – she said on Twitter that “Dave has led our union for many years and has been an outstanding general secretary”.
The deputy Labour leader, UNISON member and former union rep described how Prentis was “always encouraging activists like me in the early days in the union, always so supportive”. She added “thanks for everything Dave”.
In response to the news released in a message to UNISON staff members today, Jon Ashworth tweeted that Prentis is “one of the finest and most effective trade union general secretaries we’ve ever seen”.
The Shadow Health Secretary added that the union leader was “always fighting for low paid public sector workers and securing meaningful victories for UNISON’s members”. He described him as a “giant of the labour movement”.
Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy wished Prentis “all the best in his final months at UNISON as well as in retirement”, adding that he had “contributed so much throughout his career to the rights and interests of worker”.
Labour’s Carolyn Harris also took to social media to praise Prentis’ record, saying that he “lives and breathes what it means to stand up for the rights of working people across our country”.
The deputy leader of Welsh Labour added: “I have no doubt retirement won’t stop him, either. Thank you for everything you have done — I wish you a long and happy retirement.”
Shadow minister for Northern Ireland Karin Smyth wrote that Prentis’ “defence of employee rights across our country has benefited so many communities”, saying that he had made a “huge contribution” to trade unions and Labour.
Shadow health minister Alex Norris tweeted that “the unwavering commitment Dave Prentis has given the trade union the labour movement has been exceptional”. He also thanked him for the support he’s “given me personally”.
Ilford North MP and UNISON member Wes Streeting responded to the general secretary’s retirement by saying that “Dave will leave a huge legacy for our union – now the largest in the UK and the fastest-growing in Europe”.
Neath MP Christina Rees said: “Thank you Dave Prentis for everything you have done for working people across our country. I hope you have a happy, well-deserved retirement. You will be sadly missed — although I am sure you will not be a stranger!”
Prentis told members today that he had decided to step down at the end of his current term, which draws to a close on December 31st this year. The union will meet this week to discuss a timetable for the election of his successor.
Today I advised UNISON’s President that I will retire on December 31st. It has been the honour and privilege of my life to represent incredible public service workers. I will continue to lead this union until the end of the year – we have a lot of work to do pic.twitter.com/Uu3zvu13yD — Dave Prentis (@DavePrentis) July 13, 2020
Prentis has held the top job in the union for the past 19 years, first becoming general secretary in 2001. He was re-elected in 2005 with 77% of the vote, and again in 2015 taking 49% of the overall vote share.
UNISON endorsed both Starmer and Rayner in the leader and deputy leadership elections earlier this year. Prentis wrote for LabourList following the contest, saying that they have the “ingredients for a winning team”.
UNISON is one of the biggest trade unions in the UK, with its members working in the public sector, for private contractors providing public services and for utility companies. It has over 1.3 million members.


labourlist--2020-07-13--WATCH: Labour reminds minister how “important and skilled” care workers are

Labour ’ s Nick Thomas-Symonds has reminded the Home Secretary how “ important and skilled ” care workers are , inviting her to a meeting with frontline staff to get a “ better understanding of the incredible jobs they do ” .
The Shadow Home Secretary made the comments to Priti Patel in parliament today , responding to plans released this morning that show the government will exclude care workers from its post-Brexit fast-track health visa .
Thomas-Symonds told her that he would “ convene a delegation of care workers ” for the Home Secretary – he suggested that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there deciding how skilled people ’ s jobs are ” .
Commenting on the government plan published this morning , he said : “ We all want more people training and entering the care sector at a decent wage , of course we do – but the reality is there are over 100,000 vacancies in England alone today .
“ Now some of us in the House , Mr Speaker , don ’ t need reminding of how important and skilled jobs of care workers are – but that doesn ’ t always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members opposite .
“ So I ’ d like to extend an invitation to the Home Secretary – I will convene a meeting of a delegation of care workers to help provide a better understanding of the incredible jobs they do , alongside their trade union representatives.
” The 130-page document published by the Home Office this morning outlines how the government ’ s new points-based immigration system will operate when it comes into force on January 1st next year .
Responding to its release earlier today , Thomas-Symonds slammed the government for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the plans for a fast-track visa system for health workers .

Labour’s Nick Thomas-Symonds has reminded the Home Secretary how “important and skilled” care workers are, inviting her to a meeting with frontline staff to get a “better understanding of the incredible jobs they do”.
The Shadow Home Secretary made the comments to Priti Patel in parliament today, responding to plans released this morning that show the government will exclude care workers from its post-Brexit fast-track health visa.
Thomas-Symonds told her that he would “convene a delegation of care workers” for the Home Secretary – he suggested that she would find it useful when “sitting there deciding how skilled people’s jobs are”.
Commenting on the government plan published this morning, he said: “We all want more people training and entering the care sector at a decent wage, of course we do – but the reality is there are over 100,000 vacancies in England alone today.
“Now some of us in the House, Mr Speaker, don’t need reminding of how important and skilled jobs of care workers are – but that doesn’t always seem to be the case for the members opposite.
“So I’d like to extend an invitation to the Home Secretary – I will convene a meeting of a delegation of care workers to help provide a better understanding of the incredible jobs they do, alongside their trade union representatives.”
Shadow Home Sec @NickTorfaen says he thinks the govt needs reminding of "how important and skilled the jobs of care workers are", following the announcement that they will not qualify for the UK's post-Brexit health and care visa. Read more here: https://t.co/TAzUSd1hWi pic.twitter.com/HHEHK1lnB5 — SkyNews (@SkyNews) July 13, 2020
The 130-page document published by the Home Office this morning outlines how the government’s new points-based immigration system will operate when it comes into force on January 1st next year.
Responding to its release earlier today, Thomas-Symonds slammed the government for its failure to include care workers in the plans for a fast-track visa system for health workers.


labourlist--2020-07-13--The government’s coronavirus response must address our housing crisis

For most of the lockdown , we have been told to ‘ stay at home ’ – but what if you don ’ t have a home , are struggling to afford the rent , or think that you ’ re at risk of losing your home due to the crisis ?
After a decade of government tightening the purse strings in the name of its austerity agenda , this crisis has shown their policy justifications to be lies .
It is right that the government has stepped in with protection for renters and action to tackle rough sleeping , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible when the will and funding exists .
There is much talk of a ‘ new normal ’ , and politically we now must ensure this means a fairer society .
We owe that to the frontline workers for which the whole country was clapping each Thursday .
As cabinet member for housing in Tower Hamlets , I am keen , across the political spectrum , that we grasp the opportunity for change .
It ’ s something that was needed before this crisis and with the economic shock to follow , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to go back to ‘ normal ’ – because as I know from my advice surgery , for renters and rough sleepers the old normal simply wasn ’ t working .
Over the past few months , we ’ ve proven that things can be different .
Over 120 rough sleepers in Tower Hamlets have been housed in local hotels and hostels , including over 25 with no recourse to public funds , and we ’ ve provided floating support to help with a range of complex needs .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it required central government to give us adequate funding .
The government has a duty to ensure that the destitute are not allowed back on the street .
Let ’ s not forget that rough sleeping was all but eliminated under the last Labour government , so it doesn ’ t have to take a crisis to address this – but it does need political will .
The government ’ s target is to eliminate rough sleeping by 2027 .
If resources are given to councils , we ’ ve demonstrated that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our officers to change lives .
It ’ s exactly this kind of early intervention that can prevent longer-term costs to government .
Here in Tower Hamlets , around 40 % of my residents live in the private rented sector .
While I welcome the temporary measures government has implemented to prevent evictions , it ’ s only a sticking plaster .
Broader reform is needed .
If support isn ’ t carefully tapered off , we can expect to see a big rise in evictions as tenants who have had their incomes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay their rent .
We have already seen a significant increase in private tenants unable to afford rent and consequently experiencing harassment from their landlords .
Renters are having difficulty agreeing rent payment arrangements with their landlords , and concern is growing that large numbers of renters who can not afford rent will accrue sizeable arrears and face eviction – and even the extension in protection against eviction by two months is simply storing up trouble .
This would be a catastrophe for families who are already suffering the financial effects of coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban , a review of fines for landlords prosecuted for illegal evictions , and a grace period in which tenants may pay back arrears or some form of debt relief , would help .
The uplift in local housing allowance ( LHA ) went nowhere near far enough for London residents to be able afford their rents .
In fact , when you compare the new LHA rates to median rents in Tower Hamlets , it still shows a shortfall ranging from £57 a month for someone in one bedroom in a shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month for a four-bed property .
This is another example of a one-size-fits-all policy being out of step with local realities and needs .
Like many others , I ’ ve called for local housing allowance to be uprated to cover local shortfall and for the housing element of Universal Credit to be increased to reflect local circumstances .
And of course waiting five weeks for Universal Credit simply does not work when you have to pay rent monthly .
Sadiq Khan had planned to make better protection for renters a key issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government needs to give serious consideration to devolving powers on this to the London mayor , as the capital ’ s housing market faces different challenges to the rest of the country .
I ’ m passionate about housing because it impacts on so many aspects of my residents ’ life chances .
I ’ m also a council tenant myself in an overcrowded property .
Public Health England has shown that Covid-19 does disproportionately impact on our BAME population , including the Bangladeshi community to which I belong .
We know that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inequalities .
Taking steps to address our housing crisis should be at the forefront of our response to Covid-19 .
Tower Hamlets Council has a housing stock of 22,000 .
Under mayor John Biggs ’ leadership , we are delivering 2,000 council homes through a mix of new builds and buying some former right-to-buy properties back .
Under the Conservative government ’ s right-to-buy policy , we have sold over 50 % of our stock .
However , under financial as well as land constraints , it is quite difficult to replace the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allows us to fund no more than 30 % of the cost of a replacement home .
If government removed constraints like this we could do so much more for our residents .
We have talked about a housing crisis for years .
We need more radical action along the lines of the Addison Act , to offer hope for those in housing need who for too long have been let down by government policy and have borne the brunt of a dysfunctional housing market .
Now is the time for government to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivers .

For most of the lockdown, we have been told to ‘stay at home’ – but what if you don’t have a home, are struggling to afford the rent, or think that you’re at risk of losing your home due to the crisis? After a decade of government tightening the purse strings in the name of its austerity agenda, this crisis has shown their policy justifications to be lies.
It is right that the government has stepped in with protection for renters and action to tackle rough sleeping, lifting the curtain on what is politically possible when the will and funding exists. There is much talk of a ‘new normal’, and politically we now must ensure this means a fairer society. We owe that to the frontline workers for which the whole country was clapping each Thursday.
As cabinet member for housing in Tower Hamlets, I am keen, across the political spectrum, that we grasp the opportunity for change. It’s something that was needed before this crisis and with the economic shock to follow, the case must be made now for things not to go back to ‘normal’ – because as I know from my advice surgery, for renters and rough sleepers the old normal simply wasn’t working.
Over the past few months, we’ve proven that things can be different. Over 120 rough sleepers in Tower Hamlets have been housed in local hotels and hostels, including over 25 with no recourse to public funds, and we’ve provided floating support to help with a range of complex needs. It’s something councils wanted to do before, but it required central government to give us adequate funding. The government has a duty to ensure that the destitute are not allowed back on the street.
Let’s not forget that rough sleeping was all but eliminated under the last Labour government, so it doesn’t have to take a crisis to address this – but it does need political will. The government’s target is to eliminate rough sleeping by 2027. If resources are given to councils, we’ve demonstrated that we have the innovation and commitment of our officers to change lives. It’s exactly this kind of early intervention that can prevent longer-term costs to government.
Here in Tower Hamlets, around 40% of my residents live in the private rented sector. While I welcome the temporary measures government has implemented to prevent evictions, it’s only a sticking plaster. Broader reform is needed. If support isn’t carefully tapered off, we can expect to see a big rise in evictions as tenants who have had their incomes hit by the pandemic simply cannot pay their rent.
We have already seen a significant increase in private tenants unable to afford rent and consequently experiencing harassment from their landlords. Renters are having difficulty agreeing rent payment arrangements with their landlords, and concern is growing that large numbers of renters who cannot afford rent will accrue sizeable arrears and face eviction – and even the extension in protection against eviction by two months is simply storing up trouble.
This would be a catastrophe for families who are already suffering the financial effects of coronavirus. Introducing measures to extend the eviction ban, a review of fines for landlords prosecuted for illegal evictions, and a grace period in which tenants may pay back arrears or some form of debt relief, would help.
The uplift in local housing allowance (LHA) went nowhere near far enough for London residents to be able afford their rents. In fact, when you compare the new LHA rates to median rents in Tower Hamlets, it still shows a shortfall ranging from £57 a month for someone in one bedroom in a shared property up to a £163 shortfall a month for a four-bed property. This is another example of a one-size-fits-all policy being out of step with local realities and needs.
Like many others, I’ve called for local housing allowance to be uprated to cover local shortfall and for the housing element of Universal Credit to be increased to reflect local circumstances. And of course waiting five weeks for Universal Credit simply does not work when you have to pay rent monthly.
Sadiq Khan had planned to make better protection for renters a key issue in his now-delayed re-election campaign. The government needs to give serious consideration to devolving powers on this to the London mayor, as the capital’s housing market faces different challenges to the rest of the country.
I’m passionate about housing because it impacts on so many aspects of my residents’ life chances. I’m also a council tenant myself in an overcrowded property. Public Health England has shown that Covid-19 does disproportionately impact on our BAME population, including the Bangladeshi community to which I belong. We know that inadequate housing and overcrowding can exacerbate health inequalities.
Taking steps to address our housing crisis should be at the forefront of our response to Covid-19. Tower Hamlets Council has a housing stock of 22,000. Under mayor John Biggs’ leadership, we are delivering 2,000 council homes through a mix of new builds and buying some former right-to-buy properties back. Under the Conservative government’s right-to-buy policy, we have sold over 50% of our stock. However, under financial as well as land constraints, it is quite difficult to replace the lost stock – and at present government allows us to fund no more than 30% of the cost of a replacement home. If government removed constraints like this we could do so much more for our residents.
We have talked about a housing crisis for years. We need more radical action along the lines of the Addison Act, to offer hope for those in housing need who for too long have been let down by government policy and have borne the brunt of a dysfunctional housing market. Now is the time for government to lay the foundation of housing policy that delivers.


labourlist--2020-07-13--Labour slams government as fast-track visa plans exclude care workers

Nick Thomas-Symonds has slammed the government for its failure to include care workers in plans for a post-Brexit fast-track visa system for health workers .
The Shadow Home Secretary took to social media this afternoon , responding to the publication of a document detailing how the new points-based system will operate when it comes into force on January 1st next year .
He tweeted that the paper released this morning shows that “ the Tories do not consider carers as skilled workers ” , and asked : “ What does this government have against care workers ?
” He added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clarification ” .
Commenting on the government ’ s release this morning , Thomas-Symonds said : “ To exclude care workers from the health visa is a clear signal that this government does not appreciate the skill and dedication these roles involve.
” He added : “ Frankly , it is yet another insult from this Tory party to those who have been at the frontline of this crisis.
” The 130-page document states that the government “ welcomes the vital contributions which doctors , nurses and other health professionals from overseas make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care sector ” , outlining a special visa .
A “ health and care visa ” is described with “ reduced ” application fees and dedicated support enabling fast-track entry to the country – but it does not include care workers in the list of occupations specified .
The applicants for this visa would also need to reach the salary requirement for a skilled worker of £25,600 .
The average wage for someone working in the sector is currently £16,500 per year .
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said that “ we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and development for care workers in this country ” , and that “ immigration is not the sole answer here ” .
The plan to introduce a points-based system for immigration in the UK was initially set out in February this year , before the crisis , but the government has continued to push the legislation through parliament during the pandemic .
The Shadow Home Secretary warned in May that the immigration bill with a salary requirement of £25,600 – more than many key workers earn – sends a signal to those workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .

Nick Thomas-Symonds has slammed the government for its failure to include care workers in plans for a post-Brexit fast-track visa system for health workers.
The Shadow Home Secretary took to social media this afternoon, responding to the publication of a document detailing how the new points-based system will operate when it comes into force on January 1st next year.
He tweeted that the paper released this morning shows that “the Tories do not consider carers as skilled workers”, and asked: “What does this government have against care workers?” He added that Labour will be “seeking urgent clarification”.
What does this Government have against care workers? The latest papers on the proposed immigration system confirm that the Tories do not consider carers as skilled workers. Have they learned nothing from this crisis? We will be seeking urgent clarification on this. https://t.co/VHnPVmCt9a — Nick Thomas-Symonds MP (@NickTorfaen) July 13, 2020
Commenting on the government’s release this morning, Thomas-Symonds said: “To exclude care workers from the health visa is a clear signal that this government does not appreciate the skill and dedication these roles involve.”
He added: “Frankly, it is yet another insult from this Tory party to those who have been at the frontline of this crisis.”
The 130-page document states that the government “welcomes the vital contributions which doctors, nurses and other health professionals from overseas make to the NHS and wider health and care sector”, outlining a special visa.
A “health and care visa” is described with “reduced” application fees and dedicated support enabling fast-track entry to the country – but it does not include care workers in the list of occupations specified.
The applicants for this visa would also need to reach the salary requirement for a skilled worker of £25,600. The average wage for someone working in the sector is currently £16,500 per year.
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said that “we want employers to invest more in training and development for care workers in this country”, and that “immigration is not the sole answer here”.
The plan to introduce a points-based system for immigration in the UK was initially set out in February this year, before the crisis, but the government has continued to push the legislation through parliament during the pandemic.
The Shadow Home Secretary warned in May that the immigration bill with a salary requirement of £25,600 – more than many key workers earn – sends a signal to those workers that they are “unskilled and unwelcome”.


labourlist--2020-07-14--Labour receives EHRC draft report as trade unions undergo leadership changes

The Equalities and Human Rights Commission report on Labour antisemitism has been sent to the party , it was confirmed last night .
As outlined in an earlier piece on the EHRC drafting process , the inquiry ’ s conclusions are first sent to the Labour Party for review .
Over these 28 days , the party can make written representations on the contents of the document , which is finalised by the EHRC and published at the end of this period .
Labour MPs and staffers have been told by new general secretary David Evans not to comment on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the investigation itself .
The worry is that this leak-prone party could see the draft being released early .
But if all goes to plan , we should be reading the EHRC report in early August .
Labour ’ s task is then to prepare an action plan , if the EHRC serves the party an ‘ unlawful act notice ’ , and to start implementing the recommendations .
The equalities watchdog has supervisory powers over such an action plan , and the Labour leader will also be looking for the approval of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Campaign Against Antisemitism .
Both are prepared to criticise Keir Starmer , as JLM ’ s statement on Lloyd Russell-Moyle and the CAA ’ s recent comments on his leadership have shown .
The Labour leader has already laid the groundwork for this moment , by ensuring that he can reliably win votes on the ruling body and by installing a new general secretary .
Speaking of which , it ’ s all change in the wider labour movement : UNISON ’ s general secretary Dave Prentis has announced that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the year when his term ends .
He was thanked by Starmer for “ many years of outstanding leadership ” and for representing frontline workers during this crisis , as well as by deputy leader Angela Rayner who started as a carer and came up through UNISON to become a Labour MP .
Our round-up of MPs ’ tributes to Prentis , described as a “ giant of the labour movement ” , can be found here .
A huge thanks also from LabourList for UNISON ’ s crucial support over the years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going through a period of change .
GMB is currently looking for a new general secretary , with an interim head in place at the moment , while three candidates have put themselves forward for the top job at Unite – Howard Beckett , Steve Turner and Sharon Graham .
Beckett and Turner will be vying for the endorsement of United Left at a hustings on Saturday .
At UNISON , left-winger Roger McKenzie is thought to be keen but there will be plenty of others .
This is an exciting time for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ played a pivotal role in fighting for workers during this crisis , and any new general secretaries will be boosted by growing union membership .
There is much cause for optimism .
Sign up to LabourList ’ s morning email for everything Labour , every weekday morning .

The Equalities and Human Rights Commission report on Labour antisemitism has been sent to the party, it was confirmed last night. As outlined in an earlier piece on the EHRC drafting process, the inquiry’s conclusions are first sent to the Labour Party for review. Over these 28 days, the party can make written representations on the contents of the document, which is finalised by the EHRC and published at the end of this period. Labour MPs and staffers have been told by new general secretary David Evans not to comment on either the arrival of the draft or the investigation itself.
The worry is that this leak-prone party could see the draft being released early. But if all goes to plan, we should be reading the EHRC report in early August. Labour’s task is then to prepare an action plan, if the EHRC serves the party an ‘unlawful act notice’, and to start implementing the recommendations. The equalities watchdog has supervisory powers over such an action plan, and the Labour leader will also be looking for the approval of groups such as the Jewish Labour Movement and the Campaign Against Antisemitism. Both are prepared to criticise Keir Starmer, as JLM’s statement on Lloyd Russell-Moyle and the CAA’s recent comments on his leadership have shown.
The Labour leader has already laid the groundwork for this moment, by ensuring that he can reliably win votes on the ruling body and by installing a new general secretary. Speaking of which, it’s all change in the wider labour movement: UNISON’s general secretary Dave Prentis has announced that he will be retiring at the end of the year when his term ends. He was thanked by Starmer for “many years of outstanding leadership” and for representing frontline workers during this crisis, as well as by deputy leader Angela Rayner who started as a carer and came up through UNISON to become a Labour MP. Our round-up of MPs’ tributes to Prentis, described as a “giant of the labour movement”, can be found here. A huge thanks also from LabourList for UNISON’s crucial support over the years.
The biggest party-affiliated trade unions are going through a period of change. GMB is currently looking for a new general secretary, with an interim head in place at the moment, while three candidates have put themselves forward for the top job at Unite – Howard Beckett, Steve Turner and Sharon Graham. Beckett and Turner will be vying for the endorsement of United Left at a hustings on Saturday. At UNISON, left-winger Roger McKenzie is thought to be keen but there will be plenty of others. This is an exciting time for the wider labour movement: it has played a pivotal role in fighting for workers during this crisis, and any new general secretaries will be boosted by growing union membership. There is much cause for optimism. Sign up to LabourList’s morning email for everything Labour, every weekday morning.


labourlist--2020-07-14--Unemployment will “get much worse” without urgent action, warns Labour

Anneliese Dodds has warned that the unemployment crisis in the UK caused by the coronavirus pandemic will “ get much worse ” unless the government takes urgent action now .
Responding to analysis released by the Office for Budget Responsibility this morning , the Shadow Chancellor urged Rishi Sunak to target support “ to sectors where it ’ s needed most ” .
Commenting on the research , Dodds said : “ This OBR analysis is very worrying .
Unless the government takes urgent action , the UK ’ s unemployment crisis is going to get much worse .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Labour , business and trade unions and make the job retention scheme live up to its name .
Instead of withdrawing support across the piece , he must target it to sectors where it ’ s needed most.
” The new report released by the today OBR outlined three scenarios for the UK .
All three show the country experiencing the worst recession in 300 years and a huge increase in borrowing .
The Shadow Chancellor added : “ If he doesn ’ t act , even more people run the risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployment and our economy will continue to suffer.
” Data published by the Office for National Statistics today shows that the country has returned to growth for the first time since the start of the lockdown – but that the growth is much smaller than the ‘ v-shaped ’ recovery hoped for .
GDP in the UK rose by 1.8 % in May , according to the independent statistics authority .
While a welcome increase , it follows the record slump of 20.3 % in April , and a 6.9 % decline in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ The coronavirus outbreak and the public health measures taken to contain it have delivered one of the largest ever shocks to the UK economy and public finances .
“ Our three medium-term scenarios ( upside , central and downside ) see the largest decline in annual GDP for 300 years this year , accompanied by an unprecedented peacetime rise in the budget deficit to between 13 % and 21 % of GDP , and debt rising above 100 per cent of GDP in all but the upside scenario .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existing long-term pressures on fiscal sustainability will be felt , and has materially altered our assessment of future fiscal risks.
” Labour has repeatedly called for Sunak to abandon what it describes as a “ one-size-fits-all ” approach to support schemes , and set out four tests against which to measure the country ’ s recovery plan : • “ That it produces a bounce-back effect across the country ; • “ That every project announced is carbon neutral or carbon reducing ; and • “ That the government commits , at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or cut support for low and middle-income people , during the recovery period.
” In response to the summer economic update last week , Dodds also said : “ We need a strategy for the scheme to become more flexible , so it can support those businesses forced to close again because of additional localised lockdowns.
” Labour said last month that the UK could see “ mass unemployment on a scale not seen for decades ” , while economists have warned that the level of unemployment could rise sharply as the government @ @ @ @ @

Anneliese Dodds has warned that the unemployment crisis in the UK caused by the coronavirus pandemic will “get much worse” unless the government takes urgent action now.
Responding to analysis released by the Office for Budget Responsibility this morning, the Shadow Chancellor urged Rishi Sunak to target support “to sectors where it’s needed most”.
Commenting on the research, Dodds said: “This OBR analysis is very worrying. Unless the government takes urgent action, the UK’s unemployment crisis is going to get much worse.
“The Chancellor must now listen to calls from Labour, business and trade unions and make the job retention scheme live up to its name. Instead of withdrawing support across the piece, he must target it to sectors where it’s needed most.”
The new report released by the today OBR outlined three scenarios for the UK. All three show the country experiencing the worst recession in 300 years and a huge increase in borrowing.
The Shadow Chancellor added: “If he doesn’t act, even more people run the risk of being thrown into the misery of unemployment and our economy will continue to suffer.”
Data published by the Office for National Statistics today shows that the country has returned to growth for the first time since the start of the lockdown – but that the growth is much smaller than the ‘v-shaped’ recovery hoped for.
GDP in the UK rose by 1.8% in May, according to the independent statistics authority. While a welcome increase, it follows the record slump of 20.3% in April, and a 6.9% decline in the following month.
GDP grew 1.8% in May but was still 24.5% below its level in February, before the full impact of the #coronavirus struck https://t.co/2Ac5CXhKja pic.twitter.com/kfe664wUlm — Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) July 14, 2020
The OBR said: “The coronavirus outbreak and the public health measures taken to contain it have delivered one of the largest ever shocks to the UK economy and public finances.
“Our three medium-term scenarios (upside, central and downside) see the largest decline in annual GDP for 300 years this year, accompanied by an unprecedented peacetime rise in the budget deficit to between 13% and 21% of GDP, and debt rising above 100 per cent of GDP in all but the upside scenario.
“The pandemic has worsened the baseline against which existing long-term pressures on fiscal sustainability will be felt, and has materially altered our assessment of future fiscal risks.”
Labour has repeatedly called for Sunak to abandon what it describes as a “one-size-fits-all” approach to support schemes, and set out four tests against which to measure the country’s recovery plan:
“A focus on creating, supporting and protecting jobs;
“That it produces a bounce-back effect across the country;
“That every project announced is carbon neutral or carbon reducing; and
“That the government commits, at the very least, to not increase taxes or cut support for low and middle-income people, during the recovery period.”
In response to the summer economic update last week, Dodds also said: “We need a strategy for the scheme to become more flexible, so it can support those businesses forced to close again because of additional localised lockdowns.”
Labour said last month that the UK could see “mass unemployment on a scale not seen for decades”, while economists have warned that the level of unemployment could rise sharply as the government furlough scheme is withdrawn.