labourlist--2020-11-02--FBU: UK not ready for emergencies after losing 20% of firefighters since 2010

The Fire Brigades Union has warned that the UK is not ready for two national emergencies at the same time , such as mass flooding and the coronavirus crisis , after losing 19 % of fire and rescue service staff due to cuts since 2010 .
Launching its # FundTheFrontline campaign , Labour-affiliated union FBU has highlighted new figures showing that brigades have had to confront Covid-19 with 11,237 fewer firefighters and control room staff than ten years ago .
The trade union has argued that , unless the government provides urgent investment for additional crews in its one-year spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ roll of the dice ” every time a major incident takes place .
Firefighters agreed early in the pandemic to support the coronavirus response while maintaining core functions throughout .
This extra work has included delivering personal protective equipment , food and medicine , and moving dead bodies .
But the FBU is concerned that if the service encounters more than one major threat at the same time – such as if the pandemic had broken out during mass-flooding earlier this year – firefighters may not be able to provide much-needed support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staffing shortage in the fire and rescue service has forced many to send out fire engines with just three firefighters on board , which is fewer than the minimum five required to safely perform a rescue or tackle a fire .
It has also been pointed out that non-fire incidents have soared by 12 % over the last decade , with firefighters responding to 162,251 non-fire incidents last year – more than the total number of fires .
This was partly due to surges in flooding .
FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wildfires caused by climate change , huge post-Grenfell building safety challenges , terrorist attacks ; or pandemics , firefighters are an all-hazards emergency service on the frontline protecting the UK from the vast majority of major threats .
“ But a decade of devastating cuts means that we can only effectively handle one of these crises at a time .
The brutal reality is that , if and when mass-flooding or another major emergency hits this winter , it could impact firefighters ’ ability to aid the pandemic response , or respond to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least 5,000 new firefighters immediately ” , Wrack concluded : “ Increasingly , each time one of these major emergencies break out , the public face a roll of the dice , hoping that more than one won ’ t come at once – and it ’ s only a matter of time until we lose that gamble.
” The FBU has been outspoken about the climate emergency and a strong supporter within the Labour Party of a ‘ Socialist Green New Deal ’ , which would include a ban on fracking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ownership of key utilities .
The union has today stressed that it is some of the UK ’ s regions most at risk during the Covid-19 crisis that have also faced the worst cuts to firefighter numbers since 2010 , with Greater Manchester losing 629 firefighters – a 32 % cut .
West Yorkshire has lost 609 firefighters , a 35 % cut , the FBU has highlighted , while Calder Valley has been hit by six major floods in five years and the region has experienced persistent wildfires .
South Yorkshire has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut .
The FBU has also sought to draw attention to government inaction on unsafe cladding despite the Grenfell fire taking place over three years ago .
Greater Manchester has the second-highest concentration of buildings with Grenfell-style flammable cladding in the country .

The Fire Brigades Union has warned that the UK is not ready for two national emergencies at the same time, such as mass flooding and the coronavirus crisis, after losing 19% of fire and rescue service staff due to cuts since 2010.
Launching its #FundTheFrontline campaign, Labour-affiliated union FBU has highlighted new figures showing that brigades have had to confront Covid-19 with 11,237 fewer firefighters and control room staff than ten years ago.
The trade union has argued that, unless the government provides urgent investment for additional crews in its one-year spending review, the British public face a “roll of the dice” every time a major incident takes place.
Firefighters agreed early in the pandemic to support the coronavirus response while maintaining core functions throughout. This extra work has included delivering personal protective equipment, food and medicine, and moving dead bodies.
But the FBU is concerned that if the service encounters more than one major threat at the same time – such as if the pandemic had broken out during mass-flooding earlier this year – firefighters may not be able to provide much-needed support.
According to the union, the staffing shortage in the fire and rescue service has forced many to send out fire engines with just three firefighters on board, which is fewer than the minimum five required to safely perform a rescue or tackle a fire.
It has also been pointed out that non-fire incidents have soared by 12% over the last decade, with firefighters responding to 162,251 non-fire incidents last year – more than the total number of fires. This was partly due to surges in flooding.
FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: “Be it mass flooding and wildfires caused by climate change, huge post-Grenfell building safety challenges, terrorist attacks; or pandemics, firefighters are an all-hazards emergency service on the frontline protecting the UK from the vast majority of major threats.
“But a decade of devastating cuts means that we can only effectively handle one of these crises at a time. The brutal reality is that, if and when mass-flooding or another major emergency hits this winter, it could impact firefighters’ ability to aid the pandemic response, or respond to another major incident.”
Calling for “at least 5,000 new firefighters immediately”, Wrack concluded: “Increasingly, each time one of these major emergencies break out, the public face a roll of the dice, hoping that more than one won’t come at once – and it’s only a matter of time until we lose that gamble.”
The FBU has been outspoken about the climate emergency and a strong supporter within the Labour Party of a ‘Socialist Green New Deal’, which would include a ban on fracking, repealing all anti-union laws and public ownership of key utilities.
The union has today stressed that it is some of the UK’s regions most at risk during the Covid-19 crisis that have also faced the worst cuts to firefighter numbers since 2010, with Greater Manchester losing 629 firefighters – a 32% cut.
West Yorkshire has lost 609 firefighters, a 35% cut, the FBU has highlighted, while Calder Valley has been hit by six major floods in five years and the region has experienced persistent wildfires. South Yorkshire has lost 293 firefighters in a 31% cut.
The FBU has also sought to draw attention to government inaction on unsafe cladding despite the Grenfell fire taking place over three years ago. Greater Manchester has the second-highest concentration of buildings with Grenfell-style flammable cladding in the country.


labourlist--2020-11-03--Get well moon. A Covid mass-testing pilot scheme for Liverpool

Boris Johnson earlier this year pitched operation ‘ Moonshot ’ to the public .
The plan involves delivering a staggering ten million tests each day .
Details have now been released of a mass-testing pilot scheme in Liverpool , which will determine whether mass population screening is feasible .
A variety of test types and the army will be deployed in the city to offer every resident ( around 500,000 people ) a test , whether they have symptoms or not .
The plan is to make repeat testing available , with Labour mayor Joe Anderson explaining this morning that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every week to ten days ” .
The announcement follows sustained pressure on the government over its failing test and trace system as England heads into its second lockdown later this week .
And Labour is keeping up that pressure on the government today , calling for a six-month plan outlining future support packages to run alongside any further public health measures .
Anneliese Dodds has demanded the Chancellor the “ stop last-minute scramble ” on economic support characteristic of the Tory response to the pandemic .
The Shadow Chancellor will use an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the issue .
The opposition is maintaining its focus on the favourite to replace Johnson , as also shown in Keir Starmer ’ s speech to the CBI on Monday .
The controversial overseas operation bill comes back to parliament later today .
Labour abstained at second reading last month – with 20 MPs breaking the whip to vote against the ‘ licence to kill ’ bill – but is preparing to vote against this afternoon .
Voting has begun across the pond in the US election .
Or more accurately , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cast their ballot by post are heading to polling stations .
The polls have Donald Trump as the underdog with aggregators showing a 6.7 to 8.4-point advantage for Joe Biden .
But the Republican President is doing better in some key battlegrounds , behind by just 1.7 points in Florida , for example .
It looks to be a record-breaking turnout , with 98 million votes already counted .
Around a quarter of those are people who did not vote in 2016 and 8 % are voting for the first time .
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could take weeks to know the outcome .
But Trump is planning to declare victory today , before results from key states have been determined .
As one commentator put it , this is equivalent to a coach announcing a win for their team at half time .
Sign up to LabourList ’ s morning email for everything Labour , every weekday morning .

Boris Johnson earlier this year pitched operation ‘Moonshot’ to the public. The plan involves delivering a staggering ten million tests each day. Details have now been released of a mass-testing pilot scheme in Liverpool, which will determine whether mass population screening is feasible. A variety of test types and the army will be deployed in the city to offer every resident (around 500,000 people) a test, whether they have symptoms or not. The plan is to make repeat testing available, with Labour mayor Joe Anderson explaining this morning that this could mean tests for people “every week to ten days”. The announcement follows sustained pressure on the government over its failing test and trace system as England heads into its second lockdown later this week.
And Labour is keeping up that pressure on the government today, calling for a six-month plan outlining future support packages to run alongside any further public health measures. Anneliese Dodds has demanded the Chancellor the “stop last-minute scramble” on economic support characteristic of the Tory response to the pandemic. The Shadow Chancellor will use an urgent question today to press Rishi Sunak on the issue. The opposition is maintaining its focus on the favourite to replace Johnson, as also shown in Keir Starmer’s speech to the CBI on Monday. The controversial overseas operation bill comes back to parliament later today. Labour abstained at second reading last month – with 18 MPs breaking the whip to vote against the bill – but is preparing to vote against this afternoon.
Voting has begun across the pond in the US election. Or more accurately, some people who haven’t already cast their ballot by post are heading to polling stations. The polls have Donald Trump as the underdog with aggregators showing a 6.7 to 8.4-point advantage for Joe Biden. But the Republican President is doing better in some key battlegrounds, behind by just 1.7 points in Florida, for example. It looks to be a record-breaking turnout, with 98 million votes already counted. Around a quarter of those are people who did not vote in 2016 and 8% are voting for the first time. With so many voting by post, it could take weeks to know the outcome. But Trump is planning to declare victory today, before results from key states have been determined. As one commentator put it, this is equivalent to a coach announcing a win for their team at half time. Sign up to LabourList’s morning email for everything Labour, every weekday morning.


labourlist--2020-11-03--Restart Covid ‘Everyone In’ rough sleeper scheme, demands Labour

Thangam Debbonaire has called on the government to urgently restart the ‘ Everyone In ’ scheme to protect rough sleepers as the country heads into a second lockdown to halt the spread of coronavirus and winter .
In a letter to Robert Jenrick today , the Shadow Housing Secretary told the Tory minister that it is “ essential that everyone has a safe place to call home ” after the Prime Minister told people to stay indoors from Thursday .
She also highlighted the need for clear rules on the use of self-contained accommodation rather than communal shelters , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to public funds to ensure all rough sleepers can access support .
During the last national lockdown , the government implemented its ‘ Everyone In ’ policy – allocating £3.2m for local authorities and charities to expand the provision of emergency hotel and hostel accommodation for rough sleepers .
The intervention from Labour ’ s housing spokesperson follows demands from charities and local councillors for the government to extend the same support , which took around 15,000 homeless people off the streets in March .
Commenting on the benefits of the scheme , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told The Guardian : “ This is the crucial question which as of tonight we have no answer to .
Rough sleepers are particularly vulnerable to Covid .
“ Everyone In , pioneered in London , was world leading , and resulted in very low Covid infection rates amongst homeless people here .
Now we need Everyone In two.
” Leader of Southwark council in south London Keiron Williams added : “ To stay at home you have to have a home , yet the government is completely silent on support for rough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one study into the impact of the ‘ Everyone In ’ programme during the first round of Covid restrictions , the emergency accommodation provided with central government funding saved an estimated 266 people from death .
Below is the full text of the letter sent to Jenrick .
I ’ m writing to seek clarity on the support you will providing to rough sleepers and other people experiencing homelessness this winter .
On Saturday , the Prime Minister said : “ from Thursday until the start of December , you must stay at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is essential that everyone has a safe place to call home .
The ‘ Everyone In ’ initiative in March was an incredible achievement by councils and charities , which saved hundreds of lives .
A repeat of this success will require strong leadership and effective co-ordination from central government .
The flow of rough sleepers onto the streets has not stopped since March .
Recent data for London revealed that 3 444 people had been sleeping rough between July and September this year , with 1,901 people sleeping rough for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rough sleepers has increased by half .
As we head into a second lockdown , the government must urgently re-start ‘ Everyone In ’ , to protect rough sleepers from a cold , dangerous winter .
Will you issue clear instruction from central government that everyone should be brought in off the streets , and provide appropriate support for local authorities to achieve this ?
Recent guidance on the use of night shelters set out that , although self-contained accommodation should be the ‘ default ’ , communal night shelters may be permitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advice you received from Public Health England on this point ?
Nobody should have to choose between a potentially unsafe communal shelter and spending the night on the streets .
Given the current rates of Covid-19 , will you revise this guidance to clarify that only self-contained accommodation should be used , and provide local authorities with the support to achieve this ?
Finally , the first ‘ Everyone In ’ was a clear statement that , no matter someone ’ s immigration status , they should be brought in off the streets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Funds , and ensure that everybody is helped off the streets , as happened in March ?
I look forward to an urgent response to my letter .
I would be grateful for the chance to meet you to discuss these concerns .

Thangam Debbonaire has called on the government to urgently restart the ‘Everyone In’ scheme to protect rough sleepers as the country heads into a second lockdown to halt the spread of coronavirus and winter.
In a letter to Robert Jenrick today, the Shadow Housing Secretary told the Tory minister that it is “essential that everyone has a safe place to call home” after the Prime Minister told people to stay indoors from Thursday.
She also highlighted the need for clear rules on the use of self-contained accommodation rather than communal shelters, and called for the suspension of no recourse to public funds to ensure all rough sleepers can access support.
During the last national lockdown, the government implemented its ‘Everyone In’ policy – allocating £3.2m for local authorities and charities to expand the provision of emergency hotel and hostel accommodation for rough sleepers.
The intervention from Labour’s housing spokesperson follows demands from charities and local councillors for the government to extend the same support, which took around 15,000 homeless people off the streets in March.
Commenting on the benefits of the scheme, London deputy mayor for housing Tom Copley told The Guardian: “This is the crucial question which as of tonight we have no answer to. Rough sleepers are particularly vulnerable to Covid.
“Everyone In, pioneered in London, was world leading, and resulted in very low Covid infection rates amongst homeless people here. Now we need Everyone In two.”
Leader of Southwark council in south London Keiron Williams added: “To stay at home you have to have a home, yet the government is completely silent on support for rough sleepers during this lockdown.”
According to one study into the impact of the ‘Everyone In’ programme during the first round of Covid restrictions, the emergency accommodation provided with central government funding saved an estimated 266 people from death.
Below is the full text of the letter sent to Jenrick.
Dear Robert,
I’m writing to seek clarity on the support you will providing to rough sleepers and other people experiencing homelessness this winter.
On Saturday, the Prime Minister said: “from Thursday until the start of December, you must stay at home.” For this to happen, it is essential that everyone has a safe place to call home.
The ‘Everyone In’ initiative in March was an incredible achievement by councils and charities, which saved hundreds of lives. A repeat of this success will require strong leadership and effective co-ordination from central government.
The flow of rough sleepers onto the streets has not stopped since March. Recent data for London revealed that 3 444 people had been sleeping rough between July and September this year, with 1,901 people sleeping rough for the first time. The number of young rough sleepers has increased by half.
As we head into a second lockdown, the government must urgently re-start ‘Everyone In’, to protect rough sleepers from a cold, dangerous winter. Will you issue clear instruction from central government that everyone should be brought in off the streets, and provide appropriate support for local authorities to achieve this?
Recent guidance on the use of night shelters set out that, although self-contained accommodation should be the ‘default’, communal night shelters may be permitted to open. Will you publish the advice you received from Public Health England on this point? Nobody should have to choose between a potentially unsafe communal shelter and spending the night on the streets. Given the current rates of Covid-19, will you revise this guidance to clarify that only self-contained accommodation should be used, and provide local authorities with the support to achieve this?
Finally, the first ‘Everyone In’ was a clear statement that, no matter someone’s immigration status, they should be brought in off the streets. Will you lift No Recourse to Public Funds, and ensure that everybody is helped off the streets, as happened in March?
I look forward to an urgent response to my letter. I would be grateful for the chance to meet you to discuss these concerns.
Yours sincerely,
Thangam Debbonaire


labourlist--2020-11-03--We want the best for children. Right now, that means schools must close

This week , England will plunge once more into a national lockdown .
Like in the spring , hospitality and ‘ non-essential ’ retail will close , people will be encouraged to work from home and social visits to friends and family will be prohibited .
But this time all schools will remain fully open .
Has Boris Johnson made the right call ?
Our party and movement is divided .
Pre-empting the announcement , Europe ’ s biggest education trade union the National Education Union ( NEU ) called for schools to be included in the lockdown .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been signed by hundreds of thousands and its campaign had won support from trade union leaders and Labour MPs like John McDonnell .
Meanwhile , Keir Starmer has made it clear that he supports the government in keeping schools open .
Who is right ?
The Labour leader is right on one thing : the government has made an absolute mess of this .
Had Johnson announced the national lockdown two or three weeks earlier – when Labour had called for one – it would have encompassed half term .
Nine days of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a single school day lost .
And the infection rate was lower back then ; on October 26th there were 23,000 cases in England – roughly 50 % more than two weeks before .
Acting swiftly and decisively saves lives .
It is easier to control the virus if fewer people have it .
The problem , of course , is that the government did not do this .
We have to deal with the reality we have , not the one we wanted .
If rain is falling through your roof @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been fixed while the sun was shining .
But that does not help you to fix the leak right now .
The most recent data suggests that 1 % of primary-aged children have the virus , which is nine times higher than before schools opened .
This means the average primary school has three such children .
As I explained for LabourList in September , despite our best efforts : “ The harsh reality is that schools are still not properly equipped to deal with the virus .
We have endless routines and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe but nothing can change one basic fact : schools are the only places where groups of more than 30 are encouraged to gather inside , with no social distancing and no face coverings.
” The problems in primary schools are eclipsed by those in secondary .
Primary ‘ bubbles ’ can exceed 30 children , but in secondaries they often reach 300 .
Unsurprisingly , the infection rate for this group has risen by a staggering 50 times since schools opened .
It now stands at 2 % , the highest rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 students in the average secondary school .
Fortunately , most children – though not all – survive the virus .
But infection means that students must miss school .
In many cases , the whole year group closes .
And children don ’ t only mix with each other ; they interact every day with education and often transport workers before going home to their family members , who may well be vulnerable .
If schools are not included in the lockdown then the age group with the worst infection rate will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 300 , without social distancing or personal protective equipment , before going home to their families .
You do not need to be an epidemiologist to see that this will fatally undermine the lockdown .
But the epidemiologists concur .
Government advisor Sir Jeremy Farrar suspects that the lockdown may not work without closing schools .
And Independent SAGE has argued that a “ hard lockdown ” , which includes schools , would take three weeks to control the virus compared to nine weeks if schools remain open .
A nine-week lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If it were paused during the festive period , which seems likely , it could well run much longer .
None of this is controversial .
In the clip where Starmer advocates keeping schools open , he acknowledges that this will prolong the lockdown and render it less effective .
He argues this is a necessary cost to keep children in school .
Keeping children in school is of course a noble aim , shared by the NEU and education workers everywhere but sadly , this ship has sailed .
Across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following positive test results – in some cases two or three times already this term .
The most recent data showed that 18 % of secondary schools were at least partially closed .
Attendance in the classes that are open has dropped and will continue to do so as the infection rate rises .
Children are already missing school , the question is whether to organise an orderly and time-limited closure or to continue with the current chaos indefinitely .
Closing , alone , will not solve the problem forever but it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has spent months calling for government investment in school safety .
This means more staff and more space to allow for social distancing , perhaps with the creation of ‘ nightingale schools ’ .
It means guaranteeing children and education workers access to testing so that we can avoid chaotic closures .
And it means making arrangements for ‘ blended learning ’ , which combines in-school teaching with home learning .
The government has so far done none of this .
Schools should be the last places to close .
It is absolutely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight the virus with a commitment to children ’ s education .
Education workers do not need politicians to remind us – we have already dedicated our professional lives to this cause .
We want the best for the children in our care , for their families and for the wider community .
Right now , that means a short but total lockdown – with schools included .
If you agree , support the NEU campaign and write to your MP .

This week, England will plunge once more into a national lockdown. Like in the spring, hospitality and ‘non-essential’ retail will close, people will be encouraged to work from home and social visits to friends and family will be prohibited. But this time all schools will remain fully open. Has Boris Johnson made the right call? Our party and movement is divided. Pre-empting the announcement, Europe’s biggest education trade union the National Education Union (NEU) called for schools to be included in the lockdown. It was not long before its petition had been signed by hundreds of thousands and its campaign had won support from trade union leaders and Labour MPs like John McDonnell. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer has made it clear that he supports the government in keeping schools open. Who is right?
The Labour leader is right on one thing: the government has made an absolute mess of this. Had Johnson announced the national lockdown two or three weeks earlier – when Labour had called for one – it would have encompassed half term. Nine days of total lockdown could have been organised with not a single school day lost. And the infection rate was lower back then; on October 26th there were 23,000 cases in England – roughly 50% more than two weeks before. Acting swiftly and decisively saves lives. It is easier to control the virus if fewer people have it. The problem, of course, is that the government did not do this. We have to deal with the reality we have, not the one we wanted. If rain is falling through your roof you may well wish that it had been fixed while the sun was shining. But that does not help you to fix the leak right now.
The most recent data suggests that 1% of primary-aged children have the virus, which is nine times higher than before schools opened. This means the average primary school has three such children. As I explained for LabourList in September, despite our best efforts: “The harsh reality is that schools are still not properly equipped to deal with the virus. We have endless routines and systems to keep ourselves and the children safe but nothing can change one basic fact: schools are the only places where groups of more than 30 are encouraged to gather inside, with no social distancing and no face coverings.”
The problems in primary schools are eclipsed by those in secondary. Primary ‘bubbles’ can exceed 30 children, but in secondaries they often reach 300. Unsurprisingly, the infection rate for this group has risen by a staggering 50 times since schools opened. It now stands at 2%, the highest rate of any age group, or approximately 20 students in the average secondary school. Fortunately, most children – though not all – survive the virus. But infection means that students must miss school. In many cases, the whole year group closes. And children don’t only mix with each other; they interact every day with education and often transport workers before going home to their family members, who may well be vulnerable.
If schools are not included in the lockdown then the age group with the worst infection rate will mix every day in bubbles of up to 300, without social distancing or personal protective equipment, before going home to their families. You do not need to be an epidemiologist to see that this will fatally undermine the lockdown. But the epidemiologists concur. Government advisor Sir Jeremy Farrar suspects that the lockdown may not work without closing schools. And Independent SAGE has argued that a “hard lockdown”, which includes schools, would take three weeks to control the virus compared to nine weeks if schools remain open. A nine-week lockdown would not end until January 6th. If it were paused during the festive period, which seems likely, it could well run much longer.
None of this is controversial. In the clip where Starmer advocates keeping schools open, he acknowledges that this will prolong the lockdown and render it less effective. He argues this is a necessary cost to keep children in school. Keeping children in school is of course a noble aim, shared by the NEU and education workers everywhere, but sadly this ship has sailed. Across the country, schools and year groups have closed following positive test results – in some cases two or three times already this term. The most recent data showed that 18% of secondary schools were at least partially closed. Attendance in the classes that are open has dropped and will continue to do so as the infection rate rises.
Children are already missing school, the question is whether to organise an orderly and time-limited closure or to continue with the current chaos indefinitely. Closing, alone, will not solve the problem forever but it will buy us vital time. The NEU has spent months calling for government investment in school safety. This means more staff and more space to allow for social distancing, perhaps with the creation of ‘nightingale schools’. It means guaranteeing children and education workers access to testing so that we can avoid chaotic closures. And it means making arrangements for ‘blended learning’, which combines in-school teaching with home learning. The government has so far done none of this.
Schools should be the last places to close. It is absolutely right that we balance our efforts to fight the virus with a commitment to children’s education. Education workers do not need politicians to remind us – we have already dedicated our professional lives to this cause. We want the best for the children in our care, for their families and for the wider community. Right now, that means a short but total lockdown – with schools included. If you agree, support the NEU campaign and write to your MP.


labourlist--2020-11-03--Dodds: Chancellor must “stop last-minute scramble” on economic support

Anneliese Dodds has urged the Chancellor to “ stop the last-minute scramble ” on coronavirus economic support and bring forward a six-month plan outlining future support packages from the government .
In a letter to Rishi Sunak , the Shadow Chancellor expressed concerns about the government ’ s tendency to change its policy at the last minute after an extension to furlough scheme was announced just hours before it was due to end .
Dodds argued that a six-month plan is now needed to give workers and businesses certainty for the future after the altered stance on the furlough scheme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy in just four months .
Commenting on the new demands , Dodds said : “ The Chancellor ’ s stubborn refusal to address problems of his own making until the last possible minute is risking lives , costing jobs and causing chaos in the middle of a pandemic .
“ Businesses need certainty if we ’ re to avoid a 1980s-style jobs crisis , not endless chopping and changing by a Chancellor who is always playing catch-up .
“ The Chancellor must stop this last-minute scramble and use the moment of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , strategic plan for the next six months that gives workers and businesses the certainty they need.
” The intervention from Dodds follows the announcement from the Prime Minister on Saturday that England will this week enter a second national lockdown , with all non-essential businesses forced to close , for a period of four weeks .
Dodds sets out several issues in her letter that should be covered in the six-month plan , including funding for areas that face local restrictions after the lockdown and support for businesses and workers in case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the job retention scheme , was scheduled to end on October 31st and be replaced by the job support scheme .
Following the extension of furlough , the implementation of the job support scheme has been delayed until December .
Sunak has been forced to U-turn on five planned Covid measures in recent months , including a local furlough scheme , employer contributions to the proposed job support scheme and recently on the extension to the national furlough support .
The Shadow Chancellor previously accused Sunak of “ always running to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced the changes to the proposed job support scheme months as many regions faced tighter restrictions .
Labour MPs will be whipped in parliament to vote in favour of the restrictions for the second national lockdown due to start on Thursday , which will see hospitality and retail businesses shut while schools , colleges and universities remain open .
Below is the full text of the letter sent to Rishi Sunak .
I am writing to request an urgent meeting to discuss the future of coronavirus-related economic support in the UK given the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new four-week national lockdown .
The nature of that announcement , given just hours before many of the existing economic support measures were due to come to an end , will have caused millions of workers and businesses significant and unnecessary anxiety .
This is sadly symptomatic of what appears to be the lack of any strategic planning by the government to support jobs and businesses .
Instead , we have had a succession of ‘ plans ’ based on core economic assumptions that have proved to be overly optimistic given the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grip on the health crisis – each one having to be dropped and replaced with something else as the evidence that it was not going to work became undeniable .
I fully appreciate that none of us can foresee the exact trajectory of Covid-19 but this short-sighted approach is making a bad situation worse .
I urge you to use this moment to work with others to set out a proper , strategic plan for the future that can adapt to changing circumstances and give businesses and workers the certainty they desperately need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me to discuss how this could be achieved , along with stakeholders such as trade unions and businesses .
This process should enable the setting out of different scenarios for the UK economy over the next six months , and appropriate responses to those different scenarios .
It should consider solutions to problems such as : • The need for continued , transparent and consistent support for any areas which might remain , following the lockdown , subject to additional restrictions .
• The need for contingency plans for support for jobs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the future by the government and/or the government extends the existing lockdown .
• The urgent need for income protection for groups not currently covered by recent announcements , from the self-employed to those who have not qualified for existing support due to their employment arrangements , to those who do not qualify for social security because of savings or for other reasons , to the impact of the five-week wait for Universal Credit payments .
• The future for support for local authorities over the next six months and beyond , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their ability to raise revenue .
The need to answer these and other questions in a strategic , coordinated manner is becoming ever more urgent given last weekend ’ s announcement .
I stand ready to help , as , I am sure , do trade unions and businesses .
I urge you to meet with me and relevant stakeholders so that we can learn the lessons from recent months and give businesses and workers the stability and security they need in these extraordinary times .
Yours sincerely , Anneliese Dodds MP Shadow @ @ @ @

Anneliese Dodds has urged the Chancellor to “stop the last-minute scramble” on coronavirus economic support and bring forward a six-month plan outlining future support packages from the government.
In a letter to Rishi Sunak, the Shadow Chancellor expressed concerns about the government’s tendency to change its policy at the last minute after an extension to furlough scheme was announced just hours before it was due to end.
Dodds argued that a six-month plan is now needed to give workers and businesses certainty for the future after the altered stance on the furlough scheme marked the fifth such change of economic policy in just four months.
Commenting on the new demands, Dodds said: “The Chancellor’s stubborn refusal to address problems of his own making until the last possible minute is risking lives, costing jobs and causing chaos in the middle of a pandemic.
“Businesses need certainty if we’re to avoid a 1980s-style jobs crisis, not endless chopping and changing by a Chancellor who is always playing catch-up.
“The Chancellor must stop this last-minute scramble and use the moment of a national lockdown to set out a proper, strategic plan for the next six months that gives workers and businesses the certainty they need.”
The intervention from Dodds follows the announcement from the Prime Minister on Saturday that England will this week enter a second national lockdown, with all non-essential businesses forced to close, for a period of four weeks.
Dodds sets out several issues in her letter that should be covered in the six-month plan, including funding for areas that face local restrictions after the lockdown and support for businesses and workers in case of another later lockdown.
Furlough, or the job retention scheme, was scheduled to end on October 31st and be replaced by the job support scheme. Following the extension of furlough, the implementation of the job support scheme has been delayed until December.
Sunak has been forced to U-turn on five planned Covid measures in recent months, including a local furlough scheme, employer contributions to the proposed job support scheme and recently on the extension to the national furlough support.
The Shadow Chancellor previously accused Sunak of “always running to keep up” during the crisis when he announced the changes to the proposed job support scheme months as many regions faced tighter restrictions.
Labour MPs will be whipped in parliament to vote in favour of the restrictions for the second national lockdown due to start on Thursday, which will see hospitality and retail businesses shut while schools, colleges and universities remain open.
Below is the full text of the letter sent to Rishi Sunak.
Dear Chancellor,
I am writing to request an urgent meeting to discuss the future of coronavirus-related economic support in the UK given the government’s announcement on Saturday of a new four-week national lockdown. The nature of that announcement, given just hours before many of the existing economic support measures were due to come to an end, will have caused millions of workers and businesses significant and unnecessary anxiety.
This is sadly symptomatic of what appears to be the lack of any strategic planning by the government to support jobs and businesses. Instead, we have had a succession of ‘plans’ based on core economic assumptions that have proved to be overly optimistic given the government’s inability to get a grip on the health crisis – each one having to be dropped and replaced with something else as the evidence that it was not going to work became undeniable.
I fully appreciate that none of us can foresee the exact trajectory of Covid-19 but this short-sighted approach is making a bad situation worse. I urge you to use this moment to work with others to set out a proper, strategic plan for the future that can adapt to changing circumstances and give businesses and workers the certainty they desperately need.
I would ask you to meet me to discuss how this could be achieved, along with stakeholders such as trade unions and businesses. This process should enable the setting out of different scenarios for the UK economy over the next six months, and appropriate responses to those different scenarios.
It should consider solutions to problems such as:
The need for continued, transparent and consistent support for any areas which might remain, following the lockdown, subject to additional restrictions.
The need for contingency plans for support for jobs and businesses should additional nationwide restrictions be imposed in the future by the government and/or the government extends the existing lockdown.
The urgent need for income protection for groups not currently covered by recent announcements, from the self-employed to those who have not qualified for existing support due to their employment arrangements, to those who do not qualify for social security because of savings or for other reasons, to the impact of the five-week wait for Universal Credit payments.
The future for support for local authorities over the next six months and beyond, given the likelihood of continued pressures on their ability to raise revenue.
The need to answer these and other questions in a strategic, coordinated manner is becoming ever more urgent given last weekend’s announcement. I stand ready to help, as, I am sure, do trade unions and businesses. I urge you to meet with me and relevant stakeholders so that we can learn the lessons from recent months and give businesses and workers the stability and security they need in these extraordinary times.
Yours sincerely,
Anneliese Dodds MP
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer


labourlist--2020-11-05--Four-day working week demanded as 18 million days lost to poor mental health

Campaigners have called on the government to implement a four-day working week to help stop employee burnout after a new report found that nearly 18 million days were lost to stress , depression or anxiety this year .
Research by the Health and Safety Executive ( HSE ) showed that a record 17.9 million working days were lost due to work-related mental health issues in the year 2019/2020 , compared to just 12.8 million days lost in the previous year .
In response to the HSE ’ s findings , the 4 Day Week Campaign has now suggested that to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours and employee burnout , British workers need to be given a shorter working week .
Commenting on the new analysis , 4 Day Week Campaign activist Joe Ryle said : “ These statistics are shocking and show that the UK desperately needs shorter working hours and a four-day working week to allow workers the time to breathe .
“ It ’ s very worrying that for the first time ever , mental health is now the biggest single cause of work-related ill health and working days lost .
“ The four-day working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s time for the government , businesses and the trade unions to work together to make it a reality.
” The report shows that 828,000 workers suffered from work-related stress , depression and anxiety in 2019/2020 .
This is markedly higher than the 602,000 recorded in the previous year .
The HSE also found that 347,000 workers had suffered from a new case of work-related stress , depression or anxiety .
This year is the first time that both the majority of work-related ill-health and working days lost are caused by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were found to have the highest rates of stress , depression or anxiety among workers was education , with 2,170 cases per 100,000 workers , and health and social care , with 2,350 cases per 100,000 workers .
The news follows previous research commissioned by the 4 Day Week Campaign , which found that 79 % of business leaders are open to the idea of introducing a four-day working week to their companies in light of the coronavirus pandemic .
47 % of respondents said they would be “ very open ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by many companies during the pandemic , and a further 32 % said they would “ quite open ” to it .
Only 9 % said they were “ not at all open ” to it .
A poll earlier this year found that nearly two thirds of the public – including even a majority of Tory voters – thought the government should consider the policy as a way to help cope with coronavirus .
Shadow Employment Secretary Andy McDonald said the UK should be trialling a four-day week during an online event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers ’ wellbeing , the climate and the economy as a whole .
He said : “ The potential benefits of a four-day week… regarding the importance of non-work time for our mental and physical health , our sense of wellbeing generally and how this would increase productivity , should in my view be increasingly trialled with the introduction of more pilot schemes.
” “ And if piloted on a larger scale , it would also enable us to measure other potential reductions in air pollution and overall carbon footprint – obviously vitally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existential challenges of climate change.
” McDonald suggested that “ beleaguered ” sectors of the economy , such as arts and hospitality , could benefit hugely from the increased engagement brought about by consumers with more free time .
TUC analysis from last year found that workers in the UK are putting in the longest hours in the EU , at an average of 42 hours each week , despite our productivity lagging behind other European countries .

Campaigners have called on the government to implement a four-day working week to help stop employee burnout after a new report found that nearly 18 million days were lost to stress, depression or anxiety this year.
Research by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) showed that a record 17.9 million working days were lost due to work-related mental health issues in the year 2019/2020, compared to just 12.8 million days lost in the previous year.
In response to the HSE’s findings, the 4 Day Week Campaign has now suggested that to solve the rising levels of lost working hours and employee burnout, British workers need to be given a shorter working week.
Commenting on the new analysis, 4 Day Week Campaign activist Joe Ryle said: “These statistics are shocking and show that the UK desperately needs shorter working hours and a four-day working week to allow workers the time to breathe.
“It’s very worrying that for the first time ever, mental health is now the biggest single cause of work-related ill health and working days lost.
“The four-day working week is popular across the country and it’s time for the government, businesses and the trade unions to work together to make it a reality.”
The report shows that 828,000 workers suffered from work-related stress, depression and anxiety in 2019/2020. This is markedly higher than the 602,000 recorded in the previous year.
The HSE also found that 347,000 workers had suffered from a new case of work-related stress, depression or anxiety. This year is the first time that both the majority of work-related ill-health and working days lost are caused by mental health.
Among the industries that were found to have the highest rates of stress, depression or anxiety among workers was education, with 2,170 cases per 100,000 workers, and health and social care, with 2,350 cases per 100,000 workers.
The news follows previous research commissioned by the 4 Day Week Campaign, which found that 79% of business leaders are open to the idea of introducing a four-day working week to their companies in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
47% of respondents said they would be “very open” to the idea, which has been trialled by many companies during the pandemic, and a further 32% said they would “quite open” to it. Only 9% said they were “not at all open” to it.
A poll earlier this year found that nearly two thirds of the public – including even a majority of Tory voters – thought the government should consider the policy as a way to help cope with coronavirus.
Shadow Employment Secretary Andy McDonald said the UK should be trialling a four-day week during an online event earlier this month, citing benefits to workers’ wellbeing, the climate and the economy as a whole.
He said: “The potential benefits of a four-day week… regarding the importance of non-work time for our mental and physical health, our sense of wellbeing generally and how this would increase productivity, should in my view be increasingly trialled with the introduction of more pilot schemes.”
“And if piloted on a larger scale, it would also enable us to measure other potential reductions in air pollution and overall carbon footprint – obviously vitally important as we seek to address the existential challenges of climate change.”
McDonald suggested that “beleaguered” sectors of the economy, such as arts and hospitality, could benefit hugely from the increased engagement brought about by consumers with more free time.
TUC analysis from last year found that workers in the UK are putting in the longest hours in the EU, at an average of 42 hours each week, despite our productivity lagging behind other European countries.


labourlist--2020-11-05--Dodds slams Sunak over “last-minute” U-turn on furlough extension

Anneliese Dodds has criticised Rishi Sunak for a “ last-minute ” U-turn as he announced that the furlough scheme would be extended at a rate of 80 % income support beyond the end of the lockdown for businesses forced to close due to Covid .
Reacting to a statement from Sunak this afternoon in parliament on support for businesses impacted by restrictions , the Shadow Chancellor told MPs that “ the Chancellor can change his mind at the last minute , but businesses can ’ t ” .
She reminded MPs in the Commons today that this is the fourth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make to his ‘ winter economy plan ’ over the past six weeks .
Dodds said : “ Businesses and workers have been pleading for certainty from this government but the Chancellor keeps ignoring them until the last possible moment after jobs have been lost and businesses have gone bust… “ The Prime Minister said furlough would be extended for a month , five hours before that scheme was due to end .
Two days later , realising the self-employed had been forgotten , there was a last-minute change to the self-employed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes .
The Chancellor ’ s fourth version of his winter economy plan in just six weeks .
The Chancellor can change his mind at the last minute , Mr Speaker , but businesses can ’ t. ” Dodds highlighted that Labour had over recent weeks called on the government to pay 80 % of wages for workers under restrictions imposed to stop the spread of Covid in the North , in Wales and in Scotland , but that those calls were rejected .
She added : “ How many jobs could have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality and let businesses plan for the future ?
Will the Chancellor apologise to those who have already been made redundant because of this last-minute approach ?
” The changes announced today mean that workers in a Tier 3 Covid area after December 2nd will receive 80 % of their income .
Under previous arrangements , they would only have been entitled to 67 % through the local furlough scheme .
Sunak told the Commons this morning : “ The furlough scheme will not be extended for one month .
It will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The government will continue to help pay people ’ s wages up to 80 % of the normal amount .
“ All employers will have to pay for hours not worked is the cost of employers national insurance contributions and pension contributions .
We will review the policy in January.
” The U-turn follows a call earlier this week from Labour for the Chancellor to “ stop the last-minute scramble ” on economic support and bring forward a six-month plan outlining future support packages from the government .
Sunak has been forced to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent months , including a local furlough scheme , employer contributions to the proposed job support scheme and recently on the extension to the national furlough support .
This latest move by the Chancellor follows weeks of pressure from charities , campaign groups , local authority leaders and regional mayors as well as the Labour frontbench to provide enough support to enable people to self-isolate .
The Bank of England this morning revealed that it would be injecting an extra £150bn into the UK economy .
The bank has warned that resurgence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a slower recovery from the pandemic .
It stated earlier today that it expects the economy to shrink by a further 2 % in the final three months of the year before bouncing back at the start of 2021 , assuming the current coronavirus restrictions loosen .
England has entered its second national lockdown of the pandemic today , with all non-essential businesses forced to close and the mixing of different households heavily restricted , for a period of four weeks .
The Commons approved the measures in parliament on Wednesday .
Labour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which will see hospitality and retail businesses shut while schools , colleges and universities remain open .
Labour leader Keir Starmer used the most recent Prime Minister ’ s Questions session yesterday afternoon to issue Boris Johnson with a challenge to fix the test and trace system by the end of the four-week lockdown period .
The most recent official figures recorded a daily Covid death toll of 429 with 25,177 people testing positive for the virus .
This brought the total number of coronavirus deaths reported in the UK to 47,742 @

Anneliese Dodds has criticised Rishi Sunak for a “last-minute” U-turn as he announced that the furlough scheme would be extended at a rate of 80% income support beyond the end of the lockdown for businesses forced to close due to Covid.
Reacting to a statement from Sunak this afternoon in parliament on support for businesses impacted by restrictions, the Shadow Chancellor told MPs that “the Chancellor can change his mind at the last minute, but businesses can’t”.
She reminded MPs in the Commons today that this is the fourth change that the Chancellor had been forced to make to his ‘winter economy plan’ over the past six weeks.
Dodds said: “Businesses and workers have been pleading for certainty from this government but the Chancellor keeps ignoring them until the last possible moment after jobs have been lost and businesses have gone bust…
“The Prime Minister said furlough would be extended for a month, five hours before that scheme was due to end. Two days later, realising the self-employed had been forgotten, there was a last-minute change to the self-employed scheme.
“And now, further changes. The Chancellor’s fourth version of his winter economy plan in just six weeks. The Chancellor can change his mind at the last minute, Mr Speaker, but businesses can’t.”
Dodds highlighted that Labour had over recent weeks called on the government to pay 80% of wages for workers under restrictions imposed to stop the spread of Covid in the North, in Wales and in Scotland, but that those calls were rejected.
She added: “How many jobs could have been saved if this government had recognised reality and let businesses plan for the future? Will the Chancellor apologise to those who have already been made redundant because of this last-minute approach?”
The changes announced today mean that workers in a Tier 3 Covid area after December 2nd will receive 80% of their income. Under previous arrangements, they would only have been entitled to 67% through the local furlough scheme.
Sunak told the Commons this morning: “The furlough scheme will not be extended for one month. It will be extended until the end of March. The government will continue to help pay people’s wages up to 80% of the normal amount.
“All employers will have to pay for hours not worked is the cost of employers national insurance contributions and pension contributions. We will review the policy in January.”
The U-turn follows a call earlier this week from Labour for the Chancellor to “stop the last-minute scramble” on economic support and bring forward a six-month plan outlining future support packages from the government.
Sunak has been forced to U-turn on five planned Covid measures in recent months, including a local furlough scheme, employer contributions to the proposed job support scheme and recently on the extension to the national furlough support.
This latest move by the Chancellor follows weeks of pressure from charities, campaign groups, local authority leaders and regional mayors as well as the Labour frontbench to provide enough support to enable people to self-isolate.
The Bank of England this morning revealed that it would be injecting an extra £150bn into the UK economy. The bank has warned that resurgence of Covid in a second wave will mean a slower recovery from the pandemic.
It stated earlier today that it expects the economy to shrink by a further 2% in the final three months of the year before bouncing back at the start of 2021, assuming the current coronavirus restrictions loosen.
England has entered its second national lockdown of the pandemic today, with all non-essential businesses forced to close and the mixing of different households heavily restricted, for a period of four weeks.
The Commons approved the measures in parliament on Wednesday. Labour voted with the government on the move, which will see hospitality and retail businesses shut while schools, colleges and universities remain open.
Labour leader Keir Starmer used the most recent Prime Minister’s Questions session yesterday afternoon to issue Boris Johnson with a challenge to fix the test and trace system by the end of the four-week lockdown period.
The most recent official figures recorded a daily Covid death toll of 429 with 25,177 people testing positive for the virus. This brought the total number of coronavirus deaths reported in the UK to 47,742.


labourlist--2020-11-05--Feeling blue. Joe Biden edges towards a victory in the 2020 US election

We are edging towards a result , and a Democrat win is expected .
Both candidates have polled staggering numbers , with more than 140 million votes between them .
Joe Biden has a projected 264 electoral college votes and Donald Trump 214 .
( Depending on who you read for Arizona ) .
Four swing states remain undecided : Nevada , Georgia , Pennsylvania and North Carolina .
Any one would give Biden enough to reach the winning 270-seat threshold , while Trump would need to win all four .
The President is not taking it well .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counts and started legal proceedings in Pennsylvania , Michigan and Georgia , while decrying among a series of tweet the damage the election has done to the “ integrity of our system .
LabourList is looking forward to his reaction when a Biden win is declared .
MPs voted yesterday afternoon to overwhelmingly approve lockdown 2.0 for England , with only 38 against ( 34 of them Tories ) .
The motion was expected to pass easily as Keir Starmer made clear several times that Labour would be voting with the government .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Prime Minister ’ s Questions sessions to issue Boris Johnson with a deadline : use the four-week period to fix NHS test and trace .
He also told the Commons it would not be “ sensible ” to reopen at the end of the lockdown if the R rate remains above one .
Meanwhile , Johnson told MPs that the restrictions will “ expire automatically ” on December 2nd with parliament to “ decide thereafter what to do ” .
This could spell trouble for the Tory leader if Downing Street decides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conservative backbencher Steve Baker MP told Sky News , the next rebellion could exceed 80 MPs .
An early Christmas present for the PM .
18 Socialist Campaign Group MPs last night issued a statement declaring that they oppose the suspension of Jeremy Corbyn and calling for the disciplinary action to be “ quickly reversed ” .
The call from left MPs comes as Starmer was warned in a meeting with Jewish community groups yesterday that the actions of leading figures on the left and within the trade union movement risked hindering his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And many remain concerned that , as Jewish Labour Movement national secretary Peter Mason has argued , the suspension of the former Labour leader continues to distract from discussion of the Equality and Human Rights Commission report and its recommendations .
Sign up to LabourList ’ s morning email for everything Labour , every weekday morning .

We are edging towards a result, and a Democrat win is expected. Both candidates have polled staggering numbers, with more than 140 million votes between them. Joe Biden has a projected 264 electoral college votes and Donald Trump 214. (Depending on who you read for Arizona). Four swing states remain undecided: Nevada, Georgia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Any one would give Biden enough to reach the winning 270-seat threshold, while Trump would need to win all four. The President is not taking it well. He has demanded access for observers to vote counts and started legal proceedings in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia, while decrying among a series of tweet the damage the election has done to the “integrity of our system. LabourList is looking forward to his reaction when a Biden win is declared.
MPs voted yesterday afternoon to overwhelmingly approve lockdown 2.0 for England, with only 38 against (34 of them Tories). The motion was expected to pass easily as Keir Starmer made clear several times that Labour would be voting with the government. But the Labour leader used yesterday’s Prime Minister’s Questions sessions to issue Boris Johnson with a deadline: use the four-week period to fix NHS test and trace. He also told the Commons it would not be “sensible” to reopen at the end of the lockdown if the R rate remains above one. Meanwhile, Johnson told MPs that the restrictions will “expire automatically” on December 2nd with parliament to “decide thereafter what to do”. This could spell trouble for the Tory leader if Downing Street decides an extension is needed since, as Conservative backbencher Steve Baker MP told Sky News, the next rebellion could exceed 80 MPs. An early Christmas present for the PM.
18 Socialist Campaign Group MPs last night issued a statement declaring that they oppose the suspension of Jeremy Corbyn and calling for the disciplinary action to be “quickly reversed”. The call from left MPs comes as Starmer was warned in a meeting with Jewish community groups yesterday that the actions of leading figures on the left and within the trade union movement risked hindering his attempt to win back trust over antisemitism. And many remain concerned that, as Jewish Labour Movement national secretary Peter Mason has argued, the suspension of the former Labour leader continues to distract from discussion of the Equality and Human Rights Commission report and its recommendations. Sign up to LabourList’s morning email for everything Labour, every weekday morning.


labourlist--2020-11-05--18 Socialist Campaign Group MPs sign call for Corbyn reinstatement

18 Socialist Campaign Group MPs in parliament have signed a statement declaring that they oppose the suspension of Jeremy Corbyn and calling for the disciplinary action to be “ quickly reversed ” .
In a document shared following a meeting of the group on Wednesday evening , the left Labour MPs urged members “ dismayed ” by the suspension to “ stay and fight for his reinstatement and for the policies for the many not the few ” .
The MPs wrote : “ The Equality and Human Rights Commision report ought to have been an important moment for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together in battle against antisemitism .
Instead , we now face chaos and division.
” The EHRC report published last week found Labour responsible for three breaches of the Equality Act relating to political interference in antisemitism complaints ; failure to provide adequate training to those handling them ; and harassment .
The statement referred to the “ views of the leaders of seven trade unions ” , in which the heads of the Labour-affiliated organisations expressed “ serious concerns about the manner of and rationale for suspension of the former party leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the party to unite “ behind the implementation of the EHRC ’ s recommendations ” , and stressed the importance of the labour movement coming together to “ take the fight to the Tories ” in the face of the pandemic .
Corbyn had issued a response to the EHRC report into antisemitism within the Labour Party , in which he argued “ the scale of the [ antisemitism ] problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents ” .
A Labour spokesperson subsequently announced that Corbyn had been suspended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removed from the Labour MP , “ in light of his comments made today and his failure to retract them ” .
Several MPs and groups within the Labour Party , as well as trade union Unite leader Len McCluskey , have since argued that the suspension is wrong , and called on the Labour leader to reverse the disciplinary action .
16 members of the left-wing parliamentary group did not sign the statement last night , including Nadia Whittome MP who had said she was “ saddened by the suspension ” but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s statement on the report .
Also not on the list was Clive Lewis MP , who last week appeared to agree with journalist Rachel Shabi that Corbyn ’ s comments were “ ill-advised , to put it mildly ” and that it is “ beyond frustrating to see Labour yet again descend into factionalism over this [ antisemitism ] issue and thus torpedo the EHRC report ” .
The SCG statement comes as Keir Starmer heard warnings at a meeting with Jewish community groups on Wednesday that the actions of leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade union movement risked hindering his attempt to win back trust .
Starmer attended the talks with reps from the Board of Deputies , the Jewish Labour Movement , the Jewish Leadership Council and the Community Security Trust alongside deputy leader Angela Rayner and general secretary David Evans .
JLM national secretary Peter Mason argued in a piece for LabourList yesterday that the EHRC report was supposed to “ offer us some closure ” on antisemitism , but that “ it doesn ’ t appear to be arriving anytime soon ” .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of one man who could have avoided his inevitable suspension for denialism and questioning the report ’ s legally enforceable findings , we are discussing him and not the impact on us.
” Labour has been served with an unlawful act notice on the basis of the investigation by the EHRC .
The party now has six weeks – until December 10th – to produce an action plan to the EHRC in response to the findings and recommendations .
All candidates in the Labour leadership election earlier this year pledged to implement an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compulsory move following the publication of the final EHRC report on Labour antisemitism .
SCG MPs who did not sign the statement released on Wednesday : Paula Barker ; Olivia Blake ; Dan Carden ; Marsha de Cordova ; Rachel Hopkins ; Imran Hussain ; Kim Johnson ; Lewis ; Rachael Maskell ; Andy McDonald ; Nav Mishra ; Charlotte Nichols ; Kate Osamor ; Lloyd Russell Moyle ; Sam Tarry ; and Whittome .
Below is the full list of signatories

18 Socialist Campaign Group MPs in parliament have signed a statement declaring that they oppose the suspension of Jeremy Corbyn and calling for the disciplinary action to be “quickly reversed”.
In a document shared following a meeting of the group on Wednesday evening, the left Labour MPs urged members “dismayed” by the suspension to “stay and fight for his reinstatement and for the policies for the many not the few”.
The MPs wrote: “The Equality and Human Rights Commision report ought to have been an important moment for the Labour Party to reflect and move forward together in battle against antisemitism. Instead, we now face chaos and division.”
The EHRC report published last week found Labour responsible for three breaches of the Equality Act relating to political interference in antisemitism complaints; failure to provide adequate training to those handling them; and harassment.
The statement referred to the “views of the leaders of seven trade unions”, in which the heads of the Labour-affiliated organisations expressed “serious concerns about the manner of and rationale for suspension of the former party leader”.
The SCG MPs called for the party to unite “behind the implementation of the EHRC’s recommendations”, and stressed the importance of the labour movement coming together to “take the fight to the Tories” in the face of the pandemic.
Corbyn had issued a response to the EHRC report into antisemitism within the Labour Party, in which he argued “the scale of the [antisemitism] problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents”.
A Labour spokesperson subsequently announced that Corbyn had been suspended, and the Parliamentary Labour Party whip removed from the Labour MP, “in light of his comments made today and his failure to retract them”.
Several MPs and groups within the Labour Party, as well as trade union Unite leader Len McCluskey, have since argued that the suspension is wrong, and called on the Labour leader to reverse the disciplinary action.
16 members of the left-wing parliamentary group did not sign the statement last night, including Nadia Whittome MP who had said she was “saddened by the suspension” but “cannot agree” with Corbyn’s statement on the report.
Also not on the list was Clive Lewis MP, who last week appeared to agree with journalist Rachel Shabi that Corbyn’s comments were “ill-advised, to put it mildly” and that it is “beyond frustrating to see Labour yet again descend into factionalism over this [antisemitism] issue and thus torpedo the EHRC report”.
The SCG statement comes as Keir Starmer heard warnings at a meeting with Jewish community groups on Wednesday that the actions of leading figures on the left and within the trade union movement risked hindering his attempt to win back trust.
Starmer attended the talks with reps from the Board of Deputies, the Jewish Labour Movement, the Jewish Leadership Council and the Community Security Trust alongside deputy leader Angela Rayner and general secretary David Evans.
JLM national secretary Peter Mason argued in a piece for LabourList yesterday that the EHRC report was supposed to “offer us some closure” on antisemitism, but that “it doesn’t appear to be arriving anytime soon”.
He wrote: “Thanks to the intervention of one man who could have avoided his inevitable suspension for denialism and questioning the report’s legally enforceable findings, we are discussing him and not the impact on us.”
Labour has been served with an unlawful act notice on the basis of the investigation by the EHRC. The party now has six weeks – until December 10th – to produce an action plan to the EHRC in response to the findings and recommendations.
All candidates in the Labour leadership election earlier this year pledged to implement an independent process, and this is a compulsory move following the publication of the final EHRC report on Labour antisemitism.
SCG MPs who did not sign the statement released on Wednesday: Paula Barker; Olivia Blake; Dan Carden; Marsha de Cordova; Rachel Hopkins; Imran Hussain; Kim Johnson; Lewis; Rachael Maskell; Andy McDonald; Nav Mishra; Charlotte Nichols; Kate Osamor; Lloyd Russell Moyle; Sam Tarry; and Whittome.
Update 4.30pm:
Whittome has since posted on social media to say that she missed the meeting and added that she “absolutely support the spirit” of the statement signed on Wednesday evening by other SCG MPs.
The Nottingham East MP explained: “The grounds for Jeremy’s suspension remain unclear. He should be reinstated as soon as possible so we can focus on implementing the EHRC recommendations.”
Jeremy must be reinstated. Statement following tonight’s meeting of the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs. pic.twitter.com/qhuovdGVSI — Socialist Campaign Group (@socialistcam) November 4, 2020
Below is the full list of signatories
Diane Abbott MP
Tahir Ali MP
Apsana Begum MP
Richard Burgon MP
Ian Byrne MP
Mary Foy MP
Ian Lavery MP
Rebecca Long-Bailey MP
John McDonnell MP
Ian Mearns MP
Grahame Morris MP
Kate Osborne MP
Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP
Zarah Sultana MP
Jon Trickett MP
Claudia Webbe MP
Mick Whitley MP
Beth Winter MP
John Hendy
Kay Clark
Christine Blower
Pauline Bryan


labourlist--2020-11-04--Iram Woolley: Why I’m standing to represent local parties on Labour’s NEC

I am standing for to be a local party representative on the Labour Party ’ s national executive committee ( NEC ) as a Muslim woman and school governor originally from Oxford , now living in London .
Having lived in a socially deprived area , I see the struggles first hand .
Talking to politicians , councillors , trade union affiliates and City Hall , what I found is a will to strategically pursue change despite facing many problems in need of solutions .
The true allyship shown by supporters and nominating Constituency Labour Parties ( CLPs ) for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governing body is testament to the solidarity we need to demonstrate to win the next general election .
This objective must be at the forefront of all our decision making , and we must ensure our campaigning is focused on our lives , and those of our children , and our children ’ s children .
I am so blessed to have gained a skill set and experience from marching ; writing letters ; rallying to getting garden stakes ; spearheading a by-election with an excellent result ; and facilitating Black History Month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with councils and schools to clean up an alleyway with high levels of flytipping and graffiti , which is surrounded by overgrowths and used daily by parents carers and children in order to access their school .
And it is in that community work that I have developed deep personal relationships to help make the community a better place for children , which makes my day wholly rewarding .
Solving social injustice is my goal .
The world is experiencing inequality and racism .
We can see from the report from Baroness Doreen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on BAME communities , how important it is that we challenge this structural inequality .
We need to look at how we can improve the lives of BAME women by tackling employment and childcare issues , for example .
I was really happy to hear deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner recently argue that politics needs more women to stand and take action , and see London mayor Sadiq Khan motivating women to stand .
He has been very supportive of women taking leadership roles within the party .
I , like many others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want an end to this disastrous Tory rule .
I acknowledge that to do this , we have to as a party reach out to the whole country .
We will not win a general election by continually talking to ourselves .
As a result , it was clear to me that I must stand for the NEC as an independent candidate , without a slate .
I will look to continue to support Keir Starmer and Angela , and to make sure that the party adopts policies that are true to our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housing , education , homelessness , disabilities , and the NHS .
We keep being told that we must all protect the NHS .
Surely , the NHS should be there to support us ?
We need to as a party ensure that never again will we have to protect the NHS like we have in this Covid crisis – clearly , ten years of underfunding has resulted in the need for drastic action to be undertaken to protect our jewel in the crown .
Having independent candidates like myself will show that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better decisions and hold better debates .
My passion is to secure confidence in the NEC , by making NEC reps closer and more accountable to the membership .
Voting is the right we exercise to protect our families , friends , and neighbours and everyone in between .
The Labour Party NEC is critical for dealing with racial injustice and the future of our democracy .
Please Vote Iram Woolley as your number one preference .

I am standing for to be a local party representative on the Labour Party’s national executive committee (NEC) as a Muslim woman and school governor originally from Oxford, now living in London. Having lived in a socially deprived area, I see the struggles first hand. Talking to politicians, councillors, trade union affiliates and City Hall, what I found is a will to strategically pursue change despite facing many problems in need of solutions.
The true allyship shown by supporters and nominating Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) for my candidacy for the party’s governing body is testament to the solidarity we need to demonstrate to win the next general election. This objective must be at the forefront of all our decision making, and we must ensure our campaigning is focused on our lives, and those of our children, and our children’s children.
I am so blessed to have gained a skill set and experience from marching; writing letters; rallying to getting garden stakes; spearheading a by-election with an excellent result; and facilitating Black History Month in Unite Community. I have worked with councils and schools to clean up an alleyway with high levels of flytipping and graffiti, which is surrounded by overgrowths and used daily by parents carers and children in order to access their school. And it is in that community work that I have developed deep personal relationships to help make the community a better place for children, which makes my day wholly rewarding.
Solving social injustice is my goal. The world is experiencing inequality and racism. We can see from the report from Baroness Doreen Lawrence, investigating the impact of Covid on BAME communities, how important it is that we challenge this structural inequality. We need to look at how we can improve the lives of BAME women by tackling employment and childcare issues, for example.
I was really happy to hear deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner recently argue that politics needs more women to stand and take action, and see London mayor Sadiq Khan motivating women to stand. He has been very supportive of women taking leadership roles within the party.
I, like many others members of the Labour Party, truly want an end to this disastrous Tory rule. I acknowledge that to do this, we have to as a party reach out to the whole country. We will not win a general election by continually talking to ourselves. As a result, it was clear to me that I must stand for the NEC as an independent candidate, without a slate.
I will look to continue to support Keir Starmer and Angela, and to make sure that the party adopts policies that are true to our beliefs. These obviously will include, housing, education, homelessness, disabilities, and the NHS. We keep being told that we must all protect the NHS. Surely, the NHS should be there to support us? We need to as a party ensure that never again will we have to protect the NHS like we have in this Covid crisis – clearly, ten years of underfunding has resulted in the need for drastic action to be undertaken to protect our jewel in the crown.
Having independent candidates like myself will show that a broad, diverse NEC can make better decisions and hold better debates. My passion is to secure confidence in the NEC, by making NEC reps closer and more accountable to the membership. Voting is the right we exercise to protect our families, friends, and neighbours and everyone in between. The Labour Party NEC is critical for dealing with racial injustice and the future of our democracy. Please Vote Iram Woolley as your number one preference.


labourlist--2020-11-04--Scottish Labour: Hospital-acquired Covid a “disaster waiting to happen”

Scottish Labour has warned of a “ disaster waiting to happen ” in Scotland ’ s hospitals this winter after a new report found that there had been a significant increase in the number of hospital-acquired Covid-19 cases in recent weeks .
Public Health Scotland figures released today have shown an increase in the number of people catching coronavirus while in hospital , with 61 definite cases of hospital-onset Covid being recorded in the week ending October 11th .
This is close to a 500 % rise in the number of hospital-acquired Covid cases in Scotland compared to the previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s coronavirus cases were recorded as originating in a hospital .
Commenting on the figures , Scottish Labour health and social care spokesperson Monica Lennon said : “ This is a worrying development and more proof that the Scottish government needs to get its act together to ensure our hospitals are safe .
“ We can not have a situation where people , who urgently need care , can not even risk going into hospital for fear of contracting Covid-19 .
Our health service is operating beyond capacity with the pandemic leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seasonal illnesses strike.
” The Central Scotland MSP concluded : “ It is a disaster waiting to happen .
The SNP government has failed our elderly with the care homes fiasco and can not risk another – lessons must be learned.
” The new report also found that a further 33 cases had been recorded as probably originating in a hospital .
16 of these probable cases and 42 of the definite cases were recorded by the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board .
While the rise in the number of hospital-acquired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make up a small proportion of the country ’ s cases – just over 1 % of the country ’ s 7,710 recorded Covid cases that week .
The research follows reports that senior doctors at Glasgow Royal Infirmary wrote a joint letter to management raising concerns about the suitability of the building to robustly manage infection prevention and control .
Vice president of the Scottish Royal College of Emergency Medicine John Thomson has warned today that the Scottish NHS is at risk of overcrowding this winter as a result of bed shortages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Scottish Labour intervention comes after the party declared last week that the SNP must be “ held to account ” over its handling of the pandemic in the care sector as it was revealed elderly Covid patients were discharged into care homes .
A report from Public Health Scotland showed that between March 1st and May 31st , 123 elderly patients in the country were moved from hospitals into care homes despite having received a positive coronavirus test .
The figures also revealed that 3,061 untested patients were discharged from hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 112 of which remained untested even after the guidance on the issue changed on April 22nd .
During the early weeks of the pandemic , many hospitals discharged elderly patients into the community without Covid tests , or even after testing positive , in an effort to free up beds amid an influx of coronavirus patients .
It was later found that many of those patients “ seeded ” the virus into care homes .
It has been estimated by the Office for National Statistics that as many as 30,000 care home residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from coronavirus .
Care homes in Scotland have been particularly badly hit by coronavirus , with research from August showing that 47 % of the country ’ s Covid deaths came from care homes , as opposed to 30 % in England and 28 % in Wales .

Scottish Labour has warned of a “disaster waiting to happen” in Scotland’s hospitals this winter after a new report found that there had been a significant increase in the number of hospital-acquired Covid-19 cases in recent weeks.
Public Health Scotland figures released today have shown an increase in the number of people catching coronavirus while in hospital, with 61 definite cases of hospital-onset Covid being recorded in the week ending October 11th.
This is close to a 500% rise in the number of hospital-acquired Covid cases in Scotland compared to the previous week when just 13 of the country’s coronavirus cases were recorded as originating in a hospital.
Commenting on the figures, Scottish Labour health and social care spokesperson Monica Lennon said: “This is a worrying development and more proof that the Scottish government needs to get its act together to ensure our hospitals are safe.
“We cannot have a situation where people, who urgently need care, cannot even risk going into hospital for fear of contracting Covid-19. Our health service is operating beyond capacity with the pandemic leaving no room at all to cope when seasonal illnesses strike.”
The Central Scotland MSP concluded: “It is a disaster waiting to happen. The SNP government has failed our elderly with the care homes fiasco and cannot risk another – lessons must be learned.”
The new report also found that a further 33 cases had been recorded as probably originating in a hospital. 16 of these probable cases and 42 of the definite cases were recorded by the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board.
While the rise in the number of hospital-acquired Covid cases is significant, they still make up a small proportion of the country’s cases – just over 1% of the country’s 7,710 recorded Covid cases that week.
The research follows reports that senior doctors at Glasgow Royal Infirmary wrote a joint letter to management raising concerns about the suitability of the building to robustly manage infection prevention and control.
Vice president of the Scottish Royal College of Emergency Medicine John Thomson has warned today that the Scottish NHS is at risk of overcrowding this winter as a result of bed shortages and severely restricted capacity during the pandemic.
The Scottish Labour intervention comes after the party declared last week that the SNP must be “held to account” over its handling of the pandemic in the care sector as it was revealed elderly Covid patients were discharged into care homes.
A report from Public Health Scotland showed that between March 1st and May 31st, 123 elderly patients in the country were moved from hospitals into care homes despite having received a positive coronavirus test.
The figures also revealed that 3,061 untested patients were discharged from hospitals into care homes during that period, 112 of which remained untested even after the guidance on the issue changed on April 22nd.
During the early weeks of the pandemic, many hospitals discharged elderly patients into the community without Covid tests, or even after testing positive, in an effort to free up beds amid an influx of coronavirus patients.
It was later found that many of those patients “seeded” the virus into care homes. It has been estimated by the Office for National Statistics that as many as 30,000 care home residents in England and Wales may have died from coronavirus.
Care homes in Scotland have been particularly badly hit by coronavirus, with research from August showing that 47% of the country’s Covid deaths came from care homes, as opposed to 30% in England and 28% in Wales.


labourlist--2020-11-04--Commons votes for second Covid lockdown by 516 votes to 38

The government ’ s proposed new lockdown measures for England have been approved by the House of Commons with MPs backing the motion by 516 votes in favour against just 38 against .
Voting on the motion brought by Boris Johnson ’ s government took place in parliament this afternoon , with most Labour MPs backing the new restrictions in line with party leader Keir Starmer ’ s commitment to support a national lockdown .
Opening the debate for the opposition today , Starmer told the Commons : “ Frankly , I don ’ t want parliament to be legislating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all when the British public has made so many sacrifices already… “ But while these regulations are not in any way desirable or perfect , they are now necessary , as the government has lost control of the virus , and we will support them .
The country is at – indeed we ’ re several weeks past – a tipping point in the fight against the virus.
” Starmer added : “ I ’ m afraid the reality is the two pillars of the government strategy , the £12bn track and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been washed away by the second wave.
” The Labour leader also reiterated the party ’ s call for the government to extend the evictions ban for private renters and to urgently reintroduce the ‘ Everyone In ’ campaign to help take homeless people off the street .
Asked as a point of order why Labour ’ s ‘ circuit breaker ’ lockdown – called for weeks ago – would have been better , Starmer responded : “ The lower the rate of infection , the lower the admissions , the more chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control .
“ That ’ s why you have to go early .
If you want to safeguard the economy you have to go early .
How on earth has it helped the British economy to delay and then to go into a lockdown for four weeks ?
” Discussing the government ’ s failure to properly deal with the variety of problems in the NHS test and trace system , the Labour leader told the Commons : “ We ’ ve been on about the track , trace and isolate system for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wheelbarrow , the delivery never .
Only 20 % of people who are isolating are doing it .
Something is going wrong .
Continually pushing away challenge and pretending the problem doesn ’ t exist is a huge part of the problem.
” No vote was recorded for ten Labour MPs this afternoon : MPs Paul Blomfield , Dan Jarvis , Kevan Jones , Justin Madders , Shabana Mahmood , Anna McMorrin , John Spellar , Graham Stringer , Derek Twigg and Dame Rosie Winterton .
Backbench Labour MP Graham Stringer actively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scientists had made “ exaggerated claims ” on Covid deaths and he had no “ faith ” in the Tories to improve testing during lockdown .
Labour ’ s Halton MP Derek Twigg argued that he could not support the measures as he said there was “ real suffering going on in my constituency ” , including mental health issues and poverty , that would be worsened by a fresh lockdown .
Labour frontbencher Stephen Kinnock voiced his support for the bill but reiterated criticisms made by Welsh Labour colleagues this week that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when England was facing a lockdown .
Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth MP told parliament : “ For all the disputes about graphs and modelling the trends are clear… More people will die over the next two to three weeks because we did not act sooner.
” Labour ’ s health spokesperson concluded : “ Tonight , we will support these measures .
But we are demanding our constituents pay a huge price and make greater sacrifices because of a failure to act sooner.
” Education unions have criticised the decision to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NEU , Unite and the NASUWT saying on Tuesday that they were preparing members to act if the government does not keep schools safe for staff .
The Commons vote saw a large number of Conservatives rebel with 32 MPs including former Tory Party leader Ian Duncan Smith voting against the motion after a heated debate that was subject to over 50 contributions from Tory MPs .
Former Prime Minister Theresa May expressed concerns about the new restrictions and called for MPs to be given more information by the government as “ parliament @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fully and better informed ” .
She also criticised the decision to ban church services and the decision to move many Remembrance Sunday services online , asking : “ Surely those men and women who gave down their lives for our freedom deserve better than this ?
” Backbench Tory MP Graham Brady declared that he would be voting against the lockdown rules with “ greater conviction than I had on any vote in 23 years ” as it was unfairly taking away “ the fundamental freedoms of 68 million people ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ set to start on November 5th and end on December 2nd , will see all non-essential shops and hospitality close – but unlike during the original lockdown , schools , colleges and universities will remain open .
Labour leader Keir Starmer used the most recent Prime Minister ’ s Questions session earlier this afternoon to issue Johnson with a challenge to fix the test and trace system by the end of the four-week lockdown period .
Latest official figures show that a further 25,177 people have tested positive for Covid , while the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is 429 .
This brings the total reported number of coronavirus deaths in the UK to 47,742 .

The government’s proposed new lockdown measures for England have been approved by the House of Commons with MPs backing the motion by 516 votes in favour against just 38 against.
Voting on the motion brought by Boris Johnson’s government took place in parliament this afternoon, with most Labour MPs backing the new restrictions in line with party leader Keir Starmer’s commitment to support a national lockdown.
Opening the debate for the opposition today, Starmer told the Commons: “Frankly, I don’t want parliament to be legislating on any of these issues – least of all when the British public has made so many sacrifices already…
“But while these regulations are not in any way desirable or perfect, they are now necessary, as the government has lost control of the virus, and we will support them. The country is at – indeed we’re several weeks past – a tipping point in the fight against the virus.”
Starmer added: “I’m afraid the reality is the two pillars of the government strategy, the £12bn track and trace and the regional restrictions, have been washed away by the second wave.”
The Labour leader also reiterated the party’s call for the government to extend the evictions ban for private renters and to urgently reintroduce the ‘Everyone In’ campaign to help take homeless people off the street.
Asked as a point of order why Labour’s ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown – called for weeks ago – would have been better, Starmer responded: “The lower the rate of infection, the lower the admissions, the more chance there is to get the virus under control.
“That’s why you have to go early. If you want to safeguard the economy you have to go early. How on earth has it helped the British economy to delay and then to go into a lockdown for four weeks?”
Discussing the government’s failure to properly deal with the variety of problems in the NHS test and trace system, the Labour leader told the Commons: “We’ve been on about the track, trace and isolate system for months.
“The promises come by the wheelbarrow, the delivery never. Only 20% of people who are isolating are doing it. Something is going wrong. Continually pushing away challenge and pretending the problem doesn’t exist is a huge part of the problem.”
No vote was recorded for ten Labour MPs this afternoon: MPs Paul Blomfield, Dan Jarvis, Kevan Jones, Justin Madders, Shabana Mahmood, Anna McMorrin, John Spellar, Graham Stringer, Derek Twigg and Dame Rosie Winterton.
Backbench Labour MP Graham Stringer actively abstained, saying that the government and scientists had made “exaggerated claims” on Covid deaths and he had no “faith” in the Tories to improve testing during lockdown.
Labour’s Halton MP Derek Twigg argued that he could not support the measures as he said there was “real suffering going on in my constituency”, including mental health issues and poverty, that would be worsened by a fresh lockdown.
Labour frontbencher Stephen Kinnock voiced his support for the bill but reiterated criticisms made by Welsh Labour colleagues this week that the government only chose to extend furlough when England was facing a lockdown.
Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth MP told parliament: “For all the disputes about graphs and modelling the trends are clear… More people will die over the next two to three weeks because we did not act sooner.”
Labour’s health spokesperson concluded: “Tonight, we will support these measures. But we are demanding our constituents pay a huge price and make greater sacrifices because of a failure to act sooner.”
Education unions have criticised the decision to keep schools open during lockdown, with the NEU, Unite and the NASUWT saying on Tuesday that they were preparing members to act if the government does not keep schools safe for staff.
The Commons vote saw a large number of Conservatives rebel with 32 MPs including former Tory Party leader Ian Duncan Smith voting against the motion after a heated debate that was subject to over 50 contributions from Tory MPs.
Former Prime Minister Theresa May expressed concerns about the new restrictions and called for MPs to be given more information by the government as “parliament will make better decisions if it is fully and better informed”.
She also criticised the decision to ban church services and the decision to move many Remembrance Sunday services online, asking: “Surely those men and women who gave down their lives for our freedom deserve better than this?”
Backbench Tory MP Graham Brady declared that he would be voting against the lockdown rules with “greater conviction than I had on any vote in 23 years” as it was unfairly taking away “the fundamental freedoms of 68 million people”.
The measures voted on today, and set to start on November 5th and end on December 2nd, will see all non-essential shops and hospitality close – but unlike during the original lockdown, schools, colleges and universities will remain open.
Labour leader Keir Starmer used the most recent Prime Minister’s Questions session earlier this afternoon to issue Johnson with a challenge to fix the test and trace system by the end of the four-week lockdown period.
Latest official figures show that a further 25,177 people have tested positive for Covid, while the latest daily death toll for the virus is 429. This brings the total reported number of coronavirus deaths in the UK to 47,742.