labourlist--2020-04-29--PMQs: “We’re on track to have one of Europe’s worst death rates”

It has certainly been an eventful week for Boris Johnson personally , who returned to work earlier this week after contracting Covid-19 .
However , the second Prime Minister ’ s Questions for the new Labour leader Keir Starmer saw him face off against the First Secretary of State , as Dominic Raab deputised for the PM again .
It had been unclear whether the Johnson would be up for the questions session today , but with the birth of his son this morning it became clear that he would not be appearing .
It was left to Raab to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a week which has seen the UK pass the grim 20,000 milestone for coronavirus deaths .
In a perhaps less concise and punchy outing than his first – this was a much longer session , in which we got a lot more by way of a preamble to each question – we saw the Labour leader put questions to Raab on reporting , deaths in care homes , the provision of personal protective equipment and an exit strategy .
Beginning by adding yesterday ’ s figures from the ONS and the Care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorded hospital deaths , the new Labour leader calculated a stark total of 27,241 deaths from Covid-19 , warning that would probably be an underestimate because of the time lag in reporting .
The UK is currently on track for “ one of the worst death rates in Europe ” , declared Starmer .
And the rebuttal from Raab was an odd one , to say the least .
“ It is far too early to make international comparisons.
” A particularly unconvincing argument , considering that every evening a minister is rolled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progress of the UK against other countries .
What happened to keeping below 20,000 deaths ?
The Labour leader asked .
A benchmark that the chief scientific officer set out last month .
The answer from Raab ?
This is an “ unprecedented pandemic ” and we should not criticise the attempt at a “ forecast ” – it would be nice to know exactly when this turned from a target to a prediction .
And why are deaths going up in care homes ?
Starmer asked .
Why did Raab say that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday ?
There is a challenge in the care sector , Raab admitted – one caused by the decentralised nature of care homes , he said , and the inability of the government to control the “ ebb and flow ” of people into the care settings .
He refused to be drawn on his Sunday appearance , saying only that there were positive signs in care homes and that the figures are “ within the margin of error ” .
The Labour leader turned next to personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Royal College of Physicians that revealed that one in four doctors reported not having adequate PPE .
We are now ten weeks on from when the Health Secretary declared that there was serious and imminent threat to life .
“ You would hope that by now things would be getting better , not worse , ” Starmer said .
What is going on ?
He asked .
A global shortage , Raab responded .
And what about an exit strategy ?
Starmer pointed out that we are falling behind the many other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some form , including France , Germany , Spain , Belgium , New Zealand , Australia , Scotland and Wales .
The government must tell the public what is happening , Starmer stated , in order to maintain their trust .
But again the First Secretary refused to be drawn , saying that proposals will have to wait for SAGE to finish their analysis of the evidence , Raab said .
While that sounds reasonable on face value , it obviously does not explain why our analysis seems to be behind those of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday , Johnson had boldly said that “ there will be many people looking now at our apparent success ” in dealing with the crisis .
Raab notably avoided making the same claim as his boss .
This afternoon , we saw Starmer place the First Secretary in an awkward position as he reeled off a barrage of figures pointing at anything but success .
Raab was forced to admit his “ horror ” at the numbers – and those numbers are only set to get worse .
With the government today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the daily reporting for the first time , as Labour has called for , the coming weeks could reveal a death toll far worse than those of our European neighbours .
No wonder Raab was so determined to keep away from any international comparison .

It has certainly been an eventful week for Boris Johnson personally, who returned to work earlier this week after contracting Covid-19. However, the second Prime Minister’s Questions for the new Labour leader Keir Starmer saw him face off against the First Secretary of State, as Dominic Raab deputised for the PM again. It had been unclear whether the Johnson would be up for the questions session today, but with the birth of his son this morning it became clear that he would not be appearing. It was left to Raab to defend the government’s position, in a week which has seen the UK pass the grim 20,000 milestone for coronavirus deaths. In a perhaps less concise and punchy outing than his first – this was a much longer session, in which we got a lot more by way of a preamble to each question – we saw the Labour leader put questions to Raab on reporting, deaths in care homes, the provision of personal protective equipment and an exit strategy.
Beginning by adding yesterday’s figures from the ONS and the Care Quality Commission to those of the daily recorded hospital deaths, the new Labour leader calculated a stark total of 27,241 deaths from Covid-19, warning that would probably be an underestimate because of the time lag in reporting. The UK is currently on track for “one of the worst death rates in Europe”, declared Starmer. And the rebuttal from Raab was an odd one, to say the least. “It is far too early to make international comparisons.” A particularly unconvincing argument, considering that every evening a minister is rolled out with a helpful graphic mapping the progress of the UK against other countries.
What happened to keeping below 20,000 deaths? The Labour leader asked. A benchmark that the chief scientific officer set out last month. The answer from Raab? This is an “unprecedented pandemic” and we should not criticise the attempt at a “forecast” – it would be nice to know exactly when this turned from a target to a prediction. And why are deaths going up in care homes? Starmer asked. Why did Raab say that care sector Covid-19 deaths were falling on The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday? There is a challenge in the care sector, Raab admitted – one caused by the decentralised nature of care homes, he said, and the inability of the government to control the “ebb and flow” of people into the care settings. He refused to be drawn on his Sunday appearance, saying only that there were positive signs in care homes and that the figures are “within the margin of error”.
The Labour leader turned next to personal protective equipment, citing a survey from the Royal College of Physicians that revealed that one in four doctors reported not having adequate PPE. We are now ten weeks on from when the Health Secretary declared that there was serious and imminent threat to life. “You would hope that by now things would be getting better, not worse,” Starmer said. What is going on? He asked. A global shortage, Raab responded. And what about an exit strategy? Starmer pointed out that we are falling behind the many other countries that have published a strategy in some form, including France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, New Zealand, Australia, Scotland and Wales. The government must tell the public what is happening, Starmer stated, in order to maintain their trust. But again the First Secretary refused to be drawn, saying that proposals will have to wait for SAGE to finish their analysis of the evidence, Raab said. While that sounds reasonable on face value, it obviously does not explain why our analysis seems to be behind those of other countries.
Returning to work earlier on Monday, Johnson had boldly said that “there will be many people looking now at our apparent success” in dealing with the crisis. Raab notably avoided making the same claim as his boss. This afternoon, we saw Starmer place the First Secretary in an awkward position as he reeled off a barrage of figures pointing at anything but success. Raab was forced to admit his “horror” at the numbers – and those numbers are only set to get worse. With the government today beginning to add deaths in care homes to the daily reporting for the first time, as Labour has called for, the coming weeks could reveal a death toll far worse than those of our European neighbours. No wonder Raab was so determined to keep away from any international comparison.


labourlist--2020-04-30--Keir Starmer repositions Labour on Kashmiri conflict

Keir Starmer has repositioned Labour on the issue of the Kashmiri conflict after meeting with the executive team of Labour Friends of India ( LFIN ) this morning .
Following his call with the group , the new Labour leader said : “ We must not allow issues of the sub-continent to divide communities here .
“ Any constitutional issues in India are a matter for the Indian Parliament , and Kashmir is a bilateral issue for India and Pakistan to resolve peacefully .
“ Labour is an internationalist party and stands for the defence of human rights everywhere.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ British Indian community comes after LFIN warned during the Jeremy Corbyn era that its relationship with Labour was “ strained ” .
Referring to events at Labour ’ s 2019 conference , LFIN condemned in November the “ anti-Indian rhetoric contained in the emergency motion on Kashmir ” .
Labour delegates passed a policy motion criticising the actions of India in the Kashmiri conflict , and said the people of Kashmir should have self-determination rights .
Ian Lavery , then party chair , subsequently issued a letter clarifying Labour ’ s position .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for India and Pakistan to resolve , and said Labour was opposed to external interference .
Labour Friends of India warned last year that the Labour Party “ must ensure it is never seen to take the support of the Indian community for granted ” .
Pledging to promote UK-India ties , Keir Starmer today said : “ A Labour government under my leadership will be determined to build even stronger business links with India and to co-operate on the global stage on issues such as climate change .
“ I look forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due course to open a renewed dialogue between the Labour Party and the people of India.
” Rajesh Agrawal , LFIN co-chair and deputy mayor of London for business , commented : “ I really welcome his commitment to rebuilding strong links between the Labour Party and the Indian community .
“ This has been a great start and Keir has achieved a lot in the short span of couple of weeks .
Labour Friends of India will work closely with him and will continue to promote UK-India ties as well as continuing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the leadership.
” LabourList found during the 2019 general election that the Kashmir issue was raised repeatedly on the doorstep by voters in seats such as Harrow East , which was marginal at the time .
The comments made by Starmer today on Labour ’ s approach to the Kashmiri conflict will be divisive among party members , and particularly controversial on the party ’ s left .
Labour representatives such as councillor Shaista Aziz have argued that the party should be explicit and vocal in its support for the Kashmiri people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argued on LabourList that the conference motion should be prioritised because thousands of men had been arrested with no due process , and women reported being threatened with rape .
There have been reports of enforced disappearances and journalists in the region have documented accusations of torture by Indian security forces .
Newly elected Labour MP Tahir Ali , in his maiden speech , said : “ This is not , in my view , a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan — the international community needs to take responsibility .
”

Keir Starmer has repositioned Labour on the issue of the Kashmiri conflict after meeting with the executive team of Labour Friends of India (LFIN) this morning.
Following his call with the group, the new Labour leader said: “We must not allow issues of the sub-continent to divide communities here.
“Any constitutional issues in India are a matter for the Indian Parliament, and Kashmir is a bilateral issue for India and Pakistan to resolve peacefully.
“Labour is an internationalist party and stands for the defence of human rights everywhere.”
His vow to rebuild links with the British Indian community comes after LFIN warned during the Jeremy Corbyn era that its relationship with Labour was “strained”.
Referring to events at Labour’s 2019 conference, in November the LFIN condemned the “anti-Indian rhetoric contained in the emergency motion on Kashmir”.
Labour delegates passed a motion criticising the actions of India in the Kashmiri conflict, and said the people of Kashmir should have self-determination rights.
The policy motion approved by conference also called for international monitors to be admitted to the region.
Corbyn had also made his views clear, tweeting in August 2019: “The situation in Kashmir is deeply disturbing. Human rights abuses taking place are unacceptable.
“The rights of the Kashmiri people must be respected and UN resolutions implemented.”
Ian Lavery, then party chair, issued a letter after conference to clarify Labour’s position. He described Kashmir as a bilateral issue for India and Pakistan to resolve, and said Labour was opposed to external interference.
Labour Friends of India warned last year that the Labour Party “must ensure it is never seen to take the support of the Indian community for granted”.
Pledging to promote UK-India ties, Keir Starmer today said: “A Labour government under my leadership will be determined to build even stronger business links with India and to co-operate on the global stage on issues such as climate change.
“I look forward to meeting the Indian High Commissioner in due course to open a renewed dialogue between the Labour Party and the people of India.”
Rajesh Agrawal, LFIN co-chair and deputy mayor of London for business, commented: “I really welcome his commitment to rebuilding strong links between the Labour Party and the Indian community.
“This has been a great start and Keir has achieved a lot in the short span of couple of weeks. Labour Friends of India will work closely with him and will continue to promote UK-India ties as well as continuing to raise any issues from the community to the leadership.”
LabourList found during the 2019 general election that the Kashmir issue was raised repeatedly on the doorstep by voters in seats such as Harrow East, which was marginal at the time.
The comments made by Starmer today on Labour’s approach to the Kashmiri conflict will be divisive among party members, and particularly controversial on the party’s left.
Labour representatives such as councillor Shaista Aziz have argued that the party should be explicit and vocal in its support for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.
She argued on LabourList that the conference motion should be prioritised because thousands of men had been arrested with no due process, and women reported being threatened with rape.
There have been reports of enforced disappearances and journalists in the region have documented accusations of torture by Indian security forces.
Newly elected Labour MP Tahir Ali, in his maiden speech, said: “This is not, in my view, a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan — the international community needs to take responsibility.”


labourlist--2020-04-30--WATCH: Criminal justice system will be at breaking point by Autumn, says Labour

David Lammy has warned that the criminal justice system will be “ at breaking point by Autumn ” as a @ @ @ @ @ , and has called for “ speed and action ” from the government .
In @ @ @ @ @ this morning , the Shadow Justice Secretary outlined his concerns – declaring that “ justice @ @ @ @ @ ” and highlighting a “ huge backlog ” of people awaiting trial .
He also @ @ @ @ @ real concerns ” for criminal lawyers in the UK who are currently unable to collect @ @ @ @ @ the government ’ s support schemes .
Research by the Chartered Institute for Public Finance @ @ @ @ @ waiting times to hear cases could increase by more than 70 % after a six-month @ @ @ @ @ been a total of 165,221 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK , but with @ @ @ @ @ true figure is expected to be much higher .
The recorded number of deaths currently @ @ @ @

David Lammy has warned that the criminal justice system will be “at breaking point by autumn” as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and has called for “speed and action” from the government.
In an interview with Sky News this morning, the Shadow Justice Secretary outlined his concerns – declaring that “justice is in a serious place” and highlighting a “huge backlog” of people awaiting trial.
He also said that there are “real concerns” for criminal lawyers in the UK who are currently unable to collect fees and are unprotected by the government’s support schemes.
"Justice is in a serious place." Shadow Justice Secretary @DavidLammy says if a backlog of people awaiting trial continues for months due to the #COVID19 pandemic the criminal justice system will be at "breaking point by Autumn". Latest on #coronavirus: https://t.co/eigkTsosx2 pic.twitter.com/gpUXUQHF1m — SkyNews (@SkyNews) April 30, 2020
Research by the Chartered Institute for Public Finance and Accountancy has revealed that waiting times to hear cases could increase by more than 70% after a six-month lockdown.
There have now been a total of 165,221 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK, but with low levels of testing the true figure is expected to be much higher. The recorded number of deaths currently stands at 26,097.


labourlist--2020-04-30--Is Starmer ramping up criticism of the government over Covid-19?

“ It ’ s a mountain to climb .
But four years is time enough for us to do what we need to do , ” Keir Starmer told The Mirror last night .
He is a man with a plan to win power , which is lucky since that ’ s what he is there to do .
The Labour leader has revealed that he is launching a virtual tour of the country , holding a series of ‘ call Keir ’ events on Zoom to have some “ gritty ” conversations and win back the trust of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ town hall ’ style events will see the north London MP speak with voters in Red Wall seats in Bury and the Tees Valley – areas where Labour lost last year and will need to reclaim if it ’ s to win power .
The Labour leader has said that the online meetings , the first of which will take place this afternoon , will help the party hold the government to account over its handling of coronavirus .
Starmer wants to “ hear directly from people about their experiences ” of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will see him talk to residents from every region and nation of the UK .
Dozens of the ‘ call Keir ’ events will take place over the coming weeks , forming part of a number of meetings he has held with key workers , small businesses and representatives of BAME communities since becoming leader .
The party has picked two of the most marginally held Tory seats in the country to kick-off the tour , with more locations to be revealed .
Could this see a ramping up of the criticism over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis ?
‘ Constructive ’ has so far been the watchword of Starmer ’ s leadership and it ’ s not proved uncontroversial within the party – his insistence on not pursuing “ opposition for opposition ’ s sake ” has mostly frustrated the left , but has also drawn criticism from the likes of Alistair Campbell .
His first PMQs as leader saw him calmly dissect the government ’ s approach to the pandemic , while his second yesterday saw him attack Boris Johnson ’ s claims of “ success ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ follows his call to the PM to have an “ adult conversation ” with voters about how to lift the lockdown measures .
He has criticised the government for being “ slow into lockdown , slow on testing , slow on protective equipment ” and drawn stark comparisons with our European neighbours .
But he has also taken great care to repeatedly express his support for the government in maintaining the lockdown and increasing capacity in the NHS .
The Labour leader is unlikely to abandon his carefully maintained position of constructive opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning email for everything Labour , every weekday morning .

“It’s a mountain to climb. But four years is time enough for us to do what we need to do,” Keir Starmer told The Mirror last night. He is a man with a plan to win power, which is lucky since that’s what he is there to do. The Labour leader has revealed that he is launching a virtual tour of the country, holding a series of ‘call Keir’ events on Zoom to have some “gritty” conversations and win back the trust of the electorate. The first of the ‘town hall’ style events will see the north London MP speak with voters in Red Wall seats in Bury and the Tees Valley – areas where Labour lost last year and will need to reclaim if it’s to win power.
The Labour leader has said that the online meetings, the first of which will take place this afternoon, will help the party hold the government to account over its handling of coronavirus. Starmer wants to “hear directly from people about their experiences” of the pandemic, and has announced plans that will see him talk to residents from every region and nation of the UK. Dozens of the ‘call Keir’ events will take place over the coming weeks, forming part of a number of meetings he has held with key workers, small businesses and representatives of BAME communities since becoming leader. The party has picked two of the most marginally held Tory seats in the country to kick-off the tour, with more locations to be revealed.
Could this see a ramping up of the criticism over the government’s handling of the crisis? ‘Constructive’ has so far been the watchword of Starmer’s leadership and it’s not proved uncontroversial within the party – his insistence on not pursuing “opposition for opposition’s sake” has mostly frustrated the left, but has also drawn criticism from the likes of Alistair Campbell. His first PMQs as leader saw him calmly dissect the government’s approach to the pandemic, while his second yesterday saw him attack Boris Johnson’s claims of “success”.
The announcement of the new events also follows his call to the PM to have an “adult conversation” with voters about how to lift the lockdown measures. He has criticised the government for being “slow into lockdown, slow on testing, slow on protective equipment” and drawn stark comparisons with our European neighbours. But he has also taken great care to repeatedly express his support for the government in maintaining the lockdown and increasing capacity in the NHS. The Labour leader is unlikely to abandon his carefully maintained position of constructive opposition. Sign up to LabourList’s morning email for everything Labour, every weekday morning.


labourlist--2020-04-30--Labour launches series of public ‘call Keir’ Zoom meetings

Labour has revealed that it is launching a series of ‘ call Keir ’ Zoom meetings with voters from across the country to “ hear directly from people about their experiences ” of the coronavirus pandemic .
The party announced that the first of the hour-long virtual events with the Labour leader would take place this afternoon , with calls to residents from Bury and the Tees Valley – areas in which Labour lost seats last year .
Labour has said that the meetings will allow the public to highlight issues relating to the health crisis that they want raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what lessons the party must learn from its 2019 defeat .
Commenting on the launch of the events , Starmer said : “ Coronavirus is the biggest crisis our country has faced in a generation .
“ That is why I want to hear directly from people about their experiences , how they are coping and what more they want to see done to help keep people safe and well .
“ It is also important that Labour listens and learns from our election defeats .
I want an open and frank conversation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to do to restore people ’ s trust in the Labour Party.
” This launch follows a series of virtual meetings the Labour leader has held since being elected , including with key workers , small businesses and representatives of BAME communities .

Labour has revealed that it is launching a series of ‘call Keir’ Zoom meetings with voters from across the country to “hear directly from people about their experiences” of the coronavirus pandemic.
The party announced that the first of the hour-long virtual events with the Labour leader would take place this afternoon, with calls to residents from Bury and the Tees Valley – areas in which Labour lost seats last year.
Labour has said that the meetings will allow the public to highlight issues relating to the health crisis that they want raised with government, and facilitate discussion of what lessons the party must learn from its 2019 defeat.
Commenting on the launch of the events, Starmer said: “Coronavirus is the biggest crisis our country has faced in a generation.
“That is why I want to hear directly from people about their experiences, how they are coping and what more they want to see done to help keep people safe and well.
“It is also important that Labour listens and learns from our election defeats. I want an open and frank conversation with the British people about what we need to do to restore people’s trust in the Labour Party.”
This launch follows a series of virtual meetings the Labour leader has held since being elected, including with key workers, small businesses and representatives of BAME communities.


labourlist--2020-04-30--Labour demands urgent action on coronavirus food poverty

The Labour Party has called for urgent action to be taken by the government to address the shocking recent increase in food poverty linked to the coronavirus crisis .
The Independent Food Aid Network ( IFAN ) has revealed that the number of food parcels issued across 147 of its food banks increased by an average of nearly 60 % between February 20th and March 20th .
The Trussell Trust has reported that the Covid-19 period has been its busiest ever , with 81 % more emergency food parcels being supplied compared to the same period last year .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month that said 1.5 million people had gone an entire day without eating since the start of the coronavirus lockdown .
“ There is more than enough food in our supply chains to make sure that everyone has enough to eat .
This is now not a crisis of food supply , it ’ s a crisis of poverty , ” Labour ’ s Luke Pollard commented .
The Shadow Defra Secretary said people “ do not have enough money to buy the food they need ” .
Of those facing food insecurity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough money to buy adequate supplies according to the Food Foundation .
Shadow cabinet member Jonathan Reynolds has called on the government to “ introduce additional support through social security to prevent families slipping into further hardship ” .
“ Food banks are doing an incredible job in tough circumstances with unprecedented demand , but the government should be ensuring that people have the resources they need to stop their families going hungry.
” The Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary added : “ Support through the job retention scheme and for the self-employed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for those already struggling to put food on the table.
” Concerns have been raised by Labour over the free school meals voucher programme in particular , after parents and teachers said there were major problems with it .
As Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh previously highlighted in a letter signed by 70 MPs , vouchers are only redeemable at specific supermarkets – such as Waitrose and Marks and Spencer , rather than the cheaper options of Lidl and the Co-op .
Tulip Siddiq , Labour ’ s shadow minister for children and early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meals are not something that children can afford to wait a few weeks for .
The school meal is often the only proper meal a child has all day .
“ It is not a luxury item , it ’ s a necessity for the millions of children who are living in poverty in this country .
It is therefore extremely concerning that parents are being made to wait many weeks to receive their free school meal vouchers .
”

The Labour Party has called for urgent action to be taken by the government to address the shocking recent increase in food poverty linked to the coronavirus crisis.
The Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN) has revealed that the number of food parcels issued across 147 of its food banks increased by an average of nearly 60% between February 20th and March 20th.
The Trussell Trust has reported that the Covid-19 period has been its busiest ever, with 81% more emergency food parcels being supplied compared to the same period last year.
The Food Foundation published a report earlier this month that said 1.5 million people had gone an entire day without eating since the start of the coronavirus lockdown.
“There is more than enough food in our supply chains to make sure that everyone has enough to eat. This is now not a crisis of food supply, it’s a crisis of poverty,” Labour’s Luke Pollard commented.
The Shadow Defra Secretary said people “do not have enough money to buy the food they need”. Of those facing food insecurity, 21% didn’t have enough money to buy adequate supplies according to the Food Foundation.
Shadow cabinet member Jonathan Reynolds has called on the government to “introduce additional support through social security to prevent families slipping into further hardship”.
“Food banks are doing an incredible job in tough circumstances with unprecedented demand, but the government should be ensuring that people have the resources they need to stop their families going hungry.”
The Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary added: “Support through the job retention scheme and for the self-employed is welcome but has come too late for those already struggling to put food on the table.”
Concerns have been raised by Labour over the free school meals voucher programme in particular, after parents and teachers said there were major problems with it.
As Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh previously highlighted in a letter signed by 70 MPs, vouchers are only redeemable at specific supermarkets – such as Waitrose and Marks and Spencer, rather than the cheaper options of Lidl and the Co-op.
Tulip Siddiq, Labour’s shadow minister for children and early years, said: “Free school meals are not something that children can afford to wait a few weeks for. The school meal is often the only proper meal a child has all day.
“It is not a luxury item, it’s a necessity for the millions of children who are living in poverty in this country. It is therefore extremely concerning that parents are being made to wait many weeks to receive their free school meal vouchers.”


labourlist--2020-04-30--JLM tells Labour MPs to “stay clear” of members expelled over antisemitism

The Jewish Labour Movement has told Labour representatives to “ stay well clear ” of members expelled over antisemitism after two MPs were reported to have joined a controversial meeting .
Ex-frontbenchers Diane Abbott and Bell Ribeiro-Addy discussed the future of the Labour left on a call with 600 people – including , the Jewish Chronicle reported , expelled activists Tony Greenstein and Jackie Walker .
They were addressing a meeting of the newly formed ‘ Don ’ t Leave , Organise ’ group – made up of Red Labour , Jewish Voice for Labour and the Labour Representation Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this month with the backing of former MP Laura Pidcock , the Bakers ’ Union , and former candidate for Labour ’ s national executive committee Jo Bird .
Commenting on the Wednesday evening call , a spokesperson for JLM said : “ If the Labour Party are going to be able to demonstrate that it has taken antisemitism and racism seriously , then it needs to show consistency .
“ That includes anyone who holds a position of responsibility within the party staying well clear of those who do not share our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be taken against MPs participating in the call , a Labour spokesperson said : “ The previous comments made by some of the individuals on this call are completely unacceptable .
“ These are not people who support the values of the Labour Party .
This is being made clear to the Labour MPs who attended the call in the strongest possible terms and they are being reminded of their responsibilities and obligations.
” Update , 7.15pm : A spokesperson for Diane Abbott and Bell Ribeiro-Addy said : “ The MPs were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former members of the Labour Party might contribute as audience members .
“ They did not and would not share a platform with them .
Both MPs are long-standing anti-racist campaigners and are known for standing up to all forms of bigotry.
” The president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews , Marie van der Zyl , has urged “ swift and decision action ” to be taken by the party “ to show that this is a new era ” .
The organisation pointed out that not suspending the MPs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to end the antisemitism crisis ‘ that all Labour leadership candidates signed up to during the campaign this year .
Jonathan Goldstein , chair of the Jewish Leadership Council , said : “ We held productive talks with Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner just after they were elected as leader and deputy leader… “ It was agreed that no Labour MP should be sharing a platform with anyone expelled from the party for anti-Jewish racism ” .
Goldstein concluded : “ Simply reminding people of their responsibilities feels inadequate as a result @ @

The Jewish Labour Movement has told Labour representatives to “stay well clear” of members expelled over antisemitism after two MPs were reported to have joined a controversial meeting.
Ex-frontbenchers Diane Abbott and Bell Ribeiro-Addy discussed the future of the Labour left on a call with 600 people – including, the Jewish Chronicle reported, expelled activists Tony Greenstein and Jackie Walker.
They were addressing a meeting of the newly formed ‘Don’t Leave, Organise’ group – made up of Red Labour, Jewish Voice for Labour and the Labour Representation Committee.
The new left-wing group launched earlier this month with the backing of former MP Laura Pidcock, the Bakers’ Union, and former candidate for Labour’s national executive committee Jo Bird.
Commenting on the Wednesday evening call, a spokesperson for JLM said: “If the Labour Party are going to be able to demonstrate that it has taken antisemitism and racism seriously, then it needs to show consistency.
“That includes anyone who holds a position of responsibility within the party staying well clear of those who do not share our values.”
Amid calls for disciplinary action to be taken against MPs participating in the call, a Labour spokesperson said: “The previous comments made by some of the individuals on this call are completely unacceptable.
“These are not people who support the values of the Labour Party. This is being made clear to the Labour MPs who attended the call in the strongest possible terms and they are being reminded of their responsibilities and obligations.”
Update, 7.15pm: A spokesperson for Diane Abbott and Bell Ribeiro-Addy said: “The MPs were not aware that any suspended or expelled former members of the Labour Party might contribute as audience members.
“They did not and would not share a platform with them. Both MPs are long-standing anti-racist campaigners and are known for standing up to all forms of bigotry.”
The president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Marie van der Zyl, has urged “swift and decision action” to be taken by the party “to show that this is a new era”.
The organisation pointed out that not suspending the MPs would go against its ‘ten pledges to end the antisemitism crisis‘ that all Labour leadership candidates signed up to during the campaign this year.
Jonathan Goldstein, chair of the Jewish Leadership Council, said: “We held productive talks with Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner just after they were elected as leader and deputy leader…
“It was agreed that no Labour MP should be sharing a platform with anyone expelled from the party for anti-Jewish racism”. Goldstein concluded: “Simply reminding people of their responsibilities feels inadequate as a result.”
A statement from Don’t Leave, Organise said: “The choice of contributors participating in the wider discussion that followed the four speeches was that of the meeting organisers, with no reference to, or agreement from, the platform speakers.”


labourlist--2020-04-30--How Keir Starmer’s Labour wins the next general election

We may be four years away from a general election , but the Labour Party must be alert to the electoral challenges ahead .
In this article , I review Labour ’ s prospects in key constituencies using a crucial criterion : education .
In modern politics , education increasingly predicts support for progressive parties such as Labour .
I outline routes to ( i ) a majority and ( ii ) a minority/coalition Labour government , with specific reference to the number of educated voters in target seats .
Caveats are necessary .
A lot could change between now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes , and Scotland might even become independent .
Rather than setting out a detailed roadmap , this exercise merely considers potential complexions of Keir Starmer-led governments .
People should be mindful of these limitations and should not fixate on individual constituencies .
Though many think a Starmer majority unlikely , this possibility should not be dismissed .
As Leo McKinstry emphasised in the New Statesman , 67 Conservative seats would fall with a swing of less than 5 % – most of them Labour targets .
Such a swing might be driven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ competence , as Ipsos MORI researcher Dylan Spielman argued .
The map below depicts Starmer victories in 105 seats , in which the required swing is less than 8.9 % .
I do not consider seat demographics or the incumbent party .
These ‘ regular ’ Labour gains are in red .
Yet the assumption that swings will be uniform is increasingly problematic , considering factors such as voter dealignment .
Rather than make even progress across the country , Starmer is more likely to be successful in particular types of constituencies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Starmer .
Not only does BES data show that Starmer fares well among those educated to a higher level , but similar politicians are successful among educated citizens across countries .
Given the appeal of Boris Johnson to less educated voters , this cleavage is likely to deepen in coming years .
I expand this point in scenario two , but here let ’ s assume that Starmer makes even more progress in Conservative seats with high proportions of educated voters .
In the map , Starmer takes Conservative seats in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 15 % and there is an above average presence of voters with degrees .
These ‘ educated ’ Labour gains are in turquoise .
I use data from the 2011 census .
Though this is now rather old , better data is not yet available and the distribution is unlikely to have changed markedly .
There are other predictors of support for politicians like Starmer , e.g .
youth and affluence , but it ’ s best to keep things simple and education also correlates with other predictors .
There are only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought there would be more .
This underlines the challenge facing Starmer .
Adding 105 to 13 and assuming no losses , Starmer nonetheless has 320 seats , which delivers a working majority .
Scenario one is far-fetched , in my view .
Not only does it require Starmer to win seats with huge Conservative majorities , but he will not necessarily benefit from declining popularity of the Johnson government .
Voters unhappy with Johnson could move to the right or abstain .
A more likely prospect is a Starmer-led coalition or minority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 Conservative losses .
Though some envisage marginal ‘ Red Wall ’ seats returning to Labour , as modelled above , I ’ m not so sure .
The profile of voters in such seats – older , less educated and poorer – is compatible with Johnsonian Conservatism .
If such voters become disillusioned with the current Prime Minister , they are unlikely to vote Labour .
The second map therefore shows no uniform swing and depicts Conservative losses only in seats with an above average presence of voters with a degree and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % .
There are 53 Conservative losses – 32 gains for Labour , 20 for the Lib Dems and one for the SNP .
The gains in the second map are realistic .
And though such an outcome may disappoint some Labour activists , it should not .
The formation of any Starmer-led government would be a major achievement , given the party ’ s starting point .
If Starmer does make such gains , the Labour voting coalition will nonetheless be different – continuing the move away from traditional supporters .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but there are major disadvantages .
Loss of working-class support lessens redistributive capacity .
Because poorer citizens endure material hardship , they prioritise measures that improve their position , middle-class voters being less sensitive to relevant initiatives .
This is most concerning because the Labour Party was established to help the poorest .
Below are the seat lists for both scenarios , broken down by ‘ regular ’ and ‘ educated ’ gains in the first and by political party in the second .
Aberconwy Airdrie and Shotts Altrincham and Sale West Arfon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bishop Auckland Blackpool South Blyth Valley Bolsover Bolton North East Bridgend Broxtowe Burnley Bury North Bury South Calder Valley Camborne and Redruth Chingford and Woodford Green Chipping Barnet Cities Of London and Westminster Clwyd South Clwyd West Coatbridge , Chryston and Bellshill Colchester Colne Valley Copeland Corby Crawley Crewe and Nantwich Darlington Delyn Derby North Dewsbury Don Valley East Lothian East Worthing and Shoreham Filton and Bradley Stoke Gedling Glasgow Central Glasgow East Glasgow North Glasgow North East Glasgow South West Harrow East Hastings and Rye Hendon Heywood and Middleton High Peak Hyndburn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lincoln Loughborough Midlothian Milton Keynes North Milton Keynes South Morecambe and Lunesdale Motherwell and Wishaw Na h-Eileanan An Iar Newcastle-Under-Lyme North West Durham Northampton North Northampton South Norwich North Pendle Penistone and Stocksbridge Peterborough Preseli Pembrokeshire Pudsey Reading West Redcar Rother Valley Rushcliffe Rutherglen and Hamilton West Scunthorpe Sedgefield Shipley South Swindon Southampton , Itchen Southport Stockton South Stoke-On-Trent Central Stoke-On-Trent North Stroud Truro and Falmouth Uxbridge and South Ruislip Vale Of Clwyd Vale Of Glamorgan Wakefield Warrington South Watford West Bromwich East West Bromwich West Wolverhampton North East Wolverhampton South West Worcester @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sale West Bournemouth East Broxtowe Calder Valley Chingford and Woodford Green Chipping Barnet Colchester Colne Valley Derby North Filton and Bradley Stoke Harrow East Hendon High Peak Kensington Loughborough Macclesfield Milton Keynes North Milton Keynes South Monmouth Pudsey Reading West Rushcliffe Shipley Stroud Truro and Falmouth Uxbridge and South Ruislip Warrington South Watford Wolverhampton South West Worcester Wycombe York Outer Carshalton and Wallington Cheadle Cheltenham Chippenham Cities Of London and Westminster Esher and Walton Finchley and Golders Green Guildford Harrogate and Knaresborough Hitchin and Harpenden Lewes South Cambridgeshire South East Cambridgeshire South West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Woking Wokingham

We may be four years away from a general election, but the Labour Party must be alert to the electoral challenges ahead. In this article, I review Labour’s prospects in key constituencies using a crucial criterion: education. In modern politics, education increasingly predicts support for progressive parties such as Labour. I outline routes to (i) a majority and (ii) a minority/coalition Labour government, with specific reference to the number of educated voters in target seats.
Caveats are necessary. A lot could change between now and 2024 – there may be boundary changes, and Scotland might even become independent. Rather than setting out a detailed roadmap, this exercise merely considers potential complexions of Keir Starmer-led governments. People should be mindful of these limitations and should not fixate on individual constituencies.
Scenario one: Starmer majority
Though many think a Starmer majority unlikely, this possibility should not be dismissed. As Leo McKinstry emphasised in the New Statesman, 67 Conservative seats would fall with a swing of less than 5% – most of them Labour targets. Such a swing might be driven by voter perception of Starmer’s competence, as Ipsos MORI researcher Dylan Spielman argued. The map below depicts Starmer victories in 105 seats, in which the required swing is less than 8.9%. I do not consider seat demographics or the incumbent party. These ‘regular’ Labour gains are in red.
Yet the assumption that swings will be uniform is increasingly problematic, considering factors such as voter dealignment. Rather than make even progress across the country, Starmer is more likely to be successful in particular types of constituencies. Education is a key predictor of support for Starmer. Not only does BES data show that Starmer fares well among those educated to a higher level, but similar politicians are successful among educated citizens across countries.
Given the appeal of Boris Johnson to less educated voters, this cleavage is likely to deepen in coming years. I expand this point in scenario two, but here let’s assume that Starmer makes even more progress in Conservative seats with high proportions of educated voters. In the map, Starmer takes Conservative seats in which the required swing is between 8.9% and 15% and there is an above average presence of voters with degrees.
These ‘educated’ Labour gains are in turquoise. I use data from the 2011 census. Though this is now rather old, better data is not yet available and the distribution is unlikely to have changed markedly. There are other predictors of support for politicians like Starmer, e.g. youth and affluence, but it’s best to keep things simple and education also correlates with other predictors.
There are only 13 of these seats. I had thought there would be more. This underlines the challenge facing Starmer. Adding 105 to 13 and assuming no losses, Starmer nonetheless has 320 seats, which delivers a working majority.
Scenario two: Starmer-led minority government/coalition
Scenario one is far-fetched, in my view. Not only does it require Starmer to win seats with huge Conservative majorities, but he will not necessarily benefit from declining popularity of the Johnson government. Voters unhappy with Johnson could move to the right or abstain. A more likely prospect is a Starmer-led coalition or minority government. This would only require about 50 Conservative losses.
Though some envisage marginal ‘Red Wall’ seats returning to Labour, as modelled above, I’m not so sure. The profile of voters in such seats – older, less educated and poorer – is compatible with Johnsonian Conservatism. If such voters become disillusioned with the current Prime Minister, they are unlikely to vote Labour. The second map therefore shows no uniform swing and depicts Conservative losses only in seats with an above average presence of voters with a degree and a required swings of less than 10%. There are 53 Conservative losses – 32 gains for Labour, 20 for the Lib Dems and one for the SNP.
The gains in the second map are realistic. And though such an outcome may disappoint some Labour activists, it should not. The formation of any Starmer-led government would be a major achievement, given the party’s starting point. If Starmer does make such gains, the Labour voting coalition will nonetheless be different – continuing the move away from traditional supporters.
This may make Labour more socially liberal, but there are major disadvantages. Loss of working-class support lessens redistributive capacity. Because poorer citizens endure material hardship, they prioritise measures that improve their position, middle-class voters being less sensitive to relevant initiatives. This is most concerning because the Labour Party was established to help the poorest.
Below are the seat lists for both scenarios, broken down by ‘regular’ and ‘educated’ gains in the first and by political party in the second.
Scenario one – Starmer majority
Regular gains:
Aberconwy
Airdrie and Shotts
Altrincham and Sale West
Arfon
Ashfield
Barrow and Furness
Birmingham, Northfield
Bishop Auckland
Blackpool South
Blyth Valley
Bolsover
Bolton North East
Bridgend
Broxtowe
Burnley
Bury North
Bury South
Calder Valley
Camborne and Redruth
Chingford and Woodford Green
Chipping Barnet
Cities Of London and Westminster
Clwyd South
Clwyd West
Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
Colchester
Colne Valley
Copeland
Corby
Crawley
Crewe and Nantwich
Darlington
Delyn
Derby North
Dewsbury
Don Valley
East Lothian
East Worthing and Shoreham
Filton and Bradley Stoke
Gedling
Glasgow Central
Glasgow East
Glasgow North
Glasgow North East
Glasgow South West
Harrow East
Hastings and Rye
Hendon
Heywood and Middleton
High Peak
Hyndburn
Ipswich
Keighley
Kensington
Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath
Leigh
Lincoln
Loughborough
Midlothian
Milton Keynes North
Milton Keynes South
Morecambe and Lunesdale
Motherwell and Wishaw
Na h-Eileanan An Iar
Newcastle-Under-Lyme
North West Durham
Northampton North
Northampton South
Norwich North
Pendle
Penistone and Stocksbridge
Peterborough
Preseli Pembrokeshire
Pudsey
Reading West
Redcar
Rother Valley
Rushcliffe
Rutherglen and Hamilton West
Scunthorpe
Sedgefield
Shipley
South Swindon
Southampton, Itchen
Southport
Stockton South
Stoke-On-Trent Central
Stoke-On-Trent North
Stroud
Truro and Falmouth
Uxbridge and South Ruislip
Vale Of Clwyd
Vale Of Glamorgan
Wakefield
Warrington South
Watford
West Bromwich East
West Bromwich West
Wolverhampton North East
Wolverhampton South West
Worcester
Workington
Wrexham
Wycombe
Ynys Mon
Educated gains:
Basingstoke
Beckenham
Bournemouth East
Bromley and Chislehurst
Ceredigion
Croydon South
Finchley and Golders Green
Hexham
Macclesfield
Monmouth
North East Somerset
Welwyn Hatfield
York Outer
Scenario two – Starmer-led minority government/coalition
Labour gains:
Altrincham and Sale West
Bournemouth East
Broxtowe
Calder Valley
Chingford and Woodford Green
Chipping Barnet
Colchester
Colne Valley
Derby North
Filton and Bradley Stoke
Harrow East
Hendon
High Peak
Kensington
Loughborough
Macclesfield
Milton Keynes North
Milton Keynes South
Monmouth
Pudsey
Reading West
Rushcliffe
Shipley
Stroud
Truro and Falmouth
Uxbridge and South Ruislip
Warrington South
Watford
Wolverhampton South West
Worcester
Wycombe
York Outer
Lib Dem gains:
Carshalton and Wallington
Cheadle
Cheltenham
Chippenham
Cities Of London and Westminster
Esher and Walton
Finchley and Golders Green
Guildford
Harrogate and Knaresborough
Hitchin and Harpenden
Lewes
South Cambridgeshire
South East Cambridgeshire
South West Surrey
Sutton and Cheam
Wantage
Wimbledon
Winchester
Woking
Wokingham
SNP gain:
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine


labourlist--2020-04-30--Don’t let Workers’ Memorial Day be turned into a government PR exercise

We saw people across the country join a minute ’ s silence on Tuesday to commemorate the workers who have died during the coronavirus pandemic .
It was a moment that highlighted who is on the frontline of this crisis : workers in the health service , in social care , but also in the fire and rescue service , local government , education , those picking and processing our food , delivery drivers and transport workers and those working in our shops and supermarkets .
These are the people confronting and tackling coronavirus head-on .
The minute ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media and by politicians .
What seemed to be lost , however , is what 28th April actually is , and what it really means .
That day is long established as International Workers ’ Memorial Day , which is an annual international trade union event .
From Poland to the Dominican Republic and Australia to Bangladesh , trade unionists stop to not just remember those who have been lost whilst doing their jobs , but to resolve to improve safety at work for those in the future .
I wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even remember this .
They spend plenty of their time watering down protections in the workplace and preaching at the altar of deregulation .
But I was disappointed to see that the Labour Party did not make the true message of the day clear .
The party founded by the trade unions should have remembered that it is a trade union day .
Trade unions like mine have been battling for workers ’ safety since time immemorial , and it is an issue that has been brought into sharp focus by this crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipment in the NHS and in social care , of preparation and planning by employers and government , and the slow pace of introducing a fit for purpose national testing regime , is all evidence that the safety and lives of key workers has been put at risk .
There must be a reckoning for those who have failed workers so badly in due course .
The battle for health and safety at work is a long-standing fight for workers , a fight by trade unions every day , in millions of workplaces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ rights are weakened and trade unions are attacked , workers ’ safety suffers , along with other conditions .
My industry is the fire and rescue service , where safety is a key and central issue for us in everything we do .
Here , too , we have had 100 years of having to fight to improve the safety of firefighters .
This means demanding adequate resources , training , equipment , PPE , and safe working procedures .
In all these areas , it ’ s never straightforward ; all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resources .
Can employers afford the best equipment and PPE ?
Are there sufficient resources to keep staffing at safe levels ?
Our experience in the FBU is that when workers die , we face another battle .
It is a battle for justice for the deceased , and for the bereaved and the families left behind .
We lead those battles for our members in inquests and inquiries and in the fight for pension rights and for compensation .
These things are often not easy .
We ’ ve seen cases in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or Chief Fire Officers pay tribute to those who have died , but then spend years fighting against paying out compensation .
This is the reality on the frontline of work , and the reality of the battle for safety in workplaces .
As we reflect on Workers ’ Memorial Day 2020 , particularly in the face of this huge pandemic , we need to remember that the battle for safety at work continues – and it ’ s a battle that unions fight every day .
And whilst this year ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we must also remember all workers who die as a result of their labour .
At the end of this crisis , there can be no going back to normal .
‘ Normal ’ for unions in Britain has been decades of anti-worker attacks , laws that shackle us and undermine our individual and collective rights , including our rights on health and safety .
In the past decade , we ’ ve also seen a wider attack on health and safety , from Tory ministers talking about the unnecessary ‘ burden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As trade unionists , we know that so called ‘ red tape ’ is often the difference between life and death in the workplace .
So let ’ s not see Workers ’ Memorial Day turned into some tame government-sponsored expression of condolence , diluted of its true meaning .
The slogan of Workers ’ Memorial Day can guide us : remember the dead , fight for the living .

We saw people across the country join a minute’s silence on Tuesday to commemorate the workers who have died during the coronavirus pandemic. It was a moment that highlighted who is on the frontline of this crisis: workers in the health service, in social care, but also in the fire and rescue service, local government, education, those picking and processing our food, delivery drivers and transport workers and those working in our shops and supermarkets. These are the people confronting and tackling coronavirus head-on.
The minute’s silence at 11am was acknowledged by the media and by politicians. What seemed to be lost, however, is what 28th April actually is, and what it really means. That day is long established as International Workers’ Memorial Day, which is an annual international trade union event. From Poland to the Dominican Republic and Australia to Bangladesh, trade unionists stop to not just remember those who have been lost whilst doing their jobs, but to resolve to improve safety at work for those in the future.
I wouldn’t expect Conservative politicians to know, or even remember this. They spend plenty of their time watering down protections in the workplace and preaching at the altar of deregulation. But I was disappointed to see that the Labour Party did not make the true message of the day clear. The party founded by the trade unions should have remembered that it is a trade union day.
Trade unions like mine have been battling for workers’ safety since time immemorial, and it is an issue that has been brought into sharp focus by this crisis. The staggering lack of personal protective equipment in the NHS and in social care, of preparation and planning by employers and government, and the slow pace of introducing a fit for purpose national testing regime, is all evidence that the safety and lives of key workers has been put at risk. There must be a reckoning for those who have failed workers so badly in due course.
The battle for health and safety at work is a long-standing fight for workers, a fight by trade unions every day, in millions of workplaces across the globe. And where workers’ rights are weakened and trade unions are attacked, workers’ safety suffers, along with other conditions.
My industry is the fire and rescue service, where safety is a key and central issue for us in everything we do. Here, too, we have had 100 years of having to fight to improve the safety of firefighters. This means demanding adequate resources, training, equipment, PPE, and safe working procedures. In all these areas, it’s never straightforward; all too often it becomes a battle over resources. Can employers afford the best equipment and PPE? Are there sufficient resources to keep staffing at safe levels?
Our experience in the FBU is that when workers die, we face another battle. It is a battle for justice for the deceased, and for the bereaved and the families left behind. We lead those battles for our members in inquests and inquiries and in the fight for pension rights and for compensation.
These things are often not easy. We’ve seen cases in the fire and rescue service where employers or Chief Fire Officers pay tribute to those who have died, but then spend years fighting against paying out compensation. This is the reality on the frontline of work, and the reality of the battle for safety in workplaces.
As we reflect on Workers’ Memorial Day 2020, particularly in the face of this huge pandemic, we need to remember that the battle for safety at work continues – and it’s a battle that unions fight every day. And whilst this year’s Memorial Day has rightly focused on Covid-19, we must also remember all workers who die as a result of their labour.
At the end of this crisis, there can be no going back to normal. ‘Normal’ for unions in Britain has been decades of anti-worker attacks, laws that shackle us and undermine our individual and collective rights, including our rights on health and safety.
In the past decade, we’ve also seen a wider attack on health and safety, from Tory ministers talking about the unnecessary ‘burden’ of ‘red tape’. As trade unionists, we know that so called ‘red tape’ is often the difference between life and death in the workplace.
So let’s not see Workers’ Memorial Day turned into some tame government-sponsored expression of condolence, diluted of its true meaning. The slogan of Workers’ Memorial Day can guide us: remember the dead, fight for the living.


labourlist--2020-04-30--Covid-19 reveals the deadly consequences of failing to tackle racial inequality

Socialists of Colour is a collective of activists campaigning for racial liberation and anti-racist policy both within and beyond the Labour Party .
It was established because we believe that Labour has not adequately campaigned and supported the policies necessary to counter institutional racism .
We campaign in Labour because we still believe that the party is the best vehicle to achieve many of our political aims .
The 2019 Labour race and faith manifesto , a radical and innovative document that could have tackled colonial injustices and economic racial inequality , confirmed our view .
We want to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not just in policy but in actions , solidarity and rhetoric too .
In the coming months , we will be campaigning and producing educational resources on the impact of Covid-19 on BAME communities .
The virus does not discriminate and everyone is at risk of catching it .
But years of the Conservative government failing to tackle social , economic and health racial inequality has resulted in serious and often fatal consequences for people of colour .
Firstly , we have seen a disproportionate number of deaths among BAME people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death rate amongst ethnic minorities is especially high for nurses and dentists , where they account for 71 % and 94 % of deaths – despite only making up 20 % and 44 % of the respective workforces .
Due to the campaign led by the British Medical Association and Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary Marsha De Cordova , the government has committed to reviewing why ethnic minorities are dying at a disproportionate rate .
But we know many of the answers to this question without the review .
In 2016 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UK owned 29 times more wealth than the poorest 20 % .
We know that , in our capitalist society , wealth correlates to wellbeing .
Having stripped the NHS bare , many people can not get the treatment that they need .
There are certain diseases more prevalent in ethnic minority communities .
There are high rates of hypertension in black communities , and Asians are more likely to suffer from diabetes than people of other ethnicities .
However , it would be misleading to assume that the reason for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colour is due to genetics .
Ethnicity is a social construct , there is no gene to be black or Asian .
Ethnic minorities are overrepresented in the essential work category , which puts them at higher risk of catching coronavirus .
This includes working in the NHS , in the transport sector and supermarkets .
Despite being classed as key workers and essential to keeping our society running during the lockdown , this labour is often low-paid and insecure .
Disproportionate rates of poverty mean a large proportion of ethnic minorities live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially in major cities such as London and Manchester .
Cramped and inadequate housing , often with multiple generations living under one roof , means social distancing is impossible .
Analysis from The Guardian based on ONS figures found that for every 10 % increase in ethnic minority residents , deaths from Covid-19 increase by 2.9 per 100,000 people .
The London boroughs of Harrow and Brent have had some of the highest rates in the country , with 37 and 32 deaths per 100,000 people respectively .
BAME people account for 58 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 64 % in Brent .
Secondly , the Coronavirus Act 2020 has increased the powers of the police to a concerning level .
These powers include the ability to detain you if they believe you are infectious .
They also allow the restriction of your right to move around and be part of a gathering .
Whilst this may seem a necessary move to reduce transmission , we know that the police do not treat ethnic minorities – in particular black people – equally .
Although the two Race Relations Acts made stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegal , it still takes place to a worryingly high degree .
According to government data , there were only four stop and searches for every 1,000 white people in 2019 .
This figure increased to 11 per 1,000 Asian people , and shot up dramatically when it came to black people with 38 stop and searches taking place per 1,000 black individuals .
Despite this , according to the Runnymede Trust ’ s Race and Policing in England and Wales report published in 2015 , only 9 % of the one million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an arrest .
And it is well known that over 99 % of complaints regarding racism provided by ethnic minorities are dismissed by the Met Police .
Knowing these facts , these police powers are more akin to targeted harassment of ethnic minority communities than safe and lawful policing of society .
Thirdly , we must appreciate the brunt of the damage caused by the pandemic will be faced by the Global South , which includes countries in Africa , South and Latin America and Southeast Asia .
Countries that are underdeveloped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often exacerbated by political and economic interferences from richer and more powerful countries like the USA , such as sanctions and withholding access to the international markets .
The healthcare and social security systems of countries in the global south are low or even non-existent , meaning that the effects of the virus will be heavily felt throughout the population , especially by the poorest .
These countries may have to borrow from organisations such as the International Monetary Fund – a global organisation but heavily influenced by the USA – or richer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This leaves the Global South susceptible to being buried under high interest rate debt that they may be paying off for decades to come .
In previous years , richer countries have provided human and financial assistance to their poorer counterparts to help them deal with health crises .
But as states such as the UK realise the impact of austerity on their capacity to protect their own population from the virus , and countries such as the US succumb to right-wing , insular and racist ideologies , internationalist solidarity and a condition-free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We thank Preet Gill for supporting the Jubilee Debt Campaign in calling for the cancellation of the Global South ’ s debt .
These countries do not deserve to be savaged by debt while they are dealing with the economic and social consequences of this pandemic .
The Labour Party should be front and centre in defending people of colour during this pandemic .
Labour is the party that over 70 % of ethnic minorities voted for , and without this support , they would have lost dozens more seats last year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to represent socialism and equality .
That means it is Labour ’ s responsibility to stand up to the government and loudly campaign for the interests of people of colour .
Many Labour MPs have stood with their communities in this pandemic , and have run some brilliant campaigns .
We are also pleased to see that Keir Starmer has appointed Doreen Lawrence to lead a Labour review into the disproportionate number of BAME deaths .
The Labour leader said : “ We can not afford to treat this as an issue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We must address it now.
” And we completely agree .
Tackling racial inequality can not wait , and must be at the forefront of Labour ’ s political agenda .
It also must not be sidelined once the mainstream press has lost interest in the inequalities faced by our communities .
People of colour deserve to live in a country where they are not made more likely to die from Covid-19 due to government policy and negligence .
We deserve to live in a country where increased police powers do not put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South does not deserve to be financially crushed by debt while it is struggling with the economic consequences of the pandemic .
Please follow Socialists of Colour on Twitter to stay up to date with our activities .
We will be releasing details on how to join our collective soon , and we hope that you can get involved .

Socialists of Colour is a collective of activists campaigning for racial liberation and anti-racist policy both within and beyond the Labour Party. It was established because we believe that Labour has not adequately campaigned and supported the policies necessary to counter institutional racism. We campaign in Labour because we still believe that the party is the best vehicle to achieve many of our political aims. The 2019 Labour race and faith manifesto, a radical and innovative document that could have tackled colonial injustices and economic racial inequality, confirmed our view. We want to see a Labour Party that is passionately anti-racist, not just in policy but in actions, solidarity and rhetoric too.
In the coming months, we will be campaigning and producing educational resources on the impact of Covid-19 on BAME communities. The virus does not discriminate and everyone is at risk of catching it. But years of the Conservative government failing to tackle social, economic and health racial inequality has resulted in serious and often fatal consequences for people of colour.
Firstly, we have seen a disproportionate number of deaths among BAME people, notably within our NHS staff. The death rate amongst ethnic minorities is especially high for nurses and dentists, where they account for 71% and 94% of deaths – despite only making up 20% and 44% of the respective workforces. Due to the campaign led by the British Medical Association and Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary Marsha De Cordova, the government has committed to reviewing why ethnic minorities are dying at a disproportionate rate. But we know many of the answers to this question without the review.
In 2016, the richest 1% of the population in the UK owned 29 times more wealth than the poorest 20%. We know that, in our capitalist society, wealth correlates to wellbeing. Having stripped the NHS bare, many people cannot get the treatment that they need. There are certain diseases more prevalent in ethnic minority communities. There are high rates of hypertension in black communities, and Asians are more likely to suffer from diabetes than people of other ethnicities.
However, it would be misleading to assume that the reason for the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on people of colour is due to genetics. Ethnicity is a social construct, there is no gene to be black or Asian. Ethnic minorities are overrepresented in the essential work category, which puts them at higher risk of catching coronavirus. This includes working in the NHS, in the transport sector and supermarkets. Despite being classed as key workers and essential to keeping our society running during the lockdown, this labour is often low-paid and insecure.
Disproportionate rates of poverty mean a large proportion of ethnic minorities live in dense, overcrowded urban areas – especially in major cities such as London and Manchester. Cramped and inadequate housing, often with multiple generations living under one roof, means social distancing is impossible. Analysis from The Guardian based on ONS figures found that for every 10% increase in ethnic minority residents, deaths from Covid-19 increase by 2.9 per 100,000 people. The London boroughs of Harrow and Brent have had some of the highest rates in the country, with 37 and 32 deaths per 100,000 people respectively. BAME people account for 58% or residents in Harrow, and 64% in Brent.
Secondly, the Coronavirus Act 2020 has increased the powers of the police to a concerning level. These powers include the ability to detain you if they believe you are infectious. They also allow the restriction of your right to move around and be part of a gathering. Whilst this may seem a necessary move to reduce transmission, we know that the police do not treat ethnic minorities – in particular black people – equally. Although the two Race Relations Acts made stop and searching citizens based on their ethnicity illegal, it still takes place to a worryingly high degree.
According to government data, there were only four stop and searches for every 1,000 white people in 2019. This figure increased to 11 per 1,000 Asian people, and shot up dramatically when it came to black people with 38 stop and searches taking place per 1,000 black individuals. Despite this, according to the Runnymede Trust’s Race and Policing in England and Wales report published in 2015, only 9% of the one million stop and searches a year actually lead to an arrest. And it is well known that over 99% of complaints regarding racism provided by ethnic minorities are dismissed by the Met Police. Knowing these facts, these police powers are more akin to targeted harassment of ethnic minority communities than safe and lawful policing of society.
Thirdly, we must appreciate the brunt of the damage caused by the pandemic will be faced by the Global South, which includes countries in Africa, South and Latin America and Southeast Asia. Countries that are underdeveloped compared to Western standards. This is often exacerbated by political and economic interferences from richer and more powerful countries like the USA, such as sanctions and withholding access to the international markets. The healthcare and social security systems of countries in the global south are low or even non-existent, meaning that the effects of the virus will be heavily felt throughout the population, especially by the poorest. These countries may have to borrow from organisations such as the International Monetary Fund – a global organisation but heavily influenced by the USA – or richer countries to adequately fight the virus.
This leaves the Global South susceptible to being buried under high interest rate debt that they may be paying off for decades to come. In previous years, richer countries have provided human and financial assistance to their poorer counterparts to help them deal with health crises. But as states such as the UK realise the impact of austerity on their capacity to protect their own population from the virus, and countries such as the US succumb to right-wing, insular and racist ideologies, internationalist solidarity and a condition-free approach to the pandemic is uncertain. We thank Preet Gill for supporting the Jubilee Debt Campaign in calling for the cancellation of the Global South’s debt. These countries do not deserve to be savaged by debt while they are dealing with the economic and social consequences of this pandemic.
The Labour Party should be front and centre in defending people of colour during this pandemic. Labour is the party that over 70% of ethnic minorities voted for, and without this support, they would have lost dozens more seats last year. Labour is also the party that claims to represent socialism and equality. That means it is Labour’s responsibility to stand up to the government and loudly campaign for the interests of people of colour. Many Labour MPs have stood with their communities in this pandemic, and have run some brilliant campaigns. We are also pleased to see that Keir Starmer has appointed Doreen Lawrence to lead a Labour review into the disproportionate number of BAME deaths. The Labour leader said: “We cannot afford to treat this as an issue to investigate once the crisis is over. We must address it now.” And we completely agree.
Tackling racial inequality cannot wait, and must be at the forefront of Labour’s political agenda. It also must not be sidelined once the mainstream press has lost interest in the inequalities faced by our communities. People of colour deserve to live in a country where they are not made more likely to die from Covid-19 due to government policy and negligence. We deserve to live in a country where increased police powers do not put our communities at risk. The Global South does not deserve to be financially crushed by debt while it is struggling with the economic consequences of the pandemic. Please follow Socialists of Colour on Twitter to stay up to date with our activities. We will be releasing details on how to join our collective soon, and we hope that you can get involved.


labourlist--2020-04-30--WATCH: Criminal justice system will be “at breaking point by autumn”, says Labour

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