labourlist--2020-02-10--ASLEF nominates Rebecca Long-Bailey to be the next Labour leader

The Labour-affiliated trade union ASLEF has nominated Rebecca Long-Bailey to be the next leader of the Labour Party .
The executive body of the organisation – comprised of eight members – met today to vote on who to nominate in both the leader and deputy leadership elections .
The train drivers ’ union backed Long-Bailey for leader and Angela Rayner as deputy , after considering a report by general secretary Mick Whelan .
Commenting on the nomination , Whelan said : “ We believe that Rebecca and Angela have the vision , and the determination , to deliver for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand what Labour has to do to win back the hearts , minds , and votes of hard-working people in Britain .
“ We have a wealth of talent at the top of the party and it wasn ’ t easy to choose between the candidates standing for leader and deputy leader .
But , having listened to them all , we believe Rebecca and Angela are best placed to rebuild our party in Parliament and lead Labour to victory at the next election.
” He added : “ They are committed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public ownership – which is not just the policy of this trade union , but a policy that is popular with passengers who suffer from all the problems of our privatised railways.
” Long-Bailey had previously called on rivals in the leadership contest to support bringing rail back into public ownership , along with mail , water and energy .
Reacting to the endorsement , the Salford and Eccles MP said : “ I am honoured to be endorsed by ASLEF , and am committed to opposing Boris Johnson ’ s plan to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As Labour leader I will stand shoulder to shoulder with trade unionists as we renew the labour movement and build support for a green , publicly owned transport system .
This will be integral in Labour forging a path to power.
” Rayner tweeted shortly after the announcement : “ I am so proud to get this nomination from a union l have worked with over many years , thank-you so much.
” ASLEF nominated Jeremy Corbyn in both the 2015 and 2016 Labour leadership races , and endorsed a Leave position in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Each leadership hopeful needs nominations from 5 % of constituency Labour parties – a total of 33 – or from three affiliates , including two trade unions , comprising 5 % of affiliated membership .
The only candidate who has not yet secured her place in the final round of the leadership contest is Emily Thornberry .
The deadline for CLPs and affiliated organisations to submit their nominations in the leadership contests is February 14th .

The Labour-affiliated trade union ASLEF has nominated Rebecca Long-Bailey to be the next leader of the Labour Party.
The executive body of the organisation – comprised of eight members – met today to vote on who to nominate in both the leader and deputy leadership elections.
The train drivers’ union backed Long-Bailey for leader and Angela Rayner as deputy, after considering a report by general secretary Mick Whelan.
Commenting on the nomination, Whelan said: “We believe that Rebecca and Angela have the vision, and the determination, to deliver for all the people of this country, and understand what Labour has to do to win back the hearts, minds, and votes of hard-working people in Britain.
“We have a wealth of talent at the top of the party and it wasn’t easy to choose between the candidates standing for leader and deputy leader. But, having listened to them all, we believe Rebecca and Angela are best placed to rebuild our party in Parliament and lead Labour to victory at the next election.”
He added: “They are committed to bringing Britain’s railways back into public ownership – which is not just the policy of this trade union, but a policy that is popular with passengers who suffer from all the problems of our privatised railways.”
Long-Bailey had previously called on rivals in the leadership contest to support bringing rail back into public ownership, along with mail, water and energy.
Reacting to the endorsement, the Salford and Eccles MP said: “I am honoured to be endorsed by ASLEF, and am committed to opposing Boris Johnson’s plan to ban strikes on our railways.
“As Labour leader I will stand shoulder to shoulder with trade unionists as we renew the labour movement and build support for a green, publicly owned transport system. This will be integral in Labour forging a path to power.”
Rayner tweeted shortly after the announcement: “I am so proud to get this nomination from a union l have worked with over many years, thank-you so much.”
ASLEF nominated Jeremy Corbyn in both the 2015 and 2016 Labour leadership races, and endorsed a Leave position in the EU referendum four years ago.
Each leadership hopeful needs nominations from 5% of constituency Labour parties – a total of 33 – or from three affiliates, including two trade unions, comprising 5% of affiliated membership.
The only candidate who has not yet secured her place in the final round of the leadership contest is Emily Thornberry.
The deadline for CLPs and affiliated organisations to submit their nominations in the leadership contests is February 14th.


labourlist--2020-02-10--WATCH: David Lammy confronts minister on deportations and Windrush review

In a speech in parliament , David Lammy confronted the government over the suppression of the Windrush lessons learned review and a deportation flight scheduled this week .
In an urgent question , he asked the government : “ To make a statement on the suppression of the Windrush learning review and the implications for the deportation flight that ’ s set to leave the country on Wednesday.
” The Tottenham MP reminded colleagues of the Windrush scandal , in which 164 people were detained and deported and that a 5,000 were denied access to support from public services to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ In the wake of that they suspended flights to Jamaica .
The question today is why have they resumed those flights ?
” He asked the ministers : “ When will we see this lessons learned review ?
… We are almost now two years on and people watching see the way this government holds in such disrespect the contribution of West Indian , Caribbean and black people in this country .
When will black lives matter once again ?
” Speaking for the government , Kevin Foster said that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told MPs that the report had not been suppressed and was yet to be submitted to ministers .
Foster stated that it would be for the Home Secretary to publish the report once she had received it from Wendy Williams , HM inspector of constabulary .
He claimed that it was important to give Williams “ the time and space to produce her report without political interference ” .
The Home Office has chartered a flight for the February 11th that contains people who have been resident in the UK for decades .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be removed from the country and passengers are expected to include a man who has lived in the UK since the age of five .
A letter has been organised by Labour MP Nadia Whittome calling for the publication of the lessons learned review before the government conduct any further deportations .
It has been signed by over 150 cross-party MPs and Lords and was sent to the Prime Minister on Sunday asking him to immediately intervene .

In a speech in parliament, David Lammy confronted the government over the suppression of the Windrush lessons learned review and a deportation flight scheduled this week.
In an urgent question, he asked the government: “To make a statement on the suppression of the Windrush learning review and the implications for the deportation flight that’s set to leave the country on Wednesday.”
The Tottenham MP reminded colleagues of the Windrush scandal, in which 164 people were detained and deported and 5,000 were denied access to support from public services to which they were entitled.
He said: “In the wake of that they suspended flights to Jamaica. The question today is why have they resumed those flights?”
He asked the ministers: “When will we see this lessons learned review?… We are almost now two years on and people watching see the way this government holds in such disrespect the contribution of West Indian, Caribbean and black people in this country. When will black lives matter once again?”
Speaking for the government, Kevin Foster said that he would not comment on leaks, but told MPs that the report had not been suppressed and was yet to be submitted to ministers.
2 years ago, the government was exposed for detaining and deporting at least 164 black British citizens. It suspended flights and set up a Review. Why has it restarted deportations before the Review is implemented? The #Jamaica50 flight must be stopped.pic.twitter.com/dfCp9n1vZw — David Lammy (@DavidLammy) February 10, 2020
Foster stated that it would be for the Home Secretary to publish the report once she had received it from Wendy Williams, HM inspector of constabulary.
He claimed that it was important to give Williams “the time and space to produce her report without political interference”.
The Home Office has chartered a flight for the February 11th that contains people who have been resident in the UK for decades.
Up to 50 people are due to be removed from the country and passengers are expected to include a man who has lived in the UK since the age of five.
A letter has been organised by Labour MP Nadia Whittome calling for the publication of the lessons learned review before the government conduct any further deportations.
It has been signed by over 150 cross-party MPs and Lords and was sent to the Prime Minister on Sunday asking him to immediately intervene.


labourlist--2020-02-10--Labour Campaign for International Development backs Starmer for leader

The Labour Campaign for International Development has decided to nominate Keir Starmer to be the next leader of the Labour Party .
The Labour-affiliated group said that the candidate “ has been a tireless advocate of human rights and a brilliant supporter of internationalism and international cooperation ” .
The announcement from LCID follows a vote by the organisation ’ s executive , which it says was guided by a survey of its members .
In the questionnaire , members were asked a series of questions about the leadership candidates in relation to different policy areas , and what LCID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the survey respondents chose Starmer when asked : “ Which leadership candidate do you most identify with on international issues ?
” Commenting on the declaration , Starmer said : “ I ’ m really pleased to have received LCID ’ s nomination and will stand with you to ensure DFID retains its departmental independence and that we hold the government to their commitment to honour the 0.7 % target .
“ Britain should be leading the struggle for human rights , tackling inequality and taking on the climate emergency .
If I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I will ensure that we build on our proud international development record and that we lead the fight for a more just and peaceful world.
” LCID announced that it would be supporting Rosena Allin-Khan for the deputy position at the end of last month .
The campaign group said she that has “ dedicated her life to helping others both here as a doctor in our NHS , and overseas doing humanitarian aid work with the world ’ s most vulnerable ” .
Each leadership hopeful needs nominations from 5 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 33 – or from three affiliates , including two trade unions , comprising 5 % of affiliated membership .
The only candidate who has not yet secured her place in the final round of the leadership contest is Emily Thornberry .
The deadline for CLPs and affiliated organisations to submit their nominations in the leadership contests is February 14th .

The Labour Campaign for International Development has decided to nominate Keir Starmer to be the next leader of the Labour Party.
The Labour-affiliated group said that the candidate “has been a tireless advocate of human rights and a brilliant supporter of internationalism and international cooperation”.
The announcement from LCID follows a vote by the organisation’s executive, which it says was guided by a survey of its members.
In the questionnaire, members were asked a series of questions about the leadership candidates in relation to different policy areas, and what LCID should be prioritising.
55% of the survey respondents chose Starmer when asked: “Which leadership candidate do you most identify with on international issues?”
Commenting on the declaration, Starmer said: “I’m really pleased to have received LCID’s nomination and will stand with you to ensure DFID retains its departmental independence and that we hold the government to their commitment to honour the 0.7% target.
“Britain should be leading the struggle for human rights, tackling inequality and taking on the climate emergency. If I am elected leader of the Labour Party I will ensure that we build on our proud international development record and that we lead the fight for a more just and peaceful world.”
LCID announced that it would be supporting Rosena Allin-Khan for the deputy position at the end of last month.
The campaign group said she that has “dedicated her life to helping others both here as a doctor in our NHS, and overseas doing humanitarian aid work with the world’s most vulnerable”.
Each leadership hopeful needs nominations from 5% of constituency Labour parties – a total of 33 – or from three affiliates, including two trade unions, comprising 5% of affiliated membership.
The only candidate who has not yet secured her place in the final round of the leadership contest is Emily Thornberry.
The deadline for CLPs and affiliated organisations to submit their nominations in the leadership contests is February 14th.


labourlist--2020-02-10--WATCH: Jenny Chapman calls for withdrawal of data breach allegation

Chair of Keir Starmer ’ s leadership campaign Jenny Chapman has called for the withdrawal of the allegation of a data breach by members of his team .
Speaking to the BBC , she said that the general secretary of the Labour Party should intervene to withdraw the accusation .
Chapman said the campaign had been accused of a “ criminal act ” but said that there is “ no evidence to support that allegation because it just simply didn ’ t happen ” .
She told the BBC that the “ allegation needs to be withdrawn because it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not right that the names of the individuals accused have ended up in the public domain .
Her comments come after members of Starmer ’ s campaign team were reported to the Information Commissioner by the party for allegedly hacking into the membership database .
Over the weekend , a spokesperson for the campaign said : “ We categorically reject these nonsensical allegations and are incredibly disappointed that they have been leaked to the media.
” Starmer has strongly denied claims that members of his team engaged in “ data-scraping ” and obtaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dialogue .
Vice chair of the campaign David Lammy appeared on BBC Radio 4 today to tell listeners that there were “ absolutely no substance ” to the “ scurrilous ” allegations .
The leadership candidates are not supposed to be given access to the party ’ s membership data until after the window for local party and affiliated organisation nominations has closed , which will be on February 14th .

Chair of Keir Starmer’s leadership campaign Jenny Chapman has called for the withdrawal of the allegation of a data breach by members of his team.
Speaking to the BBC, she said that the general secretary of the Labour Party should intervene to withdraw the accusation.
Chapman said the campaign had been accused of a “criminal act” but said that there is “no evidence to support that allegation because it just simply didn’t happen”.
She told the BBC that the “allegation needs to be withdrawn because it’s unfair” and said it was not right that the names of the individuals accused have ended up in the public domain.
Jenny Chapman, who chairs Keir Starmer’s leadership campaign, calls on the investigation into alleged data breach to end “They need to withdraw that allegation… No evidence to support that allegation because it simply did not happen”#politicslive https://t.co/261j5osA6y pic.twitter.com/14aYxzgwW5 — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) February 10, 2020
Her comments come after members of Starmer’s campaign team were reported to the Information Commissioner by the party for allegedly hacking into the membership database.
Over the weekend, a spokesperson for the campaign said: “We categorically reject these nonsensical allegations and are incredibly disappointed that they have been leaked to the media.”
Starmer has strongly denied claims that members of his team engaged in “data-scraping” and obtaining data from the Labour Party software, Dialogue.
Vice chair of the campaign David Lammy appeared on BBC Radio 4 today to tell listeners that there were “absolutely no substance” to the “scurrilous” allegations.
The leadership candidates are not supposed to be given access to the party’s membership data until after the window for local party and affiliated organisation nominations has closed, which will be on February 14th.


labourlist--2020-02-10--Scottish Labour must change, and that’s why we should pick Matt Kerr for deputy

At the same time as the national UK Labour leadership contest , there is a very important Scottish Labour deputy leadership election taking place .
While not getting the same attention as these leadership elections it is nonetheless a fundamentally significant election that will help shape the future of Scottish Labour and its ability to reach out to lost voters .
As such , it is an election that I would imagine the various leader and deputy leadership contenders are paying very close attention to – and if they ’ re not they should , because for Labour to win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again in Scotland .
The reality is that we won ’ t win by looking back to the past for answers .
We have to embrace a new generation and look to them for the fresh future that Scottish Labour needs .
Matt Kerr embodies , and is part of , that new generation .
To recover in Scotland we must reach out to , and win back , those voters Scottish Labour have lost in the 21 years since devolution .
We will not do that by looking back , instead we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the problems we face .
The truth is that it is time for a heavy dose of honesty for those of us in the Scottish Labour Party – and to admit that we have a deep-rooted image problem .
Labour – the dominant force in Scottish politics for decades , so dominant in our heartland areas that people used to say they weighed the Labour votes or that a donkey wearing a red rosette would get elected here – has been sidelined into third place behind the Tories .
And for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three we have been reduced to just one Scottish MP .
We have been steadily declining since the establishment of the Scottish parliament in 1999 .
The consequence of complacency and entitlement from the top of our party that saw us never fully come to terms with losing power to the SNP in 2007 .
Despite that steady decline we must remember that , as Scotland went to the polls for the independence referendum in 2014 , Labour had 41 Scottish MPs and were firmly the official opposition to the SNP government with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tories .
Scottish Labour were central in 55 % of Scots saying no to independence , it was our elected politicians and activists who were the driving force for Scotland saying no – but it came with a very heavy political price .
It is time for the party ’ s establishment , those who signed us up to participate in Better Together , to hold their hands up and own the ongoing political damage they inflicted on the Labour Party in Scotland .
Labour could have helped defeat the nationalists case by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the socialist case for solidarity across our islands and the redistribution of wealth and power .
Instead , we were handcuffed to a Tory-Lib Dem coalition that was imposing austerity on us and enacting some of the most pernicious welfare reforms imaginable .
We left the progressive field completely clear for the nationalists to steal our political clothes and with them many of our traditional voters .
The result has been that the image of Scottish Labour – already out of power having lost the trust of many voters – being part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the establishment as we should be , was set in the minds of working class families up and down Scotland .
Our image problem means that , no matter how progressive , radical , transformative and popular our policy platform is , there are sections of the electorate who refuse to give us a hearing .
And it does not allow us to break through the constitutional wrangling that suits both the SNP and Tories electorally .
The time is now to recognise this problem and fix it .
Since the 2014 referendum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four deputy leaders .
We certainly do not need another leader , as that will fix nothing .
In fact , wouldn ’ t it be a novel idea to give our leader Richard Leonard the time to rebuild the party with the support of a united party ?
But we do have another deputy leadership contest .
And that has presented an opportunity to take a very different approach that addresses our party ’ s image problem .
There is talent across the Labour movement amongst our councillors , activists , co-operators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their talents have not been recognised by a party that has placed political power in the parliamentary groups .
Each and every one of the eight holders of the leadership roles since 2014 have been parliamentarians .
Until now .
Matt , as an active trade unionist and councillor , offers different answers to the problems that we have failed to address .
He represents an opportunity to rebrand how the Scottish Labour Party looks and feels to voters – being the catalyst for a new generation of leaders , from across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us again to get a fair hearing on policy and values from an electorate who have repeatedly rejected the same party establishment over the last few decades .
Matt ’ s opponent purports to be the ‘ change candidate ’ in this contest , but the hard and fast fact is that Jackie Baillie has been a senior MSP for 21 years , built into the brick work of a Scottish parliamentary group that has reduced in size at every election .
Not only was she a supporter of Better Together but in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notion that we can present Jackie as ‘ change ’ is fallacy .
It would not represent change , it would be more of the same and do nothing to repair our image problem .
I am fed up of losing .
And so are our members .
I know the difference that Labour can make in power because I do it every day as a Labour council Leader .
And our members want us back in power so that we can start making a difference to peoples lives across the country .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that if we can reconnect with communities and rebuild trust in our party ; if the party is united in fighting for our cause not indulging in the leaks and briefing culture that has emanated for too long from the upper echelons of the party and parliamentary group .
Only Matt can help us achieve that , more of the same just won ’ t cut it .
This is not the left-right contest that so many Labour leadership contests are dubbed .
This is a status quo or fresh future contest .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ build up the fragile confidence of our membership , remind people that it is Labour that has the vision for a better Scotland and better world and in so doing reconnect our party with the communities we seek to represent and give our movement back a Scottish Labour Party that they are unashamedly proud to be a part of .
For these reasons , the Scottish deputy leadership election is even more important than the UK leadership contests .
Regardless of who is the UK leader , they will not get a hearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not change .
And Labour can not win a general election without Scotland .
I would urge party members , councillors and affiliated supporters to vote for a fresh future for Scottish Labour and campaign , support and vote for Matt Kerr .

At the same time as the national UK Labour leadership contest, there is a very important Scottish Labour deputy leadership election taking place. While not getting the same attention as these leadership elections it is nonetheless a fundamentally significant election that will help shape the future of Scottish Labour and its ability to reach out to lost voters.
As such, it is an election that I would imagine the various leader and deputy leadership contenders are paying very close attention to – and if they’re not they should, because for Labour to win a general election we need to recover again in Scotland. The reality is that we won’t win by looking back to the past for answers. We have to embrace a new generation and look to them for the fresh future that Scottish Labour needs. Matt Kerr embodies, and is part of, that new generation.
To recover in Scotland we must reach out to, and win back, those voters Scottish Labour have lost in the 21 years since devolution. We will not do that by looking back, instead we must look to the future for answers to the problems we face. The truth is that it is time for a heavy dose of honesty for those of us in the Scottish Labour Party – and to admit that we have a deep-rooted image problem.
Labour – the dominant force in Scottish politics for decades, so dominant in our heartland areas that people used to say they weighed the Labour votes or that a donkey wearing a red rosette would get elected here – has been sidelined into third place behind the Tories. And for the second general election out of the last three we have been reduced to just one Scottish MP.
We have been steadily declining since the establishment of the Scottish parliament in 1999. The consequence of complacency and entitlement from the top of our party that saw us never fully come to terms with losing power to the SNP in 2007.
Despite that steady decline we must remember that, as Scotland went to the polls for the independence referendum in 2014, Labour had 41 Scottish MPs and were firmly the official opposition to the SNP government with 23 MSP’s more than the Tories. Scottish Labour were central in 55% of Scots saying no to independence, it was our elected politicians and activists who were the driving force for Scotland saying no – but it came with a very heavy political price.
It is time for the party’s establishment, those who signed us up to participate in Better Together, to hold their hands up and own the ongoing political damage they inflicted on the Labour Party in Scotland. Labour could have helped defeat the nationalists case by sticking to our Labour values, making the socialist case for solidarity across our islands and the redistribution of wealth and power. Instead, we were handcuffed to a Tory-Lib Dem coalition that was imposing austerity on us and enacting some of the most pernicious welfare reforms imaginable.
We left the progressive field completely clear for the nationalists to steal our political clothes and with them many of our traditional voters. The result has been that the image of Scottish Labour – already out of power having lost the trust of many voters – being part of the establishment rather than the party challenging the establishment as we should be, was set in the minds of working class families up and down Scotland.
Our image problem means that, no matter how progressive, radical, transformative and popular our policy platform is, there are sections of the electorate who refuse to give us a hearing. And it does not allow us to break through the constitutional wrangling that suits both the SNP and Tories electorally.
The time is now to recognise this problem and fix it. Since the 2014 referendum Scottish Labour has had four leaders and four deputy leaders. We certainly do not need another leader, as that will fix nothing. In fact, wouldn’t it be a novel idea to give our leader Richard Leonard the time to rebuild the party with the support of a united party? But we do have another deputy leadership contest. And that has presented an opportunity to take a very different approach that addresses our party’s image problem.
There is talent across the Labour movement amongst our councillors, activists, co-operators and trade unionists. But too many of their talents have not been recognised by a party that has placed political power in the parliamentary groups. Each and every one of the eight holders of the leadership roles since 2014 have been parliamentarians. Until now.
Matt, as an active trade unionist and councillor, offers different answers to the problems that we have failed to address. He represents an opportunity to rebrand how the Scottish Labour Party looks and feels to voters – being the catalyst for a new generation of leaders, from across our whole movement, that will allow us again to get a fair hearing on policy and values from an electorate who have repeatedly rejected the same party establishment over the last few decades.
Matt’s opponent purports to be the ‘change candidate’ in this contest, but the hard and fast fact is that Jackie Baillie has been a senior MSP for 21 years, built into the brick work of a Scottish parliamentary group that has reduced in size at every election. Not only was she a supporter of Better Together but in fact a Director of it. The notion that we can present Jackie as ‘change’ is fallacy. It would not represent change, it would be more of the same and do nothing to repair our image problem.
I am fed up of losing. And so are our members. I know the difference that Labour can make in power because I do it every day as a Labour council Leader. And our members want us back in power so that we can start making a difference to peoples lives across the country.
We will only be able to do that if we can reconnect with communities and rebuild trust in our party; if the party is united in fighting for our cause not indulging in the leaks and briefing culture that has emanated for too long from the upper echelons of the party and parliamentary group. Only Matt can help us achieve that, more of the same just won’t cut it.
This is not the left-right contest that so many Labour leadership contests are dubbed. This is a status quo or fresh future contest. It can fix our image problem, build up the fragile confidence of our membership, remind people that it is Labour that has the vision for a better Scotland and better world and in so doing reconnect our party with the communities we seek to represent and give our movement back a Scottish Labour Party that they are unashamedly proud to be a part of.
For these reasons, the Scottish deputy leadership election is even more important than the UK leadership contests. Regardless of who is the UK leader, they will not get a hearing from the Scottish public if Scottish Labour does not change. And Labour cannot win a general election without Scotland. I would urge party members, councillors and affiliated supporters to vote for a fresh future for Scottish Labour and campaign, support and vote for Matt Kerr.


labourlist--2020-02-10--Human rights and austerity – Chakrabarti’s speech to Labour North West conference

Below is the full text of a speech delivered by Shami Chakrabarti at the Labour North West conference .
Friends , it is a privilege to return to this Labour North West Regional conference , even in such dark times .
Having spoken to so many fellow members and activists since the general election .
I know that the result felt to so many of us like a death in the family .
And not just because of our hopes , dreams , values and labours for a different outcome , but because we know as surely as night follows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government is literally shortening the lives and diminishing the life chances of millions of people in our country and even beyond it .
We didn ’ t come into this struggle to be ‘ players ’ on a stage or on a pitch , seeking ‘ control ’ of a ball or a scene or glory for ourselves .
We are in this movement to win and share power , opportunity , peace and sustainability .
The yearning for dignity for all people everywhere is a light that never goes out and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , dust ourselves down , brighten and offer that light with urgency .
Too many in Britain ’ s political commentariat – too much of it based in London – have come to read and sound more like sports commentators or drama critics .
You know , I even went to a TV studio on election night to find a well-known sports presenter in charge of the results .
Their analysis is based purely on who is up and down in the polls , in and out of high office , cocky or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grasp of competing ideas and policies , let alone the needs , challenges and aspirations of ordinary people is sketchy at best and whilst they relish the power and influence that they attempt with their withering verdicts on our struggles , how often do you see them admit that far from being impartial expert observers in our politics they are key protagonists ?
Compare for example , the constant and anxious scrutiny of our internal discipline , disputes and arguments – not that we have always helped ourselves – with their relaxed attitude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misogyny , racism and climate change denial , his illegal shut-down of parliament , purge of more liberal Tories and threats to our independent judiciary .
Yet how has the media been rewarded for its attacks on Labour and light-touch scrutiny of the Conservatives before and during the election campaign ?
With ministerial boycotts of flag-ship political programmes , threats to the licence fee and just last week , the bizarre and chilling spectacle of political journalists being segregated at a No .
10 briefing , with the less than friendly outlets sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occasion and in a rare example of something approaching solidarity , their more favoured colleagues left with them .
I take no pleasure in this morality tale but merely point out that whilst any school-age child can warn about the dangers of giving in to bullies , some of our most established news outlets have been much later to this lesson , and their slowness has come at a price .
For whilst my topic today is “ austerity and human rights ” , before even the fight for human rights comes the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rule of law .
Without these basic foundations of contemporary civilisation – including a robust independent judiciary , free and pluralistic media beyond the domination of either global corporate giants or the governments they too often influence or control , all other human rights struggles will be so much harder to address .
That means that in the months and years ahead , we are going to have to be the bigger people and movement that we are , and fight to defend the rights of people and institutions that have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us .
But I know we will do this in pursuit of our values and of the kind of society and planet that all people deserve .
Even the most so-called “ liberal conservative ” or “ liberal liberal ” has a rather narrow view of the rights of people .
They supposedly support freedom from torture but turn a blind eye to the degradation and inhumanity perpetrated by shameful levels of poverty in one of the wealthiest nations on Earth .
They talk a good game about ‘ modern-day slavery ’ , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it or to give safe haven to its victims .
And they have nothing at all to say about the modern day servitude of zero hours contracts and the poverty wages that drive hard-working people to food banks as – according to Joseph Rowntree ’ s Report of last week – we experience the highest levels of in-work poverty on record .
It ’ s enough to make you weep , make you angry – but how much better that we put tears and anger aside , unite and organise to offer a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future .
In recent years , too many people have taken their own lives or died of starvation in the face of inhuman treatment at the hands of the DWP .
An internal investigation by that very department last year looked at the case of 64 year-old Liverpudlian Stephen Smith .
In 2017 and despite many terrible illnesses and weighing just six stone , he was denied benefits .
He died last April .
The investigation talks about “ missing crucial safeguarding opportunities ” .
We might better call it “ social murder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard the Tories invoking public safety .
“ The first job of government is to keep people safe ” .
That ’ s true enough .
But safety isn ’ t just required from a bullying state or from abusive fellow citizens .
A supportive community and country keeps its vulnerable people safe from starvation and ill-health as well .
The NHS is perhaps the greatest democratic socialist experiment in world history .
For many years it created a practical right to a reasonable standard of healthcare envied all over the world .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ brand that even the Tories – who let ’ s not forget voted against its creation – could only whisper against it in private and privatise and dismantle it by stealth .
They fear it so much because it is living proof of what people can do when they come together to provide rewarding work for people from all over the world who want to contribute here and world-class healthcare for people here on the basis of need and not means or greed .
It demonstrates that another way of living and working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quietly and over time with all platitudes to the contrary .
NHS A & E staff now openly speak of the “ despair , anguish , anger and frustration ” that they feel in their work with insufficient resources to give their patients proper care , with sick people waiting for hours on trolleys in the depths of winter and to our national shame .
And if a right to reasonable healthcare is too rich for blue Tory blood , how do they justify their record of the last ten years on law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a more important role for government than keeping people safe from sexual and violent offences ?
Human rights defenders all over the world will tell you that a key indicator of the rule of law breaking down is when rapists escape with impunity and victims fear that coming forward is a painful and degrading waste of time .
So how appalling that whilst Boris Johnson stands in front of rows of uniformed police as part of his election PR , women ’ s groups speak of rape being effectively de-criminalised with the lowest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are being treated as criminals with their mobile phones taken in the police station and Government guidance warning against life-saving therapy .
Waiting times between complaint and charge have increased by 140 per cent since 2010 and we now have a Prime Minister who thinks that resources should not be “ spaffed up the wall ” on historic child abuse inquiries .
Next week the government is poised to introduce emergency legislation to prevent the early release of some convicted terrorists .
Make no mistake , if there is an emergency , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own making .
It is the emergency of our over-stuffed under-staffed prisons , many almost controlled by dangerous offenders and where prisoners are very likely to leave more dangerous than when they entered .
It is the emergency of a criminal justice system on its knees , of crumbling courts and of prisons and probation run for private profit not public safety .
Labour will engage constructively with any new sentencing proposals but we will not let this government off the hook for the double-speak and distraction of attacking judges , lawyers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can keep our people safe on the cheap .
No new legislation will work without massive re-investment in our criminal justice system and political accountability that can not be farmed out to Serco and G4S .
And contrary to the spin of his henchmen , Boris Johnson didn ’ t just arrive from outer-space , he has been at the heart of the Conservative leadership during the last decade of failure .
It ’ s just that now he has his name on the notepaper and we know where he lives .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found both solidarity and renewed energy at this conference .
We are , after all , those strange people who occasionally forsake the football and the family , the shopping and the work to come together in this wider family and work that we share .
For we are a movement of yes of visionaries , but of working and practical people most of all .
So please leave today with fire in your belly and hope in your heart and spread that fire and especially that hope in all you do .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ – That perches in the soul – And sings the tune without the words – And never stops – at all – And sweetest – in the gale – is heard – And sore must be the storm – That could abash the little bird That kept so many warm – I ’ ve heard it in the chillest land – And on the strangest sea – Yet – never – in extremity , It asked a crumb of me .
”

Below is the full text of a speech delivered by Shami Chakrabarti at the Labour North West conference.
Friends, it is a privilege to return to this Labour North West Regional conference, even in such dark times. Having spoken to so many fellow members and activists since the general election. I know that the result felt to so many of us like a death in the family. And not just because of our hopes, dreams, values and labours for a different outcome, but because we know as surely as night follows day that a far-right Boris Johnson-led Tory government is literally shortening the lives and diminishing the life chances of millions of people in our country and even beyond it.
We didn’t come into this struggle to be ‘players’ on a stage or on a pitch, seeking ‘control’ of a ball or a scene or glory for ourselves. We are in this movement to win and share power, opportunity, peace and sustainability. The yearning for dignity for all people everywhere is a light that never goes out and it is our duty to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down, brighten and offer that light with urgency.
Too many in Britain’s political commentariat – too much of it based in London – have come to read and sound more like sports commentators or drama critics. You know, I even went to a TV studio on election night to find a well-known sports presenter in charge of the results.
Their analysis is based purely on who is up and down in the polls, in and out of high office, cocky or hesitant in ‘performance’. Their grasp of competing ideas and policies, let alone the needs, challenges and aspirations of ordinary people is sketchy at best and whilst they relish the power and influence that they attempt with their withering verdicts on our struggles, how often do you see them admit that far from being impartial expert observers in our politics they are key protagonists?
Compare for example, the constant and anxious scrutiny of our internal discipline, disputes and arguments – not that we have always helped ourselves – with their relaxed attitude to Johnson’s personal history of misogyny, racism and climate change denial, his illegal shut-down of parliament, purge of more liberal Tories and threats to our independent judiciary.
Yet how has the media been rewarded for its attacks on Labour and light-touch scrutiny of the Conservatives before and during the election campaign? With ministerial boycotts of flag-ship political programmes, threats to the licence fee and just last week, the bizarre and chilling spectacle of political journalists being segregated at a No. 10 briefing, with the less than friendly outlets sent packing. At least, on this occasion and in a rare example of something approaching solidarity, their more favoured colleagues left with them.
I take no pleasure in this morality tale but merely point out that whilst any school-age child can warn about the dangers of giving in to bullies, some of our most established news outlets have been much later to this lesson, and their slowness has come at a price. For whilst my topic today is “austerity and human rights”, before even the fight for human rights comes the need for an open democracy based upon the rule of law.
Without these basic foundations of contemporary civilisation – including a robust independent judiciary, free and pluralistic media beyond the domination of either global corporate giants or the governments they too often influence or control, all other human rights struggles will be so much harder to address. That means that in the months and years ahead, we are going to have to be the bigger people and movement that we are, and fight to defend the rights of people and institutions that have been far from kind or even fair to us. But I know we will do this in pursuit of our values and of the kind of society and planet that all people deserve.
Even the most so-called “liberal conservative” or “liberal liberal” has a rather narrow view of the rights of people. They supposedly support freedom from torture but turn a blind eye to the degradation and inhumanity perpetrated by shameful levels of poverty in one of the wealthiest nations on Earth. They talk a good game about ‘modern-day slavery’, whilst failing to invest in enforcement against it or to give safe haven to its victims. And they have nothing at all to say about the modern day servitude of zero hours contracts and the poverty wages that drive hard-working people to food banks as – according to Joseph Rowntree’s Report of last week – we experience the highest levels of in-work poverty on record.
It’s enough to make you weep, make you angry – but how much better that we put tears and anger aside, unite and organise to offer a clearer alternative vision of hope in the future.
In recent years, too many people have taken their own lives or died of starvation in the face of inhuman treatment at the hands of the DWP. An internal investigation by that very department last year looked at the case of 64 year-old Liverpudlian Stephen Smith. In 2017 and despite many terrible illnesses and weighing just six stone, he was denied benefits. He died last April. The investigation talks about “missing crucial safeguarding opportunities”. We might better call it “social murder”.
How many times have you heard the Tories invoking public safety. “The first job of government is to keep people safe”. That’s true enough. But safety isn’t just required from a bullying state or from abusive fellow citizens. A supportive community and country keeps its vulnerable people safe from starvation and ill-health as well.
The NHS is perhaps the greatest democratic socialist experiment in world history. For many years it created a practical right to a reasonable standard of healthcare envied all over the world. It became such a cherished and trusted brand that even the Tories – who let’s not forget voted against its creation – could only whisper against it in private and privatise and dismantle it by stealth.
They fear it so much because it is living proof of what people can do when they come together to provide rewarding work for people from all over the world who want to contribute here and world-class healthcare for people here on the basis of need and not means or greed. It demonstrates that another way of living and working is possible and so they undermine it quietly and over time with all platitudes to the contrary.
NHS A&E staff now openly speak of the “despair, anguish, anger and frustration” that they feel in their work with insufficient resources to give their patients proper care, with sick people waiting for hours on trolleys in the depths of winter and to our national shame.
And if a right to reasonable healthcare is too rich for blue Tory blood, how do they justify their record of the last ten years on law and order? And what could be a more important role for government than keeping people safe from sexual and violent offences? Human rights defenders all over the world will tell you that a key indicator of the rule of law breaking down is when rapists escape with impunity and victims fear that coming forward is a painful and degrading waste of time. So how appalling that whilst Boris Johnson stands in front of rows of uniformed police as part of his election PR, women’s groups speak of rape being effectively de-criminalised with the lowest conviction rates on record.
Vulnerable complainants are being treated as criminals with their mobile phones taken in the police station and Government guidance warning against life-saving therapy. Waiting times between complaint and charge have increased by 140 per cent since 2010 and we now have a Prime Minister who thinks that resources should not be “spaffed up the wall” on historic child abuse inquiries.
Next week the government is poised to introduce emergency legislation to prevent the early release of some convicted terrorists. Make no mistake, if there is an emergency, it is one of this government’s own making. It is the emergency of our over-stuffed under-staffed prisons, many almost controlled by dangerous offenders and where prisoners are very likely to leave more dangerous than when they entered.
It is the emergency of a criminal justice system on its knees, of crumbling courts and of prisons and probation run for private profit not public safety. Labour will engage constructively with any new sentencing proposals but we will not let this government off the hook for the double-speak and distraction of attacking judges, lawyers and human rights values whilst they pretend you can keep our people safe on the cheap.
No new legislation will work without massive re-investment in our criminal justice system and political accountability that cannot be farmed out to Serco and G4S. And contrary to the spin of his henchmen, Boris Johnson didn’t just arrive from outer-space, he has been at the heart of the Conservative leadership during the last decade of failure. It’s just that now he has his name on the notepaper and we know where he lives.
In tough times I hope that you have found both solidarity and renewed energy at this conference. We are, after all, those strange people who occasionally forsake the football and the family, the shopping and the work to come together in this wider family and work that we share. For we are a movement of yes of visionaries, but of working and practical people most of all. So please leave today with fire in your belly and hope in your heart and spread that fire and especially that hope in all you do.
“Hope is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –
And sweetest – in the gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm –
I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest sea –
Yet – never – in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.”
Thanks for listening.


labourlist--2020-02-11--Christians on the Left nominates Starmer and Rayner in leadership races

The Labour-affiliated group Christians on the Left has nominated Keir Starmer to be the next Labour leader and Angela Rayner as deputy .
The organisation ’ s officers held a meeting last month in which they decided to ballot their whole membership .
Members voted online between January 24th and February 7th , with the result being announced today .
Commenting on the nomination , the director of Christians on the Left Louise Davies said : “ Many of our members are active in the Labour Party and want to see a Labour government implementing Labour policies .
Nominating the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way we are involved .
“ We need to rebuild relationships within the party and between the party and the country .
Christians on the Left will be part of those conversations .
We encourage Christians who support the Labour Party to join us to help make a difference.
” Turnout for the ballot of the organisation ’ s membership was 37 % , which saw a total of 830 members cast a vote in the process .
On ahead of the vote , the chair of the group Jonathan Reynolds MP said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be involved in this process , which is why we balloted them rather than decide centrally .
Keir and Angela will make an excellent leader and deputy leader .
“ The final decision will be up to Labour members and supporters , and Christians on the Left will support and encourage whoever is elected.
” The group is one of the longest standing affiliates to the Labour Party and its membership includes peers , MPs , councillors and members .
The organisation chose not to nominate a candidate in either the 2015 or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership hopeful needs nominations from 5 % of constituency Labour parties – a total of 33 – or from three affiliates , including two trade unions , comprising 5 % of affiliated membership .
Starmer and Rayner have already received the required nominations , through both the local party and affiliate route , to make it onto the ballot in their respective races .
The only candidate who has not yet secured her place in the final round of the leadership contest is Emily Thornberry .
The deadline for CLPs and affiliated organisations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contests is February 14th .

The Labour-affiliated group Christians on the Left has nominated Keir Starmer to be the next Labour leader and Angela Rayner as deputy.
The organisation’s officers held a meeting last month in which they decided to ballot their whole membership.
Members voted online between January 24th and February 7th, with the result being announced today.
Commenting on the nomination, the director of Christians on the Left Louise Davies said: “Many of our members are active in the Labour Party and want to see a Labour government implementing Labour policies. Nominating the leader and deputy leader is just one way we are involved.
“We need to rebuild relationships within the party and between the party and the country. Christians on the Left will be part of those conversations. We encourage Christians who support the Labour Party to join us to help make a difference.”
Turnout for the ballot of the organisation’s membership was 37%, which saw a total of 830 members cast a vote in the process.
On ahead of the vote, the chair of the group Jonathan Reynolds MP said: “We wanted our members to be involved in this process, which is why we balloted them rather than decide centrally. Keir and Angela will make an excellent leader and deputy leader.
“The final decision will be up to Labour members and supporters, and Christians on the Left will support and encourage whoever is elected.”
The group is one of the longest standing affiliates to the Labour Party and its membership includes peers, MPs, councillors and members.
The organisation chose not to nominate a candidate in either the 2015 or the 2016 Labour leadership contests.
Each leadership hopeful needs nominations from 5% of constituency Labour parties – a total of 33 – or from three affiliates, including two trade unions, comprising 5% of affiliated membership.
Starmer and Rayner have already received the required nominations, through both the local party and affiliate route, to make it onto the ballot in their respective races.
The only candidate who has not yet secured her place in the final round of the leadership contest is Emily Thornberry.
The deadline for CLPs and affiliated organisations to submit their nominations in the leadership contests is February 14th.


labourlist--2020-02-11--New polling on Labour’s 2019 defeat reveals scale of task ahead for party

A new poll released by Tory peer Lord Ashcroft into the reasons why Labour lost the last election has revealed the extent of the challenge facing the party .
The research revealed that defectors from Labour thought the top reasons for the defeat included Brexit , Jeremy Corbyn and that the party no longer representing its traditional voters .
Respondents were asked to identify , on a scale of one to ten , how important a number of selected factors were in explaining the outcome for Labour .
People who switched from Labour to Tory at the last election ranked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not being an appealing leader received a rating of 7.6 .
Other factors included divisions with the Labour Party ( 7 ) , that the party no longer represented its traditional support base ( 6.9 ) and that Labour ’ s election promises were unbelievable ( 6.7 ) .
Of five statements about the party , the one that respondents most agreed with was that Labour “ never really understood why so many people voted to leave the EU ” .
More than two thirds of all voters agreed with the above , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the voters that defected to the Tories in the election .
Among voters generally , Corbyn was listed as the top reason for the party ’ s defeat in last December ’ s general election with a score of 7.7 .
75 % of people who switched to from Labour to Tory in 2019 cited not wanting Corbyn as a Prime Minister as a reason and this was closely followed by Brexit , given as a reason by 73 % .
More than half of this group of voters said that they previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as their party , but did not anymore .
The top five reasons given by Labour members were : Brexit ( 8.7 ) ; negative coverage in the media ( 8.4 ) ; that voters believed Conservative lies ( 8.1 ) ; the electorate didn ’ t understand what was at stake and what a Tory government would mean for them ( 7.7 ) ; and voters ’ bigoted views about race and immigration ( 6.9 ) .
When asked why those who voted Labour did so , the most frequently given reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was that they did not want a Conservative government .
The NHS ranked second highest at 63 % , while wanting a second referendum on Brexit was selected as a reason by only 40 % of people .
The research commissioned by the former chairman of the Conservative Party surveyed a total of over 10,000 voters and more than 1,000 Labour Party members .

A new poll released by Tory peer Lord Ashcroft into the reasons why Labour lost the last election has revealed the extent of the challenge facing the party.
The research revealed that defectors from Labour thought the top reasons for the defeat included Brexit, Jeremy Corbyn and that the party no longer representing its traditional voters.
Respondents were asked to identify, on a scale of one to ten, how important a number of selected factors were in explaining the outcome for Labour.
People who switched from Labour to Tory at the last election ranked Brexit top at 7.8 while Jeremy Corbyn not being an appealing leader received a rating of 7.6.
Other factors included divisions with the Labour Party (7), that the party no longer represented its traditional support base (6.9) and that Labour’s election promises were unbelievable (6.7).
Of five statements about the party, the one that respondents most agreed with was that Labour “never really understood why so many people voted to leave the EU”.
More than two thirds of all voters agreed with the above, including nearly nine out of ten of the voters that defected to the Tories in the election.
Among voters generally, Corbyn was listed as the top reason for the party’s defeat in last December’s general election with a score of 7.7.
75% of people who switched to from Labour to Tory in 2019 cited not wanting Corbyn as a Prime Minister as a reason and this was closely followed by Brexit, given as a reason by 73%.
More than half of this group of voters said that they previously identified as Labour or thought of them as their party, but did not anymore.
The top five reasons given by Labour members were: Brexit (8.7); negative coverage in the media (8.4); that voters believed Conservative lies (8.1); the electorate didn’t understand what was at stake and what a Tory government would mean for them (7.7); and voters’ bigoted views about race and immigration (6.9).
When asked why those who voted Labour did so, the most frequently given reason – by 71% of people – was that they did not want a Conservative government.
The NHS ranked second highest at 63%, while wanting a second referendum on Brexit was selected as a reason by only 40% of people.
The research commissioned by the former chairman of the Conservative Party surveyed a total of over 10,000 voters and more than 1,000 Labour Party members.


labourlist--2020-02-11--The government is not sorry for the Windrush scandal, or willing to learn any lessons

“ When will black lives matter once again ?
” This was the challenge from David Lammy yesterday as he confronted the government on plans to deport a plane full of people before having published the outcome of the ‘ lessons learned ’ review into Windrush .
We are just two years on from the injustice that saw 164 people detained and deported , and a further 5,000 denied access to support from public services to which they were entitled .
Following that revelation – that the Home Office had been removing British citizens from the country – the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But this has not yet been published and the question is , then , why has the government started them again ?
A leak of the unpublished report stated that the government should review the practice of deportation .
This , just days before the Jamaica flight was due to take place .
Over 170 cross-party MPs and Lords subsequently signed a letter calling for the halt of the flight until the lessons learned review had been made public and the recommendations received .
Yesterday evening , a last-minute court order ruled that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deported as they had not been able to access legal advice .
The judge said they could only be deported if the Home Office could confirm that they had “ access to a functioning , non-O2 Sim card on or before February 3 ” .
This did not stop the government however , which continued despite the ruling .
It is unclear who exactly was on the flight that left the country this morning .
But we do know that those the department planned to deport included people who have lived in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country and were children themselves when they arrived here .
Contrary to what the government has said , they are not a collection of dangerous criminals – lots are convicted only of minor , non-violent drug offences , while others may be from Windrush families .
The deportation today is just the latest in a string of actions from this new government that reveals a cruelly racist approach to immigration and citizenship .
The Tories recently voted down protections for unaccompanied child refugees , pulling the UK out of its commitment to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And it really says it all that the government has decided to push on with today ’ s deportations without having first finished the review into the biggest indictment of the practice : this is a government that simply does not care .
Despite this , the Tories have made much of their plans to reorganise our immigration system post-Brexit .
Johnson has promised a fairer , “ Australian-style points-based system ” while talking about various ‘ special ’ visas for certain professionals to come to the UK .
We don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but we can be pretty certain that it will be driven by the same callous and racist attitude that saw the government deport a group of people this morning , before waiting for the outcome of their own lessons learned review .
The challenge for the next Labour leader will be to confront this , and lay bare the fallacy that this is a liberal , ‘ one nation ’ Conservative government .
Today ’ s actions are not ones of a government sorry for the mistakes of Windrush , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us away from the hostile environment .
Sign up to LabourList ’ s morning email for everything Labour , every weekday morning .

“When will black lives matter once again?” This was the challenge from David Lammy yesterday as he confronted the government on plans to deport a plane full of people before having published the outcome of the ‘lessons learned’ review into Windrush. We are just two years on from the injustice that saw 164 people detained and deported, and a further 5,000 denied access to support from public services to which they were entitled. Following that revelation – that the Home Office had been removing British citizens from the country – the government halted deportations and commissioned an investigation. But this has not yet been published and the question is, then, why has the government started them again?
A leak of the unpublished report stated that the government should review the practice of deportation. This, just days before the Jamaica flight was due to take place. Over 170 cross-party MPs and Lords subsequently signed a letter calling for the halt of the flight until the lessons learned review had been made public and the recommendations received. Yesterday evening, a last-minute court order ruled that many of the detainees could not be deported as they had not been able to access legal advice. The judge said they could only be deported if the Home Office could confirm that they had “access to a functioning, non-O2 Sim card on or before February 3”. This did not stop the government however, which continued despite the ruling. It is unclear who exactly was on the flight that left the country this morning.
But we do know that those the department planned to deport included people who have lived in the UK for decades, have children in the country and were children themselves when they arrived here. Contrary to what the government has said, they are not a collection of dangerous criminals – lots are convicted only of minor, non-violent drug offences, while others may be from Windrush families. The deportation today is just the latest in a string of actions from this new government that reveals a cruelly racist approach to immigration and citizenship. The Tories recently voted down protections for unaccompanied child refugees, pulling the UK out of its commitment to take vulnerable children asking for our protection. And it really says it all that the government has decided to push on with today’s deportations without having first finished the review into the biggest indictment of the practice: this is a government that simply does not care.
Despite this, the Tories have made much of their plans to reorganise our immigration system post-Brexit. Johnson has promised a fairer, “Australian-style points-based system” while talking about various ‘special’ visas for certain professionals to come to the UK. We don’t know what this will look like, but we can be pretty certain that it will be driven by the same callous and racist attitude that saw the government deport a group of people this morning, before waiting for the outcome of their own lessons learned review. The challenge for the next Labour leader will be to confront this, and lay bare the fallacy that this is a liberal, ‘one nation’ Conservative government. Today’s actions are not ones of a government sorry for the mistakes of Windrush, and it is not an administration that will move us away from the hostile environment. Sign up to LabourList’s morning email for everything Labour, every weekday morning.


labourlist--2020-02-12--32% of jobs in ‘red wall’ seats at risk of automation by early 2030s

32 % of all jobs in ‘ red wall ’ constituencies won by the Tories from Labour in the last election are estimated to be at risk of automation by the early 2030s .
A report by Future Advocacy has said that eight million jobs are at risk of automation over the next ten years and it has called on the government to protect communities .
The think tank estimated that 27 % of jobs are vulnerable nationally with the greatest loses expected in retail , manufacturing and transport .
The research shows that the impact of automation will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country with an uneven distribution of job losses .
1.2 million jobs in retail are thought to be at risk , with a further 1.1 million in manufacturing and 800,000 in transport .
A researcher at the think tank Anna Pick said : “ The task of ‘ levelling up ’ Britain is only going to be made harder by the oncoming decade of automation .
Our report projects that almost a third of existing jobs could be automated by 2030 .
“ We must ensure that communities , particularly those in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the North of England , do not suffer as a result .
The government needs to double down on efforts to create jobs , boost skills , and improve infrastructure.
” A recent review by the committee on standards in public life investigated the way in which artificial intelligence and automation will change the way in which public services are delivered .
The Labour-affiliated union Unite criticised the report for a failure to examine and discuss the threat that the phenomena pose to public sectors jobs .
Analysis previously commissioned by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and local authorities are at a high risk of automation .
An executive officer for Unite , Sharon Graham said : “ A report on robots in the public sector has forgotten about the humans .
It ’ s astounding that an in-depth report on artificial intelligence and ethics in the public sector has been produced without any consideration of the risk new technologies could have on public sector workers ’ livelihoods .
“ There are over five million workers employed in the public sector including the NHS and local authorities where many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ automation .
“ Unite is developing a political and industrial strategy to build a future that works .
New technology is going to generate a lot of opportunities but there are also threats .
We will fight to make sure the benefits are shared and used to do things that help public sector workers and their families , such as reducing working time without loss of pay.
” Research suggests that the impact of job automation will not be equal across different demographics within the population .
A report by the office for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 70 % of those jobs considered vulnerable to automation were held by women .
In addition to this younger people are significantly more likely to be in employment expected to be more heavily affected by automation over the next few years .
Some industries have already seen significant impact .
Between 2011 and 2017 , reporting from the ONS revealed that 25.3 % of supermarket checkout disappeared .
Various companies are experimenting with increasingly automated models – Amazon , for example , has been trialling shops that operate without any staff .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found here : Automation and Britains New Political Landscape – Future Advocacy

32% of all jobs in ‘red wall’ constituencies won by the Tories from Labour in the last election are estimated to be at risk of automation by the early 2030s.
A report by Future Advocacy has said that eight million jobs are at risk of automation over the next ten years and it has called on the government to protect communities.
The think tank estimated that 30% of jobs are vulnerable nationally with the greatest loses expected in retail, manufacturing and transport.
The research shows that the impact of automation will be felt differently across the various regions in the country with an uneven distribution of job losses.
1.2 million jobs in retail are thought to be at risk, with a further 1.1 million in manufacturing and 800,000 in transport.
A researcher at the think tank Anna Pick said: “The task of ‘levelling up’ Britain is only going to be made harder by the oncoming decade of automation. Our report projects that almost a third of existing jobs could be automated by 2030.
“We must ensure that communities, particularly those in towns and rural areas across the Midlands and the North of England, do not suffer as a result. The government needs to double down on efforts to create jobs, boost skills, and improve infrastructure.”
A recent review by the committee on standards in public life investigated the way in which artificial intelligence and automation will change the way in which public services are delivered.
The Labour-affiliated union Unite criticised the report for a failure to examine and discuss the threat that the phenomena pose to public sectors jobs.
Analysis previously commissioned by the trade union found that employment in health and local authorities are at a high risk of automation.
An executive officer for Unite, Sharon Graham said: “A report on robots in the public sector has forgotten about the humans. It’s astounding that an in-depth report on artificial intelligence and ethics in the public sector has been produced without any consideration of the risk new technologies could have on public sector workers’ livelihoods.
“There are over five million workers employed in the public sector including the NHS and local authorities where many jobs are at a high risk of automation.
“Unite is developing a political and industrial strategy to build a future that works. New technology is going to generate a lot of opportunities but there are also threats. We will fight to make sure the benefits are shared and used to do things that help public sector workers and their families, such as reducing working time without loss of pay.”
Research suggests that the impact of job automation will not be equal across different demographics within the population.
A report by the office for national statistics in 2017 demonstrated that over 70% of those jobs considered vulnerable to automation were held by women.
In addition to this younger people are significantly more likely to be in employment expected to be more heavily affected by automation over the next few years.
Some industries have already seen significant impact. Between 2011 and 2017, reporting from the ONS revealed that 25.3% of supermarket checkout disappeared.
Various companies are experimenting with increasingly automated models – Amazon, for example, has been trialling shops that operate without any staff.
The full report from Future Advocacy can be found here: Automation and Britains New Political Landscape – Future Advocacy


labourlist--2020-02-11--Starmer announces he would keep Labour pledge to scrap tuition fees

Keir Starmer has announced that he will maintain Labour ’ s current commitment to scrap university tuition fees if elected to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as the next party leader .
The pledge on is one of ten promises that the MP for Holborn and St Pancras will be unveiling ahead of the BBC Newsnight hustings being held on Wednesday evening .
The frontrunner in Labour ’ s leadership race will also be calling on the Conservative government to restore maintenance grants for students in further and higher education .
Commenting on the promise , Starmer said : “ Under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young people are leaving with university with nearly £60,000 worth of debt .
Let ’ s be blunt : we need to end the scandal of spiralling student debt .
“ Young people can not wait another four years for a Labour government to tackle this issue .
That is why I would urge the Chancellor to use next month ’ s budget to invest in the next generation by restoring maintenance grants for students in further and higher education .
“ At the same time , ministers should set out robust plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support vocational training and lifelong learning for people who choose not to go to university.
” The full set of pledges as listed by Starmer ’ s campaign include : • Economic justice : Increase income tax for the top 5 % of earners , reverse cuts to corporation tax and clamp down on tax avoidance .
• Social justice : Abolish universal credit and the welfare sanctions regime , set a wellbeing goal and prioritise it equally with GDP , stand up for universal services , defend the NHS and scrap university @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A green new deal , introduce a Clean Air Act to tackle pollution locally and demand international action on climate rights .
• Promote peace and human rights : No more illegal wars , introduce a Prevention of Military Intervention Act , put human rights at the heart of foreign policy and review all UK arms sales .
• Common ownership : Support common ownership of rail , mail , energy and water , end outsourcing in our NHS , local government and justice system .
• Defend migrants ’ rights : Full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedom of movement post-Brexit , create an immigration system based on dignity and compassion , end indefinite detention and call for the closure of centres such as Yarl ’ s Wood .
• Strengthen workers ’ rights and trade unions : Work with trade unions , tackle insecure work and low pay , repeal the Trade Union Act , oppose Tory attacks on workers ’ rights .
• Devolve power , wealth and opportunity : Introduce a federal system , including a regional investment bank and control over regional industrial strategy , abolish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with an elected chamber .
• Equality Act : Remove obstacles to limit opportunities and talent by building on the achievements of the party , which include the Equal Pay Act , Sure Start , BAME representation and the abolition of Section 28 .
• Provide effective opposition to the Tories : Provide “ forensic ” opposition to the government linked with the membership and a “ professional election operation ” , unite the party , promote pluralism and improve the party ’ s culture , take robust action to eradicate antisemitism and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labour vowed to abolish university tuition fees in the 2017 general election , and did the same in 2019 .
They were first introduced under New Labour in 1998 , with students initially paying £1,000 per year .
Fees can now be set at rates going up to £9,250 annually , following changes introduced by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government in 2010 .
Around £16bn is loaned to approximately one million students a year in England and the value of outstanding loans at the end of March 2019 stood at £121bn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of outstanding student debt will reach £450bn by 2050 , while the average amount of debt for a student who finished studying in 2018 was £36,000 .

Keir Starmer has announced that he will maintain Labour’s current commitment to scrap university tuition fees if elected to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as the next party leader.
The pledge is one of ten promises that the MP for Holborn and St Pancras will be unveiling ahead of the BBC Newsnight hustings being held on Wednesday evening.
The frontrunner in Labour’s leadership race will also be calling on the Conservative government to restore maintenance grants for students in further and higher education.
Commenting on the promise, Starmer said: “Under the Tories, tuition fees have tripled and young people are leaving with university with nearly £60,000 worth of debt. Let’s be blunt: we need to end the scandal of spiralling student debt.
“Young people cannot wait another four years for a Labour government to tackle this issue. That is why I would urge the Chancellor to use next month’s budget to invest in the next generation by restoring maintenance grants for students in further and higher education.
“At the same time, ministers should set out robust plans for how they intend to invest and support vocational training and lifelong learning for people who choose not to go to university.”
The full set of pledges as listed by Starmer’s campaign include:
Economic justice: Increase income tax for the top 5% of earners, reverse cuts to corporation tax and clamp down on tax avoidance. Social justice: Abolish universal credit and the welfare sanctions regime, set a wellbeing goal and prioritise it equally with GDP, stand up for universal services, defend the NHS and scrap university tuition fees. Climate justice: A green new deal, introduce a Clean Air Act to tackle pollution locally and demand international action on climate rights. Promote peace and human rights: No more illegal wars, introduce a Prevention of Military Intervention Act, put human rights at the heart of foreign policy and review all UK arms sales. Common ownership: Support common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water, end outsourcing in our NHS, local government and justice system. Defend migrants’ rights: Full voting rights for EU nationals, defend freedom of movement post-Brexit, create an immigration system based on dignity and compassion, end indefinite detention and call for the closure of centres such as Yarl’s Wood. Strengthen workers’ rights and trade unions: Work with trade unions, tackle insecure work and low pay, repeal the Trade Union Act, oppose Tory attacks on workers’ rights. Devolve power, wealth and opportunity: Introduce a federal system, including a regional investment bank and control over regional industrial strategy, abolish the House of Lords and replace it with an elected chamber. Equality Act: Remove obstacles to limit opportunities and talent by building on the achievements of the party, which include the Equal Pay Act, Sure Start, BAME representation and the abolition of Section 28. Provide effective opposition to the Tories: Provide “forensic” opposition to the government linked with the membership and a “professional election operation”, unite the party, promote pluralism and improve the party’s culture, take robust action to eradicate antisemitism and maintain effective links with trade unions.
Labour vowed to abolish university tuition fees in the 2017 general election, and did the same in 2019. They were first introduced under New Labour in 1998, with students initially paying £1,000 per year.
Fees can now be set at rates going up to £9,250 annually, following changes introduced by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government in 2010.
Around £16bn is loaned to approximately one million students a year in England and the value of outstanding loans at the end of March 2019 stood at £121bn.
Government figures predict that the sum of outstanding student debt will reach £450bn by 2050, while the average amount of debt for a student who finished studying in 2018 was £36,000.


labourlist--2020-02-11--Labour Party Irish Society nominates Starmer and Murray for leadership

The Labour Party Irish Society has chosen to nominate Keir Starmer and Ian Murray for Labour ’ s leadership roles @ @ @ @ @ formally affiliated to the party and therefore has nomination powers in the ongoing leadership contests @ @ @ @ @ decision , the organisation asked all leadership and deputy leadership four key questions : • @ @ @ @ @ of you having worked with the Irish community in Britain ?
• Now that we @ @ @ @ @ power-sharing government in Northern Ireland , what do you see as the most important issues @ @ @ @ @ • Do you support the work of the Historical Investigations Unit and do you support @ @ @ @ @ outstanding claim ?
• What is your view on the Labour Party standing candidates in @ @ @ @ @ can be read in full on the LPIS website .

The Labour Party Irish Society has chosen to nominate Keir Starmer and Ian Murray for Labour’s leadership roles.
The socialist society is formally affiliated to the party and therefore has nomination powers in the ongoing leadership contests.
Before making its endorsement decision, the organisation asked all leadership and deputy leadership four key questions:
What examples can you give of you having worked with the Irish community in Britain?
Now that we have seen the restoration of power-sharing government in Northern Ireland, what do you see as the most important issues for them to tackle?
Do you support the work of the Historical Investigations Unit and do you support the investigation of every single outstanding claim?
What is your view on the Labour Party standing candidates in Northern Ireland?
Their answers can be read in full on the LPIS website.


labourlist--2020-02-11--Sem Moema: Why I’m standing to be a Labour London Assembly candidate

London is my home .
It ’ s where I was born and raised , after my parents fled South Africa in the 1970s .
My mother believed that London would provide her working opportunities not available to her as a young black woman with ambition .
My father came to London as a political asylum seeker , after speaking out against apartheid .
My parents went from not being able to even vote , to seeing their daughter elected in a city they called home .
I moved to Hackney in the early 2000s after finishing university .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , going from grassroots activist campaigning for Meg Hillier MP , to representing my community as a ward councillor for seven years , to having the privilege of chairing my CLP and now standing to be a London Assembly member .
As a councillor , I have worked to tackle gun and knife crime , fought for funding for more council homes in my ward and resisted TfL ’ s bus cuts .
As a cabinet member in Hackney , I have advised Hackney ’ s mayor on private renters ’ rights , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Generation Rent and Hackney Citizens .
In all these roles I have stayed true to my own principles and to Labour values , and I will continue to as your Assembly member .
I will support the mayor of London in delivering for Londoners and hold him to account when he doesn ’ t .
The next London Assembly will need to do this while also fighting Boris Johnson ’ s continuing austerity .
Thanks to the Tories , Londoners have seen their quality of life worsen , opportunities disappear , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a result of ten years of savage , politically motivated austerity .
Nowhere is this strain more acute than where I ’ ve dedicated my career : housing .
The housing crisis hits hard at every level – from rough-sleepers , to the 8,500 households across Islington , Waltham Forest and Hackney in temporary accommodation , scant social housing , and insecure and unaffordable tenancies .
I ’ ve worked in the sector for years , campaigning nationally and locally on benefit reforms , on affordability for private renters and fighting the asset-stripping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Assembly needs to help councils to build council homes , by encouraging them to share best practice , maximising funding from the Greater London Authority ( GLA ) and releasing the GLA ’ s surplus land for genuinely affordable homes .
Regulation of private renting needs radical reform .
Families across London need more security , rights and protection from exploitative landlords .
I ’ ve championed changes to private renting in Hackney but we need London-wide reform .
On climate change , we are leading the charge here in London with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens , being established across the city .
But we need to do more .
We must oppose adding capacity for carbon-hungry modes of transport , like the proposed extra runway at Heathrow or the Silvertown Tunnel .
Instead , let ’ s continue TfL ’ s work of helping people to use cars less and travel more sustainably – by walking , cycling and using public transport .
On community safety , we can protect our communities and young people from gun and knife crime , and from low expectations , by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This radical approach has produced results in my ward in Hackney , which had been a knife crime hotspot .
I want to build on this success across London with Sadiq Khan ’ s Violence Reduction Unit .
As your Assembly member , I will push to protect Londoners from precarious employment , work with unions to bring GLA jobs and services back in-house and promote unionisation in businesses that contract with the GLA .
I will fight for Londoners who are our friends , neighbours and family and who are affected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Conservatives ’ remorseless assault on the Windrush generation and their descendants .
If we are successful in tackling the huge challenges we face in London , we will not only deliver for Londoners , but show that Labour can deliver for working people across the country .

London is my home. It’s where I was born and raised, after my parents fled South Africa in the 1970s. My mother believed that London would provide her working opportunities not available to her as a young black woman with ambition. My father came to London as a political asylum seeker, after speaking out against apartheid. My parents went from not being able to even vote, to seeing their daughter elected in a city they called home.
I moved to Hackney in the early 2000s after finishing university. It’s where I became politically active, going from grassroots activist campaigning for Meg Hillier MP, to representing my community as a ward councillor for seven years, to having the privilege of chairing my CLP and now standing to be a London Assembly member.
As a councillor, I have worked to tackle gun and knife crime, fought for funding for more council homes in my ward and resisted TfL’s bus cuts. As a cabinet member in Hackney, I have advised Hackney’s mayor on private renters’ rights, led campaigns and worked with groups such as Generation Rent and Hackney Citizens.
In all these roles I have stayed true to my own principles and to Labour values, and I will continue to as your Assembly member. I will support the mayor of London in delivering for Londoners and hold him to account when he doesn’t. The next London Assembly will need to do this while also fighting Boris Johnson’s continuing austerity.
Thanks to the Tories, Londoners have seen their quality of life worsen, opportunities disappear, and their communities placed under unbearable strain as a result of ten years of savage, politically motivated austerity. Nowhere is this strain more acute than where I’ve dedicated my career: housing.
The housing crisis hits hard at every level – from rough-sleepers, to the 8,500 households across Islington, Waltham Forest and Hackney in temporary accommodation, scant social housing, and insecure and unaffordable tenancies.
I’ve worked in the sector for years, campaigning nationally and locally on benefit reforms, on affordability for private renters and fighting the asset-stripping that is Right-to-Buy.
On housing, the Assembly needs to help councils to build council homes, by encouraging them to share best practice, maximising funding from the Greater London Authority (GLA) and releasing the GLA’s surplus land for genuinely affordable homes.
Regulation of private renting needs radical reform. Families across London need more security, rights and protection from exploitative landlords. I’ve championed changes to private renting in Hackney but we need London-wide reform.
On climate change, we are leading the charge here in London with municipal energy companies, democratically accountable to citizens, being established across the city. But we need to do more. We must oppose adding capacity for carbon-hungry modes of transport, like the proposed extra runway at Heathrow or the Silvertown Tunnel. Instead, let’s continue TfL’s work of helping people to use cars less and travel more sustainably – by walking, cycling and using public transport.
On community safety, we can protect our communities and young people from gun and knife crime, and from low expectations, by adopting a public health approach to violence. This radical approach has produced results in my ward in Hackney, which had been a knife crime hotspot. I want to build on this success across London with Sadiq Khan’s Violence Reduction Unit.
As your Assembly member, I will push to protect Londoners from precarious employment, work with unions to bring GLA jobs and services back in-house and promote unionisation in businesses that contract with the GLA.
I will fight for Londoners who are our friends, neighbours and family and who are affected by Brexit uncertainty, the hostile environment and the Conservatives’ remorseless assault on the Windrush generation and their descendants.
If we are successful in tackling the huge challenges we face in London, we will not only deliver for Londoners, but show that Labour can deliver for working people across the country.


labourlist--2020-02-11--Government should not “get a slap on the back” for HS2, Corbyn says

Jeremy Corbyn has said that the government should not “ get a slap on the back ” for announcing today that the High Speed 2 rail project is going ahead .
Responding to a statement from the government in the House of Commons , the Labour leader declared that the “ piecemeal announcements ” did not amount to a “ serious plan to rebalance the economy ” .
He suggested that the Conservative government was taking on the language of the Labour Party , but “ falling a very long way short on the substance ” .
The outgoing Labour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ railways to be brought into public ownership , saying that the case was “ unanswerable ” to improve the service and cut fares .
The government statement in the House of Commons confirmed that HS2 will go ahead , with the first phase between London and Birmingham and the second going to Manchester and Leeds .
Commenting on the announcement , Corbyn said : “ The Prime Minister laments our inadequate infrastructure , yet it ’ s his party that has been starving the country of investment for the last ten years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Europe .
“ Yet today the Prime Minister is selling his announcements as a prize for parts of the Midlands and the North .
I tell him : people in those regions , to whom he promised so much in the general election , are going to be sorely disappointed.
” He added : “ We don ’ t see why the government should get a slap on the back for announcing it is going ahead.
” The cost set out in the 2015 budget for the project was set at just under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has said it could cost more than £100bn .
Commenting on the announcement , Boris Johnson said : “ I can not say that HS2 Ltd has distinguished itself in the handling of local communities .
The cost forecasts have exploded , but poor management to date has not detracted from the fundamental value of the project.
” The Prime Minister added : “ We will , in line with the review , investigate the current costs to identify where savings can be made in phase one without a total redesign.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about HS2 , though general secretary Mick Whelan hailed it as “ long overdue ” .
Whelan said : “ This is good news – albeit long overdue , because dithering and uncertainty helps no one – because Britain needs not just a new high speed rail line but a new high speed rail network .
“ We have always argued that HS2 should run the length of the UK , being built from Scotland , and the south of England , at the same time , meeting in the middle , linking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Shaving a few minutes off the journey time from London to Birmingham – which is what its critics like to claim – was never what this project was all about .
“ It was , and is , a plan to build a better railway for Britain in the 21st century , to free up pathways for passengers and freight , and to bring prosperity to every corner of our country .
“ The project has been criticised by environment campaigners but HS2 is part of the solution to climate change – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agenda – and will mean fewer cars , fewer lorries , and fewer carbon emissions .
“ If we are serious about climate change – and want a true , integrated transport network – then HS2 has to be delivered.
” Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told parliament last year that the first trains may not run on the line until some time between 2028 and 2031 .
The second phase of the railway infrastructure project was supposed to open in 2032-33 – however this has now been postponed until 2035-40 .

Jeremy Corbyn has said that the government should not “get a slap on the back” for announcing today that the High Speed 2 rail project is going ahead.
Responding to a statement from the government in the House of Commons, the Labour leader declared that the “piecemeal announcements” did not amount to a “serious plan to rebalance the economy”.
He suggested that the Conservative government was taking on the language of the Labour Party, but “falling a very long way short on the substance”.
The outgoing Labour leader also reiterated his call for the railways to be brought into public ownership, saying that the case was “unanswerable” to improve the service and cut fares.
The government statement in the House of Commons confirmed that HS2 will go ahead, with the first phase between London and Birmingham and the second going to Manchester and Leeds.
Commenting on the announcement, Corbyn said: “The Prime Minister laments our inadequate infrastructure, yet it’s his party that has been starving the country of investment for the last ten years, resulting in the worst regional inequality in Europe.
“Yet today the Prime Minister is selling his announcements as a prize for parts of the Midlands and the North. I tell him: people in those regions, to whom he promised so much in the general election, are going to be sorely disappointed.”
He added: “We don’t see why the government should get a slap on the back for announcing it is going ahead.”
The cost set out in the 2015 budget for the project was set at just under £56bn, but the independent Oakervee review has said it could cost more than £100bn.
Commenting on the announcement, Boris Johnson said: “I cannot say that HS2 Ltd has distinguished itself in the handling of local communities. The cost forecasts have exploded, but poor management to date has not detracted from the fundamental value of the project.”
The Prime Minister added: “We will, in line with the review, investigate the current costs to identify where savings can be made in phase one without a total redesign.”
The Labour-affiliated union ASLEF has welcomed the statement about HS2, though general secretary Mick Whelan hailed it as “long overdue”.
Whelan said: “This is good news – albeit long overdue, because dithering and uncertainty helps no one – because Britain needs not just a new high speed rail line but a new high speed rail network.
“We have always argued that HS2 should run the length of the UK, being built from Scotland, and the south of England, at the same time, meeting in the middle, linking HS1, and going via Heathrow.
“Shaving a few minutes off the journey time from London to Birmingham – which is what its critics like to claim – was never what this project was all about.
“It was, and is, a plan to build a better railway for Britain in the 21st century, to free up pathways for passengers and freight, and to bring prosperity to every corner of our country.
“The project has been criticised by environment campaigners but HS2 is part of the solution to climate change – because rail is part of the green agenda – and will mean fewer cars, fewer lorries, and fewer carbon emissions.
“If we are serious about climate change – and want a true, integrated transport network – then HS2 has to be delivered.”
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told parliament last year that the first trains may not run on the line until some time between 2028 and 2031.
The second phase of the railway infrastructure project was supposed to open in 2032-33 – however this has now been postponed until 2035-40.