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Pete Willsman reports from Labour’s emergency NEC meeting

Peter Willsman reports from Labour’s emergency executive

National Executive Committee 19 April 2017

Following Theresa May’s breaking of her word on Tuesday 18 April, the NEC swung into action and had a meeting on Wednesday 19 April. It was a very upbeat and business-like meeting. Everyone was totally focused. A lot of work has already been done – the staff are really up for it. Andy Kerr was in the chair.

Leader’s Welcome

Jeremy was very enthused and has already hit the campaign trail. He gave details of today’s vote in the House of Commons, with MPs overwhelmingly voting for a General Election. (The election in Gorton will now take place on the same day as the General Election.) Jeremy stressed that most Labour voters would have never understood a vote by Labour to allow a Tory government to continue in office for another 3 years, carrying out vicious austerity policies. He emphasised the importance of getting our key messages across to the public. Jeremy pointed out that the Tories are already on the defensive – May is running scared of any TV debates.

Jeremy highlighted his original 10 pledges (see the Labour Party website) and also took the NEC through all of the policies that we have announced over the last two weeks. These have been very well received by the voters. Jeremy highlighted the fact that during the General Election campaign, the media are obliged to give Labour a fair hearing. This will of course not apply to the hostile press, but then they have always opposed Labour because their owners want to keep their hands on their power and money, and therefore totally support the Tories. Continue reading →

The theological significance of Corbyn the Messiah

It is no small thing for jocular comparisons between the leader of the Labour Party and Jesus Christ to become a staple of Twitter diatribe and broadsheet political commentary alike. Yet the notion that Jeremy Corbyn is heralded by his supporters as ‘the Messiah’ is well on its way to hardened cliche status.

Google it up. A random sample of those advancing the claim are Yasmin Alibhai-Brown,
herself an observant Muslim; former Labour MP Tom Harris and Mary Riddell in the Telegraph; Dan Hodges in the Mail; Isabel Hardman in the Spectator; and Leo McKinstry in the Express. Andrew Rawnsley freely resorts to the wisecrack in the Guardian, a publication whose website features video footage of a Corbyn rally under the caption ‘the second coming’. If only Jezza could pull off that five loaves and two fishes thing, they’d save a fortune on catering at the next Momentum conference, right? Continue reading →

The Return of David Cameron

Cameron at No 10 on BBCHe’s been gone five minutes, and already he’s poised for a comeback. According to The Indy, David Cameron is Theresa May’s nomination for the next NATO general secretary. This, according to Michael Fallon, is part of a move that would deepen Britain’s commitment to the alliance to make up for Brexit. Presumably that would involve an extra spending commitment. After all, ways have to be found for blowing that phantom Leave dividend.
Continue reading →

Prevent – Time for a major review and fundamental rethink

diane_68By Diane Abbott MP

Increasingly, the evidence is suggesting that the Government’s Prevent Strategy – aimed at countering radicalisation and making us safer – doesn’t work on either count. In recent weeks it has become clear that this is also the case when it comes to tackling the worrying rise in far-right extremism.

Commenting on the recently released figures, Security Minister Ben Wallace MP recently told the House of Commons that not only is “the Prevent strategy is seeing a growth in far-right referrals,” but that “in some areas of the country, these Prevent referrals outnumber those about the other parts we are worried about.” Continue reading →