Monthly Archives: November 2015

Hunt defeated: He withdraws plan to impose contract on junior doctors

Do not be misled – Jeremy Hunt’s agreement to withdraw his plan to impose a cruel new contract on junior doctors is an admission that he has been defeated, utterly.

Of course, operations and outpatients’ appointments have been disrupted by the Health Secretary’s stubbornness, but it seems likely that a more healthy situation could arise from today’s announcement.

But what does this mean for the Conservative Government?

George Osborne has withdrawn his plan to cut tax credits.

Jeremy Hunt has been defeated by the junior doctors.

And David Cameron cannot scrape together a Parliamentary majority for his warmongering.

And the media are still saying Labour is in crisis?

A strike by junior doctors planned for Tuesday could yet be called off after four days of talks produced what Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, called “a potential agreement” with their union.

If the British Medical Association (BMA) agrees to the deal and calls off Tuesday’s walkout, the health secretary would lift his threat to impose a new contract, which has sparked huge anger and protests among England’s 45,000 junior doctors.

As things stand, Tuesday’s strike, which has led to many planned operations and outpatient clinics being cancelled, is still due to go ahead. But it could be suspended if the BMA accepts Hunt’s offer.

Source: Doctors’ strike: Jeremy Hunt announces ‘potential agreement’ with BMA | Politics | The Guardian

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‘Free vote’ on air strikes plan suggests Corbyn is playing a long game

The reasonable face of British politics: Jeremy Corbyn.

The reasonable face of British politics: Jeremy Corbyn.


This Blog has just learned that Jeremy Corbyn is to offer a free vote to Labour MPs on Tory PM David Cameron’s proposals for the UK to bomb Syria – but will make clear that Labour party policy is to oppose airstrikes.

His decision averts the threat of a mass shadow cabinet walkout while making it clear that his own firmly-held opposition to airstrikes is official Labour party policy, backed by the membership.

He will also call on Cameron to delay the vote until after he has addressed Labour Party concerns over his justification for the bombing – and has already written to the prime minister calling for a full, two-day debate.

This suggests Corbyn is playing what some people describe as a “long game”.

If Cameron agrees to delay a vote until after he has made another attempt to justify himself, this will give the Labour leadership time for a full assessment of responses to Mr Corbyn’s emailed consultation of party members.

MPs will be able to see precisely how members in their own constituencies have responded and what arguments they have put forward.

This means those who have expressed support for bombings may find themselves at odds with their own constituency membership. What will that mean for their own future, if they go ahead with support for a Conservative motion?

It seems to This Writer that Labour MPs who still plan to support the Tories are courting deselection before the next election, to be replaced by candidates who more accurately reflect party policy (which is to block air strikes, let’s not forget).

Cameron will face a dilemma over his plan to demand a vote this week, as undecided Labour MPs are more likely to support party policy in the absence of full information from the consultation or any further justification from Cameron.

Prior to the announcement This Writer would have preferred Corbyn to have whipped his members to vote against air strikes.

But this move is, potentially, a stroke of genius.

It hamstrings Cameron and the rebels, provides time for heated emotions to calm, and creates openings for the Labour Party’s future.

Of course, some commentators haven’t seen it like that.

Ed Balls’ former head of policy, Karim Palant, has tweeted: “This is the right decision in the circumstances. But poor handling has hurt leader’s standing with his supporters.” Oh, really?

It seems to me that any “poor handling” was carried out by the Blairites who briefed against Corbyn in the Tory rags. They misinformed the media and created a stir that was altogether unnecessary.

Corbyn stands unblemished as a result of all this; he has demonstrated – as well as it is possible to do so – that his view is supported by the majority of the party, and it is his opponents who are on the wrong side of the argument.

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Three-quarters of Labour Party members oppose air strikes. Will MPs defy them?

The shadow cabinet was due to meet to decide Labour’s stance on Syria [Image: Sean Dempsey/PA].

The shadow cabinet was due to meet to decide Labour’s stance on Syria [Image: Sean Dempsey/PA].

A consultation of Labour Party members has shown 75 per cent of them oppose UK participation in air strikes in Syria, according to a representative sample.

Jeremy Corbyn emailed members on Friday, seeking their views. He received 107,875 responses, of which 64,771 were confirmed as from full Party members (the email and its response address were widely publicised immediately upon its release, so it is necessary to make the distinction).

That’s far too many for Labour staff to be able to provide a full report within a morning, so the statement is based on a sample of replies from 1,900 party members. It runs as follows:

A sample of this weekend’s consultation of Labour Party members, carried out in response to an email from Jeremy Corbyn, issued Friday 27th November, has shown that 75 per cent of Labour party members who have responded oppose UK bombing in Syria.

107,875 responses were received of which 64,771 were confirmed as full individual Labour Party members. The remainder included affiliated supporters and registered supporters.

Random sampling, of full individual Labour Party members who responded to the email, has shown:

75 per cent are against UK bombing in Syria

13 per cent are for UK bombing in Syria

11 per cent are undecided on the issue.

The Guardian, reporting the statement in its live politics blog, has rather inkindly claimed: “This 75% figure is quite a lot higher than the figure YouGov produced when it surveyed Labour members last week. It found that only 58% of Labour member were opposed to air strikes. (See 10.36am) But that is because this is a self-selecting survey, rather than a proper poll, and in survey like this the views of those highly motivated to participate always tend to be over-represented.”

That’s a little disingenuous.

Everybody with an opinion was invited to participate, and we should accept that everybody who wanted to express that opinion has done so. Therefore we should accept the figure as representative of the views of the Labour Party – until the full result, recording all 100,000+ opinions, can be published in the future.

Considering the huge volume of responses, it would be wrong to blame Labour for basing an initial press release on a representative selection.

Where does this leave Labour’s MPs?

The vast majority, who are prepared to follow the Party line as voted through – unanimously – at Conference in September, will follow Jeremy Corbyn’s lead. NEC member Bex Bailey has tried to claim that the criteria for action outlined in the motion have been met, but this is a voice in the wilderness; consensus is that they have not.

But those who have said they are inclined to vote in favour of air strikes must now decide whether they wish to defy the will of their own electorate in order to support Conservative prime minister David Cameron.

They now know it is a choice that could end their careers.

So: Tom Watson, Hilary Benn, Chris Bryant, Chuka Umunna, and the handful of others who agree with you – what justification can you supply for your position?

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Tory phone plan to build Labour support for air strikes was a dud


Reading between the lines, we can see that Tory attempts to get Labour MPs to back air strikes have failed miserably.

They only needed to win over a few right-wingers, but it seems clear that the vast majority of the Parliamentary Labour Party either hung up straight away or kept the Tories talking in the hope that they would run up a huge phone bill (this option supplied by our friends on the social networks).

In turn, this means that we can rule out any claims that a large number of the PLP are willing to rebel against Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. They are waiting for a decision from the Party Leader and will abide by it, meaning the Tory media have blown up claims of a Blairite coup out of proportion and should be ignored.

So the way is clear for Mr Corbyn and the shadow cabinet to hammer out Labour’s response to the air strike proposal, free of any side-issues, helped by many thousands of comments from the Labour membership.

Vox Political is happy to have provided clarity amid all the propaganda.

The government does not yet have enough votes from MPs to back air strikes against Islamic State (IS) in Syria, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said.

He told the BBC he had been in talks with Labour MPs but added: “We’ve got to keep building the case”.

He admitted it would be harder to get the support if Labour ordered its MPs to vote against air strikes in Syria.

Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn, who opposes air strikes, said he had not decided whether to offer them a free vote.

Source: Syria air strikes: Not enough votes yet, says Fallon – BBC News

Labour Cannot Risk Being Tarred as a Party of Illegal and Irrational War Once Again | Len McCluskey

This week Labour MPs are likely to have to cast what will be one of the most important parliamentary votes of their career when the Prime Minister brings his proposal for Britain to join the bombing of Syria to the Commons.

It will be vital for two reasons. The first and most important is that Labour once again risks being tarred as a party of illegal and irrational war.

The 2003 vote to invade Iraq has haunted Labour ever since – losing millions of votes that have yet to be regained and causing around half the party’s membership to resign. Nothing in Labour’s history has traumatised it quite so much perhaps.

Now again Labour is being asked to support a war that lacks clear United Nations sanction – or a coherent purpose.

Read more: Labour Cannot Risk Being Tarred as a Party of Illegal and Irrational War Once Again | Len McCluskey

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Army medics may be brought in to help during junior doctors strike

Army medics may be drafted in to cover if a strike by junior doctors goes ahead.

Doctors are poised to take action on three days over pay and working conditions, providing emergency care only for 24 hours from 8am on Tuesday followed by full walkouts from 8am to 5pm on December 8 and 16.

In its Guide to Safe Picketing for the strike action, the BMA said: “It is likely that our armed forces colleagues will be asked to step in to provide support for clinical services on the days of action.

“The law does not permit them to take part in industrial action, but their support for services during the industrial action is welcome.”

Source: Army medics may be brought in to help during junior doctors strike – ITV News

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Tory party chairman under pressure to quit over bullying scandal

Lord Feldman is under pressure to quit as Tory chairman over the bullying and blackmail scandal engulfing the party, before a Conservative board meeting on Monday that will look at ordering a full independent inquiry.

Feldman, a close friend of David Cameron, is facing questions over his handling of an investigation into election aide Mark Clarke, who was accused of bullying young activist Elliott Johnson before his apparent suicide.

Johnson had made a formal complaint about Clarke in August and claimed he was being bullied by him in the note left before his death in September. A string of further complaints then emerged about Clarke’s alleged behaviour, including accusations of plotting blackmail against MPs and others, including deputy chairman Robert Halfon, more bullying, including of Tory MP Ben Howlett, and sexual harassment of female activists.

Source: Tory party chairman under pressure to quit over bullying scandal | Politics | The Guardian

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Cool, collected Corbyn is the one showing sense over Syria

151130Corbyn

The gossips have had their fun but now we’re getting down to business, and Jeremy Corbyn has made it clear that he’s doing the same.

The Labour leader is entirely happy to handle the possibility of a rebellion among the vocal minority of MPs who want to support Conservative prime minister David Cameron’s plan to bomb innocent people in Syria and pretend he’s attacking terrorists.

Cameron has no idea where the leaders of Daesh (IS if you like) are hiding. When he does find out, he’ll probably discover that they are lurking in hospitals, schools and anywhere else they can hide behind innocent people, including children.

If he goes ahead with air strikes in such an eventuality, he’ll have innocent blood on his hands, and so will all MPs who vote to support him – especially Labour MPs who will have had the chance to vote him down instead.

Not only that, but they will all have had a hand in creating the next generation of terrorists against the Western nations, as the survivors of these attacks will want revenge.

In other words, David Cameron is doing exactly what the leaders of Daesh want him to do, and Jeremy Corbyn is working to make sure Labour MPs don’t make the same mistake.

Corbyn asserted his authority on Sunday by reminding MPs of his large mandate and making clear that he alone would decide whether to whip them to vote against extending airstrikes on Isis.

“It is the leader who decides. I will make up my mind in due course,” he said.

He has also consulted members about their views on whether David Cameron has made the case for bombing the Isis stronghold of Raqqa and received 70,000 responses through an online form.

In fact, Labour members were asked to provide their responses via email.

Cameron is likely to hold a vote on extending the bombing of Isis to Syria on Wednesday.

Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Corbyn said bombing would lead inevitably to civilian casualties and risks making the situation “worse, not better”.

He questioned Cameron’s claim that there are 70,000 moderate Syrian troops to secure territory vacated by Isis and voiced doubts about their loyalties.

Corbyn said he would not describe himself as a pacifist but military action should be used only as an absolute last resort. Trying to achieve a political settlement in Syria and cutting off Isis funding, oil trading and weapons supply should be the priority, he said.

His clear statement of opposition to airstrikes is likely to be backed up by the Labour membership and he is also seeking the support of party’s ruling national executive committee in an attempt to persuade MPs to come round to his view.

It is, after all, the view that was agreed by the Labour Party at its national conference in September when the following motion was passed:

Apologies for the blurriness of the image; This Writer did not scan it.

Apologies for the blurriness of the image; This Writer did not scan it.

Corbyn said there would be a decision as a party on opposing airstrikes and he will then decide whether to impose the whip on MPs.

“The Labour membership must have a voice. Labour MPs need to listen to that voice and try to understand where they are coming from,” he said.

Source: Jeremy Corbyn warns rebels: I’m not going anywhere over Syria | Politics | The Guardian

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Chuka Umunna has lost his grip on reality

Transformation: Chuka Umunna's fall from grace is accelerating; he has stopped making sense altogether.

Transformation: Chuka Umunna’s fall from grace is accelerating; he has completely stopped making sense.

This Writer welcomes Chuka Umunna’s latest attempt to show defiance against Jeremy Corbyn.

Seriously!

Anyone who knows what he said will see very clearly that he has lost his grip on reality altogether.

Have a glance at the following:

Chuka Umunna, the former shadow business secretary, who withdrew from the leadership campaign early in the contest, said he would vote on his conscience whatever the leadership decides and is minded to vote in favour of the government’s plans.

“My own personal view is that where are our national security is threatened it would be wrong simply to leave it to others to deal with it,” he said.

Unfortunately for Chuka, that’s not what is being suggested. We aren’t facing a simple choice between air strikes on Syria and doing nothing at all, and any claim that we are is misleading. Chuka seems to think this is the case. Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, has made it perfectly clear that there are alternatives. Chuka is ignoring them. Draw your own conclusions

“We can’t ignore the barbarity of this death cult, who throw gay people off buildings, systematically rape women, [and] carry out mass executions.”

Nobody is ignoring the barbarity of Daesh (IS if you like). Suggestions of that kind belittle the work being done in the UK to find a practical solution that will end it forever, rather than simply perpetuating the cycle – which is what David Cameron is attempting. Chuka is ignoring the facts of the situation.

Now, do I think that military action – and by the way I am minded to support military intervention, but we have yet to see the wording of the motion – is going to resolve this conflict? Of course not.

Chuka directly contradicts himself in the course of two sentences. He thinks he might support military intervention, knowing that it won’t resolve the conflict.

But what I do think it can do in the interim is … start to dismantle what Isil are doing.”

No, it will simply turn more people into terrorists, in response to the murder of their innocent families and friends – as Mr Corbyn has been saying all along.

Chuka is, of course, the Labour MP who thought it would be a good idea to bring arch-Tory Michael Heseltine into a future Labour government as an adviser, when it seemed Labour might win the general election in May this year.

In summary: Chuka Umunna – Phew! What a loonie!

Source: Jeremy Corbyn warns rebels: I’m not going anywhere over Syria | Politics | The Guardian

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Tom Watson: It’s not your place to issue warnings to your party leader

Tom Watson MP

Tom Watson MP

Someone really ought to mention to Tom Watson – politely – that he’s the deputy leader of the Labour Party, not the leader.

It isn’t Tom’s place to issue any kind of demand or ultimatum to his boss, and he certainly doesn’t have any right to leak the fact to the press before Labour’s policy – on any issue – has been decided.

Where the proposed air strikes on Syria are concerned, he may think such actions are reasonable because other Labour MPs have treacherously briefed the media against Corbyn already – but he would be wrong in that assumption.

Mr Corbyn is well within his rights to seek support among his Parliamentary party for any proposals he cares to put forward, and he would be right to expect any such deliberations to be kept confidential.

Perhaps Mr Watson has forgotten that the dissenting voices in Labour are a minority. The vast majority of MPs will follow Mr Corbyn, and the overwhelming majority of the party is firmly behind the recently-elected leader.

Indeed, if any moves are made to oust Mr Corbyn, it seems likely the party will split, with the majority of the membership abandoning the remaining rump of pale-blue Blairites. Certainly there are plenty of new members in This Writer’s own branch whose membership is conditional on Corbyn remaining in place.

Furthermore, let’s not forget that Labour Party policy on air strikes in Syria was set at this year’s Labour conference, with a resolution that firmly opposes air strikes unless four conditions had been met – and none of them have.

I’m told that resolution was nodded through by all the MPs who are demanding blood now.

So the Independent article quoted below presents a paradoxical situation in which the deputy leader appears to be hypocritically demanding the right to throw out a policy that he – and all the others – fully supported only a couple of months ago – and Jeremy Corbyn is being presented as the villain of the piece?

Come on, Mr Watson. We deserve a little more respect than that.

Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, has demanded that Jeremy Corbyn abandon plans to force MPs into opposing air strikes on Syria, amid growing alarm that the leader is hardening his stance against military action in preparation for a showdown.

In his strongest intervention to date, Mr Watson – who supports extending RAF raids into Syria – has warned Mr Corbyn he needs to back down and ensure MPs are given a free vote to avoid a damaging public split.

Speaking exclusively to The IoS, Mr Watson said the division within the party could be healed only with a free vote. He said: “Matters of security are perhaps the most solemn decisions that MPs have to make and they have to think about it deeply. After the week that we’ve had, the best way of holding the party together, but allowing MPs to solemnly express what they feel, is for us to have a free vote.”

UPDATE November 29: Mr Watson has tweeted a claim that he has not issued any warnings. This Writer awaits an indication from The Independent that he has contacted the paper and demanded a retraction.

Source: Tom Watson warns Jeremy Corbyn: You must back down over opposing UK air strikes on Isis in Syria | UK Politics | News | The Independent

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