Andrew Feinstein has challenged Keir Starmer to debate the genocide
Andrew Feinstein has challenged Keir Starmer to debate the genocide at Gaza Week Camden, in a reminder that the Labour leader must defend his own Parliamentary seat – and his decisions.
Mr Feinstein, the anti-austerity, anti-war independent candidate challenging Starmer in Holborn & St Pancras at the general election, has called on the Labour leader to join him at Gaza Week Camden to debate the impact of defence spending on hard-pressed local communities.
He will share a platform with Camden Friends of Palestine and Camden Unison official Liz Wheatley at the event in Kentish Town this evening (June 3, 2024).
He said the event was an opportunity to discuss how Labour’s policy of increasing military money would hit Camden families struggling through the worst cost-of-living crisis in memory.
Labour has committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP, while not ruling out spending cuts elsewhere, including to public services that have already been cut to the bone.
Mr Feinstein (pictured above – image by Phil Davison) said: “Every single taxpayer pound spent on weapons is a pound not spent on our crumbling schools, on reducing NHS waiting lists, on tackling the housing crisis, spiralling rents and the inability of hard-working families to pay the bills.
“Child poverty levels in Holborn & St Pancras are among the highest in London. Nearly 40 per cent of children in this constituency are living in poverty. That’s over 12,000 children.
“Yet Keir Starmer continually tells us he can’t commit to money for them – just money for more bombs and endless wars.”
Mr Feinstein is the Jewish son of a Holocaust survivor, and has lived with his family in Camden for nearly 23 years. He said: “Gaza Week Camden is the ideal opportunity to discuss Labour’s position on Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its leader’s refusal to back an immediate and permanent ceasefire and an end to UK arms sales to the state.
“I genuinely want to debate all this with him, and what better opportunity than during Gaza Week Camden, which is happening just a short walk from Keir’s house?
“It runs until Sunday, June 9. I’m available whenever he is.”
Will Starmer turn up?
It seems unlikely.
His attitude seems to be that Labour is going to win the election anyway, thanks to the efforts of tribal voters who don’t care what his policies are – so he doesn’t have to bother with awkward questions from Independent candidates; people like Mr Feinstein don’t matter to him.
From that, you may deduce what he thinks about the ordinary voters of Holborn & St Pancras.
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Well done to Feinstein.
The UK military budget is already one of the largest in the world and so no increase is needed.
Part of the appeal of high military spending to reactionary politicians like Starmer is that it stimulates the economy but does not produce anything useful that would benefit ordinary people. There is, therefore, no redistribution of wealth.