Keir Mather: is this Red just another Blue?
By-election fallout 1: new Labour MP falls at the first hurdle
Labour’s newest – and youngest – MP, Keir Mather, has made his first contributions to national politics. Here he is being introduced to the nation:
Meet Keir Mather, Labour's youngest MP at 25 years old
Studied politics at Oxford, worked as a researcher for Wes Streeting MP, and then got elected
This is the definition of a career politician… pic.twitter.com/ZlJ4di1q73
— #FtheWEF till the day I die (@NEOintheMCR) July 21, 2023
A fresh start for the people of Selby and Ainsty? It sounds good – but is it just words?
After all, the very first thing he did was endorse Keir Stürmer’s decision to continue the Conservative policy that limits child benefit to two children:
The Telegraph's @michaelmurph_y question to the newly elected Labour MP, Keir Mather on Labour’s controversial two child benefit cap
Read more ⬇️https://t.co/n7E3TFfAs9 pic.twitter.com/VYAIImmdLU
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) July 21, 2023
So he 100 per cent supports a Conservative policy. And this is the change we need?
This Writer doesn’t think so – and I see that many others agree with me.
Here‘s Steve Walker: “Sir Kid Starver’s clique’s stranglehold on candidate selection is why we’re getting this privileged, fresh-from-the-petri-dish vapid Stepford Wife candidate parroting this miserable shit. People with character, integrity, principles and a capacity for critical thought need not apply.”
Mrs Gee #UpTheWorkers tweeted: “This is what Unite union members’ money is helping into Government.” To Sharon Graham, the union’s general secretary, she added: “There is not a cat in hell’s chance these people can be pushed left once elected. The time is now. Make them come up with policies for trade unionists/working class people if they want our money/votes.”
Kerry-Anne Mendoza suggested: “Do they breed these creatures in a little nest of pods somewhere? They all look and sound identical to me ‘Fiscal rules…blah blah…tough choices…blah blah…forensic…'”
She added: “A privately-schooled, Oxbridge graduate whose entire career consists of a brief stint at the CBI isn’t a political breakthrough for British working class youth. Keir Mather embodies exactly the opposite. Privilege seeking power. It’s embarrassing we have to point this out.”
Phil Gould tweeted in similar vein: “This is a New New Labour Nexus 1, a first-generation AI politician, programmed by the Tony Blair Institute. Empathy free, self-destructs after one parliament. One full charge lasts two PMQs or one full QT appearance (having to repeat programmed answers requires more power).”
Chris Williamson tackled the subject matter: “The new Labour MP for Selby and Ainsty backs the 2 child benefit cap citing the “economic mess” as justification. But that logic is flawed, Keir Mather. The government issues the currency so can’t run out money and can use taxes to control inflation. So there is no justification for leaving kids in poverty.”
And let’s not forget:
The gentleman elected as the MP for the coal mining region of Selby, North Yorkshire has just loudly pronounced he supports the ban on any welfare support for 3rd children.
Luckily if he has 3 kids, the taxpayer will cover his expenses for 3 kids each at £5,500 per year. Sorted.
— Tory Fibs (@ToryFibs) July 21, 2023
But then, what can you expect from a privately-educated Oxbridge graduate whose career consists of a stint at the Confederation of British Industry and a bit of time as a researcher for Wes bloody Streeting?
It seems his “career politician” credentials are proved by the following claim:
All I remember about Keir Mather is that he was enthusiastically pro-Corbyn in 2015, but ditched him as soon as Corbyn came under heavy fire in 2016. Someone, it seems, who blows with the wind and throws anything under the bus if it may danger their interests, present or future. pic.twitter.com/LAxICrvuce
— سيد عمار🔻 (@SayedAmmar_) July 21, 2023
Still, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and Keir Mather has nearly a year and a half to prove his detractors wrong – or prove himself a puddinghead.
By-election fallout 2: Uxbridge and Ruislip Labour chair quits – because of Keir Starmer and not the election result
The chairman of Uxbridge and Ruislip Constituency Labour Party has quit his role and the party altogether – but he’s saying it’s not because of the party’s spectacular failure to win the constituency’s Parliamentary seat from the Tories.
David Williams said his problem is with the leadership of Keir Starmer. Here are his tweeted messages:
I have resigned as chair of Uxbridge and South Ruislip CLP. I am also resigning my membership of the Labour Party.
Politics needs to have principles or we end up with people like Boris Johnson and Liz Truss running the country,
Jeremy Corbyn gave a huge boost to the Labour Party— David Williams (@MrDaveyWilliams) July 21, 2023
Funnily enough I really liked his 10 pledges. He lied about them and reneged. I tried campaigning for change within the party. Some weeks ago I told the local exec that I would be resigning, but held off until after the BE to avoid negative impact.
— David Williams (@MrDaveyWilliams) July 21, 2023
Fair enough – he didn’t want his resignation to have a negative impact on his (soon-to-be former) party’s performance, and rightly so because this could have been used by others to attack him.
As it was, he found himself having to re-fight an old battle with an out-of-her-depth BBC reporter.
Watch the interview and you’ll see that he made mincemeat of the false claims:
— MG (@arnau1700) July 21, 2023
Why does this public sector worker get a 45% pay increase while the rest have to put up with real-terms cuts?
The King is getting a publicly-funded 45 per cent pay rise, it seems:
King Charles to receive a 45% pay increase from the public purse.
What must doctors, nurses, teachers be thinking.
The sad inevitability is you know Sir Keir Starmer will never reverse this “tough decision”, oh no money will be found for Charlie.
Rigged https://t.co/52j4j13Mdi
— Howard Beckett (@BeckettUnite) July 21, 2023
He’s a public sector worker – like doctors, nurses and teachers, and the discrepancy between what he can demand and what they are told to take has not gone unnoticed.
Fortunately, we have people who can turn it to advantage:
Some lefties on here are griping as usual, but I see King Charles' 45% pay rise as setting a benchmark for public sector workers
— David__Osland (@David__Osland) July 20, 2023
Yes indeed. Let’s see government pay negotiators explain this away – if they can!
Petition of the day: demand free school breakfasts for all
Tell the UK government: help the millions of children at risk of starting the school day hungry. Add your name now
— Magic Breakfast (@magic_breakfast) July 5, 2023
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