Keir Starmer

[Brewster's millions]

No single piece of new ‘evidence’ dug up by the Mail is fatal in itself but the combination of the three makes it difficult for Starmer;

1) the fact that Rayner was at the event after continued denials by the Party - very naive to deny this in my view and it’s difficult to believe it was an honest mistake.

2) Takeaway was pre-arranged, not a spontaneous decision as Starmer has argued. Again the this smacks of naivety as the memo existed all along and would eventually come out with journos likely offering all sorts of inducements for a copy.

3) The new source stating that no work was done during the meal, with a few people (not Starmer or Rayner) reportedly getting merry.


In itself (1) is not relevant to anything, but the denials hint at dishonesty at some low level.

Again, (2) wouldn’t matter if work was being done during the meal, but the previous insistence of its spontaneous nature again hints at dishonesty, or at least poor judgement given the prevailing lockdown laws. However ridiculous the line, Starmer can’t now claim that he was ambushed with curry.

Add together (3), with the new source insisting that no work occurred during the meal, and crucially that none was due to take place afterwards, and it becomes difficult.

That said, from Starmer’s perspective, he could still argue that he believed the takeaway was a spontaneous decision - i.e. I hadn’t read the memo - and that he believed work was still done and discussed during the meal. But that may be a difficult one to sell given how he lampooned Johnson for similar arguments. Also he could easily have corrected the record regarding Rayner being at the event, but chose not to.

 

[HolisticJim]

Both leaders should be forced to resign and a new election take place.

The whole political system is an absolute shambles, it really is.

 

[threespires]

Fucking hell Allegra Stratton has gone so Sophie Rayworth steps into the breech for her BBC Masters - interviewing Lisa Nandy right now - Nandy "we need to do something for people who are spending today with no food in the cupboard" - Rayworth ( for the umpteenth time ) - " should Starmer resign"

Lisa Nandy has made it clear she thinks Starmer will not get an FPN and the question is redundant but Rayworth ruins her opportunity to conduct an meaningful and fruitful interview by being the Govt propaganda wing - BBC News eh

Didn't see that but caught the end where Dominic Rabb was allowed to pivot to his own messaging over and over again with only the lamest of attempts to stop him. That programme is an utter waste of time.

 

[blueinsa]

No single piece of new ‘evidence’ dug up by the Mail is fatal in itself but the combination of the three makes it difficult for Starmer;

1) the fact that Rayner was at the event after continued denials by the Party - very naive to deny this in my view and it’s difficult to believe it was an honest mistake.

2) Takeaway was pre-arranged, not a spontaneous decision as Starmer has argued. Again the this smacks of naivety as the memo existed all along and would eventually come out with journos likely offering all sorts of inducements for a copy.

3) The new source stating that no work was done during the meal, with a few people (not Starmer or Rayner) reportedly getting merry.


In itself (1) is not relevant to anything, but the denials hint at dishonesty at some low level.

Again, (2) wouldn’t matter if work was being done during the meal, but the previous insistence of its spontaneous nature again hints at dishonesty, or at least poor judgement given the prevailing lockdown laws. However ridiculous the line, Starmer can’t now claim that he was ambushed with curry.

Add together (3), with the new source insisting that no work occurred during the meal, and crucially that none was due to take place afterwards, and it becomes difficult.

That said, from Starmer’s perspective, he could still argue that he believed the takeaway was a spontaneous decision - i.e. I hadn’t read the memo - and that he believed work was still done and discussed during the meal. But that may be a difficult one to sell given how he lampooned Johnson for similar arguments. Also he could easily have corrected the record regarding Rayner being at the event, but chose not to.

Excellent take on the situation imo.

 

[urban genie]

So 47% of the labour gains was in a more left labour party in Wales.


After looking at a Manchesters results, not one borough had more than a 30% turn out and I expect it is similar nationwide

Honestly I don't see this election as meaning much as a resurgence, only a useless **** could have lost seats to this shitshow after the last 2 years.

Greens I would say are the one who came out best

So though this was a decent week, he and labour are still not in a positin to be confident of a GE win in 2 years.

 

[urban genie]

Beergate (ffs) is a distraction and bar tory loyalists and their media clients, I haven't heard anyone who cares abput it or talks about it.

In work the downing st parties were talked about, starmer in Durham not a mention.


The bbc can carry on waffling about it but I am not worried it will cause major damage to the party

 

[Gabriel]

The United Kingdom drifting apart, a catastrophic cost of living crisis, and a proxy war against a nuclear power. None of that appears to be enough to knock cake and curry off the agenda. The politicians and media deserve each other.

 

[blueinsa]

Beergate (ffs) is a distraction and bar tory loyalists and their media clients, I haven't heard anyone who cares abput it or talks about it.

In work the downing st parties were talked about, starmer in Durham not a mention.


The bbc can carry on waffling about it but I am not worried it will cause major damage to the party

The BBC and other media are reporting the fact the Police have reopened investigations after they received substantial new evidence.

Demands they stop and don’t do it smacks of sheer hypocrisy and the type of bias many are accusing them of.

Ridiculous stance to take but this forum is such an echo chamber it’s hardly surprising.

 

[urban genie]

The BBC and other media are reporting the fact the Police have reopened investigations after they received substantial new evidence.

Demands they stop and don’t do it smacks of sheer hypocrisy and the type of bias many are accusing them of.

Ridiculous stance to take but this forum is such an echo chamber it’s hardly surprising.

I aint arsed, report it, never said don't I was saying it isn't really registering with people in my experience and most say it's tory tit for tat, so I don't think it will affect starmer or labour.

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

I've discussed this tonight with some fellow LP members at an unofficial meeting.

Wes Streeting is already touting himself to take over. He sent a text to our CLP sec to ask of he'd get support.

Anybody know if Wes was in Durham last year?

 

[blueinsa]

I aint arsed, report it, never said don't I was saying it isn't really registering with people in my experience and most say it's tory tit for tat, so I don't think it will affect starmer or labour.

Id agree it was human being eating food and having a drink whilst working.

Im also of the same opinion about most of what happened in Downing Street which again is a major place of work for hundreds of people who didn’t get lockdowned and had to get on with things like millions of others.

What I do give a fuck about is the lies and deceit that followed from the PM and Tory party and I will give a fuck of Starmer and Labour have done the same thing and it’s rightly being looked at and reported.

 

[urban genie]

I've discussed this tonight with some fellow LP members at an unofficial meeting.

Wes Streeting is already touting himself to take over. He sent a text to our CLP sec to ask of he'd get support.

Wes streeting is a ****.

I could never vote for a parrt he leads

 

[Mon Autre]

Don't think this seems anywhere near as egregious as some of the flagrant rule breaking that happened at Downing St and committed by the people that actually made rules.

That said, if he has broken the rules and been dishonest about it, he will have to go and I for one will be thrilled to see the back him and hopefully see someone come in who dares to come up with some actual policies.

There's obvs some tit for tat at play from the Tories but if it does result in Starmer having to resign I think they will have shot themselves in the foot. If someone like Burnham was to take the reigns at this point they'd be up against someone who has a genuine shot at uniting the labour party and someone who people in the North can vaguely relate to at get behind. Meanwhile the prime minister's position will be even more untenable if leader of the opposition has stepped down for much less than what the PM has done.

 

[mexico1970]

Don't think this seems anywhere near as egregious as some of the flagrant rule breaking that happened at Downing St and committed by the people that actually made rules.

That said, if he has broken the rules and been dishonest about it, he will have to go and I for one will be thrilled to see the back him and hopefully see someone come in who dares to come up with some actual policies.

There's obvs some tit for tat at play from the Tories but if it does result in Starmer having to resign I think they will have shot themselves in the foot. If someone like Burnham was to take the reigns at this point they'd be up against someone who has a genuine shot at uniting the labour party and someone who people in the North can vaguely relate to at get behind. Meanwhile the prime minister's position will be even more untenable if leader of the opposition has stepped down for much less than what the PM has done.

Whoever is in power or opposition will be victim of the witch hunts so prevalent in UK politics today. We have got clueless Boris and his just awful cabinet and the other coin of Starmer Raynor and co.

On a political level this country isn't well blessed with a raft of idiots to choose from.

 

[Daz-Simp]

Don't think this seems anywhere near as egregious as some of the flagrant rule breaking that happened at Downing St and committed by the people that actually made rules.

That said, if he has broken the rules and been dishonest about it, he will have to go and I for one will be thrilled to see the back him and hopefully see someone come in who dares to come up with some actual policies.

There's obvs some tit for tat at play from the Tories but if it does result in Starmer having to resign I think they will have shot themselves in the foot. If someone like Burnham was to take the reigns at this point they'd be up against someone who has a genuine shot at uniting the labour party and someone who people in the North can vaguely relate to at get behind. Meanwhile the prime minister's position will be even more untenable if leader of the opposition has stepped down for much less than what the PM has done.

Burnham would get scouse votes for the pandering favour he pulled for them but nobody else would give him time of day.

 

[Mon Autre]

Wes streeting is a ****.

I could never vote for a parrt he leads

He probably get about as far as Jess Phillips did if he went for the leadership.

 

[Mon Autre]

Burnham would get scouse votes for the pandering favour he pulled for them but nobody else would give him time of day.

Personally I think he did all decent people a favour by fighting for justice for 97 people who were unlawfully killed at a football match and saw their reputations smeared as part of a police cover up . If your footballing loyalties are clouding your judgement on that I seriously think you need to have a word with yourself. Also would add here that it wasn't just him, Maria Eagle also campaigned tirelessly on the issue.

 

[urban genie]

Burnham would get scouse votes for the pandering favour he pulled for them but nobody else would give him time of day.

Despite the animosity many blues hold for scousers now, the JF97 campaign is beyond rivalry and is about what was police cover ups, lies and general demonising of football fans and culture, which we still see today with how footbll fans are treated.

Many people across the country supported it amd still do, Burnham just being one of them, he would get plenty of support across the country for his actions as mayor tbf whether some haven't agreed or liked his time im the job.

 

[Mon Autre]

Whoever is in power or opposition will be victim of the witch hunts so prevalent in UK politics today. We have got clueless Boris and his just awful cabinet and the other coin of Starmer Raynor and co.

On a political level this country isn't well blessed with a raft of idiots to choose from.

Yep, totally agree that whoever the Labour leader is they will be up against witch hunts and will need to know how to manage that problem.

What I do think someone like Burnham has going in his favour is that people kind of already know him and have already have formed an opinion on the guy. Think he's come across broadly ok as mayor and he's spoken out in the interests of people in the north. I think people will be less swayed by petty smears that the right wing press might throw his way.

Not that I'm a Burnham fan girl or anything. He's made mistakes in the past and there are other figures in the Labour party who represent my own politics more closely. But I think he would be the safest pair of hands on offer and someone most labour members could get behind to some extent.

 

[mexico1970]

Yep, totally agree that whoever the Labour leader is they will be up against witch hunts and will need to know how to manage that problem.

What I do think someone like Burnham has going in his favour is that people kind of already know him and have already have formed an opinion on the guy. Think he's come across broadly ok as mayor and he's spoken out in the interests of people in the north. I think people will be less swayed by petty smears that the right wing press might throw his way.

Not that I'm a Burnham fan girl or anything. He's made mistakes in the past and there are other figures in the Labour party who represent my own politics more closely. But I think he would be the safest pair of hands on offer and someone most labour members could get behind to some extent.

The Labour party have a bit of a conundrum to navigate in as much as they have to get to a stage where they are electable, but they have to find a way to find peace within the party to do that.

I fear the only way to get elected would be to hit the Tory light sweet spot and that really wouldn't be a choice that the electorate deserve, at the minute they seem to be an opposition party in perpetuity.