Angela Rayner has made it clear she wants Diane Abbott back in the Labour fold, with the whip restored.
So has Ed Balls. I doubt he would have said this without talking to Yvette Cooper, his wife.
The mood on the BBC's Question Time last night was very supportive of Abbott.
Keir Starmer is very clearly letting it be known he does not give a damn, or stories of the sort in The Guardian today saying there is no link between the Hester comments and the Whip being restored would not be possible. This stuff is based on deliberately placed comments.
So, Starmer is only too happy to exploit Tory abuse of Diane Abbott.
At the same time he is quite unwilling to say whether she may be a candidate in the general election that could still be little more than weeks away.
If that is not intimidation and abuse by Starmer I do not know what else it might be described as.
Diane Abbott is a flawed human being. So are we all. So too is Keir Starmer. But he wants to play God with the power that he has. People like that are very dangerous. The abuse of power is profoundly unappealing. It would seem that Starmer enjoys it.
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Interesting article by Gary Younge
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/15/britain-racism-tory-labour-diane-abbott
Worth reading
And right
Thinking back to Joe McCarthy and the crime of “Premature anti-fascism”. Looking at Gaza, limited criticism of Israel is now permitted. But having criticized the apartheid nature of Israel in the past is still not acceptable
I have thought something similar about Starmer for some time now. As far as I am concerned, it is time for him to go as leader. I personally have had enough of him. As for the election, it looks as though it may be November now. From what I am able to gather, and I may be wrong about this, it seems to be too difficult for the Tories to get all their ducks in a row for a May election. Perhaps Sunak thinks he can turn things around by then.
The Labour Party is fresh out of relevance with a leader who is morally weak, financially illiterate and above all arrogant!
We (the population) can’t we were not warned. Starmer’s “track record” is a matter of public record. It is one of broken promises, evasions, half truths, ducking & diving. Oddly, I’m thinking of a PM that was just like that.
Perhaps the problem is not the individual, but the institution – The House of Parliment itself – which generates chancers, authoritarians etc etc . Perhaps a good start would be a new location – whilst the old pile is rennovated.
I propose…..Scunthorpe – bracing views of industrial decline etc etc. Nothing to do apart from “the job” and the MSM stisfyingly remote.
(all with the added bonus of search engines getting their knickers in a knot – when the child safety aspect is swtiched on 🙂 )
If Diane Abbott and Jeremy Corbyn stand as independents and beat the official Labour candidate, Starmer’s authority will be undermined. It seems this could be quite possible.
It might be better for him to try to appear magnanimous and responsive to local opinion, and let them stand. But I don’t imagine he will as he thinks he has to appear tough and reject any sort of Corbynism in his bid for the Daily Mail vote. It is a dangerous strategy.
I think two or three of the most senior expelled Labour politicians with strong personal followings, plus a few of Andrew Feinstein’s calibre, standing and attracting sufficient votes to disrupt an incoming Labour government, preferably winning a couple of seats, will provide a nucleus around which a new Left might coalesce.
Undoubtedly this will weaken Starmer. If Labour has a small majority then even more so.
But he is a already a weak man.
He can only lead through force majeure, not strength of personality or character. That he cannot tolerate dissenting voices means he is not a fit leader of a ‘broad church’ party which reflects a range of centre to left opinion, as he cannot marshal the arguments that supportds his neoliberal direction for the party.
That he has been unable or unwilling to present a rationally argued alternative to Thatcherism demonstates fitness only for ‘nothing much’.
Will the electorate even vote for ‘nothing much’ ?
It is indeed sickening to witness. There’s a very good article about this by Gary Younge, also in todays’ Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/15/britain-racism-tory-labour-diane-abbott?CMP=share_btn_url
Very good article by Gary Younge especially sticking it to Keir Starmer as an unprincipled opportunist. Nobody with any morals should be voting for Starmer! The Labour Party if it wants to be regarded as a party of relevance needs to get rid of Starmer tout de suite! Nobody in their right mind is going to vote for the Tories so a new leader six months ahead of the general election will be fine. Draft in Angela Rayner at least she has supported Abbott so appears to have some morals!
Upon reflection I’m overjoyed to see this response from Labour on this issue.
Why?
Because it reifies that this is about Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Right/Blue Labour.
Nothing could be clearer than that for me.
Poor Abbott (and I genuinely feel that her treatment has been shocking) will not get any justice because of her association with Corbyn and the Left of the Labour Party, which the Labour Right has sought to fight rather than fully take on the Tories.
To me it’s obvious. Abbott is the victim of an internal war against the Left and even more moderate progressives.
No one seemed to stick up for her in parliament at all which shows you how effective the hatchet job that has been done on her has been.
We are in the throes of an increasingly Right wing society and the only political choice we will be allowed to have is THEIR choice – those who fund politics now – the rich.
I am no fan of Abbott; I think she is a divisive figure. I don’t envy Starmer as he tries to deal with managing the issues around her. Having said that, a healthy political party needs voices like hers and Corbyn’s in order to keep it honest, and I think it’s a pity that Labour has been sanitised to the extent it has. Given the overriding priority to get the Tories out, maybe it has to be that way. Perhaps we will be able to improve things after an electoral success.
I am a divisive figure
I have been no means in sympathy with Diane on all issues
But to exclude her from Labour is absurd
Thank you, Kim.
Is that view on the basis of comments attributed to Abbott? There are supposed to be racist comments made by her in an interview given to Reuters. Neither Reuters nor the interviewer have record of such an interview and comments and confirmed officially. The damage has been done, though and not for the first time.
@ Readers: Please note the sort of photos used for Abbott, rarely flattering. It’s deliberate. One sees such distinctions between Israelis and Palestinians, part of the ritual dehumanisation of the latter.
As a bankster lobbyist, I was given some media training, so made aware of the tricks, including head shots and backgrounds to use to convey an image.
Colonel
She was suspended following a very poorly judged letter to ?The Observer? in which she stated that Jews, Irish people and Travellers were not subject to racism in the same way as black people. Or words to that effect. She withdrew the letter and apologised very quickly and has been suspended ever since. I cannot see how the Labour party can justify the length of the suspension, although I agree that action needed to be taken – what is there to investigate? presumably they believe they cannot expel her because her actions are no worse than those of others who have not been expelled, but they don’t want her in the party.
“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
Maya Angelou
How is Abbott divisive? Not in her constituency, where she is held to be a good MP, as is Corbyn in his. First female Black MP? Only divisive if you are on the Tory right. A Black socialist and internationalist? An uppity female? Ditto.
Within the Party? Forde makes it clear she was the target of racist behaviour by Labour staffers.
As for Starmer, try reading Eagleton’s book “The Starmer Project”. It’s well researched and sources are listed. The message is very clear – has backers, gains power then uses it to shut down opposition, part of the plot to destabilise Corbyn while purporting to be an ally, etc.
Rayner? She’s using her election by the party to attack Starmer, as he can’t sack her. I was waiting for an attack since Sam Tarry (BF) was deliberately and very suspiciously deselected.
Another good socialist and working class women Laura Smith ex Crewe MP has resigned from the Labour party today after being suspended as a local Labour councillor for refusing to vote through a Tory austerity program in Crewe. A extract from her resignation letter sums it up “There is a complete void of honesty, decency, ambition and leadership from those with the true power to change things. Talk is cheap and the dishonesty that I have encountered on a daily basis in politics is something that I simply could not have imagined.” I myself spent 45 years as a Labour Party member and got out when it became clear they only wanted people of my status to knock on doors and deliver leaflets. The arrogance from the ‘entitled’ class of the leadership overwhelms the Labour Party today.
She is good
Politics by its nature is divisive. Politicians have to be divisive – because they offer us different and alternative policies and views and then ask us to vote for them accordingly. And that’s a good thing. If it weren’t, we’d be living in an authoritarian place and would all be forced to think the same. Quite a few people in British politics at the moment (unfortunately much of Labour leadership included) would prefer to live in a society with no alternative views to their own.
But – all the views have to be respected as long as they’re ethical. I’m personally not a biggest fan of Abbot, but I can’t say that this isn’t the case when it comes to her.
The way she’s treated now by Labour (and how she was treated in the past – clearly racist and misogynistic e-mails and messages about her with no consequences for anyone involved whatsoever ) is absolutely abhorrent – Labour’s now literally leaching off racist abuse directed to her and sees nothing wrong in it.
Thank you and well said, Richard.
Further to the Guardian, Labour’s factionalism and the exit of journalist like Gary Younge, Richard and readers may be interested in this article, https://novaramedia.com/2024/03/12/how-the-guardians-editor-in-chief-caved-to-pro-israel-pressure/.
Worth reading
It’s reported that Starmer is:
to govern with a Gang of Four, him, Reeves, Rayner and McFadden.
to form a policy delivery unit.
He seems to believe “click my fingers” and it will happen instantly.
Apologies to donkeys everywhere and Led by Donkeys but the image of Labour being a donkey wearing blinkers, chasing the carrot of neoliberalism, being whipped by the purveyors of neoliberalism comes to mind.
Pat McFadden is totally dedicated to austerity
Might there be a significant difference between a divisive person and an analytical person?
I don’t think so
Opinions always divide and I do not seek common ground with racists et al
Thank you for highlighting this. Starmer’s behaviour revolts me. To be polite it shows him to be a person of extremely poor character. The degradation of Dianne Abbott has been cultivated by Britain’s political and media class for years. It sought to legitimise the unacceptable. I don’t and won’t accept it. Neither will I vote for it.
While I would forgive one or two differences, the problem with Starmer’s Labour party are endless:
1 Candidate deselection (which is undemocratic for the electorate)
2 Starmer pledge u-turns (what will he change his mind on tomorrow)
3 Labour sabotaging Corbyn (undemocratic, and not inclusive)
4 Ignoring the Forde report (!!!)
5 Ukraine, Russia, Israel and Gaza treated unevenly (astonishing for a human rights lawyer)
6 Private healthcare donations (not a Labour core value)
7 Bankers bonus over two-child benefit cap (they’ve been bought)
8 No PR (undemocratic)