I’ve only just seen in the media that Starmer has agreed to step down if fined alongside Angela Raynor. I think this would be the right thing to do in these circumstances unlike Johnson and his colleagues who have lied repeatingly and showed a complete lack of integrity.

If he goes, Richard Burgon should be leader!!! Angela should be deputy

 

A principled move from Starmer which makes the tories look like unprincipled fools they are no matter what happens. Starmer will know he’s not broken the rules, he’s a lawyer after all.

 

Overall, this is just the right wing media slinging mud hoping that no matter the outcome the general public who half see headlines and coke to a conclusion will think ‘they are all as bad as each other’!

I'm sorry but Boris Johnson is well and truly beyond looking principled or not — Starmer resigning would not change anything.

Now that might be the best thing he's ever done!

Yeah agree with a lot in this thread, Starmer has thrown his hat down and played the game of chicken the Tories had obviously dug up to take the heat away from the local election battering. Suspect the Tories thought he would bat it off in the same way Johnson and the others have, and to be honest I thought he was going that way too.

You've already got right-wingers online bleating on about how Durham Police are apparently in the pockets of Labour (trying their best to hammer this notion until the cows come home), I can already hear the cries of "favouritism" and "bias" if a fine isn't issued. :rolleyes:

And if Starmer did stand down we could get a better Labour leader too - Burgon would be ace but no chance,along with my other favourites Dawn Butler and Nadia Whittome (mainly becasue decent people who believe in equality and kindnesss)are like kryptonite to a lot of the Great British public and media).

 

Assuming Rayner went too, guess that would mean maybe Lisa Nandy, Wes Streeting, Yvette Cooper or maybe even Andy Burnham could sit in a by election soon.

And if Starmer did stand down we could get a better Labour leader too - Burgon would be ace but no chance,along with my other favourites Dawn Butler and Nadia Whittome (mainly becasue decent people who believe in equality and kindnesss)are like kryptonite to a lot of the Great British public and media).

 

Assuming Rayner went too, guess that would mean maybe Lisa Nandy, Wes Streeting, Yvette Cooper or maybe even Andy Burnham could sit in a by election soon.

 

With the Labour leadership rule changes — it's not going to be anyone good. Not that there is much choice.

 

 

I'm sorry but Boris Johnson is well and truly beyond looking principled or not — Starmer resigning would not change anything.

Of course it won't make Johnson any more principled - not that he could be any less principled. However, it would give Labour a good attack line for the next election if Johnson has managed to ride out all the other scandals that are bound to happen between now and then.

I assume Starmer does consider there to be little chance of a fine and is using the opportunity to make himself look principled. However I fear it may backfire, if fined, Johnson will effectively say 'thanks for the resignation', not resign, despite outrage from the progressive wing and continue on. Assuming these Tories will ever do the decent thing is the wrong move.

 

This Beergate nonsense had very limited cut-through, much less than Partygate and if Starmer had an desire to change the country away from the Tories' vision, which is what he will need to do as a potential Prime Minister, he wouldn't risk his premiership like this. It's because he's visionless that he can. I sadly don't think integrity is going to be the big vote winner he's been building his leadership around.

 

(a better Labour leader would be great, but we aren't going to get a better Labour leader, we'll just get someone from the Labour right winning over the Labour left and the Tories happy that they aren't going through a leadership contest)

I'd say there is close to zero chance of Starmer being fined (particularly now it would have such massive consequences), it's a smart move IMO but not one without some risks and one I'm surprised about it because until now he's pretty much made absolutely no decisions on what to say/think until either.. a) he has focussed grouped it to death, or b) all other options have been ruled out and it's the blindingly obvious move- seems like it has wrong-footed a lot of the Tories too, and their usual outriders in the media. Actually I'm quite pleased that it's highlighted and exposed just how much client journalism there is... the awful Harry Cole seemed to throw his toys out of the pram today :D and the walking 404 error that is (((Dan Hodges))), of course the accusations of hypocrisy from Cole are apt because The Sun had it's own Christmas party in 2020 which very much broke the law (as was reported in Private Eye) which is why they were the only paper to not lead with the Allegra Stratton story in December..

 

and then we have the Daily Fail..

 

@1523776258974265344

Mad how British media can be so biased ‘Police to investigate Labour Lies’!

is... the awful Harry Cole seemed to throw his toys out of the pram today :D and the walking 404 error that is (((Dan Hodges))), of course the accusations of hypocrisy from Cole are apt because The Sun had it's own Christmas party in 2020 which very much broke the law (as was reported in Private Eye) which is why they were the only paper to not lead with the Allegra Stratton story in December..

 

lol, absolutely braindead

 

@1523935800056025089

 

I agree, it is one of Steer Calmer's only actions so far that seems driven by integrity and purpose and if he survives this, he'll look all the better for it.

 

It is an awful risk though because the average non-engaged person in the street will either see 'ah, both got in trouble for their parties, all the same anyway innit' or worse, 'well, both the Labour and Conservative leader got in trouble and the Labour leader resigned, so Labour worse'. It's certainly a very different strategy to careful Labour, and also the Tory method of dealing with scandals, this will be either way very significant.

 

Hence they must be very sure KS won't be fined, and it seems that the Labour party have even timed whatsapp stamps that prove they were working until 1am.

Labour has been accused of breaching its own rules, LabourList can reveal – specifically, the rules for managing the selection of parliamentary candidates. An email from the regional director of the North West Labour Party shows them telling a member of the Wakefield Constituency Labour Party executive that “there is one place available to the CLP on the panel to decide upon the longlist and the shortlist”. Members allege that the instruction is in contradiction of a rule change passed at the annual Labour conference in 2021 – which states that there should be three local reps.

 

Why does this matter? The party narrowed down the field of prospective candidates yesterday as it unveiled a shortlist of two: Kate Dearden and Simon Lightwood. Neither live in the constituency, and members complained as locals Jack Hemingway, Michael Graham and Jakob Williamson did not make the cut. LabourList understands that the process was run in line with guidance issued by the national executive committee in October last year and other recent by-election selections: Old Bexley and Sidcup, North Shropshire and Erdington.

 

 

It seems control of the selection process for MPs is only a story when the left does it.

It looks like it was to stop one of the candidates who had a spat with the chair of Jewish Labour so yet again this issue continues to be live in the party - however, the upheaval will affect the party's chances of gaining this seat (which they MUST win if they want to have a chance of being in contention of winning over the Tories in a GE).

There was plenty of other candidates though. The constituency is planning to walk out on the party apparently!

Wonder how the Labour Party parachuting in two fairly vocal supporters of a second referendum/remain from London in a 66% leave northern seat will go for them...

 

@1224662165271056385

 

Keir Starmer is going to be furious with.. er, Keir Starmer.

I didn’t realise those facts, typical of what Labour don’t need in 2022!

Questions have again been raised about Labour’s selection processes as a local council leader was taken out of the running to represent the party in Stroud. Doina Cornell – whose candidacy had the backing of trade unions Unite, CWU, FBU, TSSA, ASLEF and USDAW – revealed today that party had made the decision not to include her on the longlist. As a councillor and the local authority leader, she has challenged the decision to remove a candidate “with a long track record of making the lives of people in Stroud better”.

 

She was removed from the process after the party raised concerns about historic social media activity. A Labour spokesperson: “Voters deserve the best representatives for their communities in parliament, and with Keir Starmer’s leadership Labour expects our prospective candidates to uphold the highest of standards.” The party has announced a shortlist of two: Clare Moody and Simon Opher.

 

Guidance approved by Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) earlier this year scrapped the automatic right of affiliated organisations – such as unions – to guarantee places for their preferred candidates on selection shortlists. This was a contentious move that, unsurprisingly, was not welcomed by unions at the time. The guidance also removed representation of the local party in the longlisting process, so that longlists are now determined by national and regional board members.

 

In a statement today, Cornell urged Labour members: “I know how frustrating this is for local members who wanted to take part in the full democratic process of selecting their prospective MPs. I ask all members, however frustrated or angry they are, to make their voices heard and ask the Labour Party to reverse this decision.” This dispute has echoes of the arguments made in the Wakefield selection process last month, and it is highly likely the party will see similar complaints as selection processes ramp up across the country.