POLITICS CORNER

[Stanley]

See THIS for reactions to the Burnham challenge....
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is facing a backlash from dozens of Labour MPs over suggestions he could mount a challenge to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's leadership. Burnham has criticised the Labour government in a series of interviews, and says he has been contacted by Labour MPs urging him to stand. But the majority of Labour MPs who replied after being contacted by the BBC said they were against such a move. Speaking to BBC North West, Sir Keir said he would not "get drawn into commenting on the personal ambitions of the mayor". He also sought to compare Burnham's spending proposals with those of former Conservative prime minister Liz Truss, after the mayor complained about the government being "in hock" to investors in UK government debt. BBC Radio 5 Live asked 320 out of the 399 Labour MPs currently sitting in Parliament for comment. Many of the dozens who replied were unhappy at the performance of the Labour government, but few suggested Burnham's return would improve their fortunes. One said Burnham "seems to promote himself every time there's a perceived crack in the wall… a bit like Japanese knotweed" and a minister said a "few disgruntled MPs" made up "the Burnham fan club" and the rest just wanted him to "focus on his actual job in Manchester".

[Tripps]

I started watching this interview with Rupert Lowe last night. Much to my surprise - I found that I stayed with it until the end, and it's well over an hour long. I'll just put up the link not the full insert, as I don't expect it will find much support by poilitically active members on here. They are too entrenched in their views and waiting for the second coming of Aneurin Bevan and Co. I did not know much about him - just that he was wealthy, once had a connection with Southampton soccer club and went back a long way. He had a major fall out with Nigel Farage (the detail is worth a look) when they were both in Reform UK, and his account of that explains why Nigel will never be Prime Minister, despite being a certainty in the latest poll today.

He now is a sitting MP for Gt Yarmouth, and has his own organisation called (confusingly) 'Restore Britain' - at which I shall be taking a closer look.

Rupert Lowe interview

[Stanley]

See THIS report of Netanyahu speaking at the UN....
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has attacked the recognition of a Palestinian state by multiple Western countries during a combative speech at the UN General Assembly. Netanyahu labelled the recognition moves a "mark of shame" that sent the message "murdering Jews pays off". Dozens of officials and diplomats staged a walk-out as he took to the podium, leaving large parts of the conference hall empty. Outside, protesters against Israel's war in Gaza gathered in Times Square. Israel has come under huge international pressure over its military action in Gaza, culminating in the UK, France, Canada, Australia and other countries recognising the State of Palestine this week. In his opening remarks, Netanyahu displayed a map labelled "The Curse" that he said showed Iranian proxy groups across the Middle East. He then highlighted Israeli military operations across the past year against Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Hamas in Gaza, and Iran. He thanked US President Donald Trump for American involvement in bombing Iran's Fordo nuclear site in June, and drew parallels between Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack on Israel and the 9/11 attack on the US. He said the two countries were fighting the same enemies, pointing to chants of "death to America" by groups linked to Iran.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report.....
Ex-shadow chancellor John McDonnell has been readmitted as a Labour MP alongside Apsana Begum, after a year-long ban for voting against the government on the two-child benefit cap. They were among seven left-wing MPs who, days after Labour's 2024 landslide, backed an SNP motion to scrap the cap - which prevents almost all parents from claiming Universal Credit or child tax credit for more than two children. Six of the MPs have now rejoined Labour, which has softened its stance on the cap in recent months. The seventh suspended MP, Zarah Sultana, resigned from Labour last month to set up a new party with ex-leader Jeremy Corbyn. Labour has not commented on why the MPs had the whip restored.
This couldn't possibly have anything to do with moves to hand Starmer his P45 could it?

[Stanley]

See THIS report from the Labour Conference.
Andy Burnham has warned against "underestimating the peril the party is in" at a fringe meeting at the Labour party conference. The mayor of Greater Manchester continued his criticism of Sir Keir Starmer's leadership at events at the Liverpool conference, telling audiences he would not shy away from debate on Labour's future. Despite a backlash from MPs, Burnham said Labour should not be "narrow and shallow", adding there was "too much of a climate of fear". Labour is trailing Reform in the opinion polls, indicating potential losses in the Welsh Senedd and local elections in May next year.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report on the Labour conference.....
28 minutes ago
British people stand "at a fork in the road", Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will tell the Labour Party conference later on Tuesday as he tries to inject some vigour into his vision for the country. In a speech being seen by his team as "his clearest statement yet of his political creed", he is expected to spell out what he sees as the stark difference between Labour's vision for the UK and that of Reform UK. With criticism of his leadership boiling over into an open challenge from Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, Sir Keir will argue that his is a "hard path" but one of "renewal" and "decency", starkly set against an alternative he portrays as decline and division. That route is one he has suggested belongs to Nigel Farage's Reform UK Party, which is attracting significant numbers of former Labour voters, and whose deportation policy Sir Keir branded "racist" at the start of the conference. It will feel personal for the prime minister whose judgement has been attacked in recent days following the loss of his US ambassador, Peter Mandelson, and his deputy, Angela Rayner, leading to a major ministerial reshuffle. Sir Keir has also seen the departure of a number of key aides from Downing Street as he seeks to bolster his communications strategy, which appears to be failing to cut through with swathes of the British public if dire opinion polls for the party are any indication.
It may be Starmer that stands at a 'fork in the road'. The brutal truth is that he is seen to have lost the advantage of the general election landslide and control of the Party.

[Stanley]

See THIS report from the Labour Conference by Chris Mason......
9 hours ago
Sir Keir Starmer was last year's big winner at the general election. This year saw the prime minister sharpening his argument against Nigel Farage and - by extension - against those within his own party, from the cabinet down, who fret he's not the best frontman for the fight that beckons with Reform UK. There is a defiance and steeliness to the prime minister; with this performance, he reminded his internal critics just who it was who won that whopping majority in the election 15 months ago. The year gone by has been a relentless grind – not least the last few weeks, after losing the former deputy PM Angela Rayner and US ambassador Peter Mandelson - and in his speech, the prime minister wanted to remind the audience of the achievements of the past months. His critics within the Labour party remind him, relentlessly, that Labour's politics must be politically more aggressive, front-footed and pointed in order to defeat a communicator of Nigel Farage's ability.
My problem with Starmer isn't that he is a bad communicator (Although that's true....) It is that he is not a socialist but a centre right populist like Blair.

[Stanley]

See THIS report of the London Mayor's reaction to the news about the Metropolitan police...
Updated 2 hours ago
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has said he is "disgusted and appalled" by footage of some Metropolitan Police officers at Charing Cross police station after it was exposed in a BBC Panorama documentary. Serving Met Officers called for immigrants to be shot, revelled in the use of force and were dismissive of rape claims in footage captured by a Panorama undercover reporter. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the footage, which also shows officers making sexualised comments to colleagues and sharing racist views about immigrants and Muslims, as "disturbing" and "sickening". Sir Mark Rowley, head of the Met Police, has apologised for the "reprehensible and completely unacceptable" behaviour.

THIS report cheered me up no end.....
A company linked to peer Baroness Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman has been ordered to pay £122m in damages after a judge ruled it breached a government contract for the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the Covid pandemic. The Department of Health and Social Care sued PPE Medpro over claims the medical gowns it supplied did not comply with relevant healthcare standards. The High Court ruled Medpro failed to prove whether or not its surgical gowns, which were to be used by NHS workers, had undergone a validated sterilisation process. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said it was beyond her powers for Baroness Mone to be stripped of her peerage. But speaking to Matt Chorley on BBC Radio 5 Live, Reeves said: "I hope she won't be back in the House of Lords."
This was just one of the suspect contracts issued under the 'VIP Lane' procedure which has been seen to be deeply suspect.
Perhaps after all there is a God!

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report on Michelle Mone's reaction to the fine on Medpro....
8 hours ago
Baroness Michelle Mone has accused the chancellor of using "dangerous and inflammatory" language after a firm linked to her and her husband was ordered to pay £122m for breaching a Covid-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) contract. During a fringe event at Labour's party conference this week, Rachel Reeves reportedly joked the government had a vendetta against the peer. In a letter to the prime minister, Baroness Mone said her language was "incendiary and has directly increased the risks to my personal safety". She claimed she received "threats and abuse" on social media since Reeves' remarks.
Methinks the lady doth protest too much. Any abuse she has received is more likely to be triggered by the nature of the offence than any other reaction. In another part of the forest there are calls for her to be stripped of her peerage.

[Stanley]

See THIS account of Kemi Badenoch's latest attempt to lead the Tories.....
5 hours ago
The Conservatives will take the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) if they win the next election, Kemi Badenoch has announced. The announcement comes after a review by the Conservative party's lead lawyer found staying in the ECHR blocks migration reform and leads to the persecution of military veterans. Last year Badenoch said leaving the treaty would not be a "silver bullet" for tackling immigration, but on Friday argued the move was necessary to "protect our borders, our veterans, and our citizens". Labour said the Conservative leader had adopted "a policy she argued against" because she is "too weak to stand up to her own party in the face of Reform". The announcement on the eve of the party's conference in Manchester will settle the party's position following months of internal divisions.

[Stanley]

See THIS for the opening gambit at the Tory Conference....
6 hours ago
The Conservatives say they would task officials with removing 750,000 illegal immigrants from the UK within five years if they win the next election. Under plans unveiled as its annual conference begins, the party has pledged to ban people who enter the UK without permission from ever claiming asylum. It would also prevent those whose claims are rejected from challenging decisions in the courts, with appeals instead handled by Home Office officials. Border officials would be instructed to remove people "within hours or at most a few days", the Tories say, with a reformed "Removals Force" unit seeing their funding doubled to £1.6bn per year.
The fact is that the main business of this conference is to prove that what the Tories think matters.......

[PanBiker]

The Conservatives say they would task officials with removing 750,000 illegal immigrants from the UK within five years if they win the next election.

The first bit of the statement is a bit far fetched to say the least as it took them 11 years to deport one person to Rwanda at a cost of over £1m pounds. The second bit precludes the first anyway so they can claim anything they want no matter how far fetched!

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report from the Tory Conference....
Updated 46 minutes ago
The Conservatives will set out plans to "reward work" by giving young people a £5,000 tax rebate towards their first home when they get their first full time job. In his speech to the party's conference in Manchester, the shadow chancellor, Mel Stride, is expected to announce proposals for a "first-job bonus" that would divert national insurance payments into a long-term savings account. The party says the plans will be funded by cuts to public spending worth £47bn over five years in areas such as welfare, the civil service and the foreign aid budget. Sir Mel is expected to say that there is "no more pretending we can keep spending money we simply do not have". Proposals include stopping welfare claims for people with "low level mental health problems" and reducing the number of civil servants by around 132,000, a reduction of around a quarter. Sir Mel will also say his party would reduce aid spending by £7 billion to 0.1% of national income.
I half expected to hear of debates on hanging and corporal punishment.....

[PanBiker]

So the £5,000 tax break comes from what they have paid or will pay in NI. Not a gift then, how will that impact their NI credits in the long run? Might not matter if they have no intention of paying a pension until they are well into their 70's

[Stanley]

See THIS report on Robert Jenrick......
One hour ago.
The shadow justice secretary, Robert Jenrick, has defended remarks he made in March about the Handsworth area of Birmingham, calling it "one of the worst-integrated places" he had ever been to. In a recording reportedly made during a dinner and published by the Guardian, Jenrick said he he had not seen "another white face" in the hour and a half he spent in Handsworth filming a video about litter. Anna Turley MP, chair of the governing Labour Party, criticised the opposition politician, saying his comments reduced "people to the colour of their skin". Handsworth's Independent MP, Ayoub Khan, said Jenrick's remarks were "not only wildly false but also incredibly irresponsible". The authenticity of the recording at the Aldridge-Brownhills Conservative Association is not disputed by Jenrick's team.
As usual Jenrick is pursuing anything that will get attention as he continues his bid to be seen as a potential Leader of the Tories. I do not trust this man.

[Stanley]

See THIS totally predictable Tory message....
1 hour ago
The Conservatives will commit to a new economic "golden rule" designed to cut government borrowing and taxes, party leader Kemi Badenoch will say in her keynote speech to the party's conference. The party says the rule would ensure half of all savings made by a future Conservative government would be put towards reducing the deficit, which is the gap between spending and tax revenues. The other half of every pound saved would be used for policies aimed at growing the economy, including tax cuts. Badenoch will say the Conservatives are the only party "with a plan to get our economy back on track".
Meanwhile, in the background Jenrick jumps up and down trying to get attention.

[Stanley]

see THIS report on the Comey trial in the US.
9 hours ago
James Comey, the former director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, has pleaded not guilty to making false statements to lawmakers and obstructing a congressional proceeding. Mr Comey's lawyer entered the plea on his behalf in a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, on Wednesday morning. Patrick Fitzgerald said he would seek to have the case dismissed for several reasons including that his client, a critic of President Donald Trump, was being targeted. Mr Comey was indicted a few days after Trump urged his attorney general to take action against him. A judge set a trial date of 5 January after Mr Comey's lawyers requested a speedy trial.
This is of course a personal vendetta as far as Trump is concerned.... It's a disgrace.

Meanwhile.... closer to home, see THIS
The next Conservative government would abolish stamp duty on the purchase of main homes, Kemi Badenoch has said, in a surprise announcement at the end of her first conference speech as party leader. Badenoch received a standing ovation from Tory activists in Manchester as she declared: "That is how we will help achieve the dream of home ownership for millions." She said scrapping stamp duty - a tax paid by home buyers in England and Northern Ireland - will "unlock a fairer and more aspirational society" and help people of all ages. It came after a speech packed with new policies aimed at grabbing political attention and setting out clear dividing lines with her opponents. Badenoch was under pressure to deliver the speech of her political career, to end speculation that she will face a leadership challenge, as her party continues to trail Labour and Reform UK in the polls. Her 45-minute address was peppered with jokes and personal stories and went down well in the hall, where - in contrast to some of the other speeches this week - there was standing room only. And in a clear break with the leaders' speeches at the Labour and Liberal Democrat conferences, she only mentioned Reform twice.
She continues the give away. Jenrick is still jumping up and down.

[Tripps]

President Donald J Trump arranges a truce in Gaza and there is dancing in the streets of Tel Aviv.

The reverse ferrets from various commentators have to be heard to be believed. Stand up James O'Brien. People who have called him "not fit to burn" for years now are now congratulatory, and anxious to be associated with the process. The PM has wisely scarpered to India for a few days.

"Slow down" a bit I'd say.

The cease fire hasn't started yet. Many previously have not lasted long, and not a hostage has yet been freed. Will he get the Nobel Peace Prize (Kissinger version) tomorrow? I'll be surprised if he doesn't.

What could possibly go wrong.

[Stanley]

I agree with all of that David, wise counsel. What will really test the process is the cessation of the demolition project in Gaza and the West Bank.

Meanwhile.... closer to home I saw THIS update on the Horizon case.....
All victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal who are claiming compensation will now be entitled to free legal advice to help them with their offers, the government has announced. The change could potentially have a major effect on the size of the payouts some victims are able to achieve. It is one of a number of improvements to the compensation schemes available to victims, made in response to the first report from the public inquiry into the scandal, widely described as one of the UK's worst ever miscarriages of justice. In July, the chair of the inquiry, Sir Wyn Williams, delivered his findings into the human impact of the scandal and called for urgent action. The government said it has accepted all but one of the recommendations relating specifically to Horizon.
I hope this enhances and accelerates the delivery of justice and fair compensation to all the victims.....

[Stanley]

THIS is not going to please Donald Trump......
Venezuela's opposition leader María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. Machado, 58, was hailed by the Nobel Committee as "one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times". She has campaigned against Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro Moros, whose 12-year rule is viewed by many as illegitimate. "This immense recognition of the struggle of all Venezuelans is an impetus to conclude our task: to conquer Freedom," Machado said in a statement. Among those who missed out was US President Donald Trump, who has made no secret of his desire to get the prestigious award, with public overtures on the seven wars he claims to have ended. Nominations for the award closed in January. A White House official responded by saying the "Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace" .

[Julie in Norfolk]

Isn't it odd that they awarded the Peace Prize to a great lady from Venezuela, the same nationality as the alleged drug smugglers that Trump has recently taken to bombing at sea.

[Stanley]

I think the Nobel committee were very careful and clever.....
But if all else failed they could always point out that nominations for this year's Award closed before the Gaza 'Peace' deal was concluded.....

[Stanley]

See THIS latest on the release of hostages.....
Hundreds of thousands of people have held a rally in Tel Aviv, ahead of the expected release of Israeli hostages by Hamas. Addressing the crowds, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said the hostages "are coming home" and praised Donald Trump for making a Gaza ceasefire and hostage return deal possible. In Gaza, Palestinian officials said about 500,000 people had returned to northern Gaza - which lies in ruins - in the past two days, following the withdrawal of Israeli troops. Meanwhile Egypt confirmed it would host a summit on Monday to finalise an agreement aimed at ending the war. More than 20 leaders including Trump would attend the summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, an Egyptian presidential spokesperson said. French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are confirmed to be travelling to Egypt on Monday. Many in the crowd yelled "Thank you, Trump!" - but also booed when Witkoff mentioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Echoing David yesterday, this is all a bit premature, the releases are yet to happen and the agreement to cease fire isn't concluded yet.

[Tizer]

I think the Nobel committee were very careful and clever.....
But if all else failed they could always point out that nominations for this year's Award closed before the Gaza 'Peace' deal was concluded.....

Trump wasn't going to get the Prize. Here's why... Time Magazine

[Stanley]

That's a thoughtful and impressive article Peter. It has as they say 'the ring of truth'. I hope the Nobel committee read it.

See THIS BBC report that Starmer is racking up the air miles again.
Updated 4 hours ago
The prime minister has arrived in Egypt ahead of an international peace summit where the peace plan for Gaza is due to be signed. Sir Keir Starmer will pay "particular tribute" to US President Donald Trump at the gathering in Sharm El-Sheikh, Downing Street has said. A ceasefire in Gaza took effect on Friday morning after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire agreement and hostage return deal brokered by Trump, with the next phases still to be negotiated. The US president will lead Monday's summit alongside Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, with leaders from more than 20 countries in attendance, a spokesman for Sisi said. Under the deal, Hamas has until 12:00 (09:00 GMT) on Monday to release all Israeli hostages - including 20 who are believed to be alive, and the remains of up to 28 deceased hostages. Israel should also release around 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 detainees from Gaza, while increased amounts of aid should enter the Strip. Many details for the later phases, which would be negotiated after the successful completion of phase one, could be hard to reach agreement on - such as the governance of Gaza, the extent of Israeli troop withdrawal, and the disarming of Hamas.
I have a question..... Why does he have to be there? Could it be that this is a handy diversionary tactic that gets him out of the firing line of domestic politics at a time when he is under pressure?