Labour top brass getting down to business

[albie]

Transparency eh!

Like Peter Mandelson, Alistair Campbell is back in the fold of Labour operations but without any official responsibilities.
His media profile has increased despite having no recognised position.

Part of this informal role is to create these channels of communication to business interests and media, without the need to acknowledge Starmer as the initiator.
This is one example of plausible deniability in action.

Portland Communications PR are a private company with a chequered history in political lobbying.
https://inews.co.uk/opinion/comment/portland-communications-shows-public-affairs-firms-cant-afford-scandals-analysis-768333
 
The brochure stresses Portland were founded by an advisor to former PM Tony Blair, Portland are also alleged to have controversial involvement with the failed coup against Jeremy Corbyn.
Those who are rightly concerned with the influence of 55 Tufton St on UK politics, should be worried about Labour canvassing for donations in the same pool.

It would be unwise to disregard the activities of Portland Communications PR.
Aside from the many glaring errors in the brochure, the idea that influence can be bought, or that this is acceptable, is contrary to core Labour values.

The sales pitch is that "open for business" means that vested interests can pitch for leverage beyond public scrutiny until after the fact.
Arms length donations via a third party, or a shell company, are another method of evading detection.
The advantage here is that due parliamentary process considers only what is presented at the time.
 
The rise of "dark money" in UK politics has been well discussed in relation to the Tories, but some like to have a foot in both camps.
Always a modus operandi for the Tories, Labour are looking to draw financial support by the same means.
This was a source of income to Blair New Labour under Lord Levy, and is now being revisited.

The idea that Wilts suggests, no cash will be received by Labour in consequence of these initiatives, is just bonkers...that is the entire point!
The about face on policies such as nationalisation are part of this revised offer to potential backers, and the repositioning of Labour as a corporate lobbying tool.

The important point is whether you think this approach to funding is acceptable, or if you believe no supporter contributing campaign funds does so without expecting a payback.
If it is the first, then what screening criteria do you use, and what red lines do you use to prevent the compromise of key policies?

Arms manufacturers, private health interests, foreign government proxies.....fill your boots!

[Branton Red]

I entirely agree Wilts.

McDonnell was on the Preston show this week talking more sense on Ukraine and the need to help them militarily than Corbyn and the Stop the War Putin acolytes have ever uttered.

There's an interesting alternative history where McDonnell instead of Corbyn was elected leader of the Labour party in 2015. McDonnell is a far stronger intellect and far more hard headed in general. We COULD have had a genuinely socialist economic manifesto in 2017, without the stupid, immature and frankly, dangerous baggage that Corbyn brought on foreign policy. McDonnell would never, ever have let himself come across as someone who hated Britain - the easy jibe to Corbyn that I heard again and again on the doorsteps.

Is this the same John McDonnell who: -

- claimed his hobbies included "generally fermenting the overthrow of capitalism"
- said IRA terrorists should be "honoured for their bravery"
- thought it would be amusing to quote from the 'little red book' of the biggest mass murderer in human history at the Parliamentary despatch box???

Yes clearly someone with both the strong intellect and hard headedness to woo the floating centrist voter. Still at least his views are not stupid, immature or dangerous in any way.

[wilts rover]

I entirely agree Wilts.

McDonnell was on the Preston show this week talking more sense on Ukraine and the need to help them militarily than Corbyn and the Stop the War Putin acolytes have ever uttered.

There's an interesting alternative history where McDonnell instead of Corbyn was elected leader of the Labour party in 2015. McDonnell is a far stronger intellect and far more hard headed in general. We COULD have had a genuinely socialist economic manifesto in 2017, without the stupid, immature and frankly, dangerous baggage that Corbyn brought on foreign policy. McDonnell would never, ever have let himself come across as someone who hated Britain - the easy jibe to Corbyn that I heard again and again on the doorsteps.

Is this the same John McDonnell who: -

- claimed his hobbies included "generally fermenting the overthrow of capitalism"
- said IRA terrorists should be "honoured for their bravery"
- thought it would be amusing to quote from the 'little red book' of the biggest mass murderer in human history at the Parliamentary despatch box???

Yes clearly someone with both the strong intellect and hard headedness to woo the floating centrist voter. Still at least his views are not stupid, immature or dangerous in any way.

Yes that's the one. Shadow Chancellor in the Corbyn Labour Party in which role he did a lot of canvassing with city groups and financiers. Which is what we are talking about.

[albie]

By his own account, John Mcdonnell went to Davos with rather different intentions to those folk on here are saying;
https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/john-mcdonnells-warning-global-elite-davos-gathering-rich-powerful-120194

You could see it as naive, or as principled but misguided.
What it isn't is pandering to the elite for crumbs in the begging bowl!

[BillyStubbsTears]

Branton.

I've criticised McDonnell often enough for his stance on the IRA. I don't need any lectures in that. It was stupid, offensive and immature.

But that was a quarter of a century ago. Thatcher gave succour to General Pinochet who killed many times more political opponents than the IRA, but that doesn't stop her still being an idol of the Right, and it didn't stop her winning 3 elections.

Over the past decade, McDonnell has made far more sensible and hard headed calls on foreign policy than the Corbynistas ever did. And, unlike the people on Right and Left who brought you your Brexit, he wouldn't have allowed our politics to be infested by Putin's breath.

You tend not to get perfection in politics, especially over a long career. McDonnell has, unlike most of the Left, moved away from the student common room take on foreign policy. And he understood the working of the capitalist economy, and how to make it work for ordinary people better than anyone else in Parliament.

He wanted a socialist future, but he grew to realise that doesn't come by hoping it happens. It will come, if it ever does, by first of all working hard-headedly WITH business and business interests, and by standing up to dictators who have no interest in either socialism or democracy. Hence his current support for arming Ukraine.

[SydneyRover]

Albie, not sure who Nick Martin is but he's worth listening to ..............

Nick Martin explains why the best course of action for the Green Party is to give their all to elect councillors who will increase the prospects for climate action in local communities. But at the national level, the vain quest for more MPs should give way to a recognition that the best hope for a decisive change in national direction is the election of Labour government.

https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/green-party-strategy/

[normal rules]

I’ve asked this before, but what exactly is Starmers policy for Channel Crossing Migrants.?
This issue isn’t going away.
If/when labour take up the poisoned chalice, they too will have to deal with this. Or not, as the case may be.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

I'm not sure there's anyone NR who has an answer to that one it absolutely is the poisoned chalice.

I thought Labour's report on credit card spend was interesting and a good message to send out actually on waste in the public sector, the opposition feels much more co-ordinated of late which is a big positive.  I wouldn't have used Rayner though she's a bit hypocritical talking about that in my view.

[Branton Red]

Billy

You're lauding McDonnell by comparing him favourably a) intellectually to Corbyn and b) morally against Thatcher. I can't help but think you've set your bar exceedingly low on both counts.

It's fair to compare McDonnell's or Corbyn's/Abbott's/Livingstone's viewpoints across a wide range of subjects to student common room politics. Yet wrong to dismiss these as simply that. Their views expressed, largely when backbenchers with little hope of public office, on the IRA/Mao/Israel/Castro/Monarchy/Nuclear weapons/appeasement were genuine and wholly out of step with UK public opinion.

They still think the same way to a large extent. As McDonnell's appalling brandishing of the little red book in Parliament and his comments that he'd like to go back to 1980 and assassinate Thatcher or that in the round Chrurchill was a villain due to Tonypandy in 1911 prove.

Whenever these comments, including historic ones, are brought to light by the right wing press Mondeo Man rolls his eyes, chuckles and thinks 'I'm not voting for those nutcases'. The Loony Left is a right wing construct but McDonnell and co handed it to them on a silver platter.

The thing is there is no intellectual linkage between the socialist economic policy they also espouse and these 'loony' world views. Their 'loony' views are a result of the youth culture they grew up into 50 some years ago not socialism

If McDonnell wants a socialist future and genuinely is a hard-headed intellectual then he'd have the common sense to disappear from public view. Leave the socialist fight to a younger generation who share his economic perspective but not his out of touch world view.

The old Left had their opportunity in 2017 against an opponent with no discernible polices and the charisma of a brick wall. They failed. The public's opinion of them on the doorstep in 2017 and 2019 should tell them all they need to know. Time to be put out to pasture.

[SydneyRover]

Angela Raynor:

''However, she was asked on Times Radio this morning about her own spending habits, including using £249 of taxpayers’ money on AirPods.

“I’m actually using the equipment right now as I’m speaking to you on the iPad,” said said. “This is what I’m using to do my job – in fact I think it’s three years old now – to do my work as an MP and it’s totally transparent.”
Raynor:

''I don’t think the £1,600 on that is the same as millions of pounds that is being used on these credit cards in an inappropriate way. You know, we need to make sure there’s transparency and that the public are getting value for money.

I can absolutely justify my use of using electronic equipment to do my job, especially when I’m not – during the pandemic – when I wasn’t in the office in Westminster. And as I say, now I’m speaking to you on that very iPad that was purchased''

The Guardian.

Any that have claimed a laptop, headphones, earphones, laptop bag, briefcase etc as work expenses, please form a queue.

[wilts rover]

By his own account, John Mcdonnell went to Davos with rather different intentions to those folk on here are saying;
https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/john-mcdonnells-warning-global-elite-davos-gathering-rich-powerful-120194

You could see it as naive, or as principled but misguided.
What it isn't is pandering to the elite for crumbs in the begging bowl!

Other than to discuss how a Labour government with him as chancellor would work with interntaional capitalism, what intention are folk saying he went to Davos with- I must have missed it?

[albie]

Yes, it looks like you missed it Wilts.

It was well covered in the media at the time:
https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/economics-and-finance/john-mcdonnell-an-unlikely-davos-man

John went on Facebook afterwards to explain his actions:
https://www.facebook.com/johnmcdonnellmp/videos/john-mcdonnell-davos/10155950914740833/

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Angela Raynor:

''However, she was asked on Times Radio this morning about her own spending habits, including using £249 of taxpayers’ money on AirPods.

“I’m actually using the equipment right now as I’m speaking to you on the iPad,” said said. “This is what I’m using to do my job – in fact I think it’s three years old now – to do my work as an MP and it’s totally transparent.”
Raynor:

''I don’t think the £1,600 on that is the same as millions of pounds that is being used on these credit cards in an inappropriate way. You know, we need to make sure there’s transparency and that the public are getting value for money.

I can absolutely justify my use of using electronic equipment to do my job, especially when I’m not – during the pandemic – when I wasn’t in the office in Westminster. And as I say, now I’m speaking to you on that very iPad that was purchased''

The Guardian.

Any that have claimed a laptop, headphones, earphones, laptop bag, briefcase etc as work expenses, please form a queue.

Yep I had my work headphones paid for by work.  £8 a pair I think they cost.  I believe she claimed for 2 pairs because she lost a pair (I'd have made my guys pay for the second pair theirself to be honest).

But it's a storm in a teacup and just one example of pure wastage. Why does Sunak fly around everywhere?   The bigger travesty is the staggering rents they claim, I think Rayner claims something like £2.5k a month to cover flat rent, crazy money.

[SydneyRover]

Compared to the PPE wastage and cronyism it is a storm in a teacup which in itself is dwarfed by the mismanagement of the economy the there you go.

added

I think it's small beer myself but I assume labour have done a bit of polling and found that the public don't like it and compared the spend now to what it was previously. To call out AR in isolation without comparison to all other MPs is not one of those equivalency things aye? you may have done the numbers pud but at least you should show the figures.

[wilts rover]

Yes, it looks like you missed it Wilts.

It was well covered in the media at the time:
https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/economics-and-finance/john-mcdonnell-an-unlikely-davos-man

John went on Facebook afterwards to explain his actions:
https://www.facebook.com/johnmcdonnellmp/videos/john-mcdonnell-davos/10155950914740833/

It may have been covered in the media at the time albie - but you said folks on here? Presumably you meant in this thread?

[danumdon]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/mar/02/starmer-urged-to-act-after-councillor-greg-marshall-barred-from-contesting-red-wall-broxtowe-seat

Seems to be happening on a pretty regular basis now.

We would condemn outright other countries doing this as none democratic and despotic regimes. Funny how Starmer's Labour party consider this is ok and what the people of these contested boroughs want?

I know Starmer is desperate for power but ?

It seems tyrannical fascist dictatorial rule is to be the new Uk!