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Sir Keir Starmer has called for closer ties with the European Union as Diane Abbott will reportedly be banned from standing as a Labour candidate at the upcoming general election.
Speaking on the general election campaign trail in Hertfordshire today, the Labour leader said: “I do think that we can get a better deal with the EU than the one we’ve got ... So we’ve got to take that on – a closer relationship.” He cited trade, defence and security, and education as areas with “huge scope for closer work”.
It comes as Sir Keir said Labour’s National Executive Committee will decide whether Ms Abbott, the longest-serving Black MP, will be able to stand for the party in the 4 July general election – as it emerged a party investigation into her finished five months ago.
The PA news agency understands Ms Abbott was given back the Labour whip on Tuesday after she was suspended last April over comments she made on racism – but The Times is reporting that the party leadership has already decided to stop the 70-year-old from standing.
Key Points
- ‘No case for going back into EU,’ says Starmer as he calls for closer ties
- Abbott ‘to be banned from standing for Labour’ as it emerges investigation finished months ago
- Police and council drop investigations into Angela Rayner over council house row
- Labour’s lead narrows to only 12 points over Tories, reveals new poll
- Sir Ed Davey makes a splash as he unveils plan to tackle sewage crisis
Can Keir Starmer really be called a socialist?
As if they couldn’t think of anything more interesting to ask the leader of the Labour Party during an election campaign, Keir Starmer has been tackled on the hot topic of socialism, and whether he is a true socialist. Surprisingly, given his track record, Starmer immediately agreed that he was – though his answer was given a generous garnish of progressivism.
“Yes, I would describe myself as a socialist,” he said. “I describe myself as a progressive. I’d describe myself as somebody who always puts the country first and party second.”
It is a little disconcerting because he has dumped many of the socialist pledges he made when campaigning for the Labour leadership, and has ruthlessly expunged the Corbynite left of the party. As Private Eye editor Ian Hislop might say: if he’s a socialist, I’m a banana.
Read the full article here:
Can Keir Starmer really be called a socialist?
From firm firebrands to Christian socialists, Labour leaders have redefined themselves in line with the times, says Sean O’Grady
Sean O’Grady29 May 2024 03:00 1716944400Government should’ve resolved junior doctors’ pay dispute ‘long ago’, Sir Keir says
The Government should have resolved the junior doctors’ pay dispute “long ago”, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
Taking questions at Airbus in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, the Labour leader said: “We’ve had a situation where the Government and the union have been arguing about who gets into the room first to solve this.
“We can’t have any more of that, and we would get in the room and negotiate, but also do the necessary work to take the NHS forward.”
He earlier said: “The Government should have resolved the dispute long ago. The Government’s been sitting it out for I don’t know how long.”
Earlier in May, the British Medical Association and the Department of Health and Social Care mutually agreed to explore mediation, according to online statements by both organisations.
Tara Cobham29 May 2024 02:00 1716940800A vote for the Tories is a waste, says Nigel Farage
Nigel Farage has said voting for the Conservative Party is a “wasted vote” as he set out Reform UK’s election campaign agenda in Dover.
The Reform honorary president, who has declined to stand as an MP, launched the party’s campaign at a yacht club on the Kent seafront, which he described as the “frontline of the great national debate on immigration”.
Speaking to press and supporters, Mr Farage said the Tories have “wrecked it for themselves” and rejected the Conservative argument that a vote for Reform is a vote for Labour.
Anahita Hossein-Pour reports:
A vote for the Tories is a waste, says Nigel Farage
The Reform honorary president, who has declined to stand as an MP, launched the party’s campaign at a yacht club on the Kent seafront.
Tara Cobham29 May 2024 01:00 1716937200Watch: Labour and Tories embrace TikTok to reach younger voters
Exclusive: Labour pledge to boost sick pay rights for low-paid workers
Labour has unveiled its first big general election offering on workers’ rights with a pledge to end discrimination on sick pay facing low-paid employees.
Just 24 hours after wooing more than 120 business leaders with their economic plans, the Labour leadership is seeking to calm union concerns that they will water down their promises on workers’ rights.
The intervention on sick pay will help an estimated 1.5 million who are not covered by the rules and either have to work through illness or stay at home without financial support.
Political editor David Maddox and political correspondent Archie Mitchell report:
Labour pledge to boost sick pay rights for low-paid workers
Exclusive: Labour will scrap the lower earnings threshold for statutory sick pay and make workers eligible from day one of falling ill
Tara Cobham28 May 2024 23:13 1716934232Labour’s lead narrows to only 12 points over Tories, reveals new poll
Labour is now leading over the Tories by only 12 points, a new poll has revealed.
The gap between the two main parties surprisingly narrowed after a bumpy opening week to the general election campaign for the prime minister.
Sir Keir Starmer’s party has 40 per cent support, while Rishi Sunak’s party has 28 per cent.
Labour’s lead has slipped from 15 points in early May and 18 points the previous month, according to the poll by JL Partners, which was conducted on Friday and Saturday.
Tara Cobham28 May 2024 23:10 1716933606Labour vows to send teams into hospitals to set up evening and weekend clinics
Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to tell hospitals from day one of a Labour government to set up evening and weekend clinics to cut NHS waiting lists.
The Labour leader told the Mirror that “crack teams” who are already running out-of-hours programmes across the country will help set up the clinics in the rest of the health service.
If it wins the General Election, Labour will initially focus on reducing treatment backlogs, which currently stand at 7.54 million.
Sophie Wingate reports:
Labour vows to send teams into hospitals to set up evening and weekend clinics
Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to cut treatment backlogs, which currently stand at 7.54 million.
Tara Cobham28 May 2024 23:00 1716930026Opinion | Why are our party leaders refusing to talk about Europe?
Our relationship with the continent is the biggest challenge of our time, writes former deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine.
Yet our political leaders are so afraid of the far right’s grip on this country that they refuse to do anything about it.
He writes: “We are now at the start of what I foresee will be the most dishonest election of modern times.
What are the issues this country should be discussing?
The state of our economy, defence and environment, the need to level up our society, control immigration and restore Britain’s standing in the world.
None of these issues can be honestly addressed in isolation from our relationship with Europe.”
Read the full article here.
Salma Ouaguira28 May 2024 22:00 1716928226National Service and Cilla Black memes: Do Labour or the Tories have a better TikTok game?
With TikTok now used by over 9 million people in the UK, it’s no suprise major political parties have jumped onto the bandwagon in an attempt to appeal to younger voters, Jabed Ahmed reports.
Social media has been touted as a key battleground in general elections for many years, but having launched in the UK in August 2018, TikTok was only in its infancy during the last poll at the end of 2019.
Political advertising is banned on TikTok, though both parties will be hoping content reaches the right audiences through the app’s complex user algorithms.
Labour launched its account on the app three days before the Conservatives – posting an 11-second video on Thursday evening of leader Sir Keir Starmer declaring: “Change. That is what this election is about.”
You can read The Independent full story here
Salma Ouaguira28 May 2024 21:30 1716926426Umbrellagate: Nigel Farage mocks Rishi Sunak in campaign video
Salma Ouaguira28 May 2024 21:00 Newer1 / 6OlderDisclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
