Labour Party

Labour’s rush to Thatcherism: what’s going on?

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/labours-rush-thatcherism-whats-going

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves during a visit to Premier Modular in Driffield, Humberside, January 30, 2025

SOLOMON HUGHES examines how Labour has gone from blaming Tory deregulation for our economic woes to betting the nation’s future on more of it

WHEN Keir Starmer finally got his prime ministerial phone call with President Trump on Sunday, according to Number 10 the two “discussed trade and the economy, with the Prime Minister setting out how we are deregulating to boost growth.”

Which is odd, because the word “deregulation” isn’t in the Labour manifesto. In fact, before the election Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds argued deregulation was a Tory sin that didn’t bring growth.

Starmer was telling Trump the truth — Labour are pressing regulators to let business do what it wants in the desperate hope they will get some “growth” to drag up their low polling. But why does Keir tell Trump the truth before British voters?

Perhaps aware that they had stumbled into openly admitting they are a “deregulation” government, despite previous promises, Starmer finally decided to lay this out by writing in The Times, making a Tory argument in the Tory press.

In his Times article Starmer admitted: “This may seem like an unusual goal for Labour politicians. But deregulation is now essential for realising Labour ambitions in this era.”

He referred admiringly to Thatcher’s deregulation and launched into purple prose about the need to hack at “thickets of red tape” to “clear out the regulatory weeds and allow a new era of British growth to bloom” and “curb regulator overreach.”

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/labours-rush-thatcherism-whats-going

Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves wear the uniform of the rich and powerful. They have all had clothes bought for them by multi-millionaire Labour donor Lord Alli. CORRECTION: It appears that Rachel Reeves clothing was provided by Juliet Rosenfeld.
Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves wear the uniform of the rich and powerful. They have all had clothes bought for them by multi-millionaire Labour donor Lord Alli. CORRECTION: It appears that Rachel Reeves clothing was provided by Juliet Rosenfeld.
Continue ReadingLabour’s rush to Thatcherism: what’s going on?

Optics over outcomes: How the Chancellor’s airport expansion plans don’t add up

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https://neweconomics.org/2025/01/optics-over-outcomes-how-the-chancellors-airport-expansion-plans-dont-add-up

By the government’s own analysis, expansion will not improve outcomes for communities across the UK

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Source: Civil Aviation Authority and ONS Travelpac

Of the 70-odd million additional passengers the proposed expansions of Heathrow, Gatwick, and Luton would put in the air at their peak, we can expect between two-thirds and three-quarters (or 45 – 50 million) to be UK residents on their way out of the country. Making air travel cheaper while the cost of domestic leisure, hospitality, and overland travel remains prohibitively high leaves many squeezed households with little choice. Between 25 – 50% of travellers report ​‘cost’ as a key factor in their decision whether to stay in the UK or travel abroad.

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From a high point in 2022, the UK’s domestic tourism industry has now seen two years of decline, contributing to the very stagnation that troubles the Chancellor. At the same time UK residents have poured overseas in record numbers, taking their hard-earned cash with them. New NEF analysis suggests trips to Mediterranean resort destinations and the Canary Islands hit a new record in 2024. Our top 20 direct routes saw passenger numbers rise from their 2019 peak of 52 million to 56 million last year.

The last line of economic defence of the proposed expansion of Heathrow is perhaps the weakest of them all. Many desire to increase Heathrow’s standing as a hub airport, this means capturing ​”international to international” passengers changing flights in the UK. As these passengers stop in the UK for a matter of a few hours at most they leave little economic value behind. They also pay no air passenger duty so the benefit to the Treasury is minimal. Their flights do, however, come under the UK’s climate responsibilities. Transfer passengers are a boon for the airports and airlines, and the predominantly foreign-domiciled entities which own them, but of little value to the rest of us.

Today’s airport decisions hint of desperation from a government seemingly more interested in optics for a select group of wealthy international investors than actual improvements in economic outcomes for communities all across the UK.

https://neweconomics.org/2025/01/optics-over-outcomes-how-the-chancellors-airport-expansion-plans-dont-add-up

Continue ReadingOptics over outcomes: How the Chancellor’s airport expansion plans don’t add up

‘We’d go absolutely nuts’: PM warned of Labour fight if he backs huge oilfield

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/31/keir-starmer-warned-against-approving-rosebank-oilfield-labour-unease-heathrow

[Guardian] Exclusive: MPs and ministers say they would oppose Starmer if he tries to approve Rosebank development

Senior Labour figures are warning of a serious fight if Keir Starmer tries to give the go-ahead to a giant new oilfield off Shetland later this year.

MPs and ministers have told the Guardian they are prepared to oppose the UK prime minister should he try and give final consent to the Rosebank development, which is Britain’s biggest untapped oilfield.

Many in the party see the battle over Rosebank as the next front in the struggle between its environmental wing and those around Rachel Reeves who want to push for economic growth above all else. The chancellor signalled her support for a third runway at Heathrow this week as part of the government’s latest push to stimulate the economy.

One ally of the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, who is leading the government’s climate agenda, said the former Labour leader would have a “punchy” response for any attempt to give consent to Rosebank. The ally said: “Ed will come to that fight armed with a lot of evidence about what Rosebank will do to our carbon emissions.”

A spokesperson for Miliband declined to comment.

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/31/keir-starmer-warned-against-approving-rosebank-oilfield-labour-unease-heathrow

Orcas are pleased that Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields are blocked.
Orcas are pleased that Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields are blocked.
Continue Reading‘We’d go absolutely nuts’: PM warned of Labour fight if he backs huge oilfield

Government refuses to answer MPs’ questions on Gaza genocide

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Image of Jeremy Corbyn MP, former leader of the Labour Party
Jeremy Corbyn MP, former leader of the Labour Party

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/government-refuses-answer-mps-questions-gaza-genocide

FORMER Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn MP has criticised the government for “making no attempt” to answer MPs’ questions over its complicity in the Gaza genocide.

A five-strong pro-Palestine group of MPs, forming the Independent Alliance parliamentary group, has asked for the government’s definition of genocide, what advice it has received over its applicability in Gaza and what it was doing to fulfil its legal obligations to prevent genocide.

In letters sent to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and the Attorney General Richard Hermer, they also asked whether RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, is being used as a route for weapons to be deployed in Gaza and what legal advice the government has received over its use to support Israeli military operations.

Replying to Mr Corbyn two months after the letters were sent, Middle East minister Hamish Falconer did not address the questions.

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Mr Corbyn shared a copy of The Independent Alliance’s written response to Mr Falconer on social media.

It said: “We are extremely disappointed that you’ve made no attempt whatsoever to answer any of these questions.

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“It remains unknown whether the government has refused to seek legal advice over the definition of genocide, or whether the legal advice it has received is at direct odds with the statement the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have made.”

They added that it is “particularly concerning” that the government failed to provide any detail on how it has met its obligations to prevent genocide.

“We say again: we deserve to know the full scale of our government’s complicity and participation in genocide,” it added.

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/government-refuses-answer-mps-questions-gaza-genocide

UK Foreign Minister David Lammy confirms that UK government and military are active participants in Israel’s genocides and that the F-35 parts that they suspended from supplying to Israel are instead simply diverted via the United States. He says see https://youtu.be/QILgUHrdWRE
UK Foreign Minister David Lammy confirms that UK government and military are active participants in Israel’s genocides and that the F-35 parts that they suspended from supplying to Israel are instead simply diverted via the United States. He says see https://youtu.be/QILgUHrdWRE
Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
Continue ReadingGovernment refuses to answer MPs’ questions on Gaza genocide