Author: Miles Donavan

‘Reform are showing themselves to be the political voice of the vested interests of big oil and corporate profit.’ Reform UK mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, Andrea Jenkyns, admitted on Times Radio last night that she doesn’t believe in climate change.  Asked by Times journalist Kait Borsey how Reform UK would pay for its £50 billion a year policies, including increasing the personal tax allowance to £20,000 and scrapping the two child limit on benefit payments. Jenkyns responded that the party will “completely stop net zero”, stating that scrapping net zero subsidies would save “a massive amount” of money. Asked if…

‘It is obvious this Labour leadership wants me out.’ Keir Starmer has suspended Diane Abbott, the longest-serving female MP, for a second time after she repeated comments about racism she was previously suspended for. In a BBC Radio 4 interview with James Naughtie, which was recorded in May but released yesterday, she said: “Clearly there must be a difference between racism which is about colour and other types of racism”.  She said that this is because you can’t immediately see if a person is a Traveller or is Jewish. On the other hand, she said this isn’t the case for…

‘We were elected as a team under a banner and under a manifesto, and we have to seek to work together’ Labour MP Jess Phillips has defended the Prime Minister’s decision to suspend four Labour MPs, saying that party unity had to be maintained and that they were elected “as a team under a banner and under a manifesto” and could “expect” to face disciplinary action if they did not vote with the government. Phillips told Sky News that those acting in a manner that undermined the ability of the government to deliver on its programme shouldn’t expect anything different…

The government still has time to act decisively, but they need to get started now. Nothing sums up how broken our political system is quite like the House of Lords. The Prime Minister has unchecked power to appoint new peers, which too often has been abused to award peerages to party donors and political allies. As a result, the Lords has ballooned to over 830 members, making it the second-largest legislative chamber in the world, rivalled only by China’s National People’s Congress. Before becoming Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer rightly described the House of Lords as ‘undemocratic’ and ‘indefensible’. Yet…

‘The state needs to be hands-on, and not leave it all to the pirates of City of London’ Prem Sikka is an Emeritus Professor of Accounting at the University of Essex and the University of Sheffield, a Labour member of the House of Lords, and Contributing Editor at Left Foot Forward. The UK Chancellor’s annual Mansion House Speech brings two quotes to mind. The first is from Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. The second attributed to Karl Marx is that “History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a…

“Can Richard Tice provide any details or evidence for this?” Richard Tice has again added to the list of claims that Reform UK has made without providing evidence.  Reform’s Deputy Leader said during urgent questions on the government’s new electoral strategy that on postal votes, the right-wing party has “grave concerns” about “the risks to security” and “impersonation”.  He added: “I myself, Minister, have seen people carry bagloads of postal votes to a polling station on election day. That is surely completely wrong.” Democracy minister Rushanara Ali responded: “Impersonating another voter is a deliberate act of fraud. It completely undermines…

A video clip has shown an astonishing interaction between a protester and two police officers in Kent. In the clip, the protester – Laura Murton – was threatened with arrest while they held a Palestine flag and displayed a placard reading ‘Israel is committing genocide’. In the clip, Murton is seen being approached by two police officers who asked them what their intention was. The police went on to ask whether Murton supported any proscribed group. She confirmed that she did not, going on to say “I support a free Palestine and the end of genocide.” Following this, one of…

Reform has criticised Suella Braverman for the Afghan leak and previously said she was “too toxic” for the party’s image Rael Braverman, Suella Braverman’s husband, announced he had left Reform UK “effective immediately” yesterday. Rael defected from the Conservative Party to Reform back in December, stating at the time that it was “nice to believe in something again”. But that didn’t last long.  His exit follows comments from a Reform source earlier this week claiming Suella wouldn’t be welcome in the party, stating she is “not a team player” and that she and Liz Truss would be “too toxic” for…

A major change to British democracy The government has announced that it will be lowering the voting age to 16. According to the government, this is part of a series of “seismic changes to modernise UK democracy”. Lowering the voting age was a key element of the Labour Party manifesto in advance of the 2024 general election. Votes at 16 are already in place for devolved and local elections in both Wales and Scotland. Announcing the move, the minister for democracy Rushanara Ali said: “We are modernising our democracy, so that it is fit for the 21st century. By delivering…

“The Prime Minister should be listening to these voices, not punishing them” Four Labour MPs have had the whip suspended for what the party leadership has said is “persistent breaches of party discipline”. As a result, the MPs – Chris Hinchcliff, Brian Leishman, Neil Duncan-Jordan and Rachael Maskell will sit as independents unless and until the whip is restored. All four of the MPs voted against the government’s Universal Credit Bill, which initially sought to make substantial cuts to disability benefits. Additionally, Maskell tabled an amendment to the bill which intended to stop it progressing through parliament. The move to…