
Labour's four ‘rebels' aren't persistent – they are principled
Starmer fails to topple the megalomaniac Donald Trump for the honour, since the prime minister considers an MP's three votes against the government over 12 months, out of 271 divisions, as being 'persistent'. The rebels aren't persistent – they are principled.
Paul WB Marsden
Oakenholt, Flintshire
I am saddened by the decision to remove the whip from Rachael Maskell. Before the 2019 election, I phoned many potential Labour voters in her constituency of York Central. While I was surprised at the level of distrust voiced about the party, I was impressed by the number of those who spontaneously referred to Rachael, praising her as a committed and caring MP. Labour can ill afford to lose such an outstanding representative.
Sheila Cross
Newby Wiske, North Yorkshire
This weak, self-serving prime minister has disenfranchised me. I voted Labour and Chris Hinchliff is a good constituency MP who certainly represented my views on universal credit and personal independence payments and on Gaza. If he stands in 2029, and I am still alive, I will vote for him again – if the current cabinet has been replaced with visionaries or if he stands as an independent.
Margaret Waddingham
Ware, Hertfordshire
Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Rhyl Journal
12 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Record number of police officers sacked amid drop in force numbers
Latest Home Office data reveals 426 officers were dismissed or had their contracts terminated in the 12 months to March. This is up 17% year on year from the previous record of 365 and more than double the number fired at the start of the decade, when 164 officers were dismissed in 2019/20. The latest 12-month period also saw 4,806 officers voluntarily leaving policing: the second-highest number since records began in 2006 and down slightly from the peak of 5,151 in 2023/24. The figures come as ministers have sought to tighten rules on standards to improve confidence in policing, while they have also faced warnings from forces that funding falls short to keep its existing workforce. A total of 146,442 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers were in post at the end of March 2025, down almost 1% from 147,745 at the same point last year, which was the highest in modern times. Last month, plans for an average 2.3% rise in police spending per year faced backlash from police leaders, who warned a projected £1.2 billion shortfall will continue to grow and leave forces facing further cuts. Acting national chairwoman of the Police Federation, Tiff Lynch, had said: 'We will lose 10,000 experienced officers a year to resignation by the end of this spending review period, driven out by poor pay and unacceptable working conditions.' Chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council Gavin Stephens added that the amount 'falls far short' of what is needed to fund Government plans and to maintain the existing workforce. Ministers have committed to recruiting 13,000 more neighbourhood policing officers by 2029, with 3,000 extra recruits to be in post by April 2026. Reacting to the figures, the Conservatives said the falling police numbers were a 'devastating blow' to neighbourhoods dealing with rising crime and anti-social behaviour. The figures cover the last three months of the former Conservative government, and the first nine months of Labour in power. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: 'Labour has let down policing and has let down the public. 'We need police to catch criminals, respond to 999 calls, investigate crime and patrol our streets. 'Labour has massively increased our taxes, squandered the money, and now they're reducing police numbers. The public are less safe as a result of Labour's incompetence.' The Home Office has been contacted for comment.

Leader Live
12 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Record number of police officers sacked amid drop in force numbers
Latest Home Office data reveals 426 officers were dismissed or had their contracts terminated in the 12 months to March. This is up 17% year on year from the previous record of 365 and more than double the number fired at the start of the decade, when 164 officers were dismissed in 2019/20. The latest 12-month period also saw 4,806 officers voluntarily leaving policing: the second-highest number since records began in 2006 and down slightly from the peak of 5,151 in 2023/24. The figures come as ministers have sought to tighten rules on standards to improve confidence in policing, while they have also faced warnings from forces that funding falls short to keep its existing workforce. A total of 146,442 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers were in post at the end of March 2025, down almost 1% from 147,745 at the same point last year, which was the highest in modern times. Last month, plans for an average 2.3% rise in police spending per year faced backlash from police leaders, who warned a projected £1.2 billion shortfall will continue to grow and leave forces facing further cuts. Acting national chairwoman of the Police Federation, Tiff Lynch, had said: 'We will lose 10,000 experienced officers a year to resignation by the end of this spending review period, driven out by poor pay and unacceptable working conditions.' Chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council Gavin Stephens added that the amount 'falls far short' of what is needed to fund Government plans and to maintain the existing workforce. Ministers have committed to recruiting 13,000 more neighbourhood policing officers by 2029, with 3,000 extra recruits to be in post by April 2026. Reacting to the figures, the Conservatives said the falling police numbers were a 'devastating blow' to neighbourhoods dealing with rising crime and anti-social behaviour. The figures cover the last three months of the former Conservative government, and the first nine months of Labour in power. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: 'Labour has let down policing and has let down the public. 'We need police to catch criminals, respond to 999 calls, investigate crime and patrol our streets. 'Labour has massively increased our taxes, squandered the money, and now they're reducing police numbers. The public are less safe as a result of Labour's incompetence.' The Home Office has been contacted for comment.


Powys County Times
12 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Badenoch says Conservatives need time to recover in Powys
Kemi Badenoch said that it would take time for the Conservatives to bounce back in Powys after their 'historic defeat' last year. In an interview with the County Times, the leader of the Conservative Party addressed the issues facing the party after the fallout of the last election which saw Montgomeryshire MP Craig Williams lose the party whip then the seat amid a betting scandal. 'I am working to rebuild trust with the public,' said Mrs Badenoch. 'We have acknowledged a lot of mistakes were made. That is why we lost the last election. It takes time to come back from an historic defeat like that. 'What people can see is that Labour may have won the election but they have no plans at all. All of the things they are doing are making things worse, it's not just the family farms tax. "You look at unemployment it has gone up every single month since Labour came into office, inflation has nearly doubled since the Conservatives left, growth is down – that is a real problem.' Mrs Badenoch was at the show to meet the Welsh agricultural community ahead of next year's Senedd elections and local elections in 2027. This came the week after the announcement of the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) by the Welsh Government which would see 10 percent of land being used to boost natural habitats. When questioned by the County Times about the policy Mrs Badenoch said: 'I don't know about the 10 per cent but I do know having spoken to Welsh Conservatives is that they don't believe that what Labour is putting in is going to be enough. 'They believe there is an extra £100 million that could be invested in the SFS and that is what I support.' Help support trusted local news Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get Unlimited access to the County Times website Advert-light access Reader rewards Full access to our app MP for the area David Chadwick criticised Mrs Badenoch and said the Conservatives were no longer the 'party of the countryside'. 'Welsh farmers won't forget how Kemi Badenoch and the Conservatives sold them down the river when she was International Trade Secretary for catastrophic trade deals with Australia and New Zealand,' said Mr Chadwick. 'That's part of the reason the Conservatives lost this seat at the general election.'