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The Guardian
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
John McDonnell calls for grassroots leadership challenge to Starmer's government
The suspended Labour veteran John McDonnell has called for a grassroots leadership challenge to the Labour government , warning that unless party members, unions and MPs 'stand up and assert themselves to take back control of our party', Labour risks losing not just its power: 'We could lose a party.' The former shadow chancellor accused Keir Starmer's government of 'callousness and political incompetence', criticising its hesitance in abolishing the two-child limit on benefits, and what he calls a 'brutal launch of an attack on benefits of disabled people'. Writing for the Guardian five decades after joining Labour as a young trade unionist, McDonnell said the movement he had devoted his life to had 'instigated a series of policies that fly like a knife to the heart of what we believed the Labour party above all else stood for when we joined the party'. 'When in the first king's speech the Starmer leadership didn't just fail to address the major cause of child poverty, the two-child benefit cap, but demanded Labour MPs vote against its abolition, the first signs of the callousness and political incompetency of the decision-making of the new administration were put on display,' he wrote. McDonnell was among seven Labour MPs suspended last July for defying the whip on a Commons vote to end the two-child limit – a policy that continues to cause anger across Labour's benches – leaving many MPs ready to use the welfare-related vote expected in the coming weeks to express their discontent. Labour's decision to delay the release of its long-awaited child poverty strategy until autumn has left some MPs feeling relieved, but many feeling further angered given experts have warned more children will continue to be pushed into poverty every day the policy exists. McDonnell highlights what he sees as an erosion of Labour's founding mission. 'We are the party founded to eliminate poverty and secure equality,' he said, but instead he added, 'the distasteful sight of Labour ministers accepting gifts and tickets and donations from the rich and corporate carpet baggers whilst cutting the benefits of the poorest in our society was justifiably nauseating for many of our supporters.' 'To then follow this up with the debacle of the winter fuel allowance and the brutal launch of an attack on benefits of disabled people has disillusioned our supporters on a scale not seen before in the recent history of our party'. The U-turn on universal winter fuel support, which initially excluded millions of pensioners on modest incomes, followed internal backlash and a local elections drubbing. But McDonnell argued the government's direction had already 'opened the door to the divisive and destructive proto fascism of Farage'. Going even further, McDonnell launched a cutting assessment of Starmer's inner circle, claiming a full-blown power struggle was already under way. 'What we are now witnessing is a panicked half-hearted policy retreat whilst the back room boys, Morgan McSweeney in the leader's office and Nick Parrot in the deputy leader's office, fight like rats in a sack for the succession to Keir Starmer.' Downing Street heavily pushed back against MPs' criticism of Starmer's recent immigration speech, rejecting the direct comparison with Enoch Powell but saying the prime minister would not 'shy away' from direct talk about the subject. The government is preparing for a June spending review, with pressure from Labour backbenchers and trade unions to introduce a wealth tax and reverse planned welfare cuts. The leadership has so far resisted those calls, but McDonnell's intervention will be read by Labour insiders as a direct call for Starmer's ousting if he does not. 'Unless the party members, our affiliated unions and members of the parliamentary Labour party stand up and assert themselves to take back control of our party, in the next period, in the Labour party's history we may not just lose a government, we could lose a party', he said.
Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
What Angela Rayner's leaked tax raid memo tells us about Labour
Since entering government Angela Rayner has been remarkably quiet. Where many had expected her to be one of the most forthright characters, especially given her schooling in the trade unions, she has largely kept her head down. Behind the scenes, however, there have been reports of discontent. At a cabinet meeting earlier this year she was one of several ministers who raised their concerns about the scale of welfare cuts and public spending restraint. There were also claims that at one point she was so frustrated with the government's target of building 1.5 million homes by the end of this parliament — a target she is responsible for delivering — that she considered quitting. Until now she has been scrupulously on message. However, the leak
The Sun
17-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Labour's great Brexit betrayal has begun – Sir Keir Starmer is selling Britain out in his EU surrender summit
LABOUR'S great Brexit Betrayal has begun. It's taken less than a year since they came to office, but on Monday they will bend their knees to their new masters from Brussels. 2 At a surrender summit taking place in London, Keir Starmer and his band of EU -obsessed cabinet ministers will formally place the United Kingdom on a pathway back under the control of the EU and they will betray the historic referendum result of 9 years ago. When Labour negotiates Britain loses and our hard-fought Brexit freedoms are about to be sacrificed and surrendered. Labour will try to dress this up as some form of reset, talk about protecting their co-called 'red lines' and deny backsliding on Brexit. But I know that Sun readers will not be fooled by Keir Starmer's spin and Labour's lies. After all, Keir Starmer has made a habit out of breaking promises – his pledges to freeze council tax and cut energy bills have been abandoned. His pledge not to tax working people was broken with new taxes on family businesses, farmers and the punishing jobs tax which will cost every working household £3,500. And we will never forget he pledged to protect pensioners energy but cruelly snatched away their winter fuel payments to fund pay rises for his trade union mates. 2 Keir Starmer and Labour cannot be trusted on anything and they certainly can't be relied on to stand up for our national interest and defend Brexit because they have never believed in it. From the moment the Referendum result was announced, Keir Starmer and the Labour Party set about undermining and sabotaging Brexit at every opportunity. They plotted and schemed because they arrogantly thought they knew better than you, the British public. That's why in Parliament Labour voted 48 times to block Brexit with Keir Starmer l eading campaigns for a second referendum, free movement and open borders, and keeping the UK tied to EU laws in a customs union. Now he is Prime Minister, Keir Starmer is hellbent on selling Britain out and giving up the Brexit freedoms we have benefited from. While Keir Starmer turns a blind eye to the benefits of Brexit, I know that Sun readers have welcomed them. Since we left the EU, we have been free to negotiate new trade deals with fast growing economies across the world and our freedom from EU bureaucracy meant we could roll out the Covid vaccine and end lockdowns quicker than our European neighbours across the Channel. We've also been able to secure a better deal for our fishermen and by ending free movement we have been able finally take back control of our borders from the EU. But despite these benefits, for months Labour have been negotiating in secret with the EU, putting everything on the table. Defence, migration cooperation, justice, fisheries and so-called youth mobility have all been up for grabs. While the UK already has a good trade deal with the EU and effective mechanisms to cooperate on defence and security, Labour are preparing to negotiate away the freedoms that we have and bind us closer into the EU. This will include Labour agreeing to make Britain a rule-taker once again under a process called dynamic alignment, subjecting British businesses to EU laws and the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. Keir Starmer is also looking to put Britain into the EU's carbon trading mechanism which will whack up energy bills and he could even give in to the EU's demands on fishing. Worryingly, Labour l ook set to open our borders and start the process of reintroducing free movement by the back door with some form of youth mobility scheme. Let's be clear, Labour's plans are not about improving cooperation with our European friends and allies, they are about surrendering control to them. Whenever Labour negotiates, Britain loses. And after Monday's surrender summit, Labour have pledged to continue to negotiate away our freedoms to Brussels with more summits set to follow. An official speaking on behalf of the Government has told representatives from businesses, charities and trade unions that: 'The Summit would also be the first of many, so even if something was not announced on 19 May, that did not mean that it would not be addressed on another occasion.' Piece-by-piece, law-by-law and summit-by-summit, Labour will betray Brexit. They've also been begging organisations to speak favourably about their EU surrender deal as they try to flood the media with positive comments to hide the fact that they are betraying Brexit and our national interest. While Labour surrenders our sovereignty and betrays Brexit, the Conservative Party will always stand up for Britain. It was a Conservative Government that trusted the British people in the Brexit Referendum and a Conservative Government that got Brexit done and took us out of the EU. That's why we have pledged to take back any powers Labour surrenders to the EU and why we will continue to fight on your behalf for strong border controls and to put Britain's interests first.
The Independent
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Despair at Starmer's ‘divisive' language as he clamps down on immigration
Sir Keir Starmer has warned that the UK risks becoming 'an island of strangers' as he laid out one of the toughest set of rules in recent history to crack down on immigration. Sir Keir also said that the number of people entering the country is causing 'incalculable damage' – remarks which have provoked a furious backlash, with his own MPs joining trade unions and charities in comparing the language with that of the far right and Enoch Powell. In a dramatic early morning press conference on Monday aimed at seizing the political agenda, Sir Keir insisted his new immigration plans were being unveiled 'because they are the right thing to do'. Among the measures announced were a ban on the recruitment of care workers from overseas, increased English language requirements for immigrants and the tightening of access to skilled worker visas. But while Sir Keir denied his government's white paper was a 'reaction to a political party' following the success of Nigel Farage 's Reform UK at the local elections, critics condemned his attempts to 'pander' to Mr Farage. Sir Keir's language marked an extraordinary turnaround in the last five years from when he was Jeremy Corbyn's shadow immigration minister promoting open borders and from three years ago when he claimed that those raising immigration as an issue were 'racist'. One senior Labour backbencher compared his language to Enoch Powell's infamous 'rivers of blood' speech in 1968 which whipped up a frenzy of anti-immigration hatred across the UK. Norwich South MP Clive Lewis said: 'It's simply not sustainable for the prime minister to echo the language of Enoch Powell's 'rivers of blood' speech – invoking the idea of 'living in a land of strangers.' 'This kind of language doesn't just alienate communities, it drives people away from our country altogether. And if those at the top think this is a clever tactic to win another five years by rolling out the red carpet for Nigel Farage, they're mistaken. We are losing far more progressive voters than we are gaining from Reform UK.' Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East, said in a post on the Bluesky social media platform: "The step-up in anti-migrant rhetoric from the government is shameful and dangerous. "Migrants are our neighbours, friends and family. To suggest that Britain risks becoming 'an island of strangers' because of immigration mimics the scaremongering of the far right." Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson added: "For our prime minister to say today that unfettered immigration risks the UK becoming 'an island of strangers' is deeply concerning. "We cannot concede to the anti-migrant agenda promoted by those who thrive on division." Meanwhile, refugee charity Care4Calais chief executive Steve Smith said: "This is dangerous language for any prime minister to use. Has Starmer forgotten last year's far-right riots? "Shameful language like this will only inflame the fire of the far right and risks further race riots that endanger survivors of horrors such as war, torture and modern slavery. Starmer must apologise." The measures include: Skilled workers will have to have a university-level degree to come to the UK. Salary thresholds will also rise. Increased English language requirements to A-level equivalent, with a slightly lower level for dependants. There will be a ban on recruiting care workers from abroad. The Immigration Skills Charge – which is paid by sponsors – will rise for the first time since 2017. New restrictions on people coming to the UK in areas where there are shortages of workers, Increasing minimum pass requirement before foreign students can come to the UK. Graduates will be able to stay in the UK for 18 months after their studies, compared to current period of two years. The government will explore introducing a new levy on university income from foreign students. Digital identity will be compulsory for all overseas citizens. Sir Keir has declined to set a formal cap on immigration and would only commit to 'significant reductions' in visas each year. Sacha Deshmukh, chief executive of Amnesty International UK, said: 'The suggestion of assessing people's 'integration' through subjective or undefined criteria raises serious risks of discriminatory treatment, including on the basis of race, class or culture. Any attempt to limit the right to private and family life – a core protection under the European Convention on Human Rights – would be especially concerning. 'The UK's immigration system must be grounded in fairness, legality and respect for the rights of all people not shaped by political expediency or performative control.' Already the building sector has warned about a shortage of labour needed to build the 1.5 million homes Labour is targeting before the next election. The care sector has also responded with deep concerns. Professor Nicola Ranger, general secretary and chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), told delegates at a conference in Liverpool: "The UK is so reliant on overseas workers, especially in social care and the government has no plan to grow a domestic workforce. "This is all about politics. Pandering. Scapegoating. This should be about people." But David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges praised the white paper. He said: "Today's immigration White Paper rightly recognises the need to grow our domestic skills and training provision to support priority sectors of the economy. Key elements of the new proposals are welcome, such as the use of the Immigration Skills Charge and the establishment of the Labour Market Evidence Group." Zeena Luchowa, partner at Laura Devine Immigration, said: "As of October 2024, there were approximately 131,000 vacancies within the adult social care sector. The intention to imminently restrict and ultimately close this route is therefore likely to have a substantial impact."
Irish Times
12-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Christine Lagarde under fire from unions over ECB workers' rights
Two of Europe's most powerful trade unions have accused European Central Bank (ECB) president Christine Lagarde of undermining workers' rights at the Frankfurt institution, escalating a long-running and bitter feud over labour relations. The latest clash involves changes proposed by the ECB's leadership to the central bank's works council, an influential group of elected employees. Under German law, elected representatives on these Betriebsräte are freed up from their day jobs to focus full-time on representing the interests of staff – while receiving their normal salaries. Legal privileges and protection of works councils have been enshrined in German law for more than a century. READ MORE Under the ECB's proposals, the spokesperson for the works council would only be allowed to dedicate 75 per cent of their time to staff representation. All other members of the council would have to spend 50 per cent of their hours in their normal roles. Such is the status of these committees in German companies and institutions that unions and works council members are railing against the move, accusing the central bank's leadership in an internal memo of plotting to 'reduce the capacity of the staff representatives to work for the staff'. The tussle marks a new low-point in a historically fraught relationship between the ECB leadership and worker representatives. Previously this has resulted in public spats and a series of court cases. Due to its peculiar legal structure as an independent European institution, representatives on the ECB works council already have less favourable terms than those at German companies. Currently, of the nine ECB employees elected to the council, two members work full time on staff-related matters. Three others dedicate 70-80 per cent of their time to workers' representation, with the remaining members spending 50 per cent of their time on the body. The ECB has claimed the changes, which it wants to implement by mid-2026, would be in the interests of all employees. The rules would ensure staff representatives could 'pursue their career path and stay closely connected to the ongoing work and public mandate' of the central bank while they also 'advocate for staff needs', the ECB's head of human resources Eva Murciano said. She pointed out the bank was proposing other measures, including adding an extra person to the works council to 'improve staff representation'. However, ECB staff representatives have won the backing of two of Europe's most senior trade union bosses. Jan Willem Goudriaan, general secretary of Europe's services sector union EPSU with 8 million members, and Frank Werneke, chair of German union Verdi with 1.9 million members, have separately written to Ms Lagarde, urging her to abandon the proposed changes. If implemented, they would 'significantly restrict the rights of employee representation and the scope for meaningful social dialogue', warned Werneke in his letter adding that workers' rights at the ECB were already subpar. 'This arrangement would make it impossible to adequately represent workers' interests,' said EPSU's Goudriaan in his letter sent to Lagarde in late February. Peter Krebühl, a Frankfurt-based employment lawyer who has specialised in representing employees in court, said that a professional and effective employee representative must be able to fully focus on that task. 'The ECB seems to have a highly repressive attitude to its internal labour relations,' said Krebühl. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
