Latest news with #politicalleadership
BBC News
22-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Boston Borough Council leader removed in vote of no-confidence
The leader of Boston Borough Council has been removed from the post in a vote of no confidence instigated by her own Dorrian, who had been leader of the Boston Independent group since 2023, was threatened in recent weeks with the resignations from the party of 14 of its 17 councillors. They also called for Dorrian to step a full council meeting on Monday, she was voted out by 21 votes to three and replaced by her former deputy, Dale said that "those who I once supported" had "destroyed what we built together". She co-founded the Boston Independent group and became leader of the council after the party took control of the authority in the 2023 elections. The motion tabled by members her own party said that Dorrian had "lost significant support from the Boston Independent group and can no longer, in our view, fulfil this function on behalf of members of this council".It added that it was "in the interests of the council" to have "clear concise leadership".Speaking after the meeting, Dorrian said: "Those who I once supported, nurtured and trusted have chosen not to build alongside me but destroy what we built together."She said leadership was "often a lonely road", especially when "those who should be standing with you are quietly stepping away to sharpen their knives".Broughton thanked Dorrian for her two-and-a-half years as leader of the council and said that taking on the role was an "exciting prospect". Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrats in a key state want to see their leaders 'fight' — and reach across party lines
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Democratic strategists, elected officials and voters in South Carolina are already eagerly looking forward, hunting for the next leader of their party after their 2024 presidential loss. They haven't had to look far: Prominent Democratic officials have flooded into the state, which was the first to vote in Democrats' 2024 presidential primaries, in recent weeks. Democratic Govs. Wes Moore of Maryland, Tim Walz of Minnesota, Gavin Newsom of California and Andy Beshear of Kentucky have all crisscrossed South Carolina so far this year, while Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., is also planning an event just outside of Charleston this weekend. As potential candidates test themselves out in South Carolina, state Democrats are considering whom they want to see leading them into a post-Donald Trump era. In conversations with more than a dozen Democrats across the state, two themes emerged: They want someone ready to 'fight,' but they also want someone who can appeal across party lines. And while the two concepts might have seemed like an implausible match in the past, in today's populist political moment, the pairing makes more sense. Tyler Bailey, a civil rights attorney and Columbia City Council member who attended Beshear's event here, said he's looking for 'somebody who's not gonna just come in there and just say I'm not for Trump. It can't just be an anti-Trump message.' There is 'a hunger of people wanting to see some real leadership on the Democrat side,' Bailey added. Spoiling for a fighter Over and over, in interviews across the state, Democratic leaders had one word on their lips: fight. 'People want somebody who's going to fight,' former Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison told NBC News in an interview following Beshear's Columbia event. 'If there's a theme that I am constantly getting, it's they're tired of the party being a doormat for Republicans. They want somebody who's gonna give the Republicans just as much hell — if not more — and fight for them and their families and their communities.' Harrison, who once chaired the South Carolina state party, said anyone without a case to make that they were strongly standing up to Republicans shouldn't bother hitting the campaign trail. 'If you're coming here and your backbone is like a wet noodle or spaghetti, you might as well just not even — save your airfare,' he said with a laugh. Christale Spain, the current chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, echoed Harrison, telling NBC News in an interview at the party's headquarters that this moment calls for someone who is 'going to fight back against the current MAGA Republicans. We're looking for a leader that is a fighter.' Spain added that the desire for a 'fighter' has 'been clear to me for the last few months, just going around the state myself, talking to voters and seeing how they respond to different things.' Governors who have visited the state have consistently rebuked Trump, positioning themselves against his tariff agenda, against his cuts to the federal workforce and against the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act,' the massive GOP domestic policy package that congressional Republicans passed earlier this month. 'Make no mistake,' Beshear told union members at the South Carolina AFL-CIO's annual convention in Greenville. 'What Trump and his congressional enablers have just done is a direct attack on rural America and on Southerners like us. It is a betrayal.' Speaking across party lines Beyond looking for a fighter at this moment, Democrats in South Carolina are also looking ahead to a post-Trump era, when dozens of national Democratic leaders seem poised to throw their hat in the ring in a 2028 presidential primary. And former South Carolina Gov. Jim Hodges, the last Democrat to serve in the state's governor's mansion, summed up what he thought his fellow primary voters should be looking for: someone who 'knows how to win.' For a lot of Democrats who spoke to NBC News, that means a focus on who can draw in voters of all political stripes. 'I hear several things consistently. … It's critically important that we choose well in this next election cycle, whether we pick somebody who can draw independent voters, rally the base and get some Republican votes,' Hodges told NBC News in an interview following Beshear's Wednesday meet-and-greet. Towner Magill, a Democrat who attended Beshear's meet-and-greet in Charleston on Thursday, echoed Hodges. 'I'm looking for a uniter, not just in the Democratic Party. I think we need to run a uniter, but I also think that maybe we need a uniter in the White House,' Magill told NBC News. A call for plainer language and clearer issues Many Democrats in South Carolina said that to unite voters across party lines, Democratic leaders have to remain laser-focused on certain issues. 'We stopped talking about issues that, you know, that working-class folks care about: jobs, health care, education, community safety,' Hodges said. 'That's why we did more poorly with working-class voters — white, Black, Latino — because we stopped talking about the issues they cared about.' 'There needs to be an adjustment in our message to addressing the concerns that they have about their own lives,' the former governor added. State Sen. Tameika Isaac Devine called the messaging she's hoping to hear from potential Democratic candidates a focus on 'real things.' 'What I think most people are looking for is somebody who actually they feel like is speaking to them about real things,' Isaac Devine told NBC News after Beshear's Columbia event. South Carolina Democrats want leaders who are 'speaking real things, and not just … the culture wars or the political correct terms, but actually can talk to what their pain point is. They want people who are going to give solutions,' Isaac Devine added. South Carolinians aren't alone in that desire. Other rising Democratic leaders, including freshman Sens. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Ruben Gallego of Arizona have also called for Democrats to stop using words like 'oligarchy' or what Gallego calls 'Ivy League-tested terms' — though Bernie Sanders pushed back on the criticism of his anti-oligarchy activism. Harrison pointed to the constant push for Democrats to use certain inclusive or technical language as a reason why some voters may have viewed Democratic candidates as inauthentic. 'For so long, I feel like Democrats, we put ourselves in straitjackets in terms of our language and how we talk to people and how we connect with folks,' Harrison said. 'We have to let our authentic selves step out. That means that we've got to be willing to take risks. That means that we should not be shy about making mistakes, because that makes us more human and more relatable,' he added. Bailey, the city council member in Columbia, pointed to character and relatability as something that could prove a major selling point for voters in his state. 'I think the relatability, people factor, is gonna be important. Because, you know, most communication is nonverbal,' he said. 'You can get a lot from somebody who's, for example, walks around scared, doesn't engage, doesn't talk, can't look you in the eye, can't shake your hand, seems, like, out of place eating fried chicken [and] would rather just have wine and cheese.' This article was originally published on
Free Malaysia Today
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Zahid apologises for ‘angel' remark, says it was emotionally-driven
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was seen in a viral video saying that even an angel would have fled if appointed Umno president during the party's most difficult times. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has apologised for a controversial remark he made in a recent speech, saying it was said in an emotional moment and might have caused confusion. In a video that has gone viral, Zahid is seen saying that even an angel would have fled if appointed Umno president during the party's most difficult times. 'The truth is, the statement came from a deeply emotional setting, as an attempt to describe how challenging the tests of leadership can be. 'However, I acknowledge that the comparison has created confusion and could be misinterpreted,' he said in a Facebook post. Zahid, who is also deputy prime minister, said he humbly sought forgiveness from Allah and apologised to everyone for what he said was a 'misstep' in his choice of words. 'As a Muslim and a leader of a party that upholds Islamic values, principles, and scholarly traditions, I sincerely seek forgiveness from Allah and apologise to all for this lapse. 'I accept all criticism with an open heart. I believe that a true leader is not only careful with his words, but also sincere in reflecting, improving, and learning from his mistakes,' he said. Earlier today, Harakahdaily quoted Kluang PAS chief Nor Mohamad as saying that Zahid's remark involving angels in the context of political leadership was 'excessive and inappropriate'. He said the statement should be examined seriously from the standpoint of Islamic creed and religious decorum. He also urged the relevant authorities, such as the Islamic development department and the National Fatwa Council, to review the remark and issue an official stance to prevent similar incidents in the future. Zahid made the original remarks while addressing delegates at the Sri Gading Umno division meeting in Batu Pahat over the weekend. Defending party loyalty, he said Umno had gone through immense trials in the past, including the seizure of party assets and the freezing of its accounts. 'I and many other leaders were tested. If an angel had been made Umno president at that time, perhaps even he would have fled in the night,' he had said.
Bloomberg
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Indian Official Says Political ‘Constraints' Led to Jet Losses
India 's political leadership didn't permit strikes on Pakistani military bases at the start of hostilities between the two countries in May, allowing Islamabad to shoot down its fighter jets, according to a military official. 'I do agree we did lose some aircraft. That happened only because of the constraints given by the political leadership to not attack the military establishment or their air defense,' India's military attachė to Indonesia, Shiv Kumar, said at a seminar on the India-Pakistan conflict at the Universitas Dirgantara Marsekal Suryadarma in Jakarta on June 10.
ABC News
01-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Jacinda Ardern on having imposter syndrome and why 'confidence gaps' can be good for leaders
Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern says we need to radically re-think our ideas about what makes a successful political leader. "I want to bring into question those old assumptions about the character traits we want in politics," Ms Ardern tells 7.30 in her first Australian TV interview about her new memoir, A Different Kind of Power. Sworn in as PM in 2017 aged 37, Jacinda Ardern became a phenomenon as Jacindamania swept New Zealand then the world, partly in response to her youth but also the highly unusual circumstances of her giving birth while in office (Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto was the only other modern politician to do so, in 1990). Ms Ardern's political achievements were only possible after overcoming deep personal uncertainty about her abilities. "My whole short life," she writes in her memoir, "I'd grappled with the idea that I was never quite good enough, that at any moment I would be caught short." "There are plenty of people who have this experience," Ms Ardern told 7.30. "There just happens to be very few who then share it or talk about it out loud. "I think one of the reasons that we don't discuss, for instance, imposter syndrome, we don't discuss confidence gap, is because people have something to lose in doing so. I don't. "You know, I've had a significant career in politics. I made the decision to leave. There was something very freeing in there and now I feel absolutely able to have this kind of open conversation. "Over time I've seen the strength that comes from what we perceive to be weakness. A confidence gap often leads to humility, a willingness to bring in experts and advisors, and I think ultimately makes you a better decision maker." Having worked in a junior position for former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clarke, Ms Ardern initially regarded herself as too sensitive, too thin-skinned to survive in politics. "Most people would look at politics and say, 'Have I got the armour required to be in that space?' And it was actually when I was in parliament itself that I really made the decision that I wasn't willing to change who I was in order to survive what we might call the bear pit." Ms Ardern said the purpose of writing the book, rather than producing a typical politician's memoir, was to encourage more people to consider entering public life. "I was convinced that if I was going to write anything, it should really be a story about how it feels to lead because you know, who knows who's out there, considering whether or not they have what it takes, considering whether or not they can succeed if they lead with empathy," she said. How it feels to lead included experiencing acute morning sickness just as Ms Ardern was about to be sworn in as prime minister. "I was slumped on the floor thinking, 'what if during this very formal ceremony I can't hold it in?' It's not the kind of thought process you want to go through when you're about to have the speech from the throne, from the then Queen's representative, all the heads of judiciary, the defence force and every single member of parliament sitting in one space facing you." Fortunately for Ms Ardern she got through it. Ms Ardern told 7.30 the reasons why she did not initially make the news of her pregnancy public. "I was in negotiation to become prime minister. That's a particularly delicate time," she said. "Equally ... I knew having just been elected, my priority somehow may have appeared to be misplaced. And I didn't believe that to be true but I felt I needed to demonstrate that was the case before revealing the happy news that I was also going to have a baby." In her meteoric rise to the top of New Zealand politics, Ms Ardern was subjected to plenty of critiques aimed at her gender. While in opposition she was often depicted as a show pony in cartoons and analysis. One female MP described Ms Ardern's appointment as Labor leader a "cosmetic facelift". She pushed back hard on morning radio when a host suggested that as a young woman she was obliged to reveal her reproductive plans. "That is not acceptable!" she thundered at the presenter, repeating the line three times. Along with her descriptions of juggling the demands of national leadership and a baby, the need for nappy bags and breast pumps at international events, Ms Ardern also reveals the importance of the position she held did not make her immune from parental guilt. "Some might think that that's an example of where maybe your guilt should be a little bit lessened because you've got a pretty reasonable excuse to be busy and to not always be there, but my learning was actually it never goes away," she said. The best advice she received was from Buckingham Palace. A pregnant Ms Ardern asked Queen Elizabeth II how she had raised her children as a public figure. The Queen's response was simple: "You just get on with it." And, so, Ms Ardern did. After serving two terms as prime minister, steering New Zealand through the immense demands of COVID, in the economic downturn that followed Ms Ardern's popularity dropped sharply. In January 2023, after nearly six years in office, she made the decision she was spent and wanted to step down. Now on a fellowship at Harvard University in the US, she is focused on the potential for empathetic leadership in politics. The memoir, she says, is part of that. "To share a little bit more about what it looks like behind the scenes in the hope that a few more people who might identify as criers, huggers and worriers might take up the mantle of leadership, because I'd say we need them," she said. Watch 7.30, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV Do you know more about this story? Get in touch with 7.30 here.
