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Month: June 2020

John Rentoul: The sacking of Rebecca Long-Bailey was a “Blairite moment”

John Rentoul: The sacking of Rebecca Long-Bailey was a “Blairite moment”

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Interesting angle from the Indy’s John Rentoul on the sacking of Shadow Education Secretary and former unsuccessful leadership challenger, Rebecca Long-Bailey. Rentoul is a long-standing Blairite and has never apologised for that. The tone of this evening’s column is set out in its opening: It would be wrong to gloat. Mustn’t do it. And generally I don’t. But just for a moment, let’s celebrate the end of the paranoid, reactionary, self-righteous politics of the people who ran the Labour Party…

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It’s time to take a Biden landslide seriously

It’s time to take a Biden landslide seriously

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Trump may recover but he could be overwhelmed Donald Trump has always treated his presidency as a game show; one where success is measured in ratings and dollars. Controversy is to be welcomed: it keeps attention on him and his fans love it. As politics, it’s been relatively successful – enough so to win him the presidency, even if his approval figures have never been much to write home about and the mid-terms were a serious set-back. Events, however, have…

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By nearly four to one those who had a view on Jenrick think he should resign

By nearly four to one those who had a view on Jenrick think he should resign

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But 50% said don’t know The first thing about this YouGov polling is the large numbers of don’t knows – suggesting that what has been a huge issue in Westminster has not really cut through that much yet. But those who had a view, as can be seen were firmly of the view that he should quit as HousingSec. The Tory split should be a possible warning to the PM who has a long record of being reluctant to sack…

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The big message from the Long-Bailey sacking is that Labour is Starmer’s party now

The big message from the Long-Bailey sacking is that Labour is Starmer’s party now

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The contrast with Johnson on Cummings/Jenrick should worry ministers The big political news on most of the front pages is Starmer’s sacking from his shadow cabinet of the former leadership rival Long-Bailey for circulating what could be regarded as an antisemitic article. In many ways the firmness of Stamer’s approach should not surprise us because ridding the party of antisemitism has been one of his stated early key objectives. Already he has come under fire for the Long Bailey action…

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Harris retains her strong favourite position in the Democratic VP betting with Susan Rice now second favourite

Harris retains her strong favourite position in the Democratic VP betting with Susan Rice now second favourite

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I have a very long history of always losing money on the vice presidential choices in American election campaigns. This is not something that is decided by primaries or elections of some form but is the personal choice of the presumptive nominee in this case Joe Biden. I’ve moved around so much in the betting on this that I have now cashed out on Betfair making a small profit whatever happens. I have another bet on Susan Rice at Ladbrokes…

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If Starmer is ever to become PM he’s likely going to need some sort of relationship with the next LD leader

If Starmer is ever to become PM he’s likely going to need some sort of relationship with the next LD leader

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He needs an “understanding” like the GE1997 Blair-Ashdown link The Lib Dem leadership election is now down to just two with with the Oxford West and Abingdon MP, Layla Moran taking on the current acting leader, the Kingston MP Ed Davey who, of course, stood a year ago go against Jo Swinson and lost. Moran is the odds-on favourite. Where the contest could be important is if, as is highly likely at the next election, Starmer’s LAB is unable to…

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12 Good Men

12 Good Men

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On the decision to suspend jury trials I loved Latin at school. My award for Latin poetry recital is carefully preserved and I remain mildly hopeful that, one day, it might even prove useful. Poetry aside, it was then seen as necessary to become a lawyer. For the first few years of practice those Latin sayings encapsulating legal rules became firmly lodged in my head. Then they were no longer compulsory, plain clear English becoming the rule. Quite right. But…

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