NEC acknowledges (sort of!) International Women’s Day
At the March meeting of the NEC’s Organisation Sub-Committee, a failed attempt was made to agree a Recall Conference. Laura Pidcock made a spirited rejoinder to the defeat. This prompted a response from Margaret Beckett, the new NEC Chair put there by the anti-left majority against the established custom and practice. Margaret’s sisterly response was “silly cow.” Now, had a male leftie made such a comment, Sir Keir no doubt would have ignored the Rule Book and ordered immediate suspension.
Why am I not surprised!
Polly Toynbee reports that during her time at the BBC, an effort was made to recruit beyond the Oxbridge private school elite. Ads and notices were posted everywhere, including in McDonald’s. Thousands applied and eventually a list of 30 was arrived at. But the selectors had “mainly picked identical top graduate types. By instinct, they chose the kind who wrote like them, thought like them – unconscious bias”.
The UK needs to 1945 style reboot of the economy (per new CBI chief). What does Labour say?
“It is a sad reflection of the Opposition that the head of the Confederation of British Industry can propose a new 1945 settlement, while all the Labour leadership seems able to offer is flag-waving to appeal to a declining segment of voters in the so-called “red wall” constituencies.” David Beetham, Guardian.
Former Tory pollster gives advice to Sir Keir
Polling shows support for changes to capital gains tax, an increase in corporation tax and a tax increase on online retailers. This provoked a long article in the Guardian by a tory pollster, James Johnson, who worked in Downing Street under Theresa May. Johnson made the following comment in relation to the Labour Opposition: “Keir Starmer’s calculation on tax seems based on a dated perception of the votes Labour needs to win. Imagine if Starmer had said he wanted to see a tax rise (with a higher rate for higher earners) to fund a pay boost for (beleaguered??) NHS staff, challenging the conservatives to do the same.” Labour even failed to oppose the income tax personal allowance freeze – this will bring 1.3 million low paid workers into paying income tax!
Stop Press
Jeremy Corbyns’s video re Budget was watched 91,000 times on Facebook. But Sir Keir’s Version only registered 22,000 views.