NotThatSoph
lemons are annoying
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2019
- Messages
- 3,963
Thought so...
If you actually want an answer, why not answer the question?
Thought so...
Is it really that hard to verify these simple facts yourself? You're normally a poster who leans into facts over emotions on here, so your posts in this thread have really been surprising.Thought so...
Is it really that hard to verify these simple facts yourself? You're normally a poster who leans into facts over emotions on here, so your posts in this thread have really been surprising.
Here, under population pyramids: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_State_of_Palestine
Ahh you're trolling, fair enough. Carry on then.Thought so...
That should be direkt at Starmer who risks losing a big proportion of Labor’s “pro Palestinian” voters over these comments.Yes. And if more people would deal in the facts instead of emotions the world would be a much safer place.
I agree, but what you've been posting in here is definitely more emotional than factual.Yes. And if more people would deal in the facts instead of emotions the world would be a much safer place.
You really are being tone deaf on this issue.Thought so...
@Buster15 in my time on the forum, you've generally come across as fairly reasonable, but your posts in this thread have been nothing short of idiotic verging on offensive.
Please give me an example of this. And if I agree then I will most certainly apologise. Can't be more reasonable than that can I.
The idea that babies, kids, women are underserving of basic power food and water because Hamas committed an atrocity. I’d say that’s idiotic and offensive. Is the 7 day old Palestinian baby that is now dead a sworn enemy?I don't understand the logic that says you should provide your enemy with power, food and water.
They are your sworn enemy who has just carried out attacks on your people killing many hundreds of them and doing unspeakable things to them.
That should be direkt at Starmer who risks losing a big proportion of Labor’s “pro Palestinian” voters over these comments.
The idea that babies, kids, women are underserving of basic power food and water because Hamas committed an atrocity. I’d say that’s idiotic and offensive. Is the 7 day old Palestinian baby that is now dead a sworn enemy?
We need to vote him in and then we can push him into viewing Palestinians as human beings once he's in office.
Loves a war crime does Keir. Probably gets off on it.
Can you imagine how hollow your life must be when your sole goal is to get elected? Not believing in anything, following the narrative of the day. Truly depressing stuff.He's certainly trying to imitate Blair on foreign affairs.
It's a shame his domestic policies are nowhere near as ambitious.
It's truly insane. Imagine with every world event thinking "what do I gotta say to win votes". Never mind doing the right thing morally.Can you imagine how hollow your life must be when your sole goal is to get elected? Not believing in anything, following the narrative of the day. Truly depressing stuff.
Can you imagine how hollow your life must be when your sole goal is to get elected? Not believing in anything, following the narrative of the day. Truly depressing stuff.
That's pretty much politicians the world over since the year dot. Even more so when you have to navigate an overwhelmingly hostile right wing press.It's truly insane. Imagine with every world event thinking "what do I gotta say to win votes". Never mind doing the right thing morally.
That's pretty much politicians the world over since the year dot. Even more so when you have to navigate an overwhelmingly hostile right wing press.
Yes, in some ways you have to respect Corbyn for his principles on most things.
Bit snakey on Brexit but broadly he said what he thought regardless of how politically damaging, and Christ it was politically damaging.
Said what he thought, except on the biggest issue of the second election under him, playing a key role in the party getting routed.Yes, in some ways you have to respect Corbyn for his principles on most things.
Bit snakey on Brexit but broadly he said what he thought regardless of how politically damaging, and Christ it was politically damaging.
The rumours are true.
Said what he thought, except on the biggest issue of the second election under him, playing a key role in the party getting routed.
I’ve been going to pro-Palestine demos since my uni days (17-18 years) and I’m yet to see a pro-Hamas banner at any of them. This isn’t to say you don’t get unsavoury elements at these things.Maybe I'm reading it too literally, but it says eleceted members are given 'strong advice' not to attend protests and if they do, don't wave a Labour banner cos you 'can't control who you're photographed with'.
Might sound cynical, but last thing Labour needs is having a senior person photographed next to a pro-Hamas banner at an event.
Loves a war crime does Keir. Probably gets off on it.
Maybe although I do think there is a certain hollowness to most politicians since the 90’s. While I do hate the alien queen I would say Thatcher was the last PM who wanted to change the country(Clearly for the worse).That's pretty much politicians the world over since the year dot. Even more so when you have to navigate an overwhelmingly hostile right wing press.
I'd agree with that, though I would argue Blair tried to change the country.Maybe although I do think there is a certain hollowness to most politicians since the 90’s. While I do hate the alien queen I would say Thatcher was the last PM who wanted to change the country(Clearly for the worse).
Everything after has mostly been bureaucrats taking charge of a declining system. Its the Soviet Union without free housing or good movies.
NEC at Conference, Liverpool, 7/11 October 2023
The horrors unfolding in the Middle East overshadowed all else and in comparison internal party manoeuvrings seem insignificant, whether points of order about motions or the “Moderates” gloating over defeats for the “Hard Left”. Nevertheless for the record I have included notes of NEC meetings alongside some overall impressions. Attached are reports from the women’s conference arrangements committee (here), results of women’s committee elections (here) and conference arrangements committee reports (CAC 1, CAC 1 Addendum, CAC 2, CAC 2 Addendum, CAC 3 and CAC 4). These contain all the motions, composites and results of card votes and elections to internal committees. As always I am keen to hear feedback from delegates, visitors and members watching from home, and what the next steps should be.
National Women’s Conference, 7 October 2023
The week opened with the national women’s conference. After a standalone conference in 2019 and online-only events during Covid this returned to its former position as a curtain-raiser for annual conference. Members were not happy about this, and I have suggested a meeting between the chair Ruth Hayes and Angela Eagle, who chairs the NEC’s equalities committee, with the aim of strengthening links between the women’s organisation and the NEC. In elections for the constituency places on the national women’s committee the six “Moderates” swept the board. What difference this will make is hard to tell, as no meetings have yet been scheduled.
On the conference floor many speakers shared their personal stories, and delegates voted to send motions on violence against women and girls and on equal pay to annual conference For me the highlight was hearing Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in conversation with Lisa Nandy. She shared a cell in Evin jail with Nobel prizewinner Narges Mohammadi, and though now free herself she continues to work for all those still unjustly imprisoned.
NEC Meeting, 7 October 2023
This was a short meeting as all the detailed work on rule changes had been done in September (see https://www.annblack.co.uk/nec-meeting-26-september-2023/).
One member asked about rumours that the NEC officers had over-ruled the conference arrangements committee (CAC) with respect to certain motions. They argued that this was unprecedented and undermined the CAC’s impartiality. The general secretary explained that the NEC had a duty to intervene when the letter or the spirit of the rules were in jeopardy.
As it happens, my CLP Oxford East submitted one of the NHS motions, based on the Socialist Health Association model. Initially the CAC ruled it out on the grounds that it concerned an organisational matter, which I took as relating to the underlined sentence:
The next Labour government will ban political donations from private healthcare corporations, their lobbyists, or those invested in private healthcare corporations. Labour and Labour MPs will not accept such donations.
It is true that the NEC’s business board decides on whether donations are acceptable, but at the 2022 conference a motion was accepted and carried which included this:
Conference resolves Labour must … not accept donations from companies interested in outsourcing NHS functions
Oxford East therefore appealed on the grounds of consistency. I expected to lose and was pleasantly surprised when our motion was accepted. However, I then discovered that motions on the NHS were split into two separate categories for the priorities ballot which decides topics for debate Five near-identical motions were classified as An NHS Fit for the Future, and another 14 were lumped together under Health Services and Funding, including ours, and also this from Redditch which doesn’t mention money at all:
Conference is concerned at the withdrawal of local health services and lack of provision, and wish to introduce accountable elected local people with voting rights in the NHS Trust and ICB's in order to stand up for the wishes of local people.
and this from Harborough, Oadby & Wigton which has no relation to the SHA model either:
The NHS is at the heart of this party and our country. The Labour Party will invest in the future of our NHS, but should extend this to ensuring NHS staff are given a fair deal at work. The parking charges should be exempt for all NHS staff.
It seems that initially the CAC allocated all motions on the NHS to a single category. The first five CLPs then argued that they wanted their own grouping, which indicates that they not only knew about their own motion but about the others as well, information not publicly available. Indeed I didn’t know that CLPs could appeal against classification as well as rejection. As I understand it the NEC supported them and over-ruled the CAC. There was a separate issue around whether a motion on public ownership should have been moved to the energy grouping, but I know less about that.
Despite assurances that the NEC officers had made a limited one-off intervention, this did seem to enter new territory. Formerly all motions on a subject area would be placed in a single group and, if there were different views, two or more composites could emerge. The leadership would argue against those they did not agree with, and ignore them if conference voted for them anyway. I would not want a situation where motions are grouped into, for instance, Education (helpful) and Education (unhelpful and everything else). New Labour never went that far, and even on Iraq different views could be, and were, debated.
Annual Conference 8/11 October 2023
Most important was whether Labour, and Keir Starmer, were seen as ready for government, able to meet all challenges at home and abroad. In this I think the conference succeeded. Victory in the Rutherglen & Hamilton West by-election gave the best possible start, and Johanna Baxter as chair led the wave of positivity and enthusiasm. Shadow cabinet members are gaining in confidence and profile, with enthusiastic receptions for Angela Rayner, Rachel Reeves, Lisa Nandy and others. As in the run-up to 1997 most members are willing to do whatever is necessary to win, and are beginning to believe that we can win. Record income from stalls and fringes suggested that businesses share that view, and Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of England, has publicly endorsed Rachel Reeves as chancellor.
As expected all the NEC’s constitutional amendments were endorsed, with 65% of CLPs and 52% of affiliates supporting new rules for CLPs, and 81% of CLPs and 54% of affiliates favouring restriction of motions to “contemporary” issues and 65% of CLPs and 52% of affiliates supporting new rules for CLPs. The low trade union vote surprised me as they, unlike CLP representatives, were fully consulted in advance. There were no constitutional amendments from CLPs because the 2022 conference changed the rules and they again have to wait a year during which the NEC is supposed to reflect on them. Those submitted in 2023 will be discussed in 2024.
The national policy forum report was carried with 91% of CLPs and 69% of affiliates in favour. As this is now the settled basis for the manifesto, all policy motions would be referred to the next cycle of policy-making which will begin after the general election.
Keir Starmer gave his best speech yet, and keen listeners may have noticed the B-word in suggesting that the Tories were wrong when “they told you – to your face – that Brexit would only bring benefits to your business”. The security breach was alarming, and though he turned it to his advantage, it could have been serious. In the New Labour years conference had airport-style security, and small objects – apples, boiled sweets – were confiscated in case they were thrown. There were also concerns about a near-accident to a wheelchair user leaving the stage and I hope there will be a full debrief with Disability Labour.
Otherwise everything ran like clockwork. Angela Rayner provided welcome reassurance on employment rights, but policy gaps included public sector pay, resolving industrial action, changes to universal credit and, notably, funding social care. Much was said about valuing and paying care workers properly, all of which I support because I recognise the skills involved, but full-time live-in carers can cost as much as £15,000 a month. Even cashing in the parental home only covers a couple of years. I understand the need to avoid giving hostages to fortune, but taxing non-doms and charging VAT on private school fees will only go so far, and growing the economy while maintaining sustainability will take time.
Outside the main hall I went to the general secretary’s session with constituency secretaries, now a regular feature and much appreciated. I also spoke on electoral reform at a LabourList rally (see notes at the end).
NEC Meeting, 10 October 2023
This was the usual handover meeting, where the NEC welcomes new members and thanks those who are leaving. James Asser was elected as chair and Ellie Reeves as vice-chair, a position she previously held in 2017/2018. I wish them well. The NEC also thanked all the staff who had done so much to make the week a success. After the meeting closed flowers were presented to Johanna as chair, and to retiring members.
Postscript
As I left Liverpool I felt that as in 1997 the party has moved on to a new and younger generation of activists, candidates and representatives, and this is healthy and a positive sign for the future. But back then older members, resistant to Tony Blair’s changes, just tended to stay away from set-piece speeches and events. Now more of them are outside the party altogether, and not always through choice. I heard of an 80-year-old, expelled for mistakenly sympathising with an organisation before it was proscribed, and met a dedicated trade unionist and former friend who was more loyal to the party than they were to him. I hope that at some point factionalism will diminish, and they can come in from the cold.
As usual please feel free to circulate and/or post online, and contact me at annblack50@btinternet.com / 07956-637958. Previous reports are at www.annblack.co.uk
LabourList speech, October 2023
Suggested theme: one specific thing you'd really like to be different in Britain in 2030 after 5 years of Labour government.
Hello, I’m Ann Black. I’m in my 21st year on the NEC, ten years in government, ten years in opposition, and I can tell you that government is always better. During that time I’ve been called Hard Left, a Blairite stooge, and everything in between.
I’d like a lot of things: properly funded social care before I’m as old as my mother; ending the two-child benefit cap; and stop punishing people who happen to be unemployed or fleeing war or persecution.
To get all these things we not only need to elect a Labour government – which is not a done deal – we need to keep Labour in government.
Five years is just the start, and we cannot risk the most vicious rightwing Tory party in living memory getting back and unpicking all our work all over again.
That means electoral reform as a first term priority. If we’d had proportional representation in 1992 Neil Kinnock would have been prime minister and the railways would never have been privatised. If we’d had PR in 2010 we could have avoided the pain of austerity. If we’d had PR in 2015 the divisive Brexit vote and everything that followed might never have happened.
The late great Robin Cook said that parties in power never change the system because they think they don’t need to.* And when they lose, they have no power to change it. We should have learned that lesson after 1997 – let’s not make the same mistake again.
Yesterday conference agreed the NPF report which states that flaws in the current voting system contribute to the distrust and alienation which we see in politics.
The Scottish and Welsh parliaments have been elected by proportional systems from the start. The sky hasn’t fallen in, they still have constituency links, and they have stable government. Let’s learn from them and from our past failures, let’s change British politics, put an end to wrecking Tory governments, and make first-past-the-post history.
* Robin Cook, May 2005, a month before he died: "My nightmare is that we will have been 12 years in office, with the ability to reform the electoral system, and will fail to do so until we are back in opposition, in perhaps a decade of Conservative government, regretting that we left in place the electoral system that allowed Conservative governments on a minority vote.”
Loves a war crime does Keir. Probably gets off on it.