Anybody who hasn’t yet twigged that Sir ‘under new management’ Keir Starmer, is a Trojan horse functioning on behalf of the Tory Party, and acting at the behest of the Zionist Israeli Likud Party, rather than Labour Party members and the working poor isn’t alert to reality. During a national crisis is when it is most important that we have robust opposition in Parliament to fight for the rights of ordinary people against the powerful Corporate entities and the wealthy elite. Under the Captain of Capitulation we no longer have an effective opposition, but what we do have is a malevolent force from with the rabid right, proactively destroying the Labour Party and the progressive legacy of Jeremy Corbyn, brandishing weaponized fantisemitism, gagging free speech and banning all open democratic debate. Multiple CLPs all over the country have passed ‘No Confidence’ motions targeting Starmer and his wayward General Secretary David Evans; despite the Media silence, this groundswell of intense distrust cannot be ignored: they must go!
The ‘missing in action’ Labour Leader further enraged his dwindling support base with his lackluster response to the intensified lockdown requirements, but signaling that he is not expecting extra support measures to be put in place by the Government. The Canary Article entitled, “People are outraged at Keir Starmer’s lockdown response,” they say that, “Members of the public have expressed their frustration with Keir Starmer’s failure to advocate for increased safety net measures in the new lockdown. On the evening of 4 January, the Labour leader appeared on BBC News and was asked whether Labour thought there was a ‘notable absence’ from the government’s lockdown measures. Starmer replied: Not an absence. I think the most important thing is the messaging about ‘stay at home’ and going back to the spirit of March, because a lot is now going to depend on the willingness of people to comply and I urge everybody to comply with the package that the prime minister has just outlined, to follow the guidance.”
The Canary report that, “Meanwhile, organisations like the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), and the Renters’ Reform Coalition have urged the government to introduce measures such as increasing sick pay and lengthening the eviction ban during the new lockdown.” Numerous Tweets highlight the reaction of so many who feel abandoned by Starmer’s pathetic failure in leadership to remind him of his duty to the public. Laurie Macfarlane Tweeted: “Asked if anything is missing from the PM’s measures, Starmer says no Nothing about fixing the giant gaps in the safety net. Nothing about ensuring people can afford to self isolate. Nothing about helping firms at breaking point This is piss poor, frankly” John Smith (son of Harry Leslie Smith) Tweeted: “Someone, should hand Keir Starmer the note that tells him that cheerleading the present Tory government isn’t what the leader of a government in waiting should be doing, during this shambolic, deadly handling of a pandemic by Boris Johnson.”
The Canary note that, “The TUC is currently urging the government to increase sick pay for workers in self-isolation to help control coronavirus (Covid-19) cases. It conducted a poll that found 40% of workers said they would go into debt if they were placed on statutory sick pay, while 20% said they would receive no wages at all. Statutory sick pay is currently £95.85 per week. The TUC is calling on the government to increase this to £320 per week, as well as making sure all workers receive it. TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: The government must do everything possible to slow down the spiralling rise in Covid-19 cases. With the virus becoming more infectious, it’s more important than ever that people self-isolate when they develop symptoms. But the lack of decent sick pay is undermining Britain’s public health effort and is forcing workers to choose between doing the right thing and being plunged into hardship.”
“Ministers must stop turning a blind eye to this problem and raise sick pay to at least the real living wage of £320 a week. And they must ensure that everyone has access to it” O’Grady insisted. The canary pointed out that, “This view was also echoed by social media users.” Jack Turner Tweeted: “When Keir Starmer was asked on BBC news if anything is missing from the latest measures, he said no… Erm, maybe how sick pay is only £96 a week which no one can live on, and therefore people with covid will have to choose between poverty or risk spreading the virus at work?” While providing a short list of what should have been prioritized in Starmer’s Labour opposition brief, Miriam Brett Tweeted: “Just some of the measures that should be taken now: – Freeze rent – Ban evictions – Increase sick pay – Support for carers – Scrap the two child cap – Support for single parents – Provide internet connection for all.”
The Canary focused on the response of, “Several campaign groups have called for the eviction ban to be extended. The ban on ‘no-fault’ (section 21) evictions is due to end on 11 January. This will allow landlords to evict tenants without having to prove any faults. According to a poll in November by the JRF, more than 350,000 people have either been served eviction notices or discussed eviction with their landlords. In December, housing organisations came together to form the Renters’ Reform Coalition, to press for an extension to the ban as well as more protection for private renters.”
Again people on Twitter were on hand to highlight what Starmer missed: Helen Barnard Tweeted: “Prime Minister’s address tonight had a lot right with it and showed learning from previous experience. A few glaring omissions, need rectifying fast. 1. Confirm the £20 extra on Universal Credit will continue + extend to the sick, disabled people: carers on legacy benefits. 2. Confirmed access to free school meals will continue but not how. Cash grants are the best & most dignified way to ensure families can afford essentials. 3. Evictions: we must have a watertight ban for the next few months and deal with rent arrears before it’s lifted…” While James B Tweeted: “Is there anything you’d like to see in there? Sick pay? Eviction protection? Furlough structure? Pupil provisioning funds? Vax roll out to key workers? A crumb of opposition, please?”
This was in response to the BBC News report of Starmer’s bland comment where the BBC quoted Sir Keir as saying, “We’ve all got to pull together now to make this work over the next few weeks and months.’ Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says he backs the English lockdown and demands a Covid-19 vaccine roll-out ‘at speed’.” According to the Canary, “Several MPs have since called for increased safety net measures during the new lockdown, including supporting small businesses, uplifting Universal Credit, and housing rough sleepers: Nadia Whittome MP had her priority list ready when she Tweeted: “A national lockdown is necessary to save lives, but it must be fully funded. – Raise Statutory Sick Pay and Universal Credit; – Provide support for small businesses and self-employed people; – Suspend No Recourse to Public Funds; – Ban evictions and house rough sleepers.” Keir Starmer’s input was conspicuous in its absence while other Labour MPs listed their concerns on Twitter.
lan Byrne MP Tweeted: “The national lockdown must be accompanied by full financial support. We need to protect the most vulnerable. – A Minimum Income Guarantee; – Sick pay at Living Wage Levels; – A bailout for the 3m excluded self-employed; – Ban evictions and house rough sleepers.” The Canary note that, “At least Labour’s deputy leader appeared to have a better handle on the situation: Angela Rayner Tweeted: ‘Only a government as useless and incompetent as this would announce months of lockdown without any support for people to get through it – sick pay and support for those isolating, business support, the millions who have been excluded from support, Universal Credit, home learning’.” The Canary say, “Starmer’s response was shameful. At a time when millions of people on low incomes and in precarious work will be scared and anxious about the future, Starmer chose to cheerlead the government rather than doing his job and advocate for the solutions that so many people desperately need.”
Until progressive activists in the Labour Party manage to eject Trojan horse Keir Starmer the voice of the people will remain muted and the basic priorities for the majority of the UK population will continue to be neglected by this Tory Government, which is why his removal is such an urgent priority. Until the Captain of Capitulation can be successfully extricated from his position of supreme unaccountable power, how can we compensate for the critical void in leadership? Trade Union Solidarity! Just recently the NEC Union clearly demonstrated that we do have the wherewithal to combat insane Tory Government rulings by acting in defiant unison to oppose their dangerous dictates. As reported by Robert Poole in the Morning Star in response to Teachers refusing to return to schools when it was considered unsafe, he wrote, “We should not have been forced into this situation. We must not rest on our laurels but think now about the challenges going forward.”
Poole highlighted the certainty that, “we will need the collective pressure of trade unionists across the country to ensure that the working class does not lose out” and he outlined the NEU’s 10-point recovery plan. He listed a fair grading system if exams were cancelled again, the promise of more Laptops must be fulfilled so that all students have equal access to remote learning and the continued provision of free school meals for pupils who qualify cannot be abandoned. Union solidarity can demard that all of these really important considerations and provisions are met by this failing Tory Government even at a time while we can no longer count on the advocacy and support of this dysfunctional Labour Leadership. It is time to expose the reality that debunks Boris Johnson’s ‘lev…up’ lie by shaming Keir Starmer into challenging this fake pledge before we are all overwhelmed by harsh Tory austerity as they ‘Decimating Down’ on the poorest and most vulnerable in our nation.
Poole was right to admit that the NEU’s far reaching proposals, “are ambitious suggestions which will require significant investment if we are to meet the challenges of an uncertain future.” He revealed that, “The union added 16,000 new members over the past few weeks, 6,000 of them this weekend alone,” Saying, “hundreds of members have expressed interest in becoming reps.” Poole wrote, “This is what a fighting union looks like and it is about time,” but the impressive level of Union strength is not just ‘invaluable’ to the NEU, as it has proved to be over the past week, it will be vital to workers in all sectors of our damaged economy. We must encourage Union membership as we brace for uncertain times ahead, it’s worth emphasising that as I have already pointed out, “If this growing strength and bold vision can be emulated in other sectors then perhaps the working poor can be rescued from the increasing exploitation the Tories have planned for our post-Brexit future.”
The Canary Article entitled, “New Year’s resolutions: Here’s why I’ll be joining a Trade Union in 2021,” gives this recruitment drive a seasonal twist worth noting. Lily Russell-Jones writes, “I think it’s fair to say that the UK is glad to see the back of 2020. While exercising more, eating healthier, or quitting smoking might seem like more typical resolutions to put on the list for lockdown in 2021, this year I plan to join a Trade Union. In the unlikely event that, like me, you have spent the past week pouring over the 1,200-page trade deal that the UK has agreed with the EU, then you may share my concern that it contains scant protection for workers’ rights. If there’s one thing that’s clear from the mammoth document, its that the trade and cooperation agreement will prove a poor substitute for the protections currently afforded to workers within the EU. Everything from limits on working hours to maternity rights are supplied by European law and supported by the legal infrastructure of the European Court of Justice.”
Russell-Jones points out that, “In place of hard-won legal guarantees covering health and safety, discrimination, and paid leave, the trade agreement lacks clear guidelines and is missing strong enforcement measures.” She says that, “Article 6 of the trade agreement guarantees ‘fair working conditions and employment standards’ to workers without defining what fair looks like, leaving the Conservatives, who count the introduction of zero-hours-contracts among their proudest achievements, free to lower the bar.”
Focusing on the Tories favorite dodge on accountability, zero enforcement, she notes that, “the promise that workers’ rights should not ‘weaken or reduce’ after the transition period ends lacks a robust enforcement mechanism. Although the agreement requires the UK to conduct an internal review every few years to ensure that current standards are maintained, there is no requirement for it to be carried out by an independent body or for its recommendations to be legally binding.” We all know how well that works!
Russell-Jones reports that, “There’s little hope that the EU will step in to enforce non-regression as Brussels typically shies away from imposing sanctions on bilateral trade partners when labour or environmental standards are breached. All-in-all, with the UK facing pressure to compete at the international level and suffering the worst economic fallout from the coronavirus of any G7 nation, the likelihood of workers facing harsher conditions in 2021 is high, particularly for the young. Put simply, widespread job insecurity opens the door to exploitation by employers.” We can count on this Tory Government to use the massive spending during the Covid crisis to introduce more fiscal ‘belt taightening’ targeting the working poor; they have signaled as much already with the Public Sector Pay Freeze. Austerity will return with avengeance as the wealthy elite cling on to the purse strings while the PM’s vacuous PR spin manipulates the Media into reporting that the resulting hardship and deprivation is just their ‘lev…up’ lie!
Correctly identifying the most vulnerable age group at risk, Russell-Jones claims, “Workers under the age of 25 have been hit the hardest by the pandemic with 1 in 10 losing their jobs and 6 in 10 experiencing a loss in earnings. That’s why I’m planning to join a trade union in 2021: the power of unions will likely prove an important antidote to the further deregulation of Britain’s labour market. Currently, although 16-25 year olds are among the most vulnerable workers, less than 5% are union members. Unions have seen a dramatic decline in membership across Europe since the end of the Cold War. I think apathy towards trade unions stems from their inability to shake a damaging association with the communist era, which has led to a dramatic decline in membership across Europe since the end of the Cold War.”
Russell-Jones insists that, “Nonetheless, unions offer workers crucial bargaining power at the level of national policy, when organising for better pay and conditions with employers and when protesting mistreatment in the workplace. As such, they are poised to be an important check on power both by ensuring that workers are aware of their rights and preventing further slippages of labour standards. Stepping up to the plate will require union activists to make clear to the public that unions are a strong voice for workers, including young people whose confidence they must win. One thing I don’t want to wave goodbye to in 2021 is workers’ rights. Collective action and communitarian politics is the best way to safeguard progress in the troubling months ahead.” The Canary urge you to “Get involved: Ask colleagues at work if they are in a union or use the TUC find a union portal. Even if you’re not in work, you can become a community member of Unite or join a grassroots union like Acorn.”
Following Boris Johnson’s presentation of the new Covid restrictions Keir Starmer immediately reverting to his standard rant ‘Who’s a naughty boy then!’ Perhaps due to the really embarrassing volley of negative online Twitter comments he belatedly called for an appropriate financial safety-net. He listed a number of issues he had been harshly reminded of including the void in support for the self-employed, which was met with denial by the PM. He demanded continuation of the higher Universal Credit payments and an extension to the eviction ban, which the PM claimed were both “under review!” Tories latch on to the Mental health implications of extended lockdowns, but ignore the unnecessary stress of ‘down to the wire’ reprieves. Starmer did call for proper financial support for all who required statutory sick pay and he said it was the worst possible time to freeze Public Sector pay. However, these points hit a brick wall again with more waffle, denial and lies from the PM.
On Education Starmer should be ashamed of abandoning the Unions to follow the PM with his unforgivable drive to get children back to school on Monday morning only to announce a strict lockdown on Monday evening. Just like the PM, Keir was too arrogant to admit any error and swiftly moved on to asking when all those promised laptops were going to actually arrive; he also insisted on no delay in providing internet access. The PM waffled, denied and lied some more to divert attention from the exposed scaleback on Laptop delivery he had hoped no one would notice; he just made another expansive pledge that will doubtless be watered down soon enough. Instead Johnson hastily took personal credit for managing to get Internet providers to agree to provide free service for disadvantaged children. Questioned on whether exams were going ahead he redirected to Gavin Williamson. Johnson then announced that the BBC would be launching a whole raft of educational programming for children that was needed nine months ago.
The last point raised by Starmer was with regard to securing our borders by putting strict quarantine measures in place as he said the system wasn’t working, but he got the usual vague non-committal response from the PM. Despite the risk of new mutations, like the one just discovered in South Africa, the PM was content to maintain a ‘too little, too late’ haphazard piecemeal approach that still leaves the UK vulnerable. Johnson couldn’t resist taking a few childish digs at Starmer for his past criticism over the vaccine program; it was a terse reminder that he was expected to stick to his Trojan horse role of unquestioning support for the PM. There has been concern over Nurseries remaining open after the Government belatedly recognized the need to close all primary schools, but this issue wasn’t raised. The plight of rough sleepers and the suspension of ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ was not mentioned by Keir Starmer, or for that matter by any of the other opposition Leaders, so ‘Everybody In’ is out of favour.
The SNP Leader, Ian Blackford called for greater clarity and appropriate financial support announcing he expected answers to four questions. He asked about the vaccine and what action was being taken to ramp up supplies, to which the PM gave no definitive answer. He too demanded the closure of borders to all but essential travel, to which the PM reiterated his piecemeal approach. The question of support for the abandoned self-employed was raised and virtually ignored again as the PM waffled and just lied about grants and loans. Blackford wanted financial support for Scottish businesses, but his request was met with waffle about the Barnett Formula and Johnson took a swipe at him with a comment that amounted to ‘Why aren’t you polishing my haylow?’ LibDem Leader Ed Davey called for an emergency budget and an extension of furlough till summer, but the Tory Government refusal to support the self-employed hit its third rebuff and denial as the PM threw these abandoned workers under the bus yet again.
Boris Johnson’s talk of removing restrictions “brick by brick” hinted of a return to the area by area Tier System that had proved so successful in targeted persecution of his constituencies within the Labour heartlands. None of these ‘Red Wall’ seats really ‘lent’ the Tories their vote in the Covert 2019 Rigged Election, so if they were never ‘on-side’ the PM has no hope of keeping them ‘on-side.’ If Johnson can no longer block an election he always just acquires their votes exactly as he had done in December and it didn’t require ‘borrowing!’ Why should the PM bother trying to win voters over with progressive policies, when his propaganda machine had them convinced renewed austerity was ‘lev…up’ to eliminate inequality? If we continue accepting that black is the new white, fail to challenge the Tory squandering of public funds or Investigate the fraudulent Covert 2019 Rigged Election to expose the truth, just as with the disease of fantisemitism, we will have weak, inept opposition facing an all powerful Tory Sovereign Dictatorship! DO NOT MOVE ON!