‘Battle for Labour’s soul’ as Corbyn is suspended…
“Sir Keir Starmer has been warned that he faces a battle for the soul of the Labour Party after Jeremy Corbyn was suspended over a report on antisemitism. The Equality and Human Rights Commission investigation found that the party had unlawfully discriminated against its Jewish members and Sir Keir warned that anyone disputing the scale of the problem “should be nowhere near the Labour Party”. He vowed to take a “zero-tolerance approach” and said: “We have failed Jewish people, our members, our supporters and the British public. On behalf of the Labour Party I am truly sorry.” Mr Corbyn then insisted that antisemitism in the party was “dramatically overstated for political reasons” by his opponents and the media and swiftly had the whip withdrawn. He claimed that the decision to suspend him was a “political intervention” and he would strongly contest it.” – The Times
- His team ‘meddled in 23 anti-Semitism complaints as leader and is responsible for failings’ – The Sun
- ‘Shaken’ Corbyn may never be allowed to rejoin Labour Party – The Times
- Ex-Labour MPs slam Corbyn for standing back as they suffered anti-Semitism – The Sun
>Today: ToryDiary: Will Labour expel Corbyn?
…with McCluskey ‘leading hard-left revolt’
“Labour has exploded into brutal civil warfare over anti-Semitism after former leader Jeremy Corbyn was suspended in the wake of an official report which tore into party racism under his leadership. Hard-left figures in the party including union baron Len McCluskey, former shadow chancellor John McDonnell and Diane Abbott are lining up to support Mr Corbyn against moderate Labour led by Sir Keir Starmer. Socialist former leader Corbyn – who has previously been caught on a Mail Online exclusive video saying British Zionists ‘don’t get English irony’ – was stripped of the party whip hours after a damning report found Labour guilty of breaking equality laws. Lord Mann, the UK’s anti-Semitism tsar, said it was ‘the moment of greatest shame in the history of the Labour Party’.” – Daily Mail
- Labour’s left calls for suspension to be lifted – The Guardian
- Shaming of former leader sparks Labour civil war – Daily Telegraph
- Corbyn supporters pour £340,000 into his legal fighting fund – Daily Mail
The Report:
- The key findings, and what happens now – Daily Telegraph
- Critical points and people – The Times
- Starmer had his response ready… then came Corbyn’s post – The Guardian
>Yesterday: Video: WATCH: Starmer is pressed to offer a personal apology on anti-semitism
Ian Austin: Corbyn should be thrown out of the Labour Party for good
“Unfortunately, Members of Parliament who should have known better nominated him for leader. The membership rules were relaxed allowing not just the well-meaning or naïve to join, but every crank and conspiracy theorist from the hard-Left fringes, too. And when he won, senior figures fell into line, serving loyally in his shadow cabinet, sustaining his leadership and campaigning to make him Prime Minister. The result was a five-year catastrophe that caused huge offence to the Jewish community and destroyed Labour’s reputation. A political party founded on the principles of equality and justice, with a proud record of fighting racism, has now been found guilty of breaking the law in its treatment of Jewish people. What a complete and utter disgrace.” – Daily Telegraph
- Antisemitism in the Labour party was real and it must never be allowed to return – Margaret Hodge, The Guardian
- Why was Starmer so damningly silent on Jeremy Corbyn for so long? – Stephen Pollard, Daily Mail
- We’ll keep holding Labour to its word on antisemitism – Jonathan Goldstein, Times Red Box
More:
- Labour’s greatest schism since that electrifying conference assault on Militant – Dominic Sandbrook, Daily Mail
- An end to Labour’s antisemitism controversy seems as far away as ever – Keith Kahn-Harris, The Guardian
- Starmer has an unmissable opportunity to tackle the hard Left – Tom Harris, Daily Telegraph
Editorial:
- Starmer must bite the bullet and send Corbyn and his goons packing for good – The Sun
- A shocking indictment of its previous leadership – The Times
- Ending a sorry chapter in Labour history – FT
Johnson under pressure to impose pre- and post-Christmas lockdowns
“Boris Johnson is facing growing pressure to implement a widespread lockdown before and after Christmas while allowing families to meet over the festive period. Senior figures warned that the UK’s current tiers system was not enough to “get on top of the numbers” but said harsher restrictions in the coming weeks could allow some relaxation in the Christmas holidays. Jonathan Van-Tam, the deputy chief medical officer, told ministers he was beginning to change his mind about whether regional lockdowns were enough to hold back the virus. He presented “very, very bleak” data to a meeting of Covid-O, the the Cabinet subcommittee on coronavirus, highlighting the fact that daily hospital admissions had reached the highest level since April at 1,404.” – Daily Telegraph
- Stricter curbs put England on course for lockdown ‘by proxy’ – The Times
- Covid cases rise in England – FT
- Hospitals ‘could run out of beds by December 17’ – Daily Mail
- Get ready for Tier Four! – Daily Express
- Another national lockdown will lead to repeated country-wide shutdowns, minister warns – The Sun
More:
- Cyprus put on UK quarantine list from Sunday morning – The Sun
- Restrictions were unlawful, entrepreneur tells judges – The Times
Comment:
- Covid is killing faith in western democracy – James Forsyth, The Times
- The greatest tragedy of England’s second wave is that it wasn’t inevitable – Charlotte Summers, The Guardian
- Coronavirus hysteria is worse than the virus – Dr Jon Dobinson, The Sun
>Today: Ian Dale’s column: Stop this utter selfishness and pathetic whinging about not having a normal Christmas to look forward to
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Why we should “have enough of experts” – the SAGE advisers and Great Barrington signatories alike
Famous farmers lobby MPs in Brexit battle for food standards
““Celebrity” farmers are writing to every MP urging them to back their British colleagues before a crunch vote next week on food standards. The group, which includes Jimmy Doherty, the television presenter, and Helen Browning, chief executive of the Soil Association, is urging the government to enshrine environmental guards, animal welfare and hygiene into law ahead of trade negotiations. They want the government to restrict “low-quality” food imports, such as chlorinated chicken and hormone-fed beef, which they say could force British farmers out of business… The letter reflects growing concerns among consumer groups and farmers about the potential consequences of post-Brexit free trade deals with countries around the world.” – The Times
- Farming standards – Letters to the Editor, The Times
More:
- Canada says UK rollover trade deal will be far easier than Brexit talks – Daily Telegraph
- Brexit talks making good progress, says Von der Leyen – The Guardian
- Johnson given one day deadline to respond to EU legal action – Daily Express
>Yesterday:
- ToryDiary: Johnson’s quiet shift to a more permissive migration policy
- Profiles: Truss, perky promoter of free trade with Japan – and, like Johnson, a disruptor
- Stephen Booth’s column: The Brexit trade talks, the romance and realities of fishing, and its crucial importance for Scotland
Ross demands Johnson keep Universal Credit £20 per week Covid uplift
“A massive Tory split opened last night as the Scottish Conservative boss took aim at Boris Johnson over benefit cash. Douglas Ross backed extending the £20 a week Universal Credit pandemic uplift – and demanded London reassure the nation the cash taps will not be cut in April. The Tory leader north of the border said the six-in-one benefits system has been a “vital safety net” for millions and it would be unfair to yank support as the pandemic continues to ravage the country – and urged them to keep it “for the foreseeable future”… 5.8million people across the UK – including half a million in Scotland alone – are now claiming Universal Credit. Millions have been pushed on to it after losing their jobs during the coronavirus crisis.” – The Sun
- Commons dismisses sexual assault claims against ex-Scottish Tory MP – The Guardian
>Today: Adrian Mason in Local Government: The Internal Market Bill will help North Wales compete
>Yesterday: Henry Hill’s Red, White, and Blue column: Tories claim Drakeford has turned Wales into ‘test-bed for left-wing socialist authority’
Channel 4 chief plays down privatisation threat after ‘healthy results’
“The chief executive of Channel 4 has played down the government’s renewed threat to sell the UK public service broadcaster, arguing that the network’s performance during the pandemic has “clearly proved our financial sustainability”. Alex Mahon’s comments came after culture secretary Oliver Dowden this month said that privatisation plans for Channel 4 were back “on the table”, as the Conservative government takes a combative stance against the BBC and its smaller peers. Channel 4, which is publicly owned but commercially funded, on Thursday said when announcing its full-year results that it expected revenues in 2020 to be between 7 per cent and 10 per cent below 2019 figures, which at £985m were its second highest on record.” – FT
- BBC chief orders staff to stop virtue signalling on social media… – The Times
- …sparking revolt – Daily Express
News in Brief:
- Starmer should expel Corbyn after Labour’s day of shame – Oliver Kamm, CapX
- British conservatism is a ghost – Aris Roussinos, UnHerd
- It’s time to expel Turkey from Nato – Tim Ogden, The Spectator
- Feminists must reject left and right – Louise Perry, The Critic
- Labour should try and repeal the curfew – Brendan Chilton, 1828