Chuka Umunna rules out serving in Corbyn's shadow cabinet

[Gramsci]

I suspect that Chuka will at least partially align with local Lib Dem stuff now (children's centres, scrutiny, policing) etc. I have always assumed that London Labour keep a tight reign on this stuff whilst they control the GLA

Unlike Kate Hoey Chuka never criticised the New Labour administration in Lambeth.

So yes it will be interesting to see him criticising the New Labour administration.

I wonder if he will?

 

[co-op]

Lambeth used to have a small group of LD Cllrs. They were very good. As Lambeth was run as a one party state by New Labour controlled Lambeth Labour party the LD Cllrs were democratic oppositon.

The Lambeth New Labour administration was tightly controlled. Back bench Labour Cllrs couldn't express any opinions without passing them by the leadership first. Still happens now. I know from recent personal experience.

So the LD Cllrs were important.

Due to Clegg at national level the LDs were punished at Council level and all lost seats.

Local politics in Lambeth is poisonous.

Im not a great fan of the the Peoples Audit.

Tories have cynically pursued " austerity" by cutting Council funds. So that the electorate blame Councils not the Tories.

People's audit verges on being complicit in this.

The Lib dems were a bit more than a "small group" - they ran the council 2002-2006, and they were ousted in 2006 and lost further seats in 2010, all well before Clegg's stupidity (although that did lead to their total annihilation in 2014).

 

[snowy_again]

Im not a great fan of the the Peoples Audit.

Tories have cynically pursued " austerity" by cutting Council funds. So that the electorate blame Councils not the Tories.

People's audit verges on being complicit in this.

Can you explain that a bit more please? Knowing some of People's Audit, that seems completely a bizarre statement to make. You seem to be excusing Lambeth, which I'm sure isn't what you mean.

 

[snowy_again]

Unlike Kate Hoey Chuka never criticised the New Labour administration in Lambeth.

So yes it will be interesting to see him criticising the New Labour administration.

I wonder if he will?

He'll do whatever advances his career. He got a couple of interesting APPG chairs on social integration etc, but by all accounts failed to achieve a cross party consensus so nothing really happened. He was pitching himself as a player in the post Jo Cox world, but they didn't seem that keen on him either.

 

[CH1]

The Lib dems were a bit more than a "small group" - they ran the council 2002-2006, and they were ousted in 2006 and lost further seats in 2010, all well before Clegg's stupidity (although that did lead to their total annihilation in 2014).

Just to be precise on this in 2002 Labour had 28 seats Lib Dems 28 and Tories 7.

Just to compare with earlier:
1994 Lib Dem 24 Labour 24 Tory 16
1998 Lib Dem 18 Labour 41 Tory 5

The maximum number of seats the Lib Dems ever achieved was 28, so its hardly as though Labour achieved a total turn round.
If anything you might ask why Labour did not consolidate their 1998 victory when they had 2/3 of the council seats at 41/64. To lose 17 seats in the honeymoon of Blair seems a little odd.

 

[tim]

Unlike Kate Hoey Chuka never criticised the New Labour administration in Lambeth.

So yes it will be interesting to see him criticising the New Labour administration.

I wonder if he will?

He's not interested in Streatham any more he's defecating to Twickenham, where he expects to inherit Vinny the Cabler's seat.

 

[BusLanes]

Unlike Kate Hoey Chuka never criticised the New Labour administration in Lambeth.

So yes it will be interesting to see him criticising the New Labour administration.

I wonder if he will?

Kate's one saving grace is she's happy to stand up against the council on planning issues, so fair play to her. But she's, now, had her run at being a minister so maybe that's easier. If you're a loyal party man then maybe not so much. Just look at Rachel Heywood.

 

[Southlondon]

Kate's one saving grace is she's happy to stand up against the council on planning issues, so fair play to her. But she's, now, had her run at being a minister so maybe that's easier. If you're a loyal party man then maybe not so much. Just look at Rachel Heywood.

Don’t forget kate was sacked as minister for opposing the Iraq war. She is very solid on her core principles like opposing benefit cuts when she rebelled with Corbyn, mcdonnell abbot etc. and of course her consistent stance on the EU which didn’t just come out of the blue at the referendum. Those core principles include standing up for the constituents when the new labour council needs challenging, as she did on many occasions to the new labour government

 

[CH1]

Corbynistas seems to be having their revenge on SM

 

[aka]

Corbynistas seems to be having their revenge on SM
View attachment 174436

That's a faked up tweet by a parody account, taking the piss out of Corbynistas.

 

[CH1]

That's a faked up tweet by a parody account, taking the piss out of Corbynistas.

I could see it was fake (it was an image).

I was aware there was an "Honest Chuka" account - though this is obviously not from there.
Unusual to have two Lambeth MPs who get people going. Keep your head down Helen Hayes!

 

[Gramsci]

Can you explain that a bit more please? Knowing some of People's Audit, that seems completely a bizarre statement to make. You seem to be excusing Lambeth, which I'm sure isn't what you mean.

The audit commission, which was an independent body , that looked at Council finances was abolished by the Tories.

To be replaced by giving people right to look at Council finances.

Pickles pushed this change forward at time that Tories were cutting Council funding.

Some criticism of Council seems to me to verge on saying if they spent more wisely everything would be fine. It won't.

Getting rid of the Audit commission was deliberate Tory way to reduce oversight of the austerity they were inflicting on the less well off through cuts to local government.

The reason they did this is that people are more likely to blame local government than the central Tory one when cuts bite.

The latest idea the Tories have is changing the formula by which the amount of government funding Councils get is calculated.

This is boring technical change that is politically driven and will have effect on the poorest in society.

Basically the amount of central funding Councils get is calculated taking into account the level of deprivation in a Council. This is likely to go under the new formula. Surprise surprise this will hit inner city Labour Council and benefit the Tory shires. As inner city councils have higher levels of deprivation compared to the shires.

Its things like this that don't get much attention.

Ministers have been accused of a “stitch-up” over proposals to redraw the funding formula for councils in a way critics say will redirect scarce cash from deprived inner cities to affluent Conservative-voting shires.

The proposed changes – which include the recommendation that grant allocations should no longer be weighted to reflect the higher costs of poverty and deprivation – come amid increasing concern over the sustainability of local authority finances.

Leaders of urban councils have written to ministers to complain that under the “grossly unfair and illogical” proposals, potentially tens of millions of pounds would be switched to rural and suburban council areas.

Plan to redirect inner-city funds to Tory shires 'a stitch-up’

 

[CH1]

Sources within the LDs indicate that now Vince Cable is standing down candidates for the relatively safe LD Twickenham seat will be selected from an all-woman shortlist.

Which implies that Chuka will be staying in Streaham, at least for the duration of the election campaign.

Quite possibly a lot longer if politics descends to 1980s levels of stroppiness - after all it was now expelled Chris Williamson MP and his antics which drove Chuka into the Liberal Democrats.

 

[Gramsci]

Sources within the LDs indicate that now Vince Cable is standing down candidates for the relatively safe LD Twickenham seat will be selected from an all-woman shortlist.

Which implies that Chuka will be staying in Streaham, at least for the duration of the election campaign.

Quite possibly a lot longer if politics descends to 1980s levels of stroppiness - after all it was now expelled Chris Williamson MP and his antics which drove Chuka into the Liberal Democrats.

With all due respect. When this seat came up the two main candidates were Chuka and Steve Reed. Chuka positioned himself as the candidate - anti war / left Compass supporter as against Steve the Blairite.

Chuka got the seat decided by the membership. Who were fed up with Blair over Iraq. Chuka was the insurgent left candidate against Steve the proven successful leader of Lambeth Council and supporter of the Third Way.

He then moved to the right once he became an MP. Ending up in LDs.

This has nothing to do with the "antics" of a particular Labour party member.

Its to do with Chuka move from the left of the party to the right once he became an MP.

 

[Gramsci]

Sources within the LDs indicate that now Vince Cable is standing down candidates for the relatively safe LD Twickenham seat will be selected from an all-woman shortlist.

Which implies that Chuka will be staying in Streaham, at least for the duration of the election campaign.

Quite possibly a lot longer if politics descends to 1980s levels of stroppiness - after all it was now expelled Chris Williamson MP and his antics which drove Chuka into the Liberal Democrats.

On this issue.

I see from the photo leading light form Jewish Voice for Labour was present.

An anecdote.

I was at the recent Lambeth and Wandsworth PSC summer party. JVL members were there. I gave a little talk on the Big Bike Ride for Palestine I did.

UK council refused to host Palestinian event over antisemitism fears

Tower Hamlets like Lambeth have adopted the IHRA plus examples for the borough. Which meant that I as a cyclist was smeared by that Labour Council as taking part in event , which supported Palestinians, as being anti Semitic.

So if we are going to get into "antics" perhaps look at what some London councils like Lambeth and Tower Hamlets are doing?

I took part in Bike ride raising money for sports in Gaza. Also raising the issue of the plight of Palestinians and showing solidarity. For that I'm an anti Semite according to some Councils in London

https://www.thebigride4palestine.com/

 

[Gramsci]

Opinion: I warned the IHRA would shut down Palestinian protest – I’ve been proved right

 

[CH1]

With all due respect. When this seat came up the two main candidates were Chuka and Steve Reed. Chuka positioned himself as the candidate - anti war / left Compass supporter as against Steve the Blairite.
Chuka got the seat decided by the membership. Who were fed up with Blair over Iraq. Chuka was the insurgent left candidate against Steve the proven successful leader of Lambeth Council and supporter of the Third Way.
He then moved to the right once he became an MP. Ending up in LDs.
This has nothing to do with the "antics" of a particular Labour party member.
Its to do with Chuka move from the left of the party to the right once he became an MP.

Not being a Labour member I am not familiar with Compass and its policies as viewed from a Labour Party perspective..

I've looked it up - last year's annual report attached

couple of points seem to be rather like what Chuka is talking about:
they say for example they have worked with Labour, Green Party, Social Liberal Forum of the liberal Democrats, SNP, WEP, Plaid, Momentum, Labour Together, Make votes matter, We Own It.

This seems to imply that Compass is in favour of political groups who will work together to encourage progressive policies.
In this connection they refer to their encouragement of Lib Dem/Green joint working to take Richmond from the Tories.

Regarding how I described Chris Williamson's behaviour towards Chuka - I gather that even in the Labour Party it is highly unusual for a fellow MP to stage hostile events against a sitting MP. It's not as if Derby North is adjacent to Streatham either - its nearly 160 miles away!

 

[Gramsci]

Not being a Labour member I am not familiar with Compass and its policies as viewed from a Labour Party perspective..

I've looked it up - last year's annual report attached

couple of points seem to be rather like what Chuka is talking about:
they say for example they have worked with Labour, Green Party, Social Liberal Forum of the liberal Democrats, SNP, WEP, Plaid, Momentum, Labour Together, Make votes matter, We Own It.

This seems to imply that Compass is in favour of political groups who will work together to encourage progressive policies.
In this connection they refer to their encouragement of Lib Dem/Green joint working to take Richmond from the Tories.

Regarding how I described Chris Williamson's behaviour towards Chuka - I gather that even in the Labour Party it is highly unusual for a fellow MP to stage hostile events against a sitting MP. It's not as if Derby North is adjacent to Streatham either - its nearly 160 miles away!

Had a look at the Compass site. Back when Chuka was trying to ge the seat Compass came across as radical. Trying to read the Compass website now and I'm falling asleep.

Times have changed. This country is more divided. The "middle ground" never did anything for me. Its my problem with Chuka. I'm not interested.

Boris / Corbyn or people like them are the way forward.

I read this recently and it chimed with how I feel,

Corbyn is a divisive figure, but so is Boris Johnson, so were Theresa May and David Cameron, so was Blair. It’s just that the people who were divided away by them weren’t considered important. The poor, the “loony left”, the disabled, the foreign – none of them mattered and so the solid core of people who remained could say: “Look how unified we are, look how we compromise like adults.” But it’s a shallow kind of compromise, where you only ask the people who already broadly agree with you.

Corbyn’s divisiveness in this context is what underlies his appeal, and that’s why the calls for him to step aside for a more unifying figure are so tone-deaf. If he were acceptable to the current holders of power in this country, then he wouldn’t be any use to us.

Yes, Jeremy Corbyn is divisive. But division is just what our broken politics needs | Phil McDuff


I was up at the demo in Whitehall today and felt this was great. People on both sides are really angry. The centre ground stuff has gone.

And this is spot on:

To be divisive is to not let people look away. It is to turn and say to those who have been ignored for being inconvenient: “We believe you, you’re not making it up, it’s there and it’s real and it’s bad and it should change.” That upsets people who are comfortable with things the way they are – which is really what divisive means, when it comes down to it.

Blair/ Cameron centre ground worked for a while. It did mean that a perentage of the population were excluded. But that didn't matter then. It does now. Good.

 

[redsquirrel]

Quite possibly a lot longer if politics descends to 1980s levels of stroppiness - after all it was now expelled Chris Williamson MP and his antics which drove Chuka into the Liberal Democrats.

Was it bollocks, it was an ego the size of a planet, horrible Neo-liberal politics and stupidity that had Umunna leave the Labour Party.

 

[BusLanes]

Oh well I am sure it will be a fun campaign if we have an election - what with Owen / Williamson / Momentum piling into have a whack against Ummana. That being said, there's been talk of some polling floating about/leaked that show Streatham/Vauxhall/Southwark as being winnable for the Lib Dems just on London figures, which are a bit higher than national figures.

 

[Crispy]

Brave move

Kevin Schofield
@PolhomeEditor
BREAKING: Chuka Umunna will stand for the Lib Dems in the Cities of London and Westminster seat at the general election. Currently held by Tory MP Mark Field with a 3,000 majority.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Trying to change the narrative of his defeat? A "brave gamble" rather than being rejected by his current constituents?

 

[quimcunx]

egotistical move? He must realise He has a good chance of losing. Surely? Maybe less of a dent to his ego than if he stood in Streatham, which would be tantamount to claiming the people love him more than Labour, and lost.

 

[killer b]

Reckon he'll probably win in L&W - exactly the kind of seat they'll do well in.

 

[BusLanes]

Reckon he'll probably win in L&W - exactly the kind of seat they'll do well in.

I just googled who's standing against the Conservative incumbent - and um, he has a chaotic personal life

 

[CH1]

I just googled who's standing against the Conservative incumbent - and um, he has a chaotic personal life

You must mean this
Corbynista minister, 48, who wants to become a Labour MP is caught having TWO affairs by his wife | Daily Mail Online

We are lagging behind Walthamstow now. We had two naughty vicars in Brixton in the 1980s. But this takes it to a whole new level. One vicar - 2 (concurrent?) affairs. Personally I wish vicars would stay out of politics. Don't mind political sermons, but joining political parties and standing for office is a no no for me. I see there is a Brexit Party vicar standing in Forest of Dean. This is disgraceful.

"He's nicknamed the Red Reverend for his devotion to both Jeremy Corbyn and Christ. But it would seem the Rev Steven Saxby has been spreading a little too much of the gospel of love.The 48-year-old has apologised to his wife of 20 years after she accused him of repeated affairs – including one with a church organist."

Support: Mr Saxby campaigning with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn

This is directly from the article - to save you lookin up!

 

[CH1]

This out of date New Statesman article suggests
a) there is no new Labour candidate for Streatham, despite Chuka defecting 6 months ago
b) prospective candidates are being selected by the Labour Party's National Executive Committee (NEC)

The Staggers - 6 September 2019
Labour change parliamentary selection rules in boost for Jeremy Corbyn

The move to an election footing will increase the chances of pro-Corbyn candidates getting selected.

By Ailbhe Rea

The Labour Party has made a last-minute change to how it will select its candidates for the next general election, in a boost for Jeremy Corbyn’s hopes of permanently changing the balance of the parliamentary party.

In a move that will favour candidates with strong ties to unions and to the Labour leadership, Labour has decided that its ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) will now shortlist candidates directly, rather than via the longer process of selection committees, explaining to prospective candidates that “we are very likely to find ourselves with a general wlection over the next few weeks.”

Prospective candidates have until today at 5pm to submit their applications to the NEC, which has consisted of a majority of pro-Corbyn figures since January 2018, when three new Corbyn allies were elected to the executive, including Jon Lansman, the founder of Momentum.


The change will have a particular impact in key seats where the current Labour MP won’t be standing again: most notably, in Chuka Umunna’s seat of Streatham, and Kate Hoey’s seat in Vauxhall.

In Streatham, which Umunna will now be contesting as a Liberal Democrat, it favours the candidate Bell Ribeiro-Addy. As chief of staff and political adviser to Diane Abbott, as well as a Unite rep and former NUS politician, she has the background and standing that the NEC will favour over an outsider to the Corbynite machine. Well-liked by parliamentary colleagues and long considered a favourite for the selection, this all but confirms it. In all likelihood this secures the position of a loyal Corbynista as the MP for Streatham for decades to come.

In the neighbouring South London seat of Vauxhall, meanwhile, Labour will need to select a candidate to replace outgoing MP Kate Hoey, and will leap at the opportunity to swap an outspoken Brexiteer for someone who sings from the same hymn sheet as the leadership.

Just as recent events have given Boris Johnson the opportunity to remodel the Conservative party, this has given Corbyn a window of opportunity to deepen his control of his own.

Ailbhe Rea is political correspondent at the New Statesman.

 

[Gramsci]

I was having a chat with my Labour party friend from Chuka area. Its now in control of the left.

Read this today and , I had. few drinks, apoplectic with rage.

Chuka Umunna: Labour and the Tories are dead – but it could be a blessing for the politically homeless

Chuka is saying that those who are Remain are clearly of the "centre" ground.

Fuck off.

I'm so angry.

I'm a Remainer but not at all interested in the centre ground.

Its no surprise privately educated posh boy Chuka has ended up in LDs.

The party that supported "centre" ground austerity.

Its a disgrace that Remainers like Chuka- middle class centrists- are trying to say Remain is part of the middle class so called centre.

Why they hate Corbyn so much.

Corbyn actual position on referendum was Remain and Reform.

He then accepted the refererendum result.

Chuka should know a lot of local Corbyn supporters were Remain.

But that does not fit into his right wing narrative of Corbyn being an anti Semitic anti capitalist not fit to run this country.

Unlike Chuka who would love to run country in conjunction with the City of London.

 

[Gramsci]

Saw the LD leader saying again she thought Corbyn was not fit to lead a government of this country so she would not let LD work with Labour party under present leadership. She was quite happy to work with austerity Cameron.

Anyway Chuka new party has new MP, A homophobic Tory. But he opposes Brexit so that's ok. Nothing else matters to the new reinvigorated LDs under Swinson.

She explained her reasons for leaving in a scathing blog post that describes Lee as “a homophobe, a xenophobe, and someone who thinks people should be barred from the country if they are ill”.

It continues: “I thought the Lib Dems were not a single issue party. I thought we had a soul and principles. But apparently as long as you are on the right side on Brexit, we’ll take you.

“Well, I’m sorry, but no. It doesn’t matter if we already have others as bad. You don’t make bad things better by adding more bad things. It doesn’t matter that he will increase our numbers in parliament by ONE.


“He thinks me and people like me are a lower class of human.

The moment defecting Tory MP Phillip Lee takes his seat with the Liberal Democrats, leaving Boris Johnson's government with no working majority

Live updates: http://bb
Rigg told PinkNews that the party was well aware she would resign if Lee was admitted, but allowed him to join anyway – proving, in her eyes, that the Lib Dems’ commitment to LGBT+ rights and anti-xenophobia “is far too easily discarded for a quick headline”.

“I first heard the rumours that Philip Lee was thinking of defecting to us a couple of months ago,” she said. “At that point I started telling anyone who would listen that if the party accepted him I would leave


She noted that Lee has previously voted in favour of repealing the Human Rights Act; he has also voted against assisted dying, against a right to remain for EU nationals and against measures to prevent climate change.


“And that’s without even going into the whole testing migrants for HIV or Hepatitis — which was specifically designed to keep migrants out — and voting against same-sex marriage, which is prima facie homophobic,” she added. It should be pointed out here that Lee did not vote against same-sex marriage, but he did abstain from the vote.

“If the party is a home for someone whose views are so diametrically opposed to mine then it can’t be for me.”

Phillip Lee has a “deeply conservative mindset” that “doesn’t align” with Lib Dems.
Rigg’s resignation was joined by fellow LGBT+ member Luke Graham, who told Buzzfeed News: “I don’t see Dr Phillip Lee as a liberal.


Another resignation came from Cambridge city councillor Sarah Brown, a transgender activist who in 2011 was listed among the most influential LGBT+ people in the UK.

She wrote on Facebook that Lee’s admittance to the party “is symptomatic of the way the LGBT+ branch of the party has been treated for years”, adding: “Our MPs are willing to burn their own LGBT+ section to the ground for a publicity stunt that’s already fading from the news cycle.”


Liberal Democrat councillor George Potter raised questions with the party’s justification for allowing Lee to join.

He said the excuse that Lee only proposed banning HIV-positive migrants on health grounds “doesn’t add up” – because he didn’t suggest screening for other easily-transmitted diseases, like TB. “He was only targeting HIV and Hepatitis,” Potter notes

Apparently ex-Tory MP Phillip Lee was allowed to join the Lib Dems because his desire to ban migrants with HIV from entering the UK was based solely on health grounds. That was the excuse he gave to @amcarmichaelMP - but it doesn't add up.

LGBT Liberal Democrats are quitting the party over the decision to admit ‘homophobic’ Phillip Lee

 

[Gramsci]

I heard Chuka on radio morning yesterday saying that Corbyn is anti NATO. Which I assume is another reason Corbyn is unfit to be PM.

Thankfully Chuka new party the LD who are 110% Remainers will use part of the the so called Remain bonus to support NATO.

Lib Dems: 'Remain bonus' will 'enhance' UK in Nato

He said the party would use the so-called "Remain bonus" to "enhance the UK's ability to play our part in Nato".

I'm so glad the party of the the sensible centre is going to spend more on NATO weapons using money saved from stopping Brexit.