#WinWithLabour: Do You Wish?

NB: I’ve been very quiet blog wise recently, but much more active on Twitter. You can follow me on @gletherby 

Now campaigning for #GeneralElection2019 has started I plan to be busier here. Thanks for reading.

Jeremy Corbyn accompanied by his Shadow Cabinet launched the @UKLabour General Election Campaign. You can read the script here:https://labourlist.org/2019/10/the-future-is-ours-to-make-together-corbyns-campaign-launch-speech/

A key message: 

Here I add the narrative from a series of tweets I posted on the 28^th (the day before the election was called) and the 29^th October which demonstrate, I believe, how we will all #WinWithLabour (which has been trending on Twitter all day).

28^th October 2019

Do you wish you could end homelessness? Do you wish you could end child hunger? Do you wish you could improve workers’ rights? Do you wish you could ensure the future of our NHS? Do you wish you could do something to help save the planet? You CAN. Just #VoteLabour

Do you wish you could end hospital parking charges? Do you wish you could reform the media? Do you wish you could ensure better support for those with mental health needs? Do you wish you could renationalise the railways & domestic utilities? You CAN. Just #VoteLabour

Do you wish you could ensure that fat cat companies pay fair taxes? Do you wish you could scrap Universal Credit? Do you wish you could breathe new life into our high streets? Do you wish you could end HE tuition fees and reinstate nurse bursaries? You CAN. Just #VoteLabour

29^th October 2019

Do you wish you could be sure the NHS was safe from Trump? Do you wish you could have 4 more bank holidays? Do you wish you could stop post office closures? Do you wish you could give every child a fee school meal? You CAN. Just #VoteLabour

Do you wish you could work a four day week? Do you wish you could reverse legal aid? Do you wish you could access a citizen journalism fund? Do you wish you could stop Saudi Arabia Arms Exports? You CAN. Just #VoteLabour

Do you wish there was a way to make your life a little more comfortable? Do you wish there was a way to help those less fortunate than you? Do you wish you could do something to ensure workers’ rights, human rights, animal rights?  There IS. Just #VoteLabour2019 #GE19

Do you wish you could be entitled to free at the point of use education throughout your life? Do you wish you could ensure more money for grassroots football? Do you wish you and your loved ones could be sure of access to a National Care Service? You CAN. Just #VoteLabour

  

And a final tweet on the 29^th written a little differently. 

Do you want a better today for you and your loved ones? Do you wish for a better future for the next generations? Do you hope for help for those less fortunate? We CAN have it all. JUST #VoteLabour2019 #GeneralElection2019 #GE2019

I got the idea for my ‘Do you wish…’ etc. lists from the end of John McDonnell’s (Shadow Chancellor) speech at #Lab19 (Labour Party Conference 2019).

 We have this ONE chance of a truly transformative Socialist Government.

 We CAN make history.

 Everyone who donates time, money, energy to @UKLabour, everyone who #VotesLabour2019 is part of it.

 It’s time.

 It’s time for real change.

#WinWithLabour

****

More soon #Solidarity

Oh and as it's the 31st of October 

Open Letter to Ian Lavery MP, Chair of the Labour Party: Jeremy Hunt

This is my first blog entry for a while. It’s not that I’ve been short of things to write about but one way and another it’s been rather a busy, full-on year. I’ve had a couple of bouts of illness, work has been hectic and there have been some good and happy social times too… It seems as if the mis/adventure will continue as only this Monday a friend ran over my foot with his car (I’m fine, my foot is fine; rearrange ‘old, boots, as, tough’); more of that another day maybe. Despite my lack of activity here I have not been silent/silenced as far as politics goes. This time last year I had approximately 700 follows on Twitter, today, at the time of writing, I have 10,190. This increase is largely due to #SocialistShoutouts from like-minded others and despite the insults and trolling my increased numbers have prompted (I WILL be writing about that on another occasion) I very much appreciate the support and the care I have received via this medium, not to mention the further development of my (lifelong) political education (again… more later). So, what is it that has driven me to pick up my blog writing again today? The title and what follows makes it clear: 

Open Letter to Ian Lavery MP, Chair of the Labour Party: Jeremy Hunt

Dear Ian (if I may)

I am writing to you as Chair of the Labour Party and as the only MP (to my knowledge) who has condemned Jeremy Hunt MP for his recent disgraceful (verbal and written) comments thus:

@Jeremy_Hunt: When I went to Auschwitz I rather complacently said to myself, ‘thank goodness we don’t have to worry about that kind of thing in the UK’ and now I find myself faced with the leader of @UKLabour who has opened the door to antisemitism. 

As I am sure you are aware a Change.org petition (close on 16,500 signatures to date) is calling for Mr Hunt to apologise to the LOTO, given Hunt's 'weaponising of antisemitism’ linking Jeremy Corbyn ‘who has publicly condemned antisemitism on numerous occasions, with Hitler and the atrocities that Jewish people endured and suffered during the Holocaust.’  As the petition notes, and many, many others on Twitter have highlighted (see not least Frea Lockley’s piece for The Canary 

https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2019/07/03/jeremy-hunt-called-out-for-his-disgraceful-comments-using-the-holocaust-to-smear-jeremy-corbyn/) Hunt’s hideous, political game-playing (just like his recent support for a free vote on fox hunting) appears to be all part of a cynical attempt to enhance his chances of winning both the Tory leadership contest and a future General Election by discrediting Labour. I share here just one quote from Lockley’s article:

@MichaelRosenYes: Hunt linking the place where my relatives were killed to an accusation about the Labour Party; not at all unprincipled hijacking of a world tragegy for his own electoral advantage. Free airtime provided my the mass media. Get off our history you horrible man.

Whilst I agree with you and many others that an apology is needed given the significance of and distress caused by Hunt’s words this does not seem to me to be nearly enough. Such an attack is so, so offensive to Mr Corbyn a life-long, anti-racist; his supporters (MPs, Labour Party members and others) who are regularly smeared (and insulted) by association; anyone who truly wants to fight all and any racism; and of course, as Michael Rosen’s tweet (and similar by many others) highlights, those who suffered and died under the Nazi regime and their relatives and decedents. Surely, there should be demands for Hunt's resignation – how can such a man be seen fit, by anyone, to be a Member of Parliament let alone a Prime Minister – and for legal action against him?

I know we are used by now to an unfair coverage of @UKLabour’s vision, policies and internal issues and concerns by the mainstream media (MSM) but the lack of attention, the almost complete silence from the MSM, following Hunt’s comments is a new low. Furthermore, why is it only you, amongst MPs, that have called out Hunt’s despicable political game-playing? Should not every politician, from each and every political party be condemning this? I appreciate, as you yourself note, that one of Jeremy Corbyn’s admirable strengths is his refusal to sink into the gutter, along with his/our opponents, but is this incident not something we should ALL be taking a stand on, given the real threat to our democracy from both the rise of the far-right, at home and abroad, and the ever-present and increasing attempts (often successful) to shut down the voices of the left?

The reason I am sharing this letter is that I know, as stated above, that I am not the only one with these concerns, not the only one distressed by Hunt’s words and also by the lack of visible outrage from those with more power to challenge. I have of course signed and shared the Change.org petition but this feels to me, and I know to others, way, way too little.

I would be more than grateful for your thoughts.

Thank you for reading this, and for all that you do.

Yours in solidarity

Gayle 

Gayle Letherby, (Truro and Falmouth CLP)

LABOUR are RED | Poems NOT just for Valentines's Day

Earlier in the week I wrote some poems. I learnt how to make memes too….


Roses are red,

Labour is too.

Sisters and brothers,

I salute You.

In our thousands we campaign,

With love and support.

Together we’re stronger,

In all that we’ve fought.

So onwards and upwards,

Despite insult and smear,

Remember who told us,

‘It’s YOU that they fear.’

          Labour are red,

Tories are blue.

When voting day comes,

You know what to do.

 

If you care #4TheMany,

And (rightly) mistrust the few.

Then please vote for Labour

Who care for you too.

Media don’t help us,

Their interest is nil.

Don’t let that stop you,

For triumph we will.

Roses are red,

Labour is too.

The Red Flag is flying,

For me and for you.

For peace and for justice,

For the young and the old,

Shoulder to shoulder,

We need to be bold.

United we're powerful,

Together we stand.

Our present, their futures,

It's all in our hand(s).

#Solidarity

'Obtuse? Me?' 'Yes you.' | just a few examples (with postscript)

Obtuse: ‘annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand’.

Remember that scene from The Shawshank Redemption:

Andy: 'How can you be so obtuse?'

Prison Governor: ‘What did you just call me?

Andy: ‘Obtuse, is it deliberate?’

Watch here: https://uk.video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&p=andy+to+governor+in+shawshank+redemption+how+can+you+be+so+obstust#action=view&id=1&vid=8c2a52f0fbe240de4b411e7d5cf274cb

Just a few examples of obtuseness (to say the least) in the UK from this week alone.

The Prime Minister

Earlier this week it was reported that the Spice Girls are urging us all to support the Prime Minister Theresa May thus: ‘We don’t have to agree on politics, it’s bigger than that. You can just support a woman doing the best she can and that’s it.' My response to this, as I noted on twitter, is at least threefold. 

First:

@gletherby: Nothing is 'bigger' than politics. All life; our chances, choices and experiences are political as is family and work life, leisure, health, religion, education... what we wear and what we eat, who we date... etc. And so on... All is political. But OK maybe they mean Party Politics. But still what can be 'bigger' than that when the Party in power makes an active choice to privilege the few and NOT the many #ConsciousCruelty #DestitutionByDesign

Second:

@gletherby: The idea that we should 'support a woman doing the best she can' is nothing but patronising and sexist. We should judge the PM as a politician not as a woman. #everdaysexism The PM's 'best' = #ToryBrexshit #HostileEnvironment and more... It is beyond obvious that #AusterityDoesntWork, in fact #AusterityKills and that furthermore women as a group suffer greatly as a result of the #HostileEnvironment created and perpetuated by our current PM. So much for #girlpower

And third:

@gletherby: The politics of the Left is characterised by creativity - great music, literature, poetry, art - and people find creative ways to challenge and resist - one of my fave examples being the knitting of coded messages into hats for soldiers at the front in WW1 #RemembranceDay There is power and camaraderie in creative endeavour - in reading and in listening, in group art work and community singing. The cynic in me can't help but think that this is one of the reasons there is less and less opportunity for creative learning in the curricula. By contrast the creativity of the Right is, at least to me, a pale and sad alternative. Prove me wrong if you can.... If not enjoy the #spicegirls, Jim Davidson and similar others, I'm off to read my recently bought copy of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists

The BBC

I write letter after letter to @BBC complaints and to newspapers (sometimes published, sometimes not). This week I have visited the BBC complaints page twice.

Complaint No 1: Newsnight (13^th November 2018)

‘Please just answer one question. How is it acceptable for Emily Matlis on Newsnight to ask Conservative MPs, if they "will fail the country and let Jeremy Corbyn into number 10?" I am at a loss as to how you can possibly deny the bias here and await your response with interest.’

Complaint No 2: Question Time (15^th November 2018)

‘That Claire Perry MPs slanderous comments about the Leader of the Opposition went unchallenged by the chair and/or was not cut out of a pre-recorded programme surely means that the BBC has broken its’ own editorial guidelines and is therefore complicit in said slander?’

I have written to the BBC several times before and have always received replies including at least one of the following: 'we are not biased ' / 'we criticise the Tories too' / 'you don't understand' / 'you are wrong'. I've had them all. On the occasions I question their response they invariably say 'we have nothing to add'. They even did that when, expecting it, I explicitly asked them not to! 

(https://arwenackcerebrals.blogspot.com/2018/04/grieving-for-bbc-and-mainstream-media.html)

Today I received a reply regarding complaint No 1 proving that I’ve clearly missed my vocation as a fore-teller of the future:

It’s clear you felt the interview with Dominic Grieve displayed a bias against the Labour Party and revealed a personal opinion on the part of the presenter.

A week earlier Mr Grieve had stated that the needs of the country came before any Party political interests. The question posed here by Emily Maitlis in no way suggested a personal opinion, rather it’s a standard technique to challenge someone with what their opponents and critics would say. The value of this is in teasing out a response to the counterpoint, leading the interview on through a dialogue which considers the wider political spectrum.

The presenter has to assume a Conservative MP would not want to see a Labour government elected and it would, therefore, be a failure on their behalf, and those who elected them, if that were to happen.

Please be assured your comments have been shared with the programme team and senior BBC staff.

**

Well that's OK then. Silly me. Wrong again.

Despite all this I honestly believed that the following tweet by Andrew Neil (who despite being heavily criticised for his recent offensive, sexist tweet about fellow journalist Carole Cadwalldr has not yet apologised) was from a parody account:

@afneil: I hope we show it again so somebody can tell who the miserable Jock [Bobby Gillespie, Scottish musician and singer-songwriter] is and what he’s ever done. Other than scowl and spout Corbynista propaganda from his fancy Islington pad.

The Prime Minister (again)

Following the presentation of a Brexit deal that has been roundly criticised by the Opposition and her own Party (although when it comes to the crunch it will be interesting to see if the term ‘Tory Rebels’ remains the misnomer it has up until now) the dominant narrative seems to be how 'brave', 'honorable', and 'resilient' Theresa May is. There is SO much I could write in response to this – not least with reference to the Windrush generation, justice for Grenfell, the cut in public sector workers (and their pay), 1950s women and their lack of pension, an NHS and education service in crisis, and more...  – but for now I’ll just provide a few quotes from Philip Alston, the UN Poverty Envoy (reporting today following a week in the UK):

‘Despite being the 5th largest economy in the world, there are 14 million people in poverty & 1.5 million are destitute. Frankly, the levels of child poverty here are staggering. MPs are in denial.’

‘Despite insisting austerity was necessary, the truth is that there haven't been many savings at all. . . . The motivation has not been to create a more caring system. The motivation is very clearly ideological.’

‘The actions of the DWP have been particularly damaging for women. Indeed there is a link to an increased risk of domestic violence. The ministers say well 'if the woman is struggling she should leave.' This process/attitude has to end.’

There is much more. See, for example, a twitter feed (to which I credit the quotes above) by @JackDunc1 and the following articles (so far): 

https://universalcreditsuffer.com/2018/11/16/youre-on-your-own-un-in AND 

https://skwawkbox.org/2018/11/16/un-rapporteur-alston-govt-policies-could-have-been-designed-by-misogynists/

See also this by Steve Topple for some background to the visit:

https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2018/11/14/the-guardians-coverage-of-the-un-visit-is-pathetic/

Yet more evidence, of #DestitutionByDesign from a Prime Minister and a Party clearly #UnfitToGovern 

(see also: https://arwenackcerebrals.blogspot.com/2018/07/let-them-eat-chips-destitution-by.html)

And yet how do the media respond?:

@JackDunc1 (Jack D): Meanwhile...Sky News just now? "It's not all about #Brexit today" *holds breath* "It's also about the coveted Wildlife comedy photo awards"...

NB: I've already written this week of another example I could have included here: i.e. the focus on the LOTO's choice of clothes and his poppy rather than @UKLabour's pledge to veterans: 
https://arwenackcerebrals.blogspot.com/2018/11/cloaks-coats-and-other-things-that.html

***

My response to all of this:

Me: ‘How can you be so obtuse?

The MSM, the Prime Minister, the Government, various celebrities and others: ‘What did you just call me?

Me: ‘Obtuse, is it deliberate?’ 

SO IT WOULD SEEM.

POSTSCRIPT (added 22^nd November)

I, along with many others that I know of, received a reply from the BBC complaint No 2. It included:

Thank you for contacting us with your concerns about the edition of Question Time from Milford Haven.

We have received a range of feedback about this edition. To allow us to reply promptly to your concerns, and to ensure we use our Licence fee resources as efficiently as possible, we’re addressing here a range of issues which viewers have raised. Our complaints process allows us to offer a consolidated reply like this when necessary. We’re sorry that we can’t reply personally to you on each point which has been made. Please be assured that your reaction has been accurately shared with the programme makers, as well as senior staff.

The comments from Claire Perry MP regarding the Labour leader provoked a strong, mixed reaction from the studio audience. David Dimbleby controlled the situation by bringing her back to the point she was asked about, and asked her to make it in full. David then ensured that Barry Gardiner MP, a close ally of Mr Corbyn, was given an equally clear opportunity to challenge the comments. Mr Gardiner addressed the ‘very personal’ remarks about Jeremy Corbyn as he wished, and in full. ….

This reply, and the others I have previously received, make it clear I think that not only are there problems with the BBC in terms of their political ‘reporting’ but there is also a significant problem with their complaints procedure. There is never any admittance of a mistake being made, never an apology, never a ‘you said, we did/will do’ response. Never even an 'umm maybe we should think about this given the amount of response we have had.' The arrogance is nothing but staggering. I may have been ‘assured that your reaction has been accurately shared with the programme makers, as well as senior staff’ BUT I am not at all reassured. #BrokenMedia

[If you haven’t get please listen to Topple Uncaged for similar discussion on #Newsnight and other news last week https://www.thecanary.co/podcasts/2018/11/18/canarypod-topple-uncaged-1/]