At last a fully functioning opposition

“Time to move on from this total shambles of a political party and bring forward a fresh organisation that reflects the wishes of the whole Labour movement by way of new faces pulling together around what always has been basic left-leaning labour policies.”

I’ll agree with that, its not about pleasing the activists or the unions or even the Brexiteers in the north, it about having an effective “ left leaning “ opposition, it can NEVER be more than that because it will never get a majority in parliament. If that means the existing organisation goes bankrupt and is replaced by Labour 2021 so be it.

The unions will have to continue financing Labour because it is their best chance of changing things for the better. I say again forget Brexit we have left the EU, in 2025 all anyone can do is make the best of the economy as it is, there will be no going back.

Very interesting and informative posts Grandad 1943 thank you.
The breaching of the data protection act seems to have been a massive own goal for the PLP.
There is though, so much history between them and the unions, that it would be a tremendously hard decision to make a break, but I can see ( depending on the court outcome in the future) that it could happen.

I believe that some forum members need to think realistically in regard to the very serious situation that Starmer and the Parliamentary Labour party is facing

In that, the accusation that the Labour Party breached of the Data Protection Act by way of the leaked report is by far the most serious of all situations facing the organisation. Should the Party be found guilty in the courts of such a breach then the exposure of employees and others named in that report would bring further charges in regard to Labours Duty of Care towards its employees.

The above would also open up the prospect of damage claims from those named employees with the financial total for all the foregoing running as high as an estimated eight million pounds.

It makes no difference if the employees named in the report acted against Corbyn and the Labour Party in the way that it is alleged that they have, for that should have been dealt with through the disciplinary procedure. All that matters is that they have been brought into public view, and in that there is, as stated, serious infringements of the Data Protection Act and Employers Duty of Care.

As far as I am aware no one has even attempted to defend Labour in regard to its failures under data protection as the information in the leaked documents could only have come from the Labour Parties own IT system. It is also further obvious that neither Corbyn's or Formby's offices would have had details of internal emails sent between staff who worked at Central Office.

Therefore, and in reality, who does Starmer and the right of the Parliamentary Labour Party believe is going to pick up the bill for all this mess when it becomes bankrupt. Do they seriously think that the trades unions and other affiliate organisations who these people it is alleged totally worked against will fund a recovery? In that, there is one thing I am sure of, that being, the membership of those affiliate organisations will tell Starmer and the whole Parliamentary Labour Party they can p*ss right off.

Time to move on from this total shambles of a political party and bring forward a fresh organisation that reflects the wishes of the whole Labour movement by way of new faces pulling together around what always has been basic left-leaning labour policies.

That has been a factor that Labour in Parliament has been unable to carry out in more than a decade and a half.

And this - there is no need to panic.

Aaron Bastani Retweeted

Lara McNeill

Productive NEC meeting.

Fair terms of reference for a broad investigation amended and agreed, focusing on the content of the report including alleged discrimination.

I moved that the TOR should be shared with the membership which was unanimously supported.

Sienna Rodgers
Labour spox: “The NEC has today agreed the terms of reference for the independent investigation into the circumstances, contents and release of an internal report. The NEC will meet again in due course to agree the individuals who will be appointed to lead the investigation.”

Aaron Bastani

One thing I’m hearing from a few separate sources is that there’s a quiet confidence Starmer could oversee a good job regarding the leaked Labour report.

One says “it’s not political. He’s a good lawyer and seems to believe in strong process”.

Davidhs the reason is that in the northern Labour heartlands Starmer loses out on all fronts. He was a remainer they are Brexit supporters. They are predominantly left wing Labour and Starmer isn't. There are already stirrings around the country to reform and reorganise the party. How Starmer could "head off" a grassroots movement I don't know.

I can’t understand why some are bringing up Brexit in connection with Starmer, his previous record is irrelevant. By the time he gets a chance of election it will be done and dusted, we ARE leaving the EU, Johnson has a strong majority the likelihood of the Tories loosing power short of a full term is tiny.

As for a new party being formed I’m sure Starmer is smart enough and “left leaning” enough, to head that off, splitting the Labour Party would only result in another Tory Government. It is quite likely with Covid 19 and Brexit the economy will be in a mess and big changes will need to be made.

lemongrove, in regard to your post @14:09 today, with the lockdown continuing it is not possible for anyone to state confidently how the trade unions will react to all that has happened with the Parliamentary Labour Party in the past month.

In the above, none of the trade union executive committees has been able to meet, but Len McCluskey's very quick condemnation of the contents of the leaked report would suggest that he is expecting to come under great pressure from the Unite Unions National Executive regarding the Labour Party when they do eventually meet.

From my own Unite Union Branch WhatsApp group, there is nothing else but total disgust at all that has come out in the leaked report and a sense that enough is enough.

In truth, this Parliamentary Labour Party has not been fit for purpose for over a decade, and should it face bankruptcy now it would be most definite I believe that the trades unions or in all probability any of the affiliate organisation will not be prepared to "bail it out".

My feelings (and that of many I believe) are that a complete rethink is required by the Broader Labour Movent in the country of what is required within its political ambitions and who should carry that out.

Sadly that may not involve the current Parliamentary Labour Party as it may be that an entirely new organisation is required. However, how that would be brought about has for some time within the trade unions been under discussion.

I shall, like many, continue to pay my monthly political levy subscription to the Unite Union, but should I be asked I would state that I prefer it should not go any longer to this shambles of a Parliamentary Labour Party.

your posts on the LP [leaked documents] makes interesting reading Grandad43 have you any inside knowledge of what the unions make of it?

I totally agree with you trisher.

Grandad1943 that would be some conversation!
?

Starmer may be applauded by the Tory media, may indeed be the best orator in parliament the LP has ever seen. However he will still be regarded by the Northern constituencies Labour lost as a Remainer, and stands little chance of winning them back. There are complaints already that the shadow cabinet consists mostly of Remainers. It was Brexit lost Labour the election and until that is resolved all the best speeches in Parliament won't make a shred of difference.

Whitewater, I believe we all know the truth of the matter. It is the case that "persons" within the Labour Party never accepted the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader and therefore took it upon themselves to oppose his leadership by every means available to them.

In carrying out the above they have brought the Parliamentary Labour party to the largest crisis it has suffered in it's more than one hundred and twenty-year history.

Starmer has announced a "review" into the foregoing, but no details in regard to who will be carrying out that "review" or when it will commence has been given by Starmer's office.

The above is allowing many to speculate on where Starmer stands and who he may seek to protect in this greatest of all Labour Crisis.

I don’t want or need to shut down debate.

Debate all you want. I wasn’t meaning that we have to be careful talking about the situation, but whether individuals will be sued rather than the Labour Party.

I thought that the Labour Party gave strict instructions that the report was to remain confidential whilst there was an enquiry?

So I would have thought that if there was a case to answer it was the individual or individuals who leaked it?

Personally as I’ve said previously I am content to await the outcome of the enquiry. See no point in talking about it further, as we don’t know the truth of the matter.

Urmstongran I feel that you and I should form the replacement to the Labour Party, all we would have to decide would be is it going to be on the left or right of British politics. ??

Whitewavemark2, in regard to your post @13:06 today, I can understand your wish to "shut down" debate on this matter but I have certainly not
named or accused anyone of any anything in this thread, therefore I have no fear in regard to liability.

It is generally acknowledged that Jennie Formby's office drew up the report which was to be placed in front of the Equality and Human Rights Commission as part of their investigation into anti-semitism within the Labour Party.

However, it would seem that the above body rejected acceptance of the report as they were only looking at whether there was or still is antisemitism within the Labour Party, and not at this stage whether the investigation into to the allegations were handled correctly or not.

Therefore, the report was circulated to other affiliate organisations and it may have been the leak could very well have come from within one of those bodies.

In regard to the GMB Union action in regard to this situation, the staff at central office have their own GMB branch at that location and it is that branch who have made many of the statements in regard to this matter. The GMB central office has stated nothing with the exception of offering counselling support for its members within the Labour Party central office.

Anyone can make of that what they will.

Though the real watch in my humble is Jacob Rees-Mogg vs Valerie Vaz. They couldn’t be more polite to each other as Leader of the House/Shadow Leader of the House and are a joy. Other MPs take note!

Its not Starmer's fault that PMQs is like it is at the moment but to compare today with the real thing is simply silly.

Wait until they are all there and KS is being hauled over the coals about his anti brexit record before you decide he wears his underpants outside his trousers, - for a real PMQs on other words!

I think we have to be careful about liability here.

Apologies, i accidentally pressed the post button before I had finished my other post.

However, from the breach of the data protection act other prosecutions are already flowing from what is stated in the leak report.

We all have to acknowledge that the right within the parliamentary Labour Party have through this instance in all probability destroyed Labour as a viable political organisation, and what comes next we can only guess at.

Well Urmstongran it seems we are not the only ones who think Starmer is boring just been listening to Mike Graham on Talk Radio and he thinks he'd put a glass eye to sleep lol.

It does not matter who leaked the report, as the fact is that it has been leaked, people have been named and are taking action against the Labour Party.

No one believes that their can be any credible defence against the charges that the Labour Party has grossly infringed the Data Protection Act

I certainly welcome the enquiry and see it as a chance for Keir Starmer to rid the party of the corrosive culture and some of the key staff who have presided over this culture.

Apparently many named in the document have now left the party whilst others are considering suing for breach of confidentially.

An ally of Corbyn Formby has been accused by the GMB of leaking the report.

Starmer has launched an enquiry to establish why the report was commissioned, its content and why/who leaked it.

Starmer requested that everyone refrain from drawing any conclusion until the enquiry has completed its work.

I see that you are quoting the DM’s gleeful chortle that the LP will be bankrupted grandad .

Why not wait and do as Starmer suggests to see the outcome of the enquiry?

It certainly looks very possible the Starmer will not have a viable party to lead within a few months. Lawsuits in regard to the leaked anti-semitism reports are already arriving at Labours Central Office, and even the most senior members of the party believe those lawsuits will cost the organization at least eight million pounds, meaning bankruptcy.

Of course, the elected Labour MPs will remain in parliament for the remainder of this electoral period, but they will lose at least their Central office and the parties organisational abilities.

What then comes into being in place of the present Parliamentary Labour Party may well depend on who or what organisation(s) come up with the money and organisational abilities to bring forward a fresh start.

With the left of politics in Britain, there will be a very turbulent coming year or possibly even longer.

At long last someone to challenge the conservatives.
I heard on Radio 4 this morning an English company who already provides the masks for National Health had offered at end of May to make the masks. They approached the government and several NHS Trusts whom they already provide the equipment to but got no response!.
This is how much the Government cares for the NHS staff.
Wait till the NHS is sold off to the Americans. This will show the true colours of the conservatives.

I don’t think the Telegraph is ‘rattled’, I think they are responding in a measured and honest way to how they find Starmer as he starts this new role. Patrick O’Flynn wrote that particular article under the heading ‘Keir Starmer is showing the hysterical Left how effective opposition is done’. The Telegraph View is also complimentary.

Matt Chorley in The Times says ‘Sir Keir began with the pledge to offer “constructive opposition with the courage to support the government where that’s the right thing to do”. It felt amazingly grown up after the last four years of Labour history. You can’t imagine Corbyn saying that sentence, and if he did it would be stressed IN all of THE wrong PLACES.

“We also need the courage to challenge where we think they are getting it wrong,” Sir Keir said. And so the former barrister came to build his case: supporting the government in its aims, questioning their means, and urging action to put mistakes right.“

I’m not a Labour voter but give credit where it’s due, and as ever, the proof of the pudding etc.