Should we really be doing this?

Sky news quite informative and balanced comments from different POV.

news.sky.com/story/labour-staff-helping-on-kamala-harris-campaign-is-normal-says-minister-13235697

I see no mention of any about MP going, just volunteer staff with campaigning experience (I wouldn't agree with an MP going)

end of the article: "Labour staff have travelled to the US during previous presidential elections to campaign for the Democratic nominee"

You have no idea what my political beliefs are Casdon. Of course I disagree with any involvement from any of the parties and even more so when the party getting involved in this instance is our Government.

I do not need you or anyone for that matter to tell me when and if to hold my hands up.

Smileless2012

No it isn't IMO Casdon not when we have a Labour government.

Your opinion is coloured by your political beliefs in this instance. If the Tories had won the election, Truss and Johnson, recent ex UK PMs would have been openly supporting Trump at the Republican Convention, which is just as bad. Why not hold your hands up as I have done and say you disagree with any involvement from any of the parties?

eazybee

Not a sensible thing to do and I would be furious if Americans turned up on my doorstep 'advising' me how to vote
Apparently Labour staff were emailed on August 2nd by Sofia Patel asking if any were willing to travel to the US to'help our friends across the pond to elect their first female president.'
Labour activists are asked to pay for their own travel and car hire but will be put up by Democrats. Staff intending to travel have to book annual leave.
I would have thought they had enough to do here.

Given the terms they are going on, I applaud them.

Labour activists are asked to pay for their own travel and car hire but will be put up by Democrats. Staff intending to travel have to book annual leave.

It was represented in the news this morning quite differently as some kind of political official intervention (shock, horror, etc) but this is what I suspected.

Started back in August, its part of a long history of both formal and informal contact and its people with particular skills - campaigning.

They are not as suggested above going to "influence policy" in anyway.

Storm in a teacup.

No it isn't IMO Casdon not when we have a Labour government.

Isn’t it Smileless? I’ve made it clear that I object to any UK involvement in foreign politics, and I see no difference in the UK parties attending political events supporting either party in the US elections. For two ex PMs and a serving MP to be at the highest profile Republican event of the year, shown across the world, is every bit as wrong as the Labour Party sending volunteer foot soldiers to support Democrats in their election campaign.

Liz Truss attending republican rallies isn't the same as our PM sending/allowing 100 Labour MP's to go to America's swing states, 3 weeks before the Presidential election in an attempt to prevent Trump from winning Casdon.

Perhaps you'd like to address my first post about what may well happen to our relationship with America if Trump wins.

Smileless2012

I'm not convinced that Liz Truss would have been that stupid and anyway she isn't PM is she, Starmer is.

She already has been though Smileless, read the thread.

I'm not convinced that Liz Truss would have been that stupid and anyway she isn't PM is she, Starmer is.

If he hadn’t got a brain and was dangerous, would he be Liz Truss then Smileless?

If Starmer had brain, he'd be dangerous.

Oh what a brilliant idea no hang on a minute, what will happen to our working and what's always been stated as our mutually beneficial relationship with America if Trump wins?

Answers on the back of a postage stamp and there'll still be plenty of space left.

Mollygo

Casdon

I though eazybee said that volunteers were to pay for themselves and take annual leave Mollygo, so I’m not clear what you mean by contributions from Labour Party members financing the trip?

If you read my post I explained.
I also thanked eazybee for her clarification.
One poster earlier mentioned the trip being paid for out of LP funds.
A previous thread explained that the LP received funds from union contributions, whether or not the union members were LP voters.
So, had eazybee not explained that the delegates were funding their own trip the earlier statement that they were financed from LP. funds seems quite probable.

Incidentally, regardless of who else has previously involved themselves with the politics of other countries, do you think it is right to send LP supporters or MPs to involve themselves in the politics of other countries?
Do you support the idea that previous or future foreign governments should send people to try to influence politics in the UK?
That was the OP.

Your post must be ambiguous, What do you mean by the final paragraph if not what I assumed?
‘ If LP funds/union contributions were being used to finance the trip, presumably all those who contribute to LP funds are happy about that.
Will there be 100 expense claims put in, or will that only be the MP?’
if not
Regarding what I think about it, haven’t read my previous posts Mollygo, I’ve made my thoughts abundantly clear.

Casdon

I though eazybee said that volunteers were to pay for themselves and take annual leave Mollygo, so I’m not clear what you mean by contributions from Labour Party members financing the trip?

If you read my post I explained.
I also thanked eazybee for her clarification.
One poster earlier mentioned the trip being paid for out of LP funds.
A previous thread explained that the LP received funds from union contributions, whether or not the union members were LP voters.
So, had eazybee not explained that the delegates were funding their own trip the earlier statement that they were financed from LP. funds seems quite probable.

Incidentally, regardless of who else has previously involved themselves with the politics of other countries, do you think it is right to send LP supporters or MPs to involve themselves in the politics of other countries?
Do you support the idea that previous or future foreign governments should send people to try to influence politics in the UK?
That was the OP.

Apologies then Casdon.
I keep up with news but not so much as others on this forum.

maddyfour

Casdon
You appear to think I’m a fascist. I can assure you I’m not.
And no, I didn’t know anything about any Republican love in, as you called it. Why on earth would I?

I certainly don’t think that maddyfour, I have no idea why you would think I do? I assumed you’d know about it because it was on the news, and reported widely in the media, I’d expect any Gransnetter on this forum to read the big stories on news and politics topics, that’s all.

I though eazybee said that volunteers were to pay for themselves and take annual leave Mollygo, so I’m not clear what you mean by contributions from Labour Party members financing the trip?

Casdon
You appear to think I’m a fascist. I can assure you I’m not.
And no, I didn’t know anything about any Republican love in, as you called it. Why on earth would I?

Galaxy
It's not about the rights of wrongs of the cause. If you approve of it you would have to be happy with for example the Tories going to support Trump.

I’m still waiting for an answer to this that doesn’t involve a wriggle round by saying a member of another party did it first.

No I don’t think it’s right.
I would be equally unhappy about members of any party doing that, or any other countries sending people to interfere in our politics.
I’ve just read eazybee’s explanation of the finding, which does make it clearer. Thank you.
If LP funds/union contributions were being used to finance the trip, presumably all those who contribute to LP funds are happy about that.
Will there be 100 expense claims put in, or will that only be the MP?

Not a sensible thing to do and I would be furious if Americans turned up on my doorstep 'advising' me how to vote
Apparently Labour staff were emailed on August 2nd by Sofia Patel asking if any were willing to travel to the US to'help our friends across the pond to elect their first female president.'
Labour activists are asked to pay for their own travel and car hire but will be put up by Democrats. Staff intending to travel have to book annual leave.
I would have thought they had enough to do here.

Well, I'm sure you'll all be shocked to hear that this guy, an Australian, was involved in

Crosby first ventured into overseas politics at the 2005 United Kingdom general election, where he managed the Conservative Party's unsuccessful campaign. He has since also run Conservative campaigns for the 2008 and 2012 London mayoral elections, as well as the 2015 general election, all of which resulted in victories for the party. His campaign was not successful for the 2016 London mayoral election (which was won by the Labour candidate, Sadiq Khan)[5] and the 2017 general election in which the Conservatives remained the largest party but lost 13 seats and their parliamentary majority.[6

And was given a British knighthood...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynton_Crosby

The Russians are also very good at interfering in other countries' politics. They are no doubt working hard to get Trump elected at this moment.

Yes why are we doing this? Americans may reflect on why they fought against Britain in the American War of Independence, Maybe they'll tip a load of Yorkshire tea bags in Boston Harbour in protest.

Galaxy

It's not about the rights of wrongs of the cause. If you approve of it you would have to be happy with for example the Tories going to support Trump.

Farage is the one complaining louder, and he DID go and campaign for Trump and support him several times!

Frankly I think Trump is a threat to Western democracy and any legitimate action to keep him out of the White House is worth pursuing.

The Republican convention was a proper little right wing love in maddyone, I’m surprised you missed it being reported.

www.itv.com/news/2024-07-17/russell-brand-and-boris-johnson-the-familiar-faces-at-us-republican-convention

I don’t agree with any UK political involvement in foreign elections, but it’s been happening for many years between the UK and USA. If I could be bothered I’d try to find out if large numbers of UK politically affiliated volunteers have supported either side in previous elections, a pound to a penny they will have done.