All posts tagged: mayors

Brexit is already dominating the battle to replace Keir Starmer – POLITICO

Brexit is already dominating the battle to replace Keir Starmer – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“Many businesses are saying that it’s been a challenge, that Brexit and the way in which it was implemented has challenged their ability to be competitive to get access to the EU market and therefore we should be addressing those challenges not going back to the old argument [of] are we in or out,” she said. That position hasn’t stopped her blasting Farage over the decision to leave, accusing the Reform UK leader of having promised “the moon on a stick.” She’s also declared that “when we left the European Union people were promised more money into the NHS, your living standards will be better — and the opposite has happened.” Keir Starmer What about the man himself? Starmer’s position on the EU has shifted several times already. Running for leader in 2019, he pledged to defend the free movement of people. Then, in opposition, he made it a red line, along with staying out of the EU’s customs union and single market. Before taking power, he talked about Brexit as little as possible. In office, …

Starmer drama has UK markets reliving their Truss nightmare – POLITICO

Starmer drama has UK markets reliving their Truss nightmare – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Ultimately, it’s the government that needs to find nearly £2 billion a week to plug the gap between what it spends and what it takes in taxes. Global investors, who currently hold around one-third of all U.K. government debt, are under no obligation to keep lending to it.  Moreover, said Fathom Consulting managing director Erik Britton, even Burnham’s row-back is problematic.  “The U.K. is in hock to bond markets because it has borrowed from them,” Britton said on  LinkedIn. “Asserting that we should not be ‘in hock’ is like asserting that you are intending to default. That’s just not a smart move for a potential PM.” Irrespective of the outcome of any leadership bid, investors appear dismayed by the latest iteration of a U.K. political pathology characterized by panicked and simplistic responses in the face of complex and hard-to-change economic realities: population aging, inequality, geopolitical fragmentation and environmental degradation. “Any new prime minister would be subject to the same constraints that the current government is facing,” Bill Papadakis, chief investment officer with private bank Lombard …

America’s Fanatical Left Wing Mayors Are A Malignant Threat

America’s Fanatical Left Wing Mayors Are A Malignant Threat

Published by Jenni Sidey

This week the Democrat mayor of Arcadia, CA pled guilty to charges of acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China.  Prosecutors alleged that from 2020–2022 (pre-mayor but continuing into her time in office), she and an associate operated a website promoting pro-China propaganda at the direction of PRC officials, without registering as a foreign agent.  She faces at up to 10 years in prison for the crime, and it raises questions about how many more US mayors are on the payroll of foreign governments.  But this scandal, like most scandals surrounding Democrats, will probably be erased from public discussion and forgotten within days.  It’s a tale that keeps repeating over the last decade and the lack of scrutiny (or pattern recognition) is leading to devastating consequences for the US as a whole. The common reaction among many conservatives when they come across such news is to dismiss it as predictable.  “The idiots living in that city got exactly what they voted for…” is the often heard retort.  The implication being that it’s …

Andy Burnham’s camp scrambles to challenge a Wes Streeting leadership bid – POLITICO

Andy Burnham’s camp scrambles to challenge a Wes Streeting leadership bid – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

More than 90 Labour MPs called for Starmer to quit, including four ministers who resigned to demand his demise. Streeting is seen as a major agitator for the PM’s ousting. Starmer held private talks in Downing Street with Streeting on Wednesday morning lasting less than 20 minutes. It didn’t take long after Streeting emerged from the meeting for a report in the Times to land, in which his allies said he planned to resign as health secretary in order to run for the leadership. Three Labour MPs told POLITICO they had been informed by Streeting’s camp that he plans to resign and challenge the PM, with one saying that will happen as early as Thursday. If Burnham cannot enter parliament to challenge Streeting, then his supporters are looking to Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister who still needs to resolve a tax issue, or Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, as the soft-left standard bearer. Miliband, who led Labour to electoral defeat in 2015, is already organising and sounding out support from colleagues, according to one …

Keir Starmer is in crisis. Here’s how he can be dislodged. – POLITICO

Keir Starmer is in crisis. Here’s how he can be dislodged. – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

At the time of writing on Monday evening, POLITICO’s count had increased to more than 70 MPs — ministerial aides were starting to add to the public calls, and Starmer, who came to power on a landslide less than two years ago, appeared to have lost the support of several key Cabinet ministers ahead of a Tuesday meeting. His only grace — for now — is that Catherine West, a Labour backbencher who threatened to launch a leadership bid designed to swiftly break Labour’s deadlock and force other contenders to pin their colors to the mast, ended up watering down her bid. The efforts to topple Starmer are far for from over, and look set to accelerate Tuesday. Here are the avenues that could see him ousted. 1) MPs force Starmer to set an exit timetable West shied away from an immediate leadership bid of her own, something that would’ve drawn the serious leadership contenders out of their state of unreadiness. But the former minister did deploy a secondary challenge — writing to colleagues asking for …

What he said … and what he meant – POLITICO

What he said … and what he meant – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

What he meant: Folks, have you noticed there’s a war on? Kicking me out while there’s such instability in the Middle East might not be the best look. ‘Heart of Europe’  What he said: “The last government was defined by breaking our relationship with Europe. This Labour government will be defined by rebuilding our relationship with Europe, by putting Britain at the heart of Europe, so that we are stronger on the economy, stronger on trade, stronger on defense.” What he meant: I’ve got to talk about Europe because otherwise Wes Streeting (a possible leadership contender) will —  but I can’t really announce anything new without complex negotiations with Brussels. Any time to chat later, Ursula?  What he said: “What I want to do is take a big leap forward with the EU-U.K. summit this year and take us closer, both on trade, the economy, defense and security and that will then be a platform on which we can build as we go forward. And as we do that, I strongly believe we’ve got to turn our back on the arguments of the past, not open old grievances.” What he meant: I’m not ruling out rejoining the customs …

Starmer critic sets Tuesday deadline for leadership challenge – POLITICO

Starmer critic sets Tuesday deadline for leadership challenge – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

West requires the support of 80 colleagues, representing 20 percent of the PLP, to kickstart a contest. She said she wants to “give a deadline” of Tuesday morning to avoid the challenge going “on and on,” because “sometimes these things fizzle out.”  West’s challenge would be a blow to Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham’s leadership ambitions as he does not sit in the House of Commons and would not be able to be a candidate in an immediate contest. Health Secretary Wes Streeting and former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, both sitting MPs, could benefit. They are also expected to stand if a leadership contest is triggered. West left the door open to abandoning her bid altogether: “If suddenly [Starmer] gets the bit between his teeth and I can see some more fight, then things might change.” Source link

Keir Starmer has one last chance to avoid Labour leadership chaos – POLITICO

Keir Starmer has one last chance to avoid Labour leadership chaos – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Backers of the Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham fear the West gambit could trigger a contest too soon for their man to find a route into parliament. “Anyone calling for the PM to quit but using the words ‘orderly transition’ is talking about waiting for Andy,” one of his supporters said.  The assumption is that a contest sooner would benefit expected candidates Wes Streeting, the health secretary, and Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister who was forced to resign from government over a tax scandal.  The former is said to be drawing up a policy program, while the latter set one out in a social media statement on Sunday night, putting Starmer on notice ahead of his speech. “This may be our last chance,” Rayner said. “The prime minister must now meet the moment and set out the change our country needs.” But, for either to launch their own challenge, one of three things would have to happen: They would have to go over the top and attempt to force a ballot themselves, Starmer would …

Keir Starmer braces for his week from hell – POLITICO

Keir Starmer braces for his week from hell – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

If Labour does as badly as predicted — and the SNP wins power again, despite a long-running finances investigation and two changes of first minister since 2023 — there will be huge questions for Starmer about squandering the 2024 success. Sarwar has already called for Starmer to resign. He made the plea in February, hoping a change of PM in Westminster would limit the damage north of the border. Watch to see if anyone else comes out swinging as results filter in through Friday and Saturday. 3) Feeling the Farage factor  Farage has embarked on an extensive tour of England, where city, council and district councils are up for grabs. While much of his success last year came from snatching Tory councils, this time the Reform UK leader wants to park his teal tanks in Labour’s backyard — and show MPs he’s coming for their seats by 2029. The party is aiming for a strong performance across the Midlands and northern England in areas including Barnsley, Gateshead and Sunderland. The latter city includes Education Secretary Bridget …