British Politics

But promoted to Deputy Prime Minister. (You probably can't combine that role with one of the Great Offices of State, so he had to leave the FO.)

I think that’s a demotion as it’s a relatively recent creation, as you know.

Police don't usually give more than the sex and age of people who've been arrested. Their identities become public only if they're charged.

Justice Secretary is fairly new. Deputy PM dates from round about 1942, I think, when Attlee was promoted from Lord Privy Seal to Deputy Prime Minister, which was not an official constitutional title but was used in Hansard when Attlee spoke. Because the PM was abroad so much it was a pretty consequential post, and Attlee handled Cabinet business a lot more crisply than Churchill, who liked to work late and talk a lot -- ministers did miss the drama of Churchill's Cabinet meetings, but not the crazy hours. Attlee's contribution clearly did him no harm at the 1945 election. But after the war there weren't any Deputy PMs till the Nineties. It's kind of a bagman job now, and still not quite official, so it may well feel like a comedown after the Foreign Office, where you really do have a domain.

I see Farage is telling his party conference (or Rally, though I don't think they'll have actual torchlight parades) that 'we'll stop the boats within two weeks of winning government.' Which is like his friend Donald saying he'd stop the Ukraine war in 24 hours. The depressing thing is, we probably will have the opportunity to see whether Farage, whose cadre has next to no experience of government or even serious responsibility for anything in particular, can make good on that boast.

Somewhat surprisingly it seems the UK still has enough influence for Israel to consider it worthwhile bribing leading British politicians.

Official UK Parliament registers show Yvette Cooper received ~£210k in 2023 from donor Gary Lubner, linked to pro-Israel groups like UJIA.

I think we can see where her Foreign Secretaryship is heading.

We'll see, but I think there's been a significant change in political climate and previously tolerated paid advocacy for a problematic and arguably UK-hostile foreign state no longer gets the free pass that it once did. And, what matters more to politicians, it's become a vote-loser and likely electoral poison.

The big test of recognizing a Palestinian State is coming up. The pressure on the UK government not to do it will be huge. I struggle to imagine starmer resisting that pressure but he has made it hard for himself and YC has shown herself willing to do the indefensible.

If KS bottles it then will Lammy have the guts to resign? Was him being moved partly because of concern he would.

Starmer is not only a vapid policy-free robot but is also a very poor politician, believing he can tell blatant lies then double back on them shortly after without repercussions.

It's almost as if this incompetent and lifeless individual was pushed through the Labour ranks for some reason other than to lead.

On this though he is caught between a rock and a hard place. Which way will he buckle.

Which is all his own doing because he's completely insincere and lacks any balls. He's very much a product of the 80's, Thatcher's child.

The politics is both interesting and important. Way beyond just how pathetic starmer is.

Wes Streeting is another key character to watch

Will he take his opportunity and stick the knife in if KS buckles Israels' way. Will fear of that get Starmer to buckle the other way. Streeting to is also stuck between a rock and hard palce but has more room to slime about in if the decision has already been made by starmer.

The politics is that he was brought in as a Zionism enthusiast to replace Corbyn, who the establishment had succeeded in smearing as a rabid anti-semite, as the Tories were clearly making themselves highly unpopular with the giant mess of things they were making, and the pendulum was about to swing back. Next to no thought was given, or needed to be given, as to what Starmer might do or not do as PM.

Streeting must be delighted with Rayner's demise.

Streeting is not all that likely to keep his seat next time, given his majority over an independent Palestinian activist last time was only in the hundreds.

Exactly why it would be so tempting for him to stick the knife into starmer if starmer buckles israels' way. It's why (I suggest) he already sounds far more pro-Palestinian then is credible for him.

Against that he is also one of blairs

Posing as sympathetic to Palestinians to get into power so you/ can do the opposite is very much out of the Blair mould.

sure but he will have to be thinking of both sticking the knife into starmer for not recognising a Palestinian state while also not then recognising a Palestinian state if he takes over

I suspect they will think they can spin it but it's very early in the parliament so maybe not. Wounding but not killing while becoming the leader in waiting could be a consideration but these things are not easy.

I’m not sure it’s Streeting who needs to wield the knife over Palestine when there will be many others inside and outside the Labour Party.

Clive Lewis:

but she didn't gain from political office, she just under paid stamp duty because of a technicality.

why is she accused of doing that as a politician? do you think she would have paid full stamp duty if she wasn't a politician?

it's actually pretty obvious that if she hadn't been a politician her case very probably would have been missed and she woul shave walked with the 40k or whatever saved

All tax could be called a technicality.

Lewis is right. Modern politics is so intertwined with society’s most powerful and corrupt actors that politicians have to be constantly vigilant and aware of temptation.

I’ve long been in favour of a big increase in salaries for MPs and a workable ban on second jobs and funding.

Yvette Cooper received almost a quarter of a million from a pro Israel lobbyist. This must be stamped out.

but what temptation in this case? nothing she did taxwise is related to being a politician.

and no the fact that a house in a trust with a minor child beneficiary still counts as your fist house for stamp duty purposed while if the child hadn't been a minor it wouldn't count isn't "qll taxes are technicalities".

it's an actual example of a technicality.

it isn't like she outright attempted to dodge an obvious payment, nor as if she cjncoted some gray scheme to try to pay less that due.

and I mean I am not defending her as a politician lol. I have no clue what her positions are other than she is labour, and being labour is bad enough.

but a country where you have to leave government because of the above technicality is just dumb