Scottish Labour received reports over Brown’s social media on Tuesday night and the party suspended her the next day, it is understood…reports Asian Lite News
Labour has suspended a parliamentary candidate pending an investigation after she was found to have liked and shared a number of “racist” and controversial social media posts.
Wilma Brown, who was running in the target seat of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, once held by the former prime minister Gordon Brown, has since deleted her account on X after a string of tweets were reported to the party.
A constituent in the Scottish seat had compiled a list of tweets highlighting Brown’s activity online. Brown had liked a post that told an Indian man he would “never be an Englishman”, and another calling Scotland’s first minister, Humza Yousaf, the “first minister of Gaza” and “Hamas Yousless”.
Scottish Labour received reports over Brown’s social media on Tuesday night and the party suspended her the next day, it is understood.
The action taken marks a sharp contrast to the handling of the suspension of Azhar Ali, Labour’s candidate for the Rochdale byelection, who was forced to apologise after remarks he had made about Israel surfaced. He was suspended 48 hours later.
Martin Forde KC, who was commissioned by the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, to investigate allegations of bullying, racism and sexism within the party, said the party’s handling of Ali’s “very inflammatory” and “clearly antisemitic” remarks “appears shambolic”.
Brown, a Unison activist and NHS nurse, had also liked tweets suggesting Yousaf had complained that there were “too many white people in Scotland”.
In 2020, Yousaf, the then justice secretary, had taken part in a debate in Holyrood challenging racism after the murder of George Floyd. He highlighted how many prominent public roles were held by white people. “Some people have been surprised or taken aback by my mention on my social media that at 99% of the meetings that I go to, I am the only non-white person in the room,” he said in a speech. “Why are we so surprised when the most senior positions in Scotland are filled almost exclusively by people who are white?”
A Labour party spokesperson said: “The Labour party takes all complaints seriously. They are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate action is taken.”
Although they would no longer be able to make or vote on laws, the hereditary peers would be allowed to keep their passes to the Westminster estate…reports Asian Lite News
Labour plans to swiftly abolish all hereditary peers in the UK House of Lords in its first term in power but will allow the ousted legislators to retain access to the Palace of Westminster as a sweetener, according to party insiders.
Sir Keir Starmer previously branded the unelected chamber “undemocratic” and “indefensible”. But in recent months the Labour leader has resolved to delay plans to scrap the upper house altogether, pushing that ambition beyond a first five-year parliament.
Instead, a Labour government would prioritise ending the “anachronistic” system under which 92 seats in the Lords are reserved for British aristocrats by axing the hereditary peers’ status as legislators, party insiders said.
They added that the party, if it wins the general election expected this year, will act quickly to scrap the hereditary element — jettisoning a weaker proposal to reduce the number slowly by ending the by-elections that take place after a hereditary peer retires or dies in order to appoint a successor.
One Labour official said the latter proposal would have taken too long to reduce the size of the “bloated” upper house, which has swelled to almost 800 members and is the second-largest legislative chamber in the world behind China’s rubber-stamp National People’s Congress.
The tweaked plans came after party chiefs privately conceded that attempting more ambitious constitutional reforms to overhaul the whole House of Lords would absorb too much bandwidth and detract from Labour’s economic priorities in its first term.
Although they would no longer be able to make or vote on laws, the hereditary peers would be allowed to keep their passes to the Westminster estate. Nicknamed the “best club in London”, it has Thames-side terraces, sumptuous Gothic interiors designed by renowned architect Augustus Pugin and taxpayer-subsidised bars and restaurants.
“The crucial thing is ending the anachronism of hereditary peers enjoying a role as legislators of the realm by dint of their aristocratic birthright. They can keep their passes to parliament — we’re not bothered about that,” said one senior Labour insider.
There is also a political impetus behind Starmer axing hereditary peers: 47 of the current crop are Conservatives, while just four sit on the Labour benches and four sit on the Liberal Democrat benches. A further 34 are cross-benchers and two are non-affiliated.
The Lord Speaker’s committee on the size of the House has also recommended the abolition of hereditary peers. Last July it noted that all hereditary peers in the House at present are men. This “skews the gender balance” of the chamber, which is “impossible to justify in a modern legislature”, it said.
The committee also complained that hereditary peers elected to the Lords are not subject to propriety checks, unlike people nominated for life peerages who are subjected to vetting and can be screened out. “This difference of treatment in a house of peers is unjustifiable,” it said.
Removing more than 90 peers as legislators would also help bring down the cost of the upper chamber. Peers are entitled to claim a flat-rate daily attendance allowance of £342. The cost of the House of Lords members finance scheme, which includes peers’ allowances and travel expenses, totalled £21.1mn in 2022-23, official data shows.
Despite the membership losses, however, Labour still holds a commanding lead in UK opinion polling…reports Asian Lite News
The UK’s main opposition party has suffered a sharp fall in membership over its policies on Gaza and green investment, The Guardian reported.
Figures from the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee show that more than 23,000 people have canceled their membership over the last two months.
It follows controversies over the party leadership’s refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, and a decision to abandon a commitment to spend $35 billion on a green investment plan.
Despite the membership losses, however, Labour still holds a commanding lead in UK opinion polling, suggesting it will take government at the next election, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.
David Evans, the party’s general secretary, revealed in a report this week that membership had fallen from 390,000 in January this year to 366,604 at the latest count.
Membership peaked at more than 532,000 in 2019. Party insiders say that the drop has been caused by anger among Muslim and green supporters.
Party leader Keir Starmer’s weeks-long refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza last year resulted in more than 70 Labour councilors resigning from the party.
A senior Labour figure said of the latest results: “It is a big fall in just two months. People were surprised, even taken aback.”
Starmer has also faced a rebellion from Labour MPs over his stance on Gaza, including on the frontbench, with Jess Phillips, then shadow minister for domestic violence, resigning in November.
She said at the time: “I have to use my voice to try, and wherever possible, move the dial. And look, I think this dial will move. I think that it won’t be too long before the US and the UK feel that the (Israeli) military action is achieving nothing.”
Momentum, a Labour-allied grassroots political campaign opposed to Starmer, said that the party was taking its supporters for granted.
A statement from the movement, which supported previous leader Jeremy Corbyn, said: “From a failure to oppose Israel’s brutal war on Gaza to morale-damaging U-turns and the mistreatment of Diane Abbott, Keir Starmer is alienating swathes of Labour’s core support.”
Over 115 MPs urge fresh pressure on Israel over Gaza
More than 115 MPs in the UK have demanded a series of government measures to safeguard Palestinian civilians in Gaza and place new political pressure on Israel.
In a letter to Foreign Secretary David Cameron dated March 29, backbench parliamentarians from all parties urged the government to take immediate action over the “alarming” situation in Gaza.
Among the demands are the full restoration of UK funding to UNRWA, as well as renewed political pressure on Israel to enable the unimpeded access of humanitarian aid into the enclave.
“Turning the taps back on” in the enclave is “vital,” the letter says, warning that Israel should suffer “diplomatic consequences” if it fails to abide by international law.
The government should also demand that “Israel must not use starvation as a weapon of war” and abide by the provisional measures set by the International Court of Justice in January this year, the letter says.
Any shift in British foreign policy toward Israel must include a deadline that, if passed without changes, would result in “serious consequences” for the relationship between the two countries.
Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, described the letter as a potential “turning point” in the UK’s relationship with Israel.
Since the outbreak of violence on Oct. 7, grassroots political campaigns across the UK have sought to pressure the government into calling for a ceasefire and condemning Israel’s war.
The letter is “evidence of huge anger in political circles” in the UK, Doyle added, warning that it also represented a failure of the government to represent the views of the electorate.
But government communication is fast changing tone in statements regarding the Israel-Hamas war, he said.
The letter warns that the UK’s own efforts to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza have been compromised by Israel.
“It is alarming that Israel has delayed UK aid into Gaza by delaying permissions to cross the border and by preventing the necessary staff from obtaining visas,” it says.
“Further UK pressure on the Israeli government to let aid in, open the Port of Ashdod, and ‘turn the taps back on’ in Gaza is vital.”
The civilian population in the enclave is “on the brink of famine,” the letter adds, warning that the threshold for famine may already have been met in northern sections of Gaza, with 27 children and three adults having fallen victim to starvation or dehydration.
“People have resorted to eating bird seed, animal feed and grass … and digging down into the soil to access water pipes for drinking and washing,” the letter warns.
The UK government, in an earlier response to an MP, officially blamed the failure of humanitarian aid reaching Gaza on “arbitrary denials by the Israeli government.”
The government warned in February that Israel would be in breach of international humanitarian law if it denied food and water to the enclave.
The letter also follows a significant vote in the UN Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, with the UK voting in favor.
A looming invasion of Rafah has forced the UK government to change its language and tone toward Israel, said Doyle.
Any incursion into the southernmost area of Gaza, where almost the entire population of the enclave is now sheltering, would result in a “reaction” from the UK and European powers, he added.
The polling guru John Curtice says the chances of the Conservatives being able to turn around their chances were small…reports Asian Lite News
Labour has a 99 per cent chance of winning the next general election in a bruising blow to the Tories, John Curtice has said.
The polling guru said the chances of the Conservatives being able to turn around their chances were small, and added that “the Labour party will be in a much stronger position to negotiate a minority government than the Conservatives because, apart from possibly the DUP, the Conservatives have no friends in the House of Commons”.
The leading psephologist’s warning to Politico will pille yet more pressure on beleaguered Conservatives following the resignation of two cabinet ministers who are stepping down at the next election.
Robert Halfon unexpectedly quit as skills, apprenticeships and higher education minister, while James Heappey followed through on his stated intention to step down as armed forces minister ahead of exiting parliament at the general election.
His departure means 63 Conservative MPs have said publicly they are either standing down from parliament or not contesting their current seat at the general election.
The resignations follow a series of appalling opinion poll ratings for the Conservatives, most recently culminating in the Telegraph-Savanta poll tracker which put the Tories at their lowest rating since the aftermath of Liz Truss’ disastorous mini-budget which forced her from office, on 24 percent.
Labour are consistently holding a 20 point-lead, adding to the speculation that the party will storm to victory and form the next government.
As the House of Commons goes into recess, Rishi Sunak is gearing up for his biggest challenge yet as the local council elections loom on May 2.
His party are set to face mass losses as the country kicks back against depleted local council funding, the cost of living and discontent with the ruling party.
Sunak launched his local election campaign earlier in the week, attacking Labour leader Keir Starmer for “arrogantly” taking voters for granted and “assuming he can just stroll into No 10”.
But a recent poll by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher have said Conservative losses are “inevitable” and if the party repeat their “poor performance of 2023, when the NEV put them below 30%, they stand to lose up to 500 seats – half their councillors facing election.”
Sunak has urged unity amongst his colleagues in the face of the poor surveys and Tory infighting.
Some backbench MPs have privately warned that a dire performance during the locals could force another a leadership election – or push the prime minister toward calling an early general election.
On Wednesday, Tory frontbencher Andrew Griffith sought to downplay the significance of the news, as he said ministerial resignations are “not unsurprising or unnatural” at this stage in the election cycle and the Conservatives have a “broad and deep bench to draw from”.
Asked why he believed ministers were quitting ahead of the general election, he told Times Radio: “These are ministers that have given a great deal to this country, they have done a big tour of duty in government and they have also been parliamentarians for a long and distinguished period of time.
“We are very fortunate in the Conservatives, we have a broad and deep bench to draw from and so it is not unsurprising or unnatural at this point in the cycle that out of the many ministers that we have in Government, some have decided that their next tour of duty lies elsewhere. What I can tell you is that speaking to my ministerial colleagues, people are highly engaged, they are very focused on the task in hand … and across the board we are focused on the Prime Minister’s priorities and the good news is they are working.”
Sadiq Khan accuses Tories of ‘lies’
Meanwhile, Sadiq Khan has accused the Conservatives of using misinformation and “lies” in their campaign to unseat him as London mayor after they deleted an online video using scenes of a panicked crowd at a New York subway station to criticise his record on crime.
The ad, posted on Monday on X in support of Susan Hall, Khan’s rival for the London mayoralty in the 2 May election, showed people rushing through New York’s Penn station after false reports of gunfire in 2017.
The caption on the video claimed “London under Labour has become a crime capital of the world”, and showed an emoji of a red rose – the symbol of the Labour party – wilting and shedding its petals.
“It is quite staggering we have a Conservative candidate aspiring to be mayor of our great city just doing our city down. I think it is unpatriotic always just slagging off the capital,” Khan said, in his first public reaction.
“But I’m afraid it’s another example of my fear materialising, which is this election from the Conservative party will be one where there is misinformation, where there are lies and in this case clearly where this is a video that is not of our city. It is New York.”
West was part of a cross-party delegation of MPs including the Conservatives Richard Graham, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on China, Mark Logan, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown and Jonathan Djanogly…reports Asian Lite News
Labour has warned China that it will respond to any interference in UK democracy after the government announced fresh sanctions against hackers linked to Beijing. The warning came at the party’s first public meeting with the Chinese government since Keir Starmer became Labour leader.
Catherine West, the shadow Asia minister, travelled to Beijing last week as part of a delegation of British MPs for meetings with senior Chinese government figures and businesses.
On Thursday and Friday, West attended meetings with Wang Huning, one of Xi Jinping’s appointees to China’s powerful seven-member politburo, and the vice-foreign minister, Deng Li.
West told the Guardian she had raised Labour’s concerns about Chinese interference in British democracy and national security, underlining that “this is something we will act on in government”.
It was the first public meeting between a Labour shadow minister and a Chinese government representative to take place since Starmer became leader of the party. Labour has said it will take a “clear-eyed” approach to China and has committed to conducting a cross-government audit of UK-China relations.
West said, “The next Labour government will take a strong, clear-eyed and consistent approach to China. As part of this, it is vital that we raise issues of concern with the Chinese leadership – particularly on national security and human rights in Xinjiang and Hong Kong – when we have the chance to do so. That’s why it was so important for me to visit Beijing ahead of the election, and meet with senior Chinese leaders, to put on record our concerns about human rights, national security, and interference in our democracy and make it clear this is something we will act on in government. Where it is in our interests, we must engage with China, and I was pleased to talk with Chinese counterparts and the business community as part of this visit to set out our determination to see global cooperation on the climate crisis and our commitment to work with and support British business in the world’s second largest economy.”
West was part of a cross-party delegation of MPs including the Conservatives Richard Graham, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on China, Mark Logan, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown and Jonathan Djanogly.
The delegation was led by David Lidington, the former senior Tory cabinet minister who is now honorary president of the Great Britain China Centre, an FCDO arm’s-length body that conducts dialogue with Beijing.
The delegation stressed that China’s interference in democratic processes was of particular concern given Russia’s extensive interference through disinformation campaigns.
On Monday, the government announced sanctions against two members of a Beijing-linked hacking group and summoned the Chinese ambassador over cyber-attacks on the elections watchdog and several parliamentarians.
As well as security issues, West raised Labour’s human rights concerns, including the treatment of the Uyghur minority in the Xinjiang region in the north-west of China and the erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong.
The delegation she was part of also met businesses at a reception in Beijing held by the China-Britain Business Council and the British Chamber of Commerce in China.
The target is double that Khan set himself between 2018 and 2024 and which was achieved last year, when it was confirmed that work had started on 23,000 homes…reports Asian Lite News
Sadiq Khan launched his campaign for a record third term as mayor of London by promising the “greatest council homebuilding drive in a generation” and defending his ultra-low emission zone for London.
Appearing at an event in London on Monday, alongside the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, with whom the mayor has had public policy clashes in recent months, Khan promised to complete 40,000 new homes by 2030.
The target is double that Khan set himself between 2018 and 2024 and which was achieved last year, when it was confirmed that work had started on 23,000 homes.
He also defended his controversial his ultra-low emission zone for London under which motorists must pay £12.50 a day to drive a non-compliant car.
“When we first planned to bring it in in central London, there were people who were hostile and anti”, Khan said. “It came in and the sky didn’t collapse. We then expanded it to inner London, lots of complaints and concerns and by the way the Tories have been consistent in opposing it at all levels, the sky didn’t fall in.
“We then expanded it to outer London and here’s the great news – 19 out of 20 cars seen travelling on an average day are compliant… they don’t pay a penny more.”
The housing focus of Khan’s campaign is an acknowledgment of the scale of the problem in the capital, with more than 300,000 households on the waiting list for social housing. Rough sleeping has increased by 50% in the last decade.
Should Khan be re-elected on 2 May, he would be the first person to achieve three terms as mayor since the directly elected position was created in 2000.
I grew up on a council estate. I know firsthand how the security of a council home transforms families’ lives.
London is delivering the highest number of council homes since the 1970s.
Khan claimed that upcoming mayoral contest would be the “closest ever”, although his Conservative rival Susan Hall, a London assembly member, has struggled to build a profile.
According to the Sunday Times, friends of Corbyn, who lost the Labour whip three years ago over his response to an Equality and Human Rights Commission report, recently asked a printing company about the cost of producing election leaflets for him in the constituency of North Islington.
Speaking alongside the London mayor, Starmer said the choice facing the electorate was between “chaos and division with the Tories, or unity and hope with Labour”.
Starmer clashed with Khan last October when the London mayor called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as the Labour leader was demanding a “humanitarian pause” to allow in aid.
The Labour leader had also criticised Khan over his ultra-low emission zone for London, suggesting it would have a disproportionate impact on people “in the middle of the cost of living crisis”.
Despite the past disputes, Starmer claimed that “from more police on the streets, being on the side of Londoners in the cost of living crisis and delivering the most council houses since the 1970s, Sadiq’s achievements as mayor of London over the last eight years have transformed our communities.”
“This is the difference Labour makes when in power,” he said.
Khan, in turn, suggested that it would be in London’s interest for City Hall and Downing Street to be run by Labour, presenting a “once in a generation opportunity to make real inroads into solving London’s housing crisis”.
He claimed he could have gone “much further, much faster” without a Tory government “holding us back”. He said: “We saw it when the last home secretary claimed homelessness is, quote, a lifestyle choice. We saw it last week when the latest housing minister said housing is never really the problem.
“And I’m under no illusion about the scale. The challenge has been decades in the making, but with political will, it can be overcome.”
Meanwhile, a combination of new migration and the return of people who left London during the Covid-19 pandemic has boosted the UK capital’s population, which is “now likely to be well above” its pre-pandemic high of 10.1 million people, a report from Centre for Cities shows.
The think tank notes that London’s population fell during the pandemic, but “bounced back strongly after pandemic restrictions ended and is now almost certainly higher than it has ever been”.
“The population dip during Covid was considerably smaller than the figures in the hundreds of thousands that some predicted,” said Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities.
“The big challenges associated with London remain. London’s infrastructure is creaking under the weight of its population.
“Policymakers have to shake off any assumption that population changes mean questions over the housing shortage and infrastructure will solve themselves. Nor will smaller, less affluent places see huge influxes of professional workers with greater spending power.”
Figures for 2023 have not been calculated yet, but Centre for Cities predicts that with the influx of people in 2022, London’s population has passed its pre-pandemic peak of more than 10.1 million.
Labour delegation visits India to strengthen community, political andbusiness ties, reports Rahul Laud
The Shadow Deputy Prime Minister the Right Honourable Angela Rayner MP and Navendu Mishra MP visited India recently to strengthen relations between Britain’s official opposition party Labour, and Indian business, faith, community and political leaders. During the trip the Labour delegation – which also included Councillor Vimal Choksi of Tameside Council – visited New Delhi, Ahmedabad in Gujarat, and Agra in Uttar Pradesh. The visit was organised by the Labour Convention of Indian Organisations, which continues to strengthen Labour Party’s relationship with the British Indian diaspora.
The trip provided several important opportunities for the Labour delegation to meet political leaders at a provincial and national level. Angela Rayner MP and Navendu Mishra MP visited Upa-Rashtrapati Niwas where they met the Vice-President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar. During the Raisina Dialogue, they met Minister Jaishankar, the Minister of External Affairs for India. At this event they discussed the importance of meaningful engagement with India and the broader IndoPacific region with other regional partners such as Matt Keogh, the Australian Labor MP and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs. A visit to the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad served as a reminder of Mahatma Gandhi’s life mission and those of others who have fought a similar struggle. In Delhi the MPs also met leaders from the opposition party, the Indian National Congress.
Throughout the trip Angela Rayner MP and Navendu Mishra MP built the foundations for stronger future economic relations. At a roundtable with business leaders from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry the Labour delegation engaged with business leaders from across India and strengthened economic ties which will be crucial in delivering secure, well-paying jobs in both nations. They were also hosted by the UK India Business Council to discuss the UK-India economic partnership in greater detail and expand on the huge opportunity which India presents for British companies.
In Gujarat, they also met with Zydus Life Sciences to learn about pharmaceutical production in India, and recent Indian pharmaceutical investments in Britain. In all these meetings, the Labour delegation built on Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer’s commitment to put trade relations with India at the heart of future economic growth. Women’s empowerment was another important goal of the trip. In her speech at the Raisina Dialogue conference, Angela Rayner called for future economic collaboration between Britain and India to follow the lead of recent Indian policies, and prioritise women’s economic empowerment going forwards. The delegation also met Smriti Irani, the Minister of State for Women and Children and Minority Affairs.
The Labour delegation also visited a large renewable energy initiative, the Dholera solar park, a five gigawatt solar power project being developed in two phases in Gujarat. This is one part of a larger expansion in the output of green energy throughout India, boosting both sustainability and economic output. This visit was insightful for leaders of Labour, whose Green Prosperity Plan will achieve a similar transformation in Britain. The Labour delegation also visited the Akshardham Temple in New Delhi. A major place of worship, the Temple is dedicated to devotion, learning and harmony. A similar visit took them to the iconic Mughal-era Mausoleum in Agra, the Taj Mahal, which houses a significant Mosque.
The delegation also visited the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, one of the most prominent Sikh temples of worship in New Delhi. The Labour MPs also met with the Bohra community in Ahmedabad as part of engagement with faith communities. The delegates believe that this visit l help the Labour leadership to understand the global connections and faith commitments felt by many among the almost 1.8 million people of Indian heritage in Britain.
Chairman of the transport committee, Conservative MP Iain Stewart, said that driverless cars would generate new jobs in the UK…reports Asian Lite News
Job losses as a result of self-driving cars cannot be allowed to replicate the “ravages of deindustrialisation”, Labour have warned. During the second reading of the Automated Vehicles Bill, Transport Secretary Mark Harper told the Commons it is part of the Government’s plans to make the UK “the natural home for the self-driving vehicle industry”.
The Bill aims to set the legal framework for the safe deployment of self-driving vehicles. Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said the mistakes of deindustrialisation cannot be made with the introduction of self-driving cars.
She said: “There is one major area that this Bill does not address and that we’ve not considered in any meaningful capacity, and that is the potential impact on jobs from automated vehicles.
“As a South Yorkshire MP I am all too familiar with the economic impacts of deindustrialisation. Far too many towns and cities across the north have already suffered enough from lost livelihoods, from the social fabric of their communities being ripped apart, as a new economic model left them behind. We simply cannot afford to make those same mistakes again.”
She added: “What steps will (Mr Harper) take to ensure this is a technology that create jobs rather than destroys them, especially in those areas of the country where low paid work dominates? Because it is exactly those areas that are still feeling the ravages of deindustrialisation where driving jobs, warehousing, logistics, all those jobs that bear the highest risks from automation, dominate.”
Chairman of the transport committee, Conservative MP Iain Stewart, said that driverless cars would generate new jobs in the UK.
He said: “We’ve heard very legitimate concerns about jobs from this new technology, but the upside to jobs is, again using Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ figures, 12,000 new direct jobs in automotive manufacturing and over 300,000 additional jobs in the wider economy. So there are economic opportunities, job opportunities, from this new technology.”
SNP transport spokesperson Gavin Newlands said a clearer strategy from the Government was needed “on the societal and economic consequences of a move towards automation of the transport sector”.
He said: “Of course these technologies will create new and novel jobs, but there are 2.7 million jobs in the logistics sector in the UK, not one of these positions will be unaffected – either they will be lost or changed as a result of this new technology. There are around 400,000 taxi and private hire drivers in the UK – if we end up with autonomous taxis, how many of these drivers will remain in jobs in 50 years? What will their jobs be in 50 years’ time? The UK has an unfortunate track record in managing technological change and its impact on the employment market. Deindustrialisation destroyed countless communities across these isles, particularly in Scotland and in swathes of the North of England, in part because there was no plan and no thought put into how to deal with it and support that transition.”
Transport Minister Anthony Browne said: “I think we are getting ahead of ourselves slightly here, because to an extent those impacts will be a very, very long way down the line, and this is an evolution over the coming years and decades, but it’s definitely worth thinking about.
Rayner called for ensuring women in senior leadership positions and also in senior business positions. “I know India has done a huge amount (in that direction), women have got Ph.Ds…reports Asian Lite News
India being on course to become the third largest economy in the world shows the progress it has made and a part of that is due to the policies that the Indian government has introduced around recognising women’s role, the UK’s shadow deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has said.
Rayner, the deputy leader of the opposition in the UK and a senior leader of the Labour Party, said she wants the UK and India to build on history, and see the trade agreement go forward.
Rayner said, “I first visited (India) in 2007 and to see the transformation that has happened and to see India on course to be the third largest economy, it just shows how amazing India has done and the progress that has been made.” “Part of that is about the policies that the government has introduced around recognising women’s role and not just in terms of women’s role in society but how crucial it is for the economy. If you want to grow in economy, then having women in empowerment is crucial to that,” she said.
Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on women-led development and how women can be promoted in leadership positions, Rayner said the challenge is that one not only has to look at society and encourage women to come forward but also what is important is legislation and making sure that people have laws that can protect them in being part of the workplace, society and in key positions of power.
“We have been doing that in the UK and we have got laws that protect women, empower women, but we also have to make sure that we have enforcement of that and it means bringing women from all social and economic backgrounds. I come from a poor background in the UK and often there is a dual discrimination,” she said.
“If you are from a poor background, it makes it harder for you… So, I think you have to make sure that all women are engaged in education and in opportunities to come forward into leadership roles,” Rayner said.
Rayner called for ensuring women in senior leadership positions and also in senior business positions. “I know India has done a huge amount (in that direction), women have got Ph.Ds. It is important that women are seen in all aspects of our economy,” she asserted.
On the Labour Party’s vision on UK-India ties going forward, Rayner said, “I want us to build on history. I want to see the trade agreement go forward so that we can build that cooperation and work together so that both India and the UK can prosper and continue to grow their economies, and to make sure that everybody can see the benefit of that growth together.” Rayner also hailed the Indian diaspora’s contribution to the UK, saying it is “incredibly important” and it contributes to the economy.
“They employ over 1,00,000 people in the UK. We have got very close ties. The Labour Party is a changed party and we want to see that cooperation deepen with India and to celebrate the diaspora that has come to the UK and contributed to society culturally and to our economy,” she said.
Asked about the elections and the Labour Party’s prospects, Rayner said she hopes people can see the Labour Party is a changed party under Keir Starmer’s leadership.
“We go into the general election not complacent but hopefully people can see we have put in a programme of government together that will give prosperity to the UK and will help people with living standards, will give people opportunity and good education and secure jobs for the future,” she asserted.
Elections are likely to take place in the UK this year with many political analysts predicting that the Labour Party may have a good showing at the hustings. The next election must be held by January 28, 2025.
Asked about India’s role in an unstable world which is seeing conflicts arise every now and then, Rayner said, “We all have an obligation globally to work together to bring about peace and to ensure that we learn the lessons of the past and we try to bring people together so that we can see peaceful resolution to the conflicts that we see happening globally.” She stressed on the UK working with its partners and allies to ensure that people can feel safe no matter where they are in the world and are given opportunities.
“We should do that together. India has a key role to play in that and we should work together to make sure we bring about that peace,” Rayner asserted.
John Healey has pledged, as the party struggles to deal with an ongoing row about comments made by its candidates…reports Asian Lite News
Labour will act to block people not fit to be MPs, shadow defence secretary John Healey has pledged, as the party struggles to deal with an ongoing row about comments made by its candidates.
He insisted the party was diligent when picking candidates to be MPs but added: “You can’t see everything, everywhere.” The Jewish Labour Movement said it had not been Labour’s “finest hour”.
Chair Mike Katz said members who failed to call out offensive language should also be suspended. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has defended himself against criticism, saying he “acted decisively”.
In the past week, the party has suspended two of its parliamentary candidates, over comments they allegedly made at a meeting, which the BBC has been told was attended by Labour politicians and leaders from the local Muslim community.
Azhar Ali had been the party’s candidate in the Rochdale by-election, due to take place on 29 February.
Over the weekend, the Mail on Sunday reported that Ali had suggested Israel “allowed” the 7 October attacks by Hamas, at the meeting. Ali “unreservedly apologised” for his remarks and Labour said it would continue to campaign for him.
However, the party subsequently withdrew support after the Daily Mail reported Mr Ali had blamed “people in the media from certain Jewish quarters” for the suspension of MP Andy McDonald from Labour.
On Tuesday, the Guido Fawkes website published audio allegedly from the same meeting, in which Graham Jones, the Labour candidate in the Hyndburn constituency, used an expletive to describe Israel and said British people who fight in the Israel Defense Forces “should be locked up”.
Jones was suspended by the party and is now facing an investigation. The leader of the Labour group on Hyndburn Borough Council Munsif Dad also attended the meeting and has been spoken to by Labour. He has not been suspended from the party.
Healey told Jones’ comments had been “unacceptable”.
Asked if all Labour councillors who were at the meeting should also be suspended, Mr Healey said the party would “follow the hard evidence that comes to us”. “What is important is, if new info comes to light – as in this case – we will act to investigate, we will act to block those who are not fit to serve as MPs.”
He said that withdrawing support from its candidates was “regrettable but essential” and that Labour would put the “country’s interest before party interest”.
The shadow minister added that he “really feels” for the people of Rochdale who want to vote Labour. “We have left them without a candidate,” he said.
Although Labour has withdraw its support, electoral rules mean Mr Ali will remain on the ballot paper as the party’s candidate.
The party has withdrawn support for Azhar Ali but it came too late to stop campaign leaflets landing on doormats in Rochdale
Katz also welcomed the “swift” suspension of Mr Jones adding: “To be in that meeting, to have heard that rhetoric, to have been a bystander, to have not called it out at the time, or indeed subsequently, that really calls into play your judgement.”
He added that the party owes people in Rochdale an apology for having selected Ali as their by-election candidate prior to his suspension.
“This has not been the party’s finest hour – we have huge lessons to learn but the direction of travel is very much upwards, it’s very much in the right direction.”
He said it was now “highly likely” that George Galloway will be elected in Rochdale.
The former Labour and Respect MP is running in the by-election for the Workers Party of Britain and has focused his campaign on the conflict in Gaza.
Conservative Justice Minister Laura Farris told Times Radio: “It is absolutely extraordinary in this day and age that there could have been a public meeting where…parliamentary candidates, were spreading the worst kind of conspiracy theories about what was a pogrom on the 7 October.
“And that that obviously wasn’t just one lone voice, but it was an attitude that was sort of fostered and shared.” She said the Labour leader had “stood by somebody who said that effectively Israel had done it to itself”.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar defended Sir Keir, saying he had been “resolute” in tackling antisemitism in the party. He said people had the right to criticise Israel but that was separate to “general comments about Jewish people”.
“Just like we have to separate Hamas from the Palestinian people, we have to separate Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right government from the Israeli people….the people of Israel want peace, the people of Palestine want peace – those blockers to peace are the ones we have to break through.”
