Labour party

Thursday

Sebastian Payne

Podcast: working with al-Qa’eda and the rise of Jeremy Corbyn

How has al-Qa’eda become the ‘moderate’ option in the Middle East? On the latest View from 22 podcast, Ahmed Rashid and Douglas Murray discuss this week’s Spectator cover feature on how a fear of Isis is leading Arab states to support the lesser of two evils. Is working with al-Qa'eda offshoots the only choice for Western countries? How significant was the decision not to bomb Syria in fighting Isis? And how does the new deal with Iran affect the West’s efforts? James Forsyth and George Eaton also discuss the momentum behind Jeremy Corbyn's campaign to be Labour leader. Are some in the parliamentary Labour party regretting ‘loaning’ Corbyn MPs to put him on the ballot paper?

Wednesday

Sebastian Payne

Government signs up Labour’s Andrew Adonis to oversee HS2 delivery

In an impressive cross-party signing, the government has appointed Lord Adonis, the former Labour transport secretary, to oversee delivery of the HS2 railway. Lord Adonis gave birth to the idea of HS2 prior to the 2010 election and has remained a vocal advocate for the project ever since. The transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said in a statement he was ‘extremely pleased’ that Adonis is joining the board of HS2 Ltd as a non-executive director. Adonis himself described HS2 as a project of ‘national significance’: ‘Patrick McLoughlin has been a powerful advocate for the project and the government has risen to the challenge of thinking about the long-term by putting in place a strong team to deliver it.

Isabel Hardman

Labour in chaos: what are the party’s options?

Labour is in an almighty mess at the moment. Those involved in the leadership campaigns are surprised by how the mood in the party has changed from quite open acceptance of a need to change in the days after the election defeat to angry dissent when change is suggested, as evidenced by the reaction to Harriet Harman’s welfare policies this week. The party isn’t quite having a row about what it should stand for at the next election, preferring instead to argue about how it does opposition for the next eight weeks, most of which are in Parliamentary recess. Here are the various options for what Labour does, both in those eight weeks, and once it gets its new leader. - Adopt all Tory policies because that’s what the electorate want.

James Forsyth

Jeremy Corbyn’s extraordinary success is a coup for the Tories | 15 July 2015

It wasn’t meant to work out this way. A month ago, Westminster watched to see if Jeremy Corbyn could get the support of the 35 MPs he needed to enter the Labour leadership race. At the time, it seemed a sort of joke. After all, the people who were lending him their backing weren’t doing so for any great love of Corbyn. As a rule, they either wanted a ‘broad debate’ or thought that the ritual slaughter of the left-wing candidate would make it easier for the new leader to move the party to the centre. A month on, things look very different. Corbyn now has the endorsement of Unite, the most powerful union in the country, and several others.

Fraser Nelson

Britain would be the loser if Jeremy Corbyn is elected Labour’s leader

It's hit Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and the New York Mets and now the Labour Party has become the victim of vote hijacking: people voting for an unlikely candidate for a joke, just because they can. The impeccably informed Stephen Bush reveals that: ‘"More than two thirds" of new recruits since the election are supporters of Jeremy Corbyn, a finding mirrored by the leadership campaigns' experience of phoning new members’ This won't come as a surprise to the Tory supporters who have been busy joining Labour to vote for the unelectable Corbyn. In an attempt to copy the SNP’s membership surge, Labour is offering the chance to become a ‘registered supporter’ for £3 – which includes the right to vote in its leadership election.

James Forsyth

PMQs: the Tories are set for a happy summer holiday

This was the last PMQs before the recess, and the Tory side of the House was in an end of term mood. When Harriet Harman stood up, the Tory benches enthusiastically beckoned her over — a reference to the anger in Labour circles at her openness to Tory plans to limit child tax credits to two children for new claimants. But Harman turned in a decent performance in her penultimate PMQs outing. She asked Cameron about the Greek crisis and drew some rather loose-lipped talk from him about how if Greece left the Euro, the UK would be prepared to assist with humanitarian aid.

Tuesday

Sebastian Payne

Liz Kendall’s Facebook Q&A offers a window into the Labour party’s madness

Liz Kendall spent an hour on Facebook this evening answering questions from Labour supporters. Those sitting on a social network on a Tuesday evening are clearly not entirely representative of the party’s membership, but this Q&A suggests Kendall has a perception problem in some quarters. The sheer vitriol of the comments from those who claim to be Labour supporters shows that some folks really do not like Kendall. Here is a selection some of the users had to about Kendall being a supposed closest Tory (these posts enviably had the most likes, far more than her responses): ‪Paul Whiteley‪: Hi Liz.....

Isabel Hardman

What should be done about welfare? Don’t ask the Shadow Cabinet

The Shadow Cabinet has split all ways on what to do about welfare. Andy Burnham says he wants a reasoned amendment to the second reading of the welfare reform and work bill that protests some of the policies, but I understand he indicated in Shadow Cabinet that he would go along with the official party line anyway when the vote comes. There is, though, quite a lot of confidence that Harman will capitulate and allow a reasoned amendment, which would make things much easier. If she does not, then not opposing the legislation will be ‘difficult’ for Yvette Cooper, sources on her campaign team say, given rebelling against the party would have huge consequences for her current position as Shadow Home Secretary.

Steerpike

Lord Adonis ‘stranded in Philippines’: send cash immediately

This morning's mailbox gave Mr S cause for alarm. A message popped up from Lord Adonis explaining that he had been mugged on holiday in the Philippines and was 'freaked out'. While Tony Blair's former adviser had managed to keep possession of his passport, he apparently needed cash fast: Just as Mr S was about to dig deep, he noticed something in the email that was uncharacteristic of the Labour politician - the real Lord Adonis would never use a capital P for 'point in time'. Happily, Lord Adonis assures Steerpike that none of his friends have fallen for the scammer's email. However, that doesn't mean the scammer isn't expecting a lump sum to land in his account shortly: Mr S suspects he will be waiting a long time.

John McTernan

Labour has lost its senses if it thinks Liz Kendall is a Tory

Here are four things that Liz Kendall has said during the Labour leadership campaign. First, that she would never close a successful school. Second, that the country should always come first, not the party. Third, that the UK should spend at last 2 per cent of GDP in defence. And finally, that Harriet Harman is right — Labour need to understand that the voters did not trust them on welfare, and that regaining that trust is as important as gaining a reputation for economic competence. To a voter, none of this is particularly controversial. Good schools, patriotism, strong defence and fair welfare — that's what they want, that's what government should deliver. None of it is vote winning - but then why should it be?

Monday

Isabel Hardman

Harriet Harman urges Labour: We can’t campaign against the public

Harriet Harman has just finished addressing the PLP about the party’s official position on welfare cuts. There was a reasonable amount of applause for the interim Labour leader when she finished speaking, but party sources described the meeting as ‘quite split’ and that ‘obviously there were a lot of people who were quite uncomfortable’. She started by telling MPs that all of them recognised what a profound shock the election result was, and that many of her constituents will be affected by the changes that will take place as a result of this Budget.

Isabel Hardman

Labour tries to calm row on welfare reform

Labour is trying to clarify its position on welfare reform ahead of tonight’s PLP meeting. Sources say that the party will abstain on the ‘broad brush’ of the Welfare Reform Bill, though it is not yet clear whether the abstention will be on a three-line whip, given a good number of MPs do want to turn up and vote against the legislation. The abstention will be at the Second Reading of the Bill, but as Harman has already pointed out, the Committee stages come once the new leader has been elected, and so the party may take stronger positions on more issues. ‘Is that a matter for the new leader? Of course it is,’ said a Labour source on the party’s position on individual votes at Committee stage and later.

Isabel Hardman

Labour fights over Harman’s leadership

Judging by the uproar that greeted Harriet Harman’s decision to support limiting future tax credit claims to just two children, Labour almost looks as though it is in a worse position as a party than it was in 2010. Labour’s interim leader has plenty of good reasons for picking this policy: she spoke to voters who talked about being unable to afford to have another child and who were aggrieved by the way benefits made this possible for others, she thinks her party lost because it didn’t seem to be listening to such voters, she’s the current leader and there are a lot of welfare cuts going through at present which the party needs to adopt some sort of position on if it is to work as a strong opposition.

Steerpike

Stella Creasy’s deputy leadership campaign is hit by online glitch

Given that Labour's next deputy leader will need to take on a pivotal role when it comes to both campaigning and communicating on behalf of the party, Stella Creasy's campaign took a hit over the weekend. A message about a conference call taking place today was sent to a number of Labour supporters who had no involvement - or interest - in a telephone campaign meeting. Creasy hastily sent an email apology: 'Of course, I would love to have a conference call with each and everyone of you!' the Labour MP told disgruntled recipients. If only the feeling was mutual.

Thursday

Steerpike

Harriet Harman struggles to get her point across

On all counts, yesterday's Budget was not a great day for Labour. The party found themselves in an awkward position as they struggled to decide how best to respond to a Budget which in part used policies they had endorsed ahead of the election. To make matters worse, Steerpike understands that Harriet Harman failed to get her message across to many of her colleagues. An unfortunately timed fire alarm at Portcullis House meant MPs and Parliamentary researchers were evacuated from the premises just as George Osborne was nearing the end of his Budget announcement. By the time they got back in the building, they only managed to catch the very tail end of Harman's reply. 'You could call it a blessing in disguise,' whispers one disgruntled staffer.

Leo McKinstry

Counter-strike

The People’s Assembly, the self-appointed left-wing pressure group behind the recent anti-austerity demonstrations, portrays itself as the voice of the masses struggling under oppressive Tory rule. It claims that no fewer than 250,000 demonstrators went to its rally in central London last month (a figure dutifully regurgitated by broadcasters). But photographs of the event in London indicate no more than 25,000 attended. The bogusness does not stop there. Despite its demotic name, the People’s Assembly is no spontaneous uprising of the angry British public.

Wednesday

Isabel Hardman

Labour’s Budget response: ‘It’s difficult’

[audioplayer src="http://rss.acast.com/spectatorpolitics/summerbudget2015/media.mp3" title="Fraser Nelson, James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman discuss the Summer Budget"] Listen [/audioplayer]Chris Leslie has just briefed journalists on Labour’s response to the Budget. In summary, it’s all quite difficult. Leslie repeatedly used that word when asked about individual measures such as the benefit cap and public sector pay, while also saying that Labour didn’t want to be a knee-jerk opposition which opposed everything. The key themes of the Labour response are that the changes to tax credits represent what the Shadow Chancellor deems a ‘work penalty’.

Isabel Hardman

Summer Budget: George Osborne pulls the rug out from Harriet Harman’s feet

[audioplayer src="http://rss.acast.com/spectatorpolitics/summerbudget2015/media.mp3" title="Fraser Nelson, James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman discuss the Summer Budget"] Listen [/audioplayer]When George Osborne lays a political elephant trap for Labour, he normally does so by cutting welfare and daring the Opposition to support him. Well, he’s done some of that today, cutting tax credits, housing benefit and the amount of money that employment support allowance claimants preparing to return to work can receive. But Labour has grown used to those traps now. What it isn’t used to navigating is responding to a measure that it would have introduced itself and which has a rather leftish feel.

Monday

Isabel Hardman

Labour MP: I’m supporting Yvette Cooper because she’s a mother

How, as a seasoned politician, might you decide who to back in the party’s leadership contest? It might be that you’re swayed by the ministerial experience of one candidate, or perhaps the fierce commitment of another candidate to a policy that you hold very dear. Perhaps it’s because you’re from the same faction in the party, because you’ve been friends for years, or maybe it’s because, as a result of various twists of good fortune and circumstances not entirely under their control, they have children. Apparently, that last is the primary reason that Helen Goodman, a Labour MP who served as a minister when her party was in government, selected Yvette Cooper as her star candidate for Labour leader.

Isabel Hardman

How the trade unions make it more difficult for Labour to win back Ukip voters

Do unions like Unite want Labour to win the next election? A fair few people, including a number of Labourites, have been asking this question since the union announced its backing for Jeremy Corbyn at the weekend, but it’s a something that those involved in the election campaign were asking as polling day approached, too, for slightly different reasons. The party found that it had a problem with Ukip during the election campaign - and some wise figures like John Healey had been urging the leadership to get to grips with Nigel Farage’s party long before election chiefs actually did do anything.