It is not long into the Andy Burnham premiership and there appears to be a big difference. Communication. It is early days, and Burnham has been helped by the enforced media silence with Nigel Farage (all candidates in the Clacton by-election deserve the same media exposure), but it appears that he has ensured that he dominates the news cycle by early morning pronouncements. Which means that the media are discussing what he has said, working to his agenda, not setting the news cycle themselves. The last time I saw such effective communication from a Labour government was when Alastair Campbell was in the thick of it. It is early to get an idea of just how things have changed as there are another three years until the next planned election, but the outlook is so much better.
Donald Trump is the best at this, he dominates the news cycle, but part of that is because of decisions that many would say are insane. Nigel Farage has dominated the news under Starmer and may find it hard to regain the political momentum that he lost before his resignation thanks to all the sleaze allegations.
Keir Starmer did loads, but his failures included an inability to let people know what Labour had achieved with him in charge. Which looking at what he did, is so sad.
Andy Burnham has been left a nation, which despite public perception, is in a better place than when Keir Starmer took power. This is despite the turmoil caused both by Brexit and Donald Trump. The economy is in surprisingly good shape compared to many of our G7 peers and NHS waiting lists are falling. If the Conservatives had did half of what Labour had did, they would be publicising it so well. It looks like the failure of Labour to communicate effectively is hopefully a message from the past.
Another relaxing day. My wife and I woke a lot later than the children. We talked about what we could do and I ended up taking my wife for a drive along memory lane. I had hoped to visit Praia dos Caneiros but it was not to be.
Later we returned to Loulé for dinner. While the rest of my family have enjoyed many great meals, because I am squeamish about sea food, I have not. But Restaurante Bica Velha has given me the best meal at a restaurant in Portugal so far. My son booked it, we are glad and may return. The picture, edited with an app is of part of the town, on the way to where I parked our car.
On a different note, my wife has not been too happy with the resignation of Starmer. For the record, she has not been his number one fan and we have had many a discussion about what she thinks is wrong with his policies, but she and I agree that he has done a lot for the nation. The country was in a much worse position when he took over and while there is a lot to do, so much has been done. We both agree that we want the economy to be better, but it is still doing well compared to our peers. Thanks to Starmer, not counting Israel and the USA, the UK is respected again across the globe. The NHS is in a better place as well. I just hope that these improvements continue once Starmer is evicted from 10 Downing Street.
The facts are simple. Labour have improved workers rights, Reform have promised to abolish the changes. If Unsion want a Reform UK government after the next General Election, they need to keep forgetting how Labour have not done absolutely nothing for workers. While I understand that unions want more done, union leaders need to tell workers what Labour have done for employment rights now, or they will lose them after Farage gets elected in 2029.
My view is going to be controversial. I think Blair does support Starmer. The intervention of Tony Blair in politics today actually raises awareness of what Starmer has done, in a way that Starmer has not been able to get across, to those on the left.
My family have been depressed. This is because of the results of the elections yesterday.
My daughter was a vote counter and enjoyed her work helping democracy.
Personally, I expected things to be worse for Labour. When it comes to the next General Election, if it is held in 2029, tactical voting will help to stop ReformUK from being elected. It was tactical voting which meant that Starmer, despite a low share of the vote, won such a big majority in the last General Election. These elections mean there is a huge database of information which many will use to keep ReformUK out of office.
But the most important thing to do is to explain to voters, in soundbites, why ReformUK will make life harder for voters.
Two things that can be said is that there were few small boat crossings before Brexit, and can someone explain how our lives have been improved by Brexit.
Today I voted. I voted Labour. It will not make much difference as Labour are facing annihilation across the nation (other than Northern Ireland where there are no elections). There are many who feel that a change of leadership will bring about a change in the fortunes of Labour, but while communication of the Labour message was terrible before, it appears that since Morgan McSweeney has left the team, that the message that Labour is sharing is being told better.
My message to those who want a change of leadership is that they are insane to think that a change of leader will change the media bias against Labour. Most the media dislike Labour and are also turning on The Green Party. It is interesting to compare the interview on BBC Today of Nigel Farage (at 2:16 on the link) to that of Zack Polanski (again at 2:26 but on this link). It was right to challenge Polanski on antisemitism, it was wrong not to do so with Nigel Farage.
Returning to Labour, there is the fact, or my opinion, that the markets do not want a change of leader. The economy is going to be under strain due to Trumpflation. We do not want to make the cost of borrowing worse by changing leader. Doing so means less money for public services with more going to lenders.
I realised that I had forgotten to post about this. Last month, there was a call for a Parliamentary investigation into the appointment of Mandelson as Ambassador to the Court of King Trump. Labour MP’s defeated it, but I think that they were wrong to oppose this.
If Labour have been honest, and I thought this was the case beforehand, then transparency and accountability are good things. Labour showed this before when they promised to release files relating to his appointment. Something many who have forgotten and therefore has not been mentioned in the numerous discussions on the matter.
Voting against this implies that there is more to hide on the matter. I do not like the way this looks.
Starmer has come under a lot of flack over Mandelson again. Notably, if he had known that Mandelson did not pass security vetting for his job as Ambassador to the Court of King Trump.
Last of all, while many think that Starmer was wrong to sack Olly Robbins, the simple fact is that someone should have told Starmer sooner that he had inadvertently misled Parliament. Olly Robbins knew that and appeared to say nothing.
A lot has been made of the way Starmer and Trump have fallen out. I would want them to fall out more if Trump engages in war crimes in that I would want the US to be banned from using UK bases to attack Iran. But, Trump has been shown being rude about Macron as well. We know from the past that he has little respect for other world leaders, apart from Putin. This video is just another reminder of that.
What both sides do not mention is that Starmer did not allow UK bases to be used to attack Iranian missile sites and launchers when Iran were only retaliating against Israel in 2025.
To be fair, it should be up to the media to point this out, but either they have not noticed, or do not care. My views on the media bias against Labour have been posted before and I suspect the media will be happy to let Labour get castigated by both sides again.
Anyway, if the wag-the-dog theory is true, it has worked. While all the Epstein documents were meant to be released, it is reported that some are missing, notably documents relating to an unsubstantiated claim involving Trump and a 13 year old.
Labour lost and considering the seat they lost, they lost badly. Many have stated that the seat would have been won if Andy Burham had been allowed to stand, but if he had, Labour would still face a nightmare in the local elections in May.
Yes, it looks as if it will be a two way fight between Reform and The Green’s in those elections, but the next general election is not until 2029.
A change in leadership may bring about a better communication strategy but it will not overcome the media bias against Labour.
While Your Party have made significant steps to fighting in the next General Election in 2029, they may have just as negligible an effect on The Green Party that Restore Britain will have on Reform UK.
Zack Polanski is coming out fighting, stating what he thinks, but by doing so, ensuring that I am not going to vote Green. I do agree with many policies of The Green Party. He has argued that Labour are doing what they are paid to do. But he is right.
It has been accused of listening to union paymasters when it comes to the minimum wage. There are numerous other examples, but when Labour is doing what it is paid to do, that is not a bad thing.
Andy Burnham has been blocked from standing as an MP for Labour. I do not know if it is the right or wrong thing to do, but what I do know is that him replacing Starmer as leader has risks as well as benefits. The main advantages of having him as leader is that he has shown that he is capable in his role a Mayor of Greater Manchester but more importantly, he is a great communicator.
But what people forget is the way the media is biased against Labour. I have no issues with the media holding Labour to account. Starmer has changed his views on many matters, some of which is right, some of which could be explained with better communication. It is right that the media scrutinise the government. What is not right is the way the media ignore Reform UK. There are numerous examples of where Nigel Farage has been given a pass on matters.
In summary, Labour has to change the way it communicates, because the media bias against them is killing them in the polls. And a change of leader risks the economic gains we have won.
First of all, my wife and I dropped our daughter off in Bristol. We had intended to do this earlier in the day but woke up late. Driving there is my car is the environmentally right option as my car is electric while my wife has a hybrid car. It means that we do get a chance to rest, but this also means the journey takes longer when it charges. It has enough range to get to the services at Reading when driving there, or the services at South Mimms on the way back, but there are no services in between. The dog was not happy when my daughter was dropped off and sulked, ignoring her as she said goodbye. My son did not come as he has a party.
On the way back, while charging the car, my mother rang, asking if she should leave Labour. She said that Labour are not doing anything for the environment. If that was the case, then Reform UK and the Tories would not need to complain, but they do oppose Labour on the environment. My EV was bought at a discount thanks to the stance of Labour on electric cars.
While I can see why she is attracted to The Green Party, but the economic policies of The Green Party are from Planet Truss. We saw the damage that fantasy economics did to the country under her. Polanski has not learned from history when it comes to his policies, not just Zimbabwe, but Germany in 1923.
I don’t agree with Labour on everything. I can see why they have had to take decisions which offend many. I think Labour are wrong on immigration, I think that they were wrong to offer Junior Doctors the highest pay rise in the public sector when pay restoration applies to so many, such as nurses.
But I do think that Labour are the best to run our nation. I hope my mother can see that.
I like Jimmy Carr. I think that while he is very controversial (the rest of my family cannot stand him), he has some interesting views on life. He has been doing a round of interviews and on one of them, he talks about how Labour are not the party of the working class. He is wrong, they are. Like in the USA where Trump has sold himself as representing the working class, Farage and Reform PLC have managed to pretend that they are the party of the workers when they are not.
In the UK, Labour were given a growing economy built on undeliverable spending promises which had been made by the Tories. Hard decisions had to be made and while Reform, The Greens and Your Party have economic polices from Planet Truss, Labour have got on with making our nation better.
An example of how Reform pretend to be the party of workers when they are not are the way they have opposed renters and employment rights.
A big problem with Labour is communication. They have been useless at communicating about the flaming turd of debt that they were given and Labour have been inept at stating what they have done. But, like with the Democrats in the USA, Labour are the party of the working class.
Labour are in a terrible position in the polls. At present, they are so toxic that nothing they can do will win over the public. Which means that they can take advantage of this to break the promises they made to get elected. That means, among other things, raising income tax.
Come the next election, the only salvation Labour have, be this with or without Starmer in power, is to deliver on making people feel better. I have discussed how I think that Labour should stick with Starmer, the main reason being what he has done for the nation when it comes to trade talks, but also how The City has faith in him and Reeves as borrowing costs would be higher without her in charge. (Yes I know one of the video's is about how Labour are likely to get rid of him.)
Labour are going to fare poorly in the elections before the General Election unless people feel better about themselves and the nation. Labour do need to talk better about what they have done, they do need to point out the economic nightmare that the Tories left them, but the most important thing that Labour needs to do is to actually deliver a nation that is in a much better place in 2029.
As predicted, Labour lost the election in Wales, coming third. Reform UK did very well, coming in second, though some argue that tactical voting meant that many loaned their vote to Plaid Cymru. Labour are going to keep losing elections until it has managed to show that it can make the nation better. I understand that many want the party to be more radical, but Labour was left a flaming turd of an economy by the Tories. Things are also going to be terrible in the local elections next year.
Labour have been terrible and stating what they have done for the nation, but few will believe them now. Few politicians would be able to get the Trump Tariff rate that Starmer has without giving up a lot more. The only way I can see Labour remaining in power in the next General Election is to stick with Starmer and Rachel Reeves and deliver on change to improve our nation.
A change of leader would indicate a change in the economic path that the UK is following. Doing so would scare the markets, and that would mean even larger debt repayments. I would rather that the money I pay in taxes went to helping our nation as opposed to going to bank shareholders. Due to this, no matter how bleak things will look, Labour needs to Stay on Target and complete the mission with the team they have.
Come Friday, I predict that the by-election to the Welsh Parliament in Caerphilly will result in the demolition of Labour. I also think that this will continue for a year or two. Labour are toxic. They have been seen to fail on immigration, they have been seen to fail on helping the most vulnerable and they have been seen to fail on Israel and Gaza (depending on which side you are on).
When it comes to immigration, I think that Labour are wrong. I think that we need more immigration to help our nation, not just taking advantage of those who are leaving or are prevented from going to the USA, but also people to work in the care sector, the health service and other areas. However, the One-In-One-Out policy is working and is much more ethical than the Rwanda policy of the Conservatives. Reform and the Conservatives hate the policy as it involves taking refugees from France in return. If it is able to be expanded, it will bring about an end to those crossing The Channel as those who make the crossing will be sent back to France.
The benefits system does need to be reformed. Most people I see on benefits work or have genuine reasons why they cannot work. But I see too many people who could work, but do not. A lot can be supported into work, but that will require a carrot and stick approach to do so. However, we still have huge levels of poverty, and any reform to the benefits system needs to ensure that we take more people out of poverty as opposed to pushing more into it. And we will be able to see this when there is less of a need for foodbanks.
Gaza and Israel divides the nation, people picking one side as the villain and the other as the victim. We need to remember that Israel has been stealing Palestinian land since the Oslo accords, but also that there was no excuse for the October 7th attacks. There can never be any justification for the atrocities that took place in Gaza afterwards however.
But Labour have done a lot. Roads are improving with less potholes being an issue. The NHS, which I work in, is slowly getting better. And the economy, despite it being hamstrung by Brexit, is doing surprisingly well. Starmer basically has got down on his knees in front of Trump and 'earned' 10% tariffs, something few other leaders would be able to do. While Farage could do the same, he would sell out a lot more to reach the same goal.
What Labour are terrible at doing is communicating what they have done. Starmer should be honest and say that Labour are going to have some terrible years, but if Labour can continue to deliver, and more importantly, deliver more, then it can retain power at the next election. A change in leader would result in even higher debt repayments and I want tax payers money to go to making our nation better, not to bank shareholders.
Two years ago, an attack was launched from Gaza that brought about a response from Israel. The attack was intended to remind Jews in Israel what happened to Jews during the Holocaust. Images were taken of Israelis being murdered and hostages (though not all of them being Israeli or Jewish) were taken. Israel responded, initially with the backing of much of the world. But Israel went too far and openly worked towards the Ethnic Cleansing of Gaza, its actions now being considered by many to be genocide.
I do not think that there is any justification for the attacks two years ago, just as there was no justification for Israel breaking the ceasefire that had been previously negotiated and would have freed people on both sides.
Other than the production of parts for the F-35, I think that the UK should be offering no aid or support to Israel. And the F-35 parts being produced can only be justified due to the role of the UK in the production of the fighter. I think that I understand why Starmer has not cut off all support, I suspect this being that he can try to influence Donald Trump, the only man who can actually force Israel to stop the continued murder of so many Palestinians. That and doing so may cause Trump to raise his tariffs on the UK.
While the world is focused on the brutality in Gaza, it is important to remember how Palestinian land is being taken for Living Space (I know the use of this term will open me to accusations of antisemitism) by settlers in The West Bank. Palestinians have been attacked BEFORE the horrors of two years ago, little or no action being taken by the IDF to stop settlers from doing so.
Labour have the conference this week. A lot has been in the media about a possible leadership challenge. Labour are failing in the polls. Labour have spoken out against the racist policies of Farage and Reform UK but I think that they are still sending the wrong message on immigration and that Labour should capitalise on the actions of Trump to attract highly skilled immigrants to the UK, in addition to others who can help our companies work.
And Labour communication is terrible. Labour have gone a lot, but a lot more needs to be done.
But, Labour are only a year into their term. I would emphasise that and stress that a lot of damage needs to be undone. Rachel Reeves is right to talk about the cost of borrowing, something that people forget. I do think that an asset tax should be considered, but taxing the income of the wealthy (as many on the left want) can lead to capital flight and a reduction in how much money taxation brings in.
Things look bleak now, and the message of Labour should reflect that, but also how things are going to get better later. So just like the rebel pilots at the end of Star Wars, no matter now hopeless things seem, we have to have faith that Labour will be able to deliver more and also that people will appreciate that.
