love* in the time of plague (and by love* i mean brexit* and other dreary matters of uk politics)

and yes, the white brit rock crit people belittling mere *rolls eyes* ~actors~. jesus guys go and sniff your george harrsion records or something

I thought both Starmer and RLB seemed to make it quite clear they wouldn't even say boo to Israel at the Jewish Labour hustings back in Feb, although Starmer does have some form in tailoring what he apparently believes in to play to different audiences, like with Fabian Society knobbers or Scousers!

new party on my desk by 5pm pls

NEW: “This afternoon Keir Starmer asked Rebecca Long-Bailey to step down from the Shadow Cabinet. The article Rebecca shared earlier today contained an antisemitic conspiracy theory.

— Sienna Rodgers (@siennamarla) June 25, 2020

"As Leader of the Labour Party, Keir has been clear that restoring trust with the Jewish community is a number one priority. Antisemitism takes many different forms and it is important that we all are vigilant against it."

— Sienna Rodgers (@siennamarla) June 25, 2020

Lol first opportunity

🙄

not the sacking i expected to see when i woke up today tbqhwy

Cos he showed her so much respect in the role previously.

just an absolute idiotic kneejerk-off move, but predictable really she was odds to be the first to go. Hope Starmer dies tbh.

odds on!

finally some strong leadership

conspiracy theory my arsehole.

The worst you can say about it was that it was dumb and she should have seen the row coming but definitely not a sacking offence FFS.

and meanwhile...

https://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/racial-equality-commission-munira-mirza-against-banningbhate-speech-1-6717058

A video has emerged in which the woman leading the government’s commission on racial inequality challenges a Black youth on whether the use of the “N word” is different from calling someone “fat”, and questions whether he is playing the victim.

my hot take is that this makes total sense for Starmer from a realpolitik perspective but it's not like i was gonna vote for the lad anyway

what we really need now in this moment of crisis is a Party run by twitter furores and mortal terror of the media, a political home for the previously politically homeless category of 'cowards and wankers'

— Owen Hatherley (@owenhatherley) June 25, 2020

operation make the left quit labour going full steam ahead

Successful in my case, as of today.

I can't see how they can avoid kicking Peake out if this is the line they're going to take.

Who knew outsourcing your internal disciplinary policies to *checks notes* one of the Guinness Four would end up like this?

this was happening anyway, getting Reeves and Phillips to undermine her Education brief was probably an oh so subtle attempt to make her walk, he was just looking for any excuse.

4.I wished to acknowledge these concerns and duly issued a clarification of my retweet, with the wording agreed in advance by the Labour Party Leader’s Office, but after posting I was subsequently instructed to take both this agreed clarification and my original retweet down.

— Rebecca Long-Bailey (@RLong_Bailey) June 25, 2020

where's the link to quit

fuck this rump Conservative party.

fuck this shit

There is no link to quit. Delete your direct debit and e-mail the chair of the local CLP.

might join up now just so i can quit them

idk lads with this one sacking Starmzy may have won the next general election

I'm going to join a neo-nazi party and change my name by deed poll to Kier Starmfront!

dammit my annual membership renewal went through just three days ago

Christ he’s awful

5.I could not do this in good conscience without the issuing of a press statement of clarification. I had asked to discuss these matters with Keir before agreeing what further action to take, but sadly he had already made his decision.

— Rebecca Long-Bailey (@RLong_Bailey) June 25, 2020

gosh imagine the Labour Party being the parliamentary wing of the trade unions https://t.co/waghxLqOH8

— Owen Hatherley (@owenhatherley) June 25, 2020

She'd probably have a case for constructive dismissal, given the way every member of the Shadow Cabinet except her has been pushed to the fore on education

— 𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐀🍊𝐏𝐇𝐏𝐁𝐁🍊𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐔𝐌🍊🅰🅳🅼🅸🅽 (@TypingOfTheRed) June 25, 2020

Just going to remind you that Rachel Reeves enjoys a warm welcome at the top table despite praising Nancy Astor.

Yep, that's how much they really care abut AS. A fucking statue of someone who wanted the holocaust to reach Brooklyn.

Starmer struck me as an overindulged Tory boss wanker he isn't used to being told to stfu when he is boring everyone to death, especially after that comedy skit on his valentine's night adventure in Newcastle. But he is actually even worse than that, much much worse.

he who

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EbXamegWsAIWM7Y?format=jpg&name=large

Now we can get back to urging the schools to open in peace!

opposing Tories in any way = giving Tories ammunition

fuck me the last thing we need is Labour MPs being close to the unions

Throughout discussion of antisemitism it’s always been said criticism of practices of Israeli state is not antisemitic. I don’t believe therefore that this article is or ⁦⁦@RLong_Bailey⁩ should’ve been sacked. I stand in solidarity with her https://t.co/rhxuKGfFEG

— John McDonnell MP (@johnmcdonnellMP) June 25, 2020

This is great timing for the Tories as well, as RLB dominates the news cycle instead of Jenrick who has been ketched bang to rights, knee deep in corruption. some real fucking forensic opposition there Starmzy!

i wonder to what extent Nu Lab 2.0 have predicted/intended that this will lead to a broader blood-letting predicated on arguments about antisemitism

One Labour staffer on hearing the news of Long-Bailey's sacking:
“Alexa: play ‘Things Can Only Get Better’”

— Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) June 25, 2020

i wonder to what extent Nu Lab 2.0 have predicted/intended that this will lead to a broader blood-letting predicated on arguments about antisemitism

That's partly why the pledge (that RLB herself happily signed up to) ensures guilt by association is enough to get rid of people. I can't see a lot of immediate action being taken, though.

This is one of the first articles that comes up when you Google the relevant search terms

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-us-police-training-end-knee-neck-protests

RLB isn't being kicked out of the party and the people defending her don't have Shadow Cabinet positions to lose. Peake, potentially, might be the flashpoint.

Pretty funny that, thanks to Jermy Crumbyn, there are a bunch of helpful articles online from 2017 explaining how to quit the labour party.

Yep, the New Statesman comes in handy at last.

this was my breaking-point because it's so obviously concocted bullshit. starmer is meant to be this balanced forensic motherfucker and when he finally does something it's based on actual fucking hot air? prick

I wonder what Emily Thornberry is thinking right now.