And will he insist on a meaningful answer?
ITV political editor Robert Peston asked Twitter today to tell him what he should ask Labour leadership candidate Keir Starmer when he appears on his programme.
The question generated hundreds of responses:
Most of those hundreds of responses demanded that the question be “Who funds you?” or some variant:
Starmer was asked the question on Sky News earlier, after major spending on large posters of himself sent out by mail to huge numbers of Labour members.
But he avoided the question – and now rival Rebecca Long-Bailey has laid down a challenge by publishing details of her donors.
So the high level of interest in Starmer’s sources of funding is easy to understand – but will Peston ask the overwhelmingly popular question?
And just as important, in a bad week for Starmer: will Peston insist on a meaningful answer?
Update: Peston has tweeted that he has asked – and that Starmer says his donors will be published by next Monday. It’s not good enough, as many votes will have been cast by then.
The SKWAWKBOX needs your support. This blog is provided free of charge but depends on the generosity of its readers to be viable. If you can afford to, please click here to arrange a one-off or modest monthly donation via PayPal or here for a monthly donation via GoCardless. Thanks for your solidarity so this blog can keep bringing you information the Establishment would prefer you not to know about.
If you wish to reblog this post for non-commercial use, you are welcome to do so – see here for more.
Update: Peston has tweeted that he has asked – and that Starmer says his donors will be published by next Monday. It’s not good enough, as many votes will have been cast by then.
Aww come-on. It’s not as if there is a looming deadline, it’s literally weeks before the polls close. If people are concerned by this then they can just put off casting their vote for a few days.
Personally I’ll be waiting until just a couple of days before the polls close before I cast my vote. A lot can happen in a few weeks, why commit yourself when there is no need.
I think for the first time Starmer is running scared. He’s at an event in Birmingham soon (Starmer Central) we need to keep the pressure up on Starmer, let’s not have a coronation but a real fight for the leadership. Time for those on the left to make our voices heard and support Rebecca Long-Bailey & Richard Burgon. I’ve voted for both today and no preferences.
Christopher Fox 26/02/2020 at 9:35 pm
“I think for the first time Starmer is running scared.”
On the contrary all this smacks of Rebecca panicking over her polling. Unfortunately, for her, Kier has chosen not to dance to her tune and has left her looking rather desperate whilst she dangles for a few days over her own faux crisis.
Toerags refusing to publish russian donors/interference = Bastards
(85% tory) starmer refusing to publish (potentially unwelcome) donors = masterstroke.
More double standards from the reptilian steve h.
That would depend on whom Keir Starmers donners are. Any sniff of Tony Blair or similar donating to his campaign or individuals with links to big business like Gina Miller for example and he is going to be damaged goods.
Maria Starmers donners are good at channelling dodgy funds and the knight is a past master of deceit and manipulation of the truth…Don’t forget the mans behaviour is removed from the net and he pays for that on a regular basis.He can run,and he can hide…!
This is when investigative journalism plays a role. But I agree that we not longer have much investigative journalism in this country and what is worse, it would be to late by the time any investigation of his funding is completed.
We will have to wait for him to mess up the next General Election as we now he will. The only problem I see is what would be the state of the Labour Party them. Because I cannot see the Party recovering under Starmer, specially if we foster on ourselves the double disaster of Reynars as deputy leader.
I read at the weekend that Blair had deliberately decided not to endorse a candidate because he felt it would be counterproductive.
Tony i heard the creature smarm exactly that admission last week.