Labour leader laughed and joked with LBC presenter recently subject of calls by Black Lives Matter supporters for his sacking after “Why do you stay in this country?” comment
Labour leader Keir Starmer has welcomed comments by former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson that he could vote Labour as a sign that “the Labour Party has changed”.
That’s the Jeremy Clarkson whose contract with the BBC ended after he launched an ‘unprovoked physical attack’ on a Top Gear producer – the same Clarkson who was criticised by Tory PM David Cameron for saying striking public sector workers should be “shot in front of their families”:
Starmer made his comments as he laughed and joked with LBC presenter Nick Ferrari – who recently faced calls for his sacking after Ferrari asked black British writer and broadcaster “Why do you stay in this country?“, after Hirsch had expressed concerns about racism in the UK:
Labour has recently faced an exodus of black members who do not believe that Starmer is on their side or takes the racism they face seriously, after he waited months before suspending former headquarters staff after the leak of a Labour report that included allegations of racism toward black MPs – and twice described the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement as a ‘moment‘, which he subsequently acknowledged was wrong.
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Starmer most probably only suspended the former staffers because of the pressure brought by Mark Howell taking the Party to the Courts. Otherwise, why would the Party try to excuse the behaviour of the staffers by claiming that the exchanges was done among colleagues in private?
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/keir-starmer-labour-racist-sexist-whatsapp-messages-nec-a9600996.html
Quite, apparently racism in private is perfectly acceptable to Starmer when it’s racism against the black community.
It’s going to take more than photo opps with Angela Rayner and then failing to engage in any meaningful sense with BLM because it offends his authoritarian and reactionary instincts.
Most disturbingly, of all he was completely unaware, and inadequately briefed, on what in practical terms defunding the police actually means. It is a fact for instance that in the UK the police do have to pick up the pieces when state provision of health, social, education, housing, care and other services are collapsing and there are no other services to fill the void that has opened up.
Especially, when Starmers response is more austerity, the situation is likely to deteriorate even further and he has no adequate policies to deal with the structural issues.
When radical socialist solutions are required he only has more of the same to offer and can’t provide any answers to these questions beyond those on offer from the Tory Party over the last ten years i.e. paper over the cracks by distracting attention from the real problems by appealing to the Britains imperialistic past, xenophobia and racism.
Presto we’re back to persecuting immigrants and the black community just like May, Patel, Cummings and Johnson.
When Starmer is quite rightly accused of racism and in fact exploiting racism to persecute his political enemies within the Labour Party his only answer is to promote a course on racism awareness no doubt prompted from his all white diversiy panel.
If he thinks people don’t see through this he must be deluded.
Why bother voting for Starmer’s Labour if you are a traditional Labour voter?
Starmer fundamentally has no answer to that question beyond endorsements from half witted, second class celebrities like Clarkson and wheeling out a political non-entity like Milliband out onto national TV for some moral support!
Did he really think that was going to shore up his already credibility and faltering leadership of the Party?
Jeremy Clarkson is a bit of a bore who every now and again tries to get into the limelight by saying or doing something which will get him noticed. He is also a bully who had to pay around £100,000 to a member of his staff for mistreating him. This is the incident you refer to Swawkbox
Who cares what the repulsive Clarkson says or thinks. The fact that Starmer is delighted by his “praise” says it all – instead of basking in the approval of this old fart he should be concerning himself about winning over the BAME community who are not happy with the way BAME racism is ignored.
Clarkson will not leaflet or canvas for labour but this woman did but she will not any more. Powerful statement which reflects the sentiment of many:
https://www.jewishvoiceforlabour.org.uk/article/labouring-under-an-illusion/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=today-on-the-jvl-blog-newsletter-total-articles-for-you_1
Clarkson won’t canvass or leaflet but this woman did but she won’t anymore. The exodus has begun and this woman speaks for thousands
https://www.jewishvoiceforlabour.org.uk/article/labouring-under-an-illusion/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=today-on-the-jvl-blog-newsletter-total-articles-for-you_1
Truth be known, Sarah, I reckon the exodus had already begun at least back in January with the acquiescence to the BoD/JLM demands by the leadership contenders. I’m sure, like myself, many others were incensed at the spineless kowtowing to outside interference, especially as they were the very organisations at the heart of the barrage against Corbyn and other prominent members in the party, many of them Jewish themselves!
Most likely the exodus has been more of a steady stream the past few months but does appear to be gaining pace with Starmer’s inept leadership becoming more and more apparent as the days go by. And to think he’s only been in post for 3 months! As much as I despise Blair, at least it took several years to decimate the membership largely because, despite lacking in principles, he had a certain charisma that appealed to many – Starmer just seems totally bereft of either, nor does he seem to have much in the way of political nous.
Of course, much was made of a new influx of members (supposedly about 100,000 iirc) to vote in the leadership elections but just as many might equally have decided to quit, although their membership would still be ongoing, as mine has been despite cancelling it along with my Direct Debit.
Curiously, I received an email on Saturday reminding me my membership was due for renewal and that they had been trying to contact me for a couple of months, including several letters. I say curiously, because there has never been a problem for the past 5 years until now, while I have received umpteen emails since January as well as being able to vote in party elections but which I wouldn’t do out of principle.
As others have said, SS and Co are probably pleased that the LP will have a vastly reduced membership and forever be in opposition. Zero tolerance of racism and abuse no longer on the agenda for these creatures, just a well paid ‘second eleven’ for the establishment.
They seem further to the Right than the Tories and not a squeak from the paid toadies who sit in Parliament and who claim to represent working people. So, lets see. We have xenophobia and racism allowed, they hate democracy, refuse to be accountable, represent the ruling class and business people. Mmmm. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck……
Has stammer promised to ‘prioritise’ the likes of clarkson if he gets his avaricious fingers burnt again by the banksters?
Starmer is glad that a right winger has noticed the Labour Party has changed and will now vote for it. Changed in what way then? More anti-union or anti-immigrant? Starmer is openly proud of this?
Odd though because last year he was pushing Labour towards a remain position that alienated mainstream public opinion.