Whining about money for foodbanks from right-wingers who’ve shown little interest in food-poverty before, as ‘whistleblowers’ pivot from Starmer’s cash surrender to demand Corbyn’s head – but support for former Labour leader shows no sign of slowing
A fund set up to raise funds for former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is on its way to £300,000 in just three days, to the plaintive bleats and faux outrage of current and former Labour right-wingers – or in this case right-whingers.
Centrists have been whining non-stop about the fundraiser ever since it became clear that its original £20,000 target was going to be smashed – it surged through £200,000 yesterday – and have tried to use foodbanks’ need for cash as their excuse.
But they have been widely and correctly derided for their lack of empathy for those deprived and abused by the Tories, until they provided a means of attacking Corbyn and his supporters – and centrists were not deterred from sabotaging Labour by the thought of burgeoning poverty and hunger.
Those supporters, by contrast, have been able to point to their own financial and practical support for foodbanks, as well as for Corbyn.
Since the whining tactic failed and just looked, well, whiney, Corbyn’s enemies have resorted to bullying – which at least has the virtue of being more honestly in keeping with what passes for their personalities.
Some of those threatening to sue Labour – after watching Keir Starmer’s craven settling of a case his lawyers said he could win – have now reportedly said they’ll drop their cases if Starmer withdraws the Labour whip from his superior predecessor.
At the same time, they are trying to blame Corbyn for the fact that Starmer’s lack of backbone might bankrupt the party if the lawsuits succeed.
But the crowdfund just keeps rising. It has passed £270,000 this afternoon and looks likely to hit £300,000 by the end of the day.
Like left-wing morale, it is a sturdy plant only made stronger by being watered by centrists tears and drivel.
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So the right wingers all of a sudden care about food banks? Don’t think so. Anything to get a JC. They are upset that so many of us care about JC and them. The treacherous disgrace of the lowest of the low that they are. Hell mend them.
It gets more awful with each passing day. Anus clenching adventures with the New New Labour party. I’m not mocking the millions who voted JC, or the honourable CLP and the few standfast PLP’s, but we were played and mugged off. Reset? Renewal, the troops are solid and far less venal than the SDP. They sought personal enrichment and ennoblement. There are thousands of members who seek a more just world. Does anybody seriously think that Max Headroom and his battalions will deliver this when his priorities are how to stand like an extra from an Italian Western and anti semitism? Well people voted for this inadequate PM then maybe Max could change and Labour would win. Here comes nursery and her trolley. Regards ☮️
I like spaghetti westerns but not the Joe Bugner ones. Had to say that or else I would be called anti Italian and I would then have to resign, kill family and dog etc. Might get interviewed by that bird with the man’s voice on Sky though. Regards.
There are Givers and there are Takers, and the Takers are devious deceitful sociopaths who have a natural talent for coming up with ways to discredit the Givers. The ONLY thing THEY ever ‘give’ are lies and fabrication and falsehoods!
Whilst it’s great that Carole’s gofundme has now raised just over £275,000 (from 15.3k donors) for Jeremy, the amount being donated now is about £25 a minute on average, compared to £100 a minute for much of the past few days. And my point is this: Given that 300,000 plus people voted for Jeremy in the 2016 leadership election (and tens of thousands of others were prevented from doing so), why is it that the vast majority of them haven’t donated anything. Could it be because they don’t know about the crowdfunder for Jeremy’s legal fund?
BUT, that said, Skwawkbox has over 65,000 subscribers, and even if we assumed that about 10% of them are the ‘enemy’ – ie right-wingers tuning in to keep an eye on us – and say 20% are not in a position to donate anything, that still leaves about 45-50,000 subscribers. I really can’t understand it.
________________
Aha, just this second came across the following in the Mail from yesterday:
‘Jeremy Corbyn is under pressure to return £210,000 Go Fund Me cash in Labour whistleblower legal battle after supporters plastered campaign site with anti-Semitic slurs’
Dirty tricks for sure by the psychopaths! And THAT explains why the ‘leave a comment’ facility was disabled at some point in the past twenty-four hours (which I noticed in the early hours this morning when I made another donation and tried to leave a comment):
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8559153/Jeremy-Corbyn-pressure-return-210-000-Fund-cash-help-fight-legal-battle.html
And the Telegraph posted the following article at 10.00pm Friday night:
‘Jeremy Corbyn urged to reject donations to £170k ‘fighting fund’ from supporters posting offensive comments’
Jeremy Corbyn has been urged to return money from a £170,000 “fighting fund” after a number of his donors denounced Sir Keir Starmer as a “sewer dweller” and claimed anti-Semitism had been used as a “political weapon” against him.
So, nothing whatsoever about anti-semitic comments at THAT stage! As for ‘offensive comments’ about Keir Starmer, I wonder if the folks at the Telegraph are aware of all the tens of thousands of offensive comments made about Jeremy during the past five years in the Comments sections of the Mail and Express and Sun.
You can bet your bottom dollar that they ARE!
Alan Howard
Theres a lot can be done with this money, not least carefully picking our fights and helping other better placed cases to go ahead
If its numbers and support you are worried about, concentrate on how we get more than 3% of GMB members to vote for the left wing candidate
Then someone needs to ask John McDonnell what he thinks of Temporary embarrassment settling with Panorama Drama Cockwombles, we know what Jon Lansman thinks
Too many on the left are gutless and spineless career politicians
Mike Sivier of Voxpolitical (which I just this minute came across):
‘Tories and ‘centrist’ hypocrites call for closure of fund to help Jeremy Corbyn fight legal battle’
https://voxpoliticalonline.com/2020/07/26/tories-and-centrist-hypocrites-call-for-closure-of-fund-to-help-jeremy-corbyn-fight-legal-battle/
PS Just noticed your comment Doug….. Well, in the FIRST place, WHO’s ‘worried’! I’m just merely drawing attention to a perfectly legitimate fact – ie that the VAST majority of JC supporters HAVEN’T donated anything so far. Does doing so take anything away from those that HAVE donated and the amount that has been raised so far? No, of course it doesn’t!
Antisemetic slurs can be posted by anyone who makes a small donation. If The Daily Mail or any other papers which comprise the gutter press can positively identify the posters of these antisemetic slurs they should go to the police.
In all likelihood it was just people saying that the A/S claims and allegations are for the most part illegitimate AND a smear campaign against Jeremy and the left membership. Which they ARE of course!
Flagshagger
Class from Rachel Swindon, consider it stolen 😎😍💯%
Smartboy, are we convinced that proxies of the gutter press are not themselves responsible for the antisemitic slurs they attribute to Labour supporters?
I never have been – what would stop them? Fear of exposure in the press? 🤨
Allan, “– and say 20% are not in a position to donate anything, that still leaves about 45-50,000 subscribers. I really can’t understand it.”
Might fear of an impoverished Covid future have prevented many thousands of people from contributing?
Who among Labour’s natural constituency and of working age can be entirely sure they’ll have jobs to go back to?
Could it be that most of us who’ve felt able to contribute simply have fewer family responsibilities?
If I had family responsibilities and a reduced income I’d probably not risk it.
Don’t be disappointed by what might look like a ‘low turnout’ – these are exceptional times.
Hey, maybe having the whip withdrawn might tempt Jeremy into doing what some of us want – and show the Labour Party what genuine concern for the people – the real wealth generators in this country – looks like.
Come on, Jeremy, you know you want to kick their fucking arses as much as we do 😎
He already said labour shouldnt havde paid them. For that he is threatened of been sued by Ware.
If they withdraw the whip from Jeremy I’m leaving the party. Unless of corse we can mount a coup against Keir and his far~right friends.
There is a clear path laid out in the rule book to challenge the leadership. The first hurdle any challenger would would have to overcome is getting the united support of 20% of the PLP.
I think a coup is unlikely to succeed at this time, to put it mildly.
If the antisemitism scam is fully exposed in Court the chance of success ought logically to improve, but only if the party heirarchy cared about more than hanging onto power – so still zero to 5% chance.
They still hold all the levers and positions of power despite having a leader who couldn’t be less popular if he simultaneously coughed, sneezed and shat himself in a lift.
David – “a leader who couldn’t be less popular”
Whilst I accept that Keir may be unpopular with a small vocal minority of members both recent polling and the considerable increase in party membership to c580,000 (from the low point it had sunk to prior to the 2019 GE) indicate that Starmer is quite popular with both the membership and the general public. The actual figures portray a quite different narrative from the one you are asserting.
Steve, this isn’t a job to me so I don’t keep records or even bookmark anything, but I did read on something resulting from a link here today that the Labour membership is in fact falling.
This was a recent article, not from the early Corbyn days when there was a huge bounce in membership.
You seem to be claiming Starmer’s attracted a similar bounce in membership, which I find difficult to believe – unless all the Tories have joined so they can influence Labour’s internal elections?
We know for sure that the Quislings are past masters at bullshit and propaganda, which is why Skwawkbox is here challenging the establishment line after all.
I do wonder why YOU’RE here – my memory isn’t so good anymore but I don’t remember you ever supporting the left wing view on any subject. Am I wrong?
David – I am simply pointing out that at 5pm on 20/01/2020 the fully paid up membership entitled to vote stood at 552,835 and given that it was very widely reported that over 100,000 new/returning members joined the party in the period immediately following the 2019 GE you can do the maths yourself to ascertain what the membership had sunk to prior to the last GE. It was also reported by Alice Perry in her NEC report on 30/06/2020 that the membership currently stood at approximately 580,000.
If there has been a mass exodus, as some claim, then there has self evidently been an even greater influx of new members.
If you believe Labour currently has 580,000 members, I’m sure I can find a bridge to sell you…
SB – It is worth noting that no one has yet provided a link to evidence that contradicts any of the figures I’ve reported above. Given that we can be reasonably certain of the 552,835 figure for January being accurate, Starmer’s polling results and all the Cummings/Boris fuckups then why would you find it so difficult to believe that just another 27,000 (<4,000/mth) would have joined Labour since then.
ps: If your bridge has got a big garden I may be interested.😉
I see you have crawled from under your rock judas SH…..begone from here…!
Joseph okeefe – 27/07/2020 at 12:00 am
So pontificates the hypocrite who whilst safely ensconced on the other side of the world selfishly campaigns to undermine the electoral prospects of a Labour government at the next GE.
You are fortunate enough to be insulated both financially and geographically from the deprivation that yet another Tory government will inflict on the poor and the vulnerable in the UK who don’t share your own privileged lifestyle but many in the UK who are less fortunate than yourself are desperate for a Labour government. You appear to have enjoyed a full life so please don’t undermine the life chances of others.
Whilst I accept that Keir may be unpopular with a small vocal minority of members both recent polling and the considerable increase in party membership to c580,000 (from the low point it had sunk to prior to the 2019 GE)
You on first name terms with the greasy one now stevey?
‘Considerable increase in party membership’ is it? Ok. Why not remind us all how much Corbyn increased membership by, in comparison to the bucketful?
Unless you religiously believe the bbc and the biliionaire-backed dead tree press, stammer’s as popular as a fart in a lift.
Take your overtly pro-stammerist brown-nosing and and play hopscotch on the M6 with it. Although, I suppose you think your 580k will win you the next election too, eh, knobend?
… and the right would never lie about a thing like membership numbers, right?
Completely beneath their honourable arses to pretend more are joining than are leaving to save Starmer’s face, right?
They’ve lied and cheated on a massive scale to help the Tories win elections but they wouldn’t tell a tiny lie to avoid giving comfort to Corbyn supporters?
Get real. I wouldn’t be surprised if they still count me as a member and I quit half a year ago.
“Alice Perry in her NEC report on 30/06/2020 that the membership currently stood at approximately 580,000…If there has been a mass exodus, as some claim, then there has self evidently been an even greater influx of new members.”
SteveH, I was still counted in that total but I left in early February (almost 5 months previous) then in early July I had an email reminding me that my membership was due to expire! How many others?
Up until this time I could have taken part in all applicable Labour Party activities (including voting), receiving a constant stream of emails from various party sources throughout that time.
Furthermore, it’s undeniable that a whole swathe of members have decided to quit. You really don’t have to look far to get that strong impression. And while maybe not a mass exodus, it’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that as many as have joined/rejoined have also left but are still being counted due to this anomaly.
The truth is, none of us really knows so to keep bandying such figures about is a bit silly, not to mention maybe self-deceiving for it could always be a lot more than you might think.
Or we regain control and ask them to leave
The party has already left you…
SteveH, your constant refrain is that the country needs a Labour government so we should all support Starmer and the rest of the neo-Tories to keep the other Tories out.
That’s a hell of a specious argument.
If I was a gambler (nowhere near stupid enough) I’d bet my pension that before the next GE Starmer will promise Murdoch that his post-Covid tax and spend regime will match the Tories’, just like BlairBrown did.
Another decade of austerity.
The people will be NO better off under Starmer than under Johnson – which is pretty much the whole point of this blog and of the left.
‘Centrist’ policies won’t slow the rise of the super rich more than marginally, and not enough to stop them eventually owning everything on the planet.
If you know of a ‘centrist’ policy that’ll reverse the burgeoning wealth gap, let’s hear it.
If you don’t, maybe you should consider whether you really want to continue aligning yourself with liars, cheats, traitors and war criminals.
David – I support the democratically elected leader of the party. My support is not unconditional, it is dependant on them not straying too far away from the principles and pledges that their mandate is based on. I suspect that in the past you will also have been highly critical of those who sought to undermine JC when he was the party’s leader and that you rightly castigated them for refusing to accept the democratic decision of the membership and yet you try to make a virtue out of attacking the current leadership on the basis of your presumption to know what they think or intend to do
You conveniently choose to ignore that no substantial policy changes can be made without the support of the NEC & Conference.
Instead of fantasising about what you think Starmer is going to do could you highlight where Starmer has broken any of the 10 pledges he made when he was elected leader of the party.
1. Economic justice
Increase income tax for the top 5% of earners, reverse the Tories’ cuts in corporation tax and clamp down on tax avoidance, particularly of large corporations. No stepping back from our core principles.
2. Social justice
Abolish Universal Credit and end the Tories’ cruel sanctions regime. Set a national goal for wellbeing to make health as important as GDP; Invest in services that help shift to a preventative approach. Stand up for universal services and defend our NHS. Support the abolition of tuition fees and invest in lifelong learning.
3. Climate justice
Put the Green New Deal at the heart of everything we do. There is no issue more important to our future than the climate emergency. A Clean Air Act to tackle pollution locally. Demand international action on climate rights.
4. Promote peace and human rights
No more illegal wars. Introduce a Prevention of Military Intervention Act and put human rights at the heart of foreign policy. Review all UK arms sales and make us a force for international peace and justice.
5. Common ownership
Public services should be in public hands, not making profits for shareholders. Support common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water; end outsourcing in our NHS, local government and justice system.
6. Defend migrants’ rights
Full voting rights for EU nationals. Defend free movement as we leave the EU. An immigration system based on compassion and dignity. End indefinite detention and call for the closure of centres such as Yarl’s Wood.
7. Strengthen workers’ rights and trade unions
Work shoulder to shoulder with trade unions to stand up for working people, tackle insecure work and low pay. Repeal the Trade Union Act. Oppose Tory attacks on the right to take industrial action and the weakening of workplace rights.
8. Radical devolution of power, wealth and opportunity
Push power, wealth and opportunity away from Whitehall. A federal system to devolve powers – including through regional investment banks and control over regional industrial strategy. Abolish the House of Lords – replace it with an elected chamber of regions and nations.
9. Equality
Pull down obstacles that limit opportunities and talent. We are the party of the Equal Pay Act, Sure Start, BAME representation and the abolition of Section 28 – we must build on that for a new decade.
10. Effective opposition to the Tories
Forensic, effective opposition to the Tories in Parliament – linked up to our mass membership and a professional election operation. Never lose sight of the votes ‘lent’ to the Tories in 2019. Unite our party, promote pluralism and improve our culture. Robust action to eradicate the scourge of antisemitism. Maintain our collective links with the unions.
David please note I’m not interested in what you or others of a similar mind-set think he might do but only in actual evidence of where he has broken any of the pledges he made.
I didn’t criticise Jeremy’s attackers on the basis that he was the democratically elected leader, but on the basis that they were and are proven liars, cheats, traitors and as much enemies of the people as the Tories.
However much we may have hated Blair or Brown the left never deliberately cheated the party out of an election win.
Politics is on the cusp of change and it’ll soon be all or nothing for capitalism and socialism because of new technology – if we don’t take power we’ll be serfs.
We’re under the gun here – we need radical change right now, not when Starmer thinks the market might accept it without taking him off the ‘better’ dinner party guest lists.
David – As I said above
“Instead of fantasising about what you think Starmer is going to do could you highlight where Starmer has broken any of the 10 pledges he made when he was elected leader of the party.”
“David please note I’m not interested in what you or others of a similar mind-set think he might do but only in actual evidence of where he has broken any of the pledges he made.”
What we have here is a ‘temporary embarrassment ‘
Steve – by “Starmer” I refer also to the right wing of the party, since they’re his supporter base.
You write as if I’m attacking you for voting for him but I’m not – it’s not as if you were alone and the other candidates were hardly inspiring, so I don’t criticise you for that.
What I object to is an intelligent man refusing to acknowledge what is obvious – that THIS Labour party and the Tories are interchangeable in that they both will allow the economic and political power of the 1% to continue to grow unabated.
The 1% already dictate pro-1% policy to governments with the threat of economic meltdown if ‘the market’ is constrained in any way.
Labour’s right wing, including Starmer, have swallowed that narrative whole and so, apparently, have you.
The market is a false god – it guarantees destruction of the planet.
As an intelligent man you must concede that neoliberal greed has no brakes, no reverse gear and no concept of ‘enough’ – and that the 1% will only bother saving the planet if there’s a profit in it.
Genuine socialism is the only cure for the planet’s ills short of nuclear fusion, which could be many decades or even centuries away.
Starmer’s Labour isn’t a cure for anything – it’s the 1%’s fifth column and its backstop.
I’ve changed my mind about joining the Greens – better for Jeremy to form a new party (I’d call it ‘Green Labour’ I think) and let the Greens join us after the Socialist Campaign Group and hopefully some more Labour MP’s cross the floor to join Jeremy – once established many more Labour members would come over to us I think.
David you big fucking tease,
Only one step from being back in the tent pissing out
Nice idea. Would it work?
Hi David, I’d call it the People’s Party – says everything you need to know. I think or hope that Len McLuskey and other big unions remove funding from Labour because Starmer hasn’t a single labour value anywhere in his core. Steve H asked which of the 10 pledges he had breached. Well for one, he appointed Rachel Reeves as DWP Secretary who public stated Labour should be ‘tougher on benefits than the Tories’. He has said he will probably not pursue the brilliant Green Revolution and other things.
If a couple of large unions remove funding from the party and set up a new party I think a lot of MPs will cross the floor to them with more to follow. I’ve been a lifelong Labour voter but I can see that under Starmer it definitely isn’t the Labour Party that I knew, very different in fact.
Starmer has just made a monumental error of judgement in paying off John Ware et al that was a 100% winnable case. I think someone here blogged that Starmer didn’t want it going to Court because it would show what a scam the whole AS allegations were. What I think is interesting now is that they don’t want JC to take the money because it will help him fight any court case that will be brought against him. I think it is interesting that Ware et al are saying they will drop their claims if Starmer removes the Whip from JC. This is the BoD talking telling Starmer to do it. If the idiotic Knight does this then he
has shown himself to be exactly what he is. A stooge for the BoD and the MSM.
It seems to me this crowdfunder is casuing real problems for the MSM the BoD and all the right wing of the party. Starmer has been curiously quiet.
There will be no lawsuit against Jeremy by the so called whistle blowers, they’d lose, and they know it.
@Chris Mooney, I agree with your analysis here. The first question now is whatever Starmer obliges and withdraws the Labour whip from Corbyn, and help them safe face?
I believe Starmer could be tempted, as it will encourage a mass resignation from the left and center-left mass membership of the Party.
The second question is, will the affiliated Trade Unions stand up to Starmer and even right wing Trade Unions, decide that the Trade Union movement at the present time, cannot be allowed to split and protect Corbyn?
Maria, there is no reason at all why the Whip should be withdrawn from Jeremy Corbyn, he’s done nothing wrong, nothing at all. Starmer’s been hoist by his own petard. He’s probably got the BoD scraming down the phone at him to remove the Whip from Corbyn.
They’d lose, but possibly not in the High Court – I’ve far more confidence in the Supreme Court but the damage the MSM can do with an initial guilty verdict will be considerable however short a time that verdict stands.
There would be immense pressure from ALL our enemies not to appeal – if they can call it antisemitic to deny that we’re antisemitic, imagine what they’ll do with appealing a High Court decision.
If Jeremy can successfully argue that the Supreme Court should bypass the High Court that would be ideal.
If his accusers should withdraw, as well they might, he should immediately counter-sue. We should have sued them years ago and settled the matter for good.
Free speech MUST take precedence over the supposed hurt feelings of a tiny minority whose real agenda is wholly indefensible.
Hi David, they would certainly lose any case because err, they don’t have one. John Ware has a long track record of malicious reporting about JC, the Panorama Programme was full of lies which have now been proven to be lies. I don’t think JC will back down on this one because he’s right.
Jo, rules of evidence exclude some types of evidence we might think are conclusive – a Court might deem many things inadmissible – such accusations as “a long track record of malicious reporting” might be denied for insufficient proof of malice for example – and lying witnesses are not unheard of, or this particular case wouldn’t exist at all..
Even the best lawyers can’t always predict outcomes and even court rulings can be overturned.
The only guarantee is that the lawyers make money, win or lose.
Sued WHO exactly David, and WHEN and what for? You’re obviously not referring to John Ware and the seven so-called whistleblowers, as THAT was only just over a year ago, and you specifically said ‘years ago’. Without knowing the specifics of who and what you’re referring to, it’s impossible to comment, but, that said, you have as good as acknowledged that any legal action against anyone on Jeremy’s part would of course have been condemned and vilified by the usual suspects (with the customary shed-loads of faux outrage) along with the corporate media and the semi-corporate BBC – ie the totally corrupt MSM who have conspired in the Smear Campaign and the demonisation of Jeremy and the left membership during the course of the past nearly five years.
Allan, by “years ago” I clearly meant when our enemies first weaponised AS – right after JC won the leadership.
“Sued WHO exactly David, and WHEN and what for?”
For defamation, immediately after the event and anyone who defamed us.
The argument made at the time, even here, against suing them was the cost and the risk of losing – well look at what NOT suing the fuckers has cost us – TWO fucking elections.
Do please stop asking pointless questions the answers to which are obvious.
It’s tedious.
David – Do you remember all the nonsense about JC laying a wreath on terrorist graves. The following refers to the same incident. Lord Sheikh sued the Daily Mail and won.
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/tory-peer-accepts-substantial-damages-over-defamatory-article-39409746.html
I smell fear and desperation from the right wingers threatening legal action against Corbyn. They know that:
1-Corbyn now has the founds to mount a robust defense. The most likely result is that they will lose their legal case against Corbyn with a strong likelyhood of Corbyn been awarded cost against them. Hence, Corbyn will keep control of almost £300K. without risking a penny.
2- In order to save face and keep with the narrative that the only reasons they didn’t take Corbyn to the cleaners is because Corbyn isn’t a Labour MP anymore; they need Starmer to withdraw the labour whip from Corbyn.
I predicted when the BofD first published their Ten Pledges they’d be used to expel JC. It’s been their objective all along, and ceding ground to the bullies has only emboldened them. It seems they are no longer bothered about an independent disciplinary process free from interference by the leadership, just as they are not bothered about racist bullying carried out “in private” at work. Some of those mentioned in the leaked report should have been fired for gross misconduct. Subverting the organisation you are employed by is not acceptable.
Reason for supporting class action by Msrk Howell and others is it has the greatest chance of success and would undoubtedly bankrupt the party if judgement were enforced
You then have the leverage to ask them to leave, that’s the bottom line there is no longer any pretence that these people can exist in the Labour party
Peter Greens Fleetwood Mac Live 1968-70
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8v_OC3zWCM
R.I.P
Albatross and Oh Well I still hear all the time as TV programme sigs. Saw Fleetwood Mac at the Gin Mill in 67, 8 or 9, saw Chicken Shack there too with Christine Perfect – Pentangle might have been somewhere else nearby, but Free and Duster Bennett were definitely there.
Hard to imagine such a tiny venue being so legendary, and especially in a tiny little place like Godalming – I was just lucky I lived not far away as a teenager.
All a bit of a blur now but I’d waste my life exactly the same way if I had to do it again.
Great days for music.
The hippie years were amazing for the arts – followed by the lost decades of disco and boy bands.
David – Hearing about Peter Green’s death prompted me to revisit vivid memories that I have of attending a Peter Green & Friends gig at a small intimate venue about 10yrs ago. The ravages of the excessive consumption of illicit substances were all too apparent until he started to perform. The contrasts between Peter Green the blues god of old, Peter the person as he was 10 years ago and Peter the supremely talented artist he remained was very striking. He came across as hesitant and a little insecure until the moment he started to perform when the old magic of a truly talented artist came to the fore. The memory of that experience is one that I will always treasure.
I have not contributed to this fund yet. I will be trying to contact JC to let him know that he can depend on my financial support, not just this month, but every month with a similar donation, for as long as it is needed. I think it important for him to know that at this stage.
When socialist councillors in Liverpool took on Thatcher, they paid the price. They were surcharged. The movement came to their aid. Mainly with small donations paid by direct debit until the debt was paid.
The point I am trying to make is that JC is in the dock but this is our fight and we should own it. In my opinion.
Yep, turn it into a fighting fund, use it well and I’ll keep donating for as long as I can.
I’ve been meaning to get back on the diet anyway.
I reckon our accusers will almost certainly back out either on the eve of trial or midway through, to prevent it going to a decision.
If we have to DRAG them through the Courts, drag them we must – without Court decisions against them they’ll just keep on smearing us, safe under the umbrella of the Tory-controlled media.
That’s got to stop or the planet’s doomed.
Susan I’ve just donated and, like you, will make further donations for as long as needed. This is a really important fight to win for JC, for freedom of speech, for the people, the vulnerable and those on the margins of society. It’s our time now and I hope we can make it work. I am a huge huge JC supporter and a lifelong Labour voter but, I am not voting for Labour again while Starmer is Leader.
Just donated Jo. If you put 0 in the tip box you will not be charged a fee for donating. I let the organiser know that my donations will be on-going for as long as it is needed. Solidarity.
My feelings and endorsed by you.
Susan, save your dough because nowt’s gonna happen.
The rats can’t afford for the truth to come out; and it will if they proceed.
Toffee, I don’t know what limits on use of the donations there might be, ie whether a ‘defence’ fund can be used to initiate an action, but Ware needs to be dragged through the Courts to the full extent possible even if he backs down – it should be the first of many actions to prove the rest of our accusers to be liars and Corbyn and Labour to be innocent.
It would be fitting end to the story of “Labour antisemitism” if Corbyn’s new left wing party – and the next government – was financed by suing our worst enemies into bankruptcy.
Not that I’m vindictive or anything…
Let’s face it, centrist is bullshit speak for fascist.
Some of the early signs…
Powerful and continuing nationalism
Disdain for human rights
Identification of enemies as a unifying cause
Supremacy of the military
Rampant sexism
Controlled mass media
Obsession with national security
Religion and government intertwined
Corporate power protected
Labour/worker power suppressed
Disdain for intellectuals & the arts
Obsession with crime & punishment
Rampant cronyism & corruption
Fraudulent elections.
How many did you need for a full house?
Jesus of Nazareth just donated a fiver a few minutes ago, which was very nice of him. So, anyway, he’s back, at long last!
Anyway, as I said in a post above, in effect, it’s a complete mystery why less than 0.5% of current or former left-wing members who supported Jeremy have so far donated to the fund. One thing that occured to me since I posted earlier is that perhaps many people on the left who are STILL members are nervous about donating, even despite the fact they can either donate anonymously OR select the option to hide their name from everyone but the organiser. Whatever the case, there is no doubt that to a large extent, the fascists – which is undoubtedly what they are, and I’m not just childishly name-calling – have created a climate of fear.
I have no idea of course how many left-wing JC supporting members have left the party for one reason or another since last December, but I’d be surprised if it isn’t tens of thousands by now, and there is of course no reason why most of THEM wouldn’t want to donate something, as in their case fear of reprisals obviously can’t be a factor. But I doubt that it would be for most left-wingers who are STILL members, but then maybe they don’t realise there’s an option to withold your name. But I think the most likely explanation is that the vast majority of JC supporters haven’t heard about the crowdfunding, as they don’t tend to read mainstream newspapers anyway (who have mostly covered it), and as far as I can ascertain, it looks as if the BBC has completely blanked it, and if that IS the case, then I think we can safely assume that the decision was taken on the grounds of not wanting to draw peoples attention to it!
I am fully behind JC but have not donated yet? The true strength behind Jeremy is something his detractors can worry about. When/ IF legal proceedings are brought against our friend i like many others will donate what we can. Waves do not travel alone….but there is always the first wave.
You missed off establishment controlled and funded from the Royals down to the slithering supporters of the knight that frequent the sewers But well done ✔
Why would the Blairites want to bankrupt the political party they own & control? They have the leadership they want; all positions of power, including the NEC & the vast majority of the parliamentary Labour Party are to the right of Genghis Khan Someone is playing poker?
The Blairites and the knight of the realm are awaiting orders from their establishment plus US oligarchical masters!
The problem the way I see it is that Starmer thinks he’s President Stoogie. He bypassed the NEC on the decision to pay and he has done that on other things too. Well he’s in the doggy doo now isn’t he?
Jo – “He bypassed the NEC on the decision to pay”
Can you give us a link to the evidence you are relying on to support your assertion.
I have just resigned from the Labour Party & I have not donated to JC’s ‘Fighting Fund’………just yet. I will wait until the chips are down & cards are on the table. We live in interesting times, but the Labour Party & Socialism are now strangers.
So these knobheads believe that they have a godgiven right to interfere with our Party? I do not think so! Maybe time is nearing where anti-libel or anti-slandering letters may need to be sent out to the identified earends. They are too much and they need to be shown their boundaries. PS: I apologise if I have mixed up libel and slander……
Sabine it is a sad fact at the moment that our Government is not working for the good of the British Nation but is being run by two foreign governments – The Israeli Government (all those Friends of Israel in both parties) and the USA. It is erroneous to now call it the British Government because it isn’t. It is protecting and promoting the vested interests of two nations. At least the Israeli’s are out there in the streets protesting against Bibi which is more than we are doing here.
Elsewhere, a host of Labour MPs have joined a 48-hour boycott of Twitter over its failure to take action following a string of antisemitic tweets from Grime artist Wiley. Labour MPs have joined the two-day action taking place on Monday and Tuesday this week.
I’m sure jess ‘mouthpiece’ philips is climbing the fucking walls because of her ‘sacrifice’, eh?
WHO GIVES A FUCK?
I believe we have to accept that social media websites can’t reasonably be called “publishers” since they can’t control what they ‘publish’ in any meaningful sense – more reasonable is for us all to be held responsible in law for illegal online behaviour, as we are for our behaviour in the pub, the street, the home or anywhere else – one doesn’t blame the location for crimes committed there.
To be held responsible we need to be identifiable, which means social media sites and ISP’s being obliged to make our names, emails, payment details and physical locations transparent to whatever authority is charged with prosecuting offenders.
We pay to access the internet and ISP’s can deny us service, so that seems to be the simplest and most effective way to hold us to account.
Social media sites are not the appropriate bodies to draw the line between free speech and abuse – they’re private businesses and not in any way democratically accountable.
Might as well put G4S in charge of the police, the Courts and the judiciary.
Let’s just remind ourselves, especially all those who believe that The Knight of Realm is a white knight for both the democratic socialist Labour Party and also for the ordinary people of the U.K, of Keir Starmer’s track record when he was in charge of Public Prosecutions and his record for the Chicken coup.
During his role as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) (2008 to 2013), Keir Starmer oversaw the prosecution and conviction of a number of MPs and Lords who abused their taxpayer-funded parliamentary expenses, and the successful retrial of the killers of Stephen Lawrence.
All of Keir Starmer’s predecessors as DPP received knighthoods for the role, and he was no different. He was awarded a knighthood in 2014 for “services to law and criminal justice” and is therefore entitled to be known as “Sir Keir Starmer”.
Jimmy Savile
Starmer failed to bring charges against Jimmy Savile for paedophilia. The decision was made despite the Crown Prosecution Service receiving substantial evidence of his crimes from witnesses and victims several years before Savile died in 2011.
Julian Assange
In December 2010, as Julian Assange prepared to appear at London’s High Court to hear an appeal against a lower court’s decision to release him on bail, Keir Starmer was asked to comment on reports in The Guardian newspaper that Sweden has “not got a view at all on bail”. Starmer told BBC radio:
“The general position and the nature of the arrangement is absolutely clear. The Crown Prosecution Service acts here as agents of the government seeking extradition, in this case the Swedish government. These proceedings are brought as agents of the Swedish government.”
A spokeswoman for the Swedish prosecutor’s office, Karin Rosander, told AFP the decision to oppose bail was “a decision of the British prosecutor and that is what the British prosecutor’s office has confirmed to me.”
According to Freedom of Information searches by the Italian journalist Stefania Maurizi, Sweden tried to drop the Assange case in 2011, but a CPS official in London told the Swedish prosecutor not to treat it as “just another extradition”.
In 2012, the Swedish prosecutor received an email from the CPS: “Don’t you dare get cold feet!!!” Other CPS emails were either deleted or redacted. Why? Keir Starmer needs to say why.
John Worboys
Keir Starmer has also encountered criticism over the CPS’s decision to release the prolific serial rapist, John Worboys, from prison, as well as the decision not to pursue 75 further allegations made against him. However, in 2018, the CPS issued a statement claiming the Starmer had no role in either of the decisions regarding Worboys.
Ian Tomlinson
Ian Tomlinson was brutally attacked by police officer Simon Harwood in 2009. Harwood hit Tomlinson, who was walking with his hands in his pockets in the other direction, across the back of the legs with a baton. Tomlinson was unable to break his fall, causing fatal internal bleeding to his liver shortly afterwards. Fifteen months later, Starmer announced that Harwood would not be prosecuted. The CPS proceeded a few months later when an inquest jury found that Tomlinson had been unlawfully killed.
Spycops scandal
In 2011, Starmer was in court to witness the collapse of a trial of environmental activists after the involvement of undercover police officer Mark Kennedy was revealed. The case began the “Spycops” scandal, which has since exposed the extensive, long-term infiltration of left-wing and environmentalist groups by police agents, who grossly abused the rights of campaigners and perverted the course of justice in countless court cases. The CPS is suspected of having been closely involved.
As DPP, Starmer refused to pursue the matter. Referring to an in-house CPS investigation, he accepted the manifestly untrue: “If Sir Christopher Rose had found systemic problems, then I would quite accept perhaps a retrospective look at all the cases. But he didn’t, he found individual failings.”
Protection of MI5 and MI6
Under his direction, the CPS refused to prosecute MI5 and MI6 personnel in 2010, 2011 and 2012. The agents were suspected of participating in CIA extraordinary rendition programmes and the torture of detainees in Guantanamo Bay and Afghanistan.
Benefits campaign
In 2013, after Tory Chancellor George Osborne launched a gutter-press campaign against “benefits cheats,” Starmer issued guidelines for the CPS allowing those accused of improperly drawing social security to be charged under the Fraud Act. This allowed for sentences of up to 10 years. He also removed the financial threshold on sending cases to Crown Court, meaning even the most trivial “offences” could be punished with long-term jail time.
Express trials
Following the London riots in 2012 and the rubber-stamp sentencing of over 1,000 young people, Starmer praised the efforts to rush defendants through the courts: “For me it was the speed that I think may have played some small part in bringing the situation back under control.” He visited Highbury Magistrates Court in North London in the early hours of the morning to boost the morale of the prosecutors and praise their efficiency.
“Chicken Coup”
Starmer’s “Chicken Coup” resignation letter
During the infamous so-called “Chicken Coup”, less than a year after the Labour membership had handed Jeremy Corbyn a massive mandate to lead the party, numerous Labour Shadow Cabinet Ministers instigated co-ordinated resignations from the front bench in a deeply cynical attempt to remove him as leader.
In his resignation letter dated 27 June 2016, Keir Starmer – who was a Shadow Immigration Minister at the time – essentially claimed that because a lot of other Shadow Ministers had resigned, he decided to resign too. In the opening paragraph of Starmer’s letter, he claims that he initially “respected the mandate” that Labour members had given to Jeremy Corbyn to lead the party.
Starmer then uses two different excuses for his decision to disregard the democratic will of Labour members: claiming that the party needed a “louder voice” regarding Brexit, and that Mr Corbyn’s position was “untenable” because so many Shadow Ministers had resigned.
In the subsequent 2016 Labour leadership election, Starmer went on to support the astonishingly dour, former big pharma lobbyist, Owen Smith.
https://wikispooks.com/wiki/Keir_Starmer
Thanks Brianbotou….. for your detailed Charge sheet against the establishment knight.One thing I have learnt living in the jungle in the shadow of the mountain is to clearout the Snakes before doing any form of building work….Always kill the snake by cutting off the head…..That the only solution for the membership other than forming a new Socialist party…Which will be extremely difficult.
Not an exhaustive list @brianbotou.
Refused to prosecute damine grope green and his borother michael green…Sorry, grant shapps. Even though the met police told the public that shapps’ actions ‘may have constituted fraud’ the slimy one resigned as DPP that very same day.
And we’re meant to believe he’s any different than the rest of them…
The Knight of the Realm is a shyster, just like the other white knight was who was going to save the democratic socialist Labour party. I know it , you know it as do many other Labour members and supporters. Unfortunately, there are still those who have convinced themselves that he will and those who are devout followers of the shyster.
Joseph okeefe
“That the only solution for the membership other than forming a new Socialist party…Which will be extremely difficult.”
I suggest that the internet makes it very easy.
SteveH27/07/2020 AT 8:49 AM
David – I support the democratically elected leader of the party
Yeah, you do now. didn’t last time, shithouse.
My support is not unconditional, it is dependant (sic) on them not straying too far away from the principles and pledges that their mandate is based on.
You godawful lying, politically promiscuous shithouse. Your support for the EU far outweighed your support for a socialist UK government. If it didn’t, we demand to hear why not.
‘Principles’? Ha-ha-a-fucking-ha-ha-ha. Oh, PLEASE stop it, you’re giving me a hernia through laughing that much.
Gobshite.
…politically promiscuous shithouse…
You really do have a gifted verbosity Toffee. I hope our paths cross one day. I’m gonna be poor, and you’re going to be very drunk because of it.
Thanks for the laugh. Damned accurate too!
SteveH27/07/2020 AT 8:49 AM
10. Effective opposition to the Tories
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/AjarGlitteringAngora-size_restricted.gif
The Toffee Yep, Starmer hasn’t provided one shred of bona fide opposition to this Government. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. He’s only been an MP for 5 years and shows now that he knows absolutely nothing about politics or opposition. JC used to crucify May and Johnson at PMQs. He co-ordinated a brilliant, solid group of MPS (including Tories) to oppose a No Deal Brexit and it held solid. Jo Swinson, that well known Tory stooge, scuppered the whole thing. She paid the price. Starmer? He hasn’t provided any opposition at all to Johnson. When I heard him challenge Johnson about removing the Licence from RT it said everything, everything we needed to know. That’s not a political priority is it? He’s useless.
Nothing will say “Owned party” more than Starmer capitulating to this one. As for the centrist whingers, we only have a Johnson led government thanks to their actions. They should hang their heads in shame, but shame requires guilt and guilt requires a conscience.
£300,780. I was sure it would go high, but that’s really high.
Brilliant
Coo-ee, 🇮🇱, check this out! 🤣🤣🤣
When Corbyn was destroyed by the greedy & corrupt within his party I saw the end of Labour. The only way back is to form a new Labour Party, Green Labour sounds good to me! Starmer and the Margaret Hodges within Labour (who blindly support greedy billionaire liars & fixers) will never get my families votes again. We will tread the streets & campaign door to door to campaign for Corbyn or similar decent leader of any chosen new party. Failing this we will remain without a party in a political wilderness.
judyjudi
Give it 12 months, to much red water to pass under the bridge
What we have at moment is a ‘Temporary embarrassment ‘
The right is no longer tenable in our party
Regards