Accidental email reveals changes made by party to comments by Shadow Disability Minister
An error by a party employee has exposed the Labour Party watering down a shadow minister’s criticism of the Tories’ treatment of disabled people and handling of the pandemic, the Disability News Service (DNS) has reported.
Shadow Disability Minister Vicky Foxcroft had drafted comments attacking the government over its response to the coronavirus crisis and its discrimination against disabled people – but the version sent out as a response to a DNS press enquiry still showed the changes made by the party.
The changes made included the removal of Foxcroft’s reference to the ‘vital’ role of unions in protecting disabled people from discrimination – and of all references to discrimination against disabled people.
DNS had asked Foxcroft for comment on new research casting doubt on the Tories’ claims to have reduced the disability employment gap, research warning that the pandemic and the resulting recession are hitting employment of disabled people and concerns about the Tories’ guidance for “clinically extremely vulnerable” people.
The dilution of criticism is entirely in line with Keir Starmer’s performance as Labour leader. As well as repeatedly agreeing with the Tories and promising support on the return to schools ‘no ifs no buts’, Starmer has also reportedly told Labour MPs ‘not to be too critical’ of the Tories:
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Is there ny chance of publishing a copy of this email?
If it helps, I attach a link to the DNS story below. It is more grey than black and white. The gun is warm, but not smoking. As a severely disabled person myself, I am well aware that our party has always been weak on disability and social care. As a former Cabinet Member for Adult Services I gave up counting the numbers of letters sent to Barbara Keeley, the former shadow care minister up to 2019, which never got answered (although her SPAD was helpful and worked with us on draft policy ideas). We have to keep up the pressure. https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/labour-waters-down-criticism-of-government-by-its-own-shadow-disability-minister/
David – Thanks.
Last two sentences in the DNS piece:
It is not clear whether Foxcroft’s staff member consulted with party headquarters before amending her comments.
But he said yesterday that the comments read by DNS “were drafts that I was free to amend” and the final version was “agreed with Vicky so those are the responses that should be used.”
I agree with David Walsh – the authorship seems inconclusive.
No actual evidence anyone’s arm was twisted.
Breaking News
Tragically Joe Anderson’s elder brother died late lastnight from Covid-19
Whats the point of drafting a comment,if she has nothing to say.Shame about the disabled,but thats life is that the attitude now in the Labour party.Could someone anyone please redact that mistake “the knight”
“ exposed the Labour Party watering down a shadow minister’s criticism of the Tories’ treatment of disabled people and handling of the pandemic…”
Thank you Skwawkbox.
This is EXACTLY how Sir Keir Rodney Starmer is destroying Labour and stressing the membership.
Is it intentional? Maybe in part, but mostly it is that special type of conceited arrogance which socialism-denying centrists seem always to illustrate. They think politics is a business where innovative business models can control and dominate a “market”. They appoint a second-rate marketing consultant, David Evans, as General Secretary of Labour’s NEC and think the electorate will reward them with a massive majority at the next General Election.
Sadly, it will be a rude awakening that the electorate will deliver to sir Keir’s Labour Party. We should avoid the near-certain catastrophe and replace the billionaires’ friend and appointee as soon as possible.
🥱
What is wrong with what Qwertboi said?
Nothing knew. Wavertree, again SH, had a disabled member abused by a LP Councillor, then investigated by the LP for the crime of being disabled. But we didn’t read it here.
In fact Wavertree seems to have fallen off the map re this site as there’s much going on here. The former Sec now expelled after being accused of being a member of the CP!!. Why the silence?
If only we still had a good leader. Imagine what the marvellous Jeremy Corbyn would be saying about this vile government and its mismanagement of everything it touches were we not downgraded to Sir Keir Rodney Starmer.
Make the time to put aside 14 minutes and listen to this positive profile of Steve Rotheram
BBC R4 Profile
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000nkhh
The former bricklayer steering Liverpool through the latest coronavirus lockdown. Liverpool was the first region to face the toughest restrictions as the second wave of the pandemic takes hold. The man in charge of dealing with this new crisis is the first mayor of the city region, Steve Rotheram. Becky Milligan charts his rise, from a 16-year-old school leaver to prominent politician.
You gonna do Richard (And the rest of us) the courtesy?
https://skwawkbox.org/2020/10/17/labour-waters-down-criticism-of-tories-by-own-shadow-minister-removes-all-reference-to-disability-discrimination-and-vital-role-of-unions/#comment-160641
Toffee – I’ve made my views clear on many occasions and you have disagreed with me and the evidence on many occasions. I really can’t be bothered repeating myself on this occasion.
What you mean is you daren’t try defending the indefensible as it will once again show you up to be the hypocrite you are. You don’t even possess the courage of your own convictions, so instead you resort to emojis.
When everyone is screaming at the toerags for bollocksing everything they’ve touched and stammer can only bring himself to mumble a mere criticism, you’re the loudest on here.
Although when stammer’s roundly and justifiably criticised for his hesitancy and ambivalence (Just about every day, at least thrice a day) instead of letting rip as he’s supposed to, you either keep schtum or find fault with the critic….And resort to emojis when you too get taken apart.
🤷🏽♂️
Disabled mentally ill and sick unemployed have all had a kicking of Tory party many many dead and you argue over labours response hmm sadly that’s the attitude in the labour party stammer the spammer is and only a Tory plant if you think otherwise you demented it’s shown time and time again by stammer the spammer
Jeffrey – The polling consistently portrays an entirely different reality. Keir Starmer’s approval rating is 26 points ahead of Boris Johnson’s.
Jeffrey – I agree with you about the Tories and the sick and disabled (I have personal experience) and it is also obvious that Labour hasn’t been able to do enough to counter their venality even when the Tory’s didn’t have an overall majority.but I don’t agree with you about Keir Starmer
He denies it but did Tony Blair breach the quarantine rules when he returned from the US ?
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18802873.tony-blair-denies-breaching-covid-quarantine-rules-us-trip/
The utter neo Blairite cynicism that now once again saturates ever Starmer NuLabour tactical shift and announcement is well exemplified by Labour’s pretence that it now backs Marcus Rashford’s excellent campaign for the provision of free school meals for all children of UC receiving parents , every day, including the summer holidays. As this ‘The Canary’ article explains ,. Labour’s pretended ‘support for the campaign’ only extends for as long as ‘this covid19 crisis ‘ does ! NuLabour are determined to be ‘fiscally prudent’ even if this means hundreds of thousands of children going hungry. At a time when the Tories have gaily thrown away their previously supposedly sacred ‘fiscal rules’ and are spending state cash like water (and handing lots of it to their private sector cronies, like SERCO of course) , the usual grovelling to the shibbolith of ‘balanced budgets'(and the economic illiteracy) that underlies Labour’s continuing financial cowardice, is even more pathetic than usual. https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2020/10/18/labours-support-for-rashford-is-a-sham-heres-why/
The tragic thing about the now quite clear re-adoption by Starmer’s NuLabour of an entirely ‘Blue Labour’, Tory Lite, deeply jingoistic, cynical politics, which , above all, always tries to avoid giving the likes of the Daily Mail the excuse for a critical headline, is that this crap, slippery. politics, without even a straight honest policy offer in most areas (other than craven pro Nuke, pro NATO, bletherings), is that it won’t win back our 40 lost Scottish seats, or most of our lost 80 old Heartland seats either – so NuLabour , and its corrupt MP’s will never hold office again to reap the personal payback corrupt rewards of being in government. (other than in an eventual German-style Tory/NuLabour Coalition that is ).