Members praise Butler for support for unions fighting for school closures in response to pandemic
Labour members in Brent Central overwhelmingly passed a motion tonight praising their MP for her firm support for unions in their fight for schools to be closed to prevent COVID deaths – and condemned party leader Keir Starmer’s lack of opposition.
Seven members of the constituency party (CLP) voted against the measure, after their attempt to delete the reference to Starmer’s inadequacy failed, but they said they were supportive of the motion otherwise.
The version passed says:
Brent Central CLP congratulates Dawn Butler and others in supporting the coalition of trade unions – particularly the NEU and UNISON – and other organisations which called for learning to be shifted to remote teaching and learning, and for schools to be physically closed except to key worker children and those deemed vulnerable.
We condemn Keir Starmer’s failure to oppose the government stance of keeping all [schools] physically opened, contrary to the scientific evidence that supported closure. This led to millions of primary children attending school on 4 January 2020 before the government was compelled by the weight of scientific evidence, the unions, Labour councils, MPs and wider public pressure to close them. This one day of mixing is likely to have risked teachers, support staff, parents, grandparents and other members of the community to coronavirus.
Currently early years and nursery schools continue to be pressured by the government to stay physically open or lose funding. Brent Central CLP urges Keir Starmer and the Labour Party to now oppose this with utmost urgency, and to demand that the government does not tie funding for early years and nursery schools – Dedicated School Grant (DSG) – to the headcounts of attending students. Staff are being unnecessarily exposed to danger, and parents are already rightly keeping their children away from early years and nursery schools. These settings deserve state support, not threats of punishment.
The meeting also noted that TV presenters Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid have provided more opposition and scrutiny of the Tories’ conduct and policies than the Labour leadership.
Starmer did more than fail to oppose. On the schools issue, he actively pushed the government to open schools without delay after the summer break with his infamous ‘no ifs no buts’ call. The latest wave of the pandemic has lead to record daily death numbers far exceeding the worst of the first wave, with the scientific consensus and the government’s own data showing that keeping schools open has been a key driver of the rate of infections.
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Good! It’s surprising teachers have appeared so reluctant to employ their one strength, a withdrawal of Labour. They should Demand staff to ok for distancing; small classes and better home learning – oh and vaccines! It’s not asking for much but perhaps other ‘public face’ workers take it up? Dawn Butler is good for Brent.
I both look forward to and dread skwawkbox emails in equal measures. Every item skwawkbox sends is interesting and informative, usually found in few, if any, other sources. However, I always dread to see what that clown Starmer, and his right-wing backers, have got up to this time.
Good point chris Mooney.My blood pressure is off the Richter scale despite not being a member anymore…I still care for the working-class they were supposedly there to represent.!..Shame on the Labour party and especially the imposters in the POP soon to be redundant.
Shame on the PLP….imposters
This led to millions of primary children attending school on 4 January 2020…
Sorry if it’s being pedantic but shouldn’t that read 2021?
I’ve always liked Dawn Butler — strikes me as someone with a bit of fire in their belly, who always seems to stand by what she believes in, unlike so many of the PLP (both past and present) who seem more fixated on their careers than on those they’re elected to serve as democratic socialists.
Silence, plebs!
The failure to oppose (anything) is all part of the forensic one’s grand plan. When he gets into number ten (stop sniggering) he’ll oppose everything.
When the BBC via Morgan and Reid are doing more than the knight led Labour party,then its time to throw in the towel and go.The knights primary interest is in opposition the Palestinian people and Socialist backing of the Palestinian cause.Starmer has dropped all pretence of a 2state solution and is being well paid for it whilst destroying the Labour party..Beware you right wing mps you Will soon be redundant to the knights long game of a one state,one people in palastine…The Jewish state of Israel “and the capital Jerusalem..!
Joseph
It’s ITV, via Morgan & Reid…
Skwawky, may I ask why the comments were closed on this story below please? Is it to do with legal threats or a mistake or something else. Its a really disturbing story that should make Starmers position untenable.
https://skwawkbox.org/2021/01/19/starmer-appoints-of-former-foreign-cyber-spy-to-monitor-social-media-and-right-wing-labour-already-has-form-for-spying-on-members/
No you may not!
Dawn Butler could take Temporary Embarrassment
‘Milly One Punch’
Sigh yes it’s nice comrades but FFS you know the cult of new Labour 2.0 will just shred it and ignore it.
There is NO purpose in sending in these worthless motions! They rely on the stupid members to just blow off steam using them and do nothing!!
Your just wasting your time and effort supporting this cult. That certainly is NOT a socialist party any more… We desperately need a socialist party to be the opposition and help the people of the UK.
This cult will only support the Tory scum and occasionally abstain. They will never condemn, or vote down a motion. You know actually do there dam job!
What is the point of saying that ‘New Labour 2’ will just shred it and ignore it DG? I mean do you for one millisecond think that Brent Central CLP passed the motion in the belief that their condemnation of Starmer would somehow and in some way be acted upon?! Of course they didn’t, and they were just making a point re Starmer AND praising their own MP at the same time. Try showing a bit of solidarity DG instead of making spurious points which have F/A to do with reality!