MP, who was at Hillsborough as a youngster, says no one who writes for Murdoch should be leading anything in the labour movement
Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne, who was at Hillsborough as a youngster, has spoken out against the decision of Labour’s notional leader Keir Starmer to write for the S*n.
Byrne holds one the most Labour-voting seat in the UK and served as a councillor in the Walton area where both the city’s great football clubs have their grounds. His statement is full of dignity but his absolute and justified fury cannot be disguised – and he says, in as many words, that Starmer is not fit to be Labour leader, nor should anyone who writes for the Murdoch rag hold any position in the whole labour movement:
Today the families & survivors of Hillsborough, the people of my city, supporters of our great club & the millions of others smeared by the rag will feel profoundly betrayed by the leader of the party I was elected to represent.
I have put on record my views, that if any leader of any of the components of our great Labour and Trade Union movement write in the rag, they are not fit to be in that position.
I stand fully behind that position today.
#JFT97
Starmer has been sidling constantly closer to Murdoch and his not-fit-for-toilet paper ever since he became leader, despite telling Liverpool Labour members during the party’s leadership campaign that he would not give interviews to it ‘during this campaign’.
And he claimed he was fully aware of the hurt and damage it has caused:
But after promoting MPs who have written for the rag, Starmer then allowed it a place at last week’s Labour conference in Brighton – despite the conference arrangements chair admitting the party would never get away with it in Liverpool – and now he has written directly for it.
Byrne, who as well as serving as a councillor and MP is also a founder of the brilliant Fans Supporting Foodbanks and architect of the growing ‘Right to Food’ movement to make food a human right, is as well connected as any MP to the working-class roots that so-called centrists have betrayed.
If he says Starmer is unfit, then that view will be shared by hundreds of thousands in Liverpool – and many more in the numerous communities ‘the Scum’ has lied about, abused and spat on for decades.
Byrne stands ‘full square’ behind his assessment this morning. Skwawkbox stands full square with him and all the people abused by Murdoch’s foul publication or horrified by a so-called ‘Labour leader’ creeping to it.
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I expect other Merseyside MPs to echo Ian’s sentiment. (Well in, Ian 👍 )
That is, Dan Carden. And perhaps Mick Whitley. (It was previous incumbent frankenfield’s numerous columns in that bogroll started the ball rolling in getting Mick the gig)
And that’ll probably be about it. Don’t expect solidarity from either of the illeagle twins – and don’t expect any tears from ‘teary’ alison mcgovern this time about. 😒
Toffee, I expect Dan Carden and Kim Johnson to join too. No 100% sure about Paula Baker,
Maria Paula’s released a statement condemning Starmer for writing the article.
Apologies for pushing in, but I just did a search to see if any of the MSM covered this, and the only one that came up in the results was an article on the ITV News website, which obviously isn’t the same as covering it in news bulletins (which they MAY have done, but I’d be surprised if they did). A few blogs covered it, such as Vox Political, but the Liverpool Echo and the Yorkshire post both covered it. Here’s a link to the ITV News article (and below, links to the Yorkshire Post and Liverpool Echo articles):
‘Sir Keir Starmer faces Labour backlash on Merseyside for writing Sun article’
https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2021-10-03/sir-keir-starmer-faces-labour-backlash-on-merseyside-for-writing-sun-article
‘Keir Starmer accused of betraying Hillsborough victims after writing article for The Sun’
Keir Starmer has been accused of “betraying” survivors of the Hillsborough disaster by members of his own party after writing an opinion piece for The Sun newspaper.
The move to write for the paper has been condemned by Labour MPs and fans’ groups in Liverpool, where The Sun has been boycotted by many for its coverage of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.
Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne said Hillsborough survivors and families will feel “profoundly betrayed” by the party leader’s decision to write for The Sun, while Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson said she has written to Sir Keir to ask him to meet families of the 97 victims.
Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram said: “The piece published today has unsurprisingly upset a lot of people across my region. I have been in touch with Keir to express the disappointment that I and many others feel.”
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politics/keir-starmer-accused-of-betraying-hillsborough-victims-after-writing-article-for-the-sun-3405769
‘Keir Starmer breaks 2020 vow by writing article in the S*n’
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/keir-starmer-breaks-2020-vow-21747642
PS Starmer did in fact say that he won’t be speaking to the Sun during the leadership election which, when you think about it, doesn’t add up. I mean if you had a reason or reasons NOT to speak to the Sun THEN, why would they not apply afterwards!
I’ve started #StarmerUScum on Twitter.
Kim Johnson’s twitter page. Scroll down a little:
https://twitter.com/KimJohnsonMP
Some of the people who tweeted in response to Mick Whitley’s comment were saying blah, ‘blah, blah, but you have to try and reach as many people as possible etc, which is true. Only problem though is that Starmer is a total fraud of course, and whatever he says to appeal to potential Labour voters is just political expediency:
https://twitter.com/MickWhitleyMP/status/1444668038985523208
IAN Byrne the mans a absolute marvel and hes one is own as far as fellow mps and socialists go.who has yet havnt dared to make the move to tell starmer how it is out there amongst the hungry and destitute and just what Starmer is and his misfits cabinet.I new ian would show the way and hes made the move before Starmer and Evans.who will expel any mp with a pulse and a sense of morality and identity….Now its a question of when not if?
Joseph, the when is a soon as the Tories call a General Election and before purdah. Starner’s isn’t suspending Byrne just yet, in order to deprive Byrne and other socialist MPs, the time needed to prepare for a General Election as Labour independent candidates.
But, I agree with you it would happen.
Ian Byrne is an excellent example of how our MP’s should be chosen from the local community, not parachuted in like Bill Esterson and others because they meet the requirements of those in ‘head office.
According to Marr, the Sun did NOT ask Starmer to write the piece, HE asked the Sun!
If anything could make it worse, then that is it!
This news beggars belief. I refuse to think that headroom and Mandy haven’t cooked something up. What, did they think would happen? Strange.
Starmer’s decision to write for the Sun is a calculated move to distance himself further from left-wingers. It is vital not to be provoked by this; eg, do not resign or post comments that could be used against you. Ian Byrne is a model.
I vehemently disagree.
Ian Byrne has already given stammer the ammuntion, and I won’t be in the least bit surprised to hear that the gears have (already) been set in motion against him.
It’s now up to all elected labour politicians and CLPs on Merseyside to follow his lead, show solidarity with him and the people of this region by voicing their dissatisfaction with stammer’s ‘leadership’.
Those MPs that refuse to ought to be triggered as they do not represent the interests and concerns of their constituents. Indeed, they will have blatantly betrayed them.
Not only does stammer believe there’s nowhere else to turn for labour voters, he thinks he’s got it made around here whatever he does. It’s about time he was roundly told to get to fuck out of it, in no uncertain terms.
Toffee I tried to like you post but couldn’t do so for some reason. I fully agree with you. In relation to Starmer being told to get to F*** out of it there is only one sure way to do this in my opinion – you are right when you say he believes Labour voters have nowhere else to go so they should simply not vote. A boycott of all elections should be organised and Starmer told that nobody will vote or campaign for Labour while he is leader and carrying out his disgusting purges and courtship of S*N “readers” . Naturally we would continue to vote/campaign for Left wing candidates which given that Liverpool is the “reddest” city in England these are greatly under represented and we have liars ( brickgate) and clowns like Angela Eagle permanently in place.
Paul smiffy ….You are probably a nice man who means the best but waiving the white flag is not a plan.Describing ian Byrne as a model for what if it isnt determination and leadership somthing severly lacking in the left wing of the Labour party especially amongst mps and councillors.You cannot do nothing whilst the knights troops are in position and hope you arnt out on your backsides.Maybe you can?but youre not a left wing mp whos days are numbered by the knights Labour party.
Reply to Josephokeefe
So the Left lacks determination and leadership do we? How do you define determination and leadership? What exactly do you suggest we do? I wondered how long it would take you to have another swipe at the Left – for a “socialist” you do this with boring regularity.
smartboy you are embarrassing yourself andI think we all know what its about with you and its not my comments that bothers you its your trans thought control thats getting very close the stalking over the last few weeks that you got into a tantrum.Now is not the time to stalk me or anyone else just because we have a difference of opinion on a subject that I have kept away from LGBT because I personally have a more important agenda than sexual orientation or your personal lifstyle..Do not look for more enemys amongst comrades look to the future not the past.
I see you are at your usual deflection tactics Joseph. What have trans issues to do with your sniping at the Left at every opportunity while posing as a “Socialist” .
Smartboy if you mean opposition to the knights shadowy misfits Labour party then you must direct your posts to the Swawkbox,Canary,morning star and most of the comments on here that have had enough of the Knights Labour party.Cut out the stalking and remember my record as a councillor,activist,virtually every position in the CLP under the name I was born with and you have the brass neck to call into question my politics because youve got your knickers in a twist over trans rights and freedoms that has I have told you before I have no interest in because of more important issues like starving kids and real poverty.Last comment I have explained enough and tried to reason with you but you are just a saddo that needs to get a life.and cut out the stalking behind the keyboard.
Joseph Engaging in nasty personal insults because you cannot deny that you regularly post anti left comments while claiming to be a socialist does you no credit whatsoever. It just further undermines your credibility as a genuine contributor.
WTF? Oh we must be good little boys and girls keep on giving them money and support. Stay silent and scared sod that! I was brought up with a socialist ideology that embodied the Labour movement as was my parents and grandparents I held that for over 50 years even during Blair BS years I sure as hell will not bend the knee and stay silent and stupid for so of sodding Blair cult of new Labour 2.0 there is no Labour party any more just a zombie party with a rede rosette to confuse stupid and the gullible to vote as they alwase have.
I will NOT vote for some sub Tory BS with a few left sounding bits thrown in is not Labour, and this endless stay and fight stupidity from shills and the stupid is annoying and predictable. I will stay as soon as you tell us how to remove 95% of the party Mp maybe if you have 30 years of fighting but the staff that you have no power over the hiring of? Oh whoops that’s where the stay and fight alwase comes unstuck you cant remove the real cancer deep in the Labour party. If you don’t remove all the right wing cancer it will remain the same lies and deceptions endlessly stopping us getting into power no thanks.
Wake me up when there is a socialist only labour party run by the members that tells Mp’s to shut up and do your damn jobs your well paid for maybe we will return then. But until then my money, support and vote stays in my pocket and no where near this lot thanks.
Disabled Grandad….I am hoping that ian Byrne has made a calculated move to leave the Labour party alongside other sitting mps to form a new working-class movement before the next general election.He must be too intelligent not to realise he and the rest of the left are finished in the Labour party.Hes shown leadership and determination to feed the hungry and destitute and has a good knowledge of whats needed.Then again he might have studdied Bernadette Devlins comments of “I never wanted to be a mp I wanted to do something” and she did along with the democracy movement in Ireland and brought down the hated Stormont Goverment.Ian will hopefully show us the way but I wouldn’t blame him if he went back to helping the Hungary and destitute of Liverpool.
An interesting account of how the conference was designed to stifle any opposition to Starmer. Just imagine the degree of organisation it must have taken to implement this level of control and suppression!
https://creatingsocialism.org/a-new-delegates-personal-tale-from-brighton/
Why is anybody surprised? A man without integrity with values alien to anyone who believes in Truth; Justice & Freedom of Speech.
Change of subject, but is Klopp still fit to be a manager in a city where footie is a religion and stadiums are places of worship? 🤔
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/58775881
“is Klopp still fit to be a manager”
Strange question!! Of course he is.
Wrong. Football managers should not be going large on questions of public health. People are influenced. He should be fined for making a dangerous departure from his area of expertise … kicking a ball around.
And if he continues doing it, sack him.
Do you think he is giving bad advice?
Wirral, thanks for answering my questions.
Yes. But that’s immaterial. He needs to shut up on ‘vaccines’ / ‘vaccine’ passports and open up on football related stuff, where he belongs.
You’re obviously not keen on Covid vaccines then?
What vaccines? Don’t you do any research?
So you are saying he isn’t allowed his opinion but you are when it comes to covid?
Get over yourself!
His opinion gets plastered across the BBC website, where it’s potentially shared by millions, broadcast on TV and radio, printed in newspapers. Millions of others’ opinions including mine, do not. Wake up. Then try again.
Note: My reply was to wirral, not Jack.
His opinion gets plastered across the BBC website, where it’s potentially shared by millions, broadcast on TV and radio, printed in newspapers.
Good for him, I hope people are influenced as he talks more sense than you!
Millions of others’ opinions including mine, do not.
You have your own blog, so you do have the opportunity to share your opinion!
Wake up. Then try again.
Don’t worry about me. I am awake!
Your funeral.
NO!
Thanks. Dick.
I don’t think anyone should drink and drive, even after, just, one pint.
I, also, think, everyone should wear a seat belt, while in a moving vehicle.
Everyone riding on a motorcycle, should wear a crash-helmet.
Everyone should look both ways, before crossing the road.
Coughs and sneezes spread diseases- trap your germs in a handkerchief.
Spitting spreads tuberculosis.
FUCK OFF wirral
Stoopid footie fan, prone to flaring up, are we?
A great comment George.
The product of a disordered mind more like 😁
……..’When current Labour leader Keir Starmer was campaigning to be elected to his post and briefly wanted to appeal to left-wing Labour members, he emphasised how he had been a legal observer on the Wapping picket lines, watching for police abuse of the pickets.
Murdoch has denied any independent union recognition at his UK newspapers ever since……….’
https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7b9qm/heres-why-rupert-murdoch-billionaire-media-mogul-loves-this-trade-unionist
An article about. Urdoch’s interfefence in Unite elections.
I wonder who Starmer was watching and just how far back his now obvious collusion with thr police and security service goes.
Murdoch’s intercerence in Unite, that should read.
As far as I am aware, we never did see any evidence that Starmer did march against the Iraq War. I was very suspicious of the claim at the time that it was made.
Tony that twit Starmer wouldn’t know a march if it trampled over him.Posh boys from private public schools don’t go on demos against anything..They are the cause w marches.
He’s shown his face at other protests. As with the 2019 photo of Starmer campaigning next to McDonald’s workers for £15 an hour. But whether his presence is performative – merely aimed at maintaining cover as a fake leftist, is now a fair question.
Starmer is such a wretched man it’s quite possible.
There is no doubt that Keir Starmer was opposed to the Iraq War
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2003/mar/17/foreignpolicy.iraq1
No decent person whether a Labour politician or not would have anything to do with the filthy rag which is The S*n never mind contribute an article to it. It shouldn’t be necessary for Ian Byrne to speak out – everybody with one ounce of integrity and/or intelligence knows that the S*n is a hate filled, hate inducing ultra right wing piece of dirt. What happened to the Hillsborough victims and their families was truly awful, the racism of the S*n, its narrative about the Miners during the strike etc is there for all to see. Therefore people who read or contribute to the S*n have to look up to see the gutter.
In my opinion what drew Starmer to the rag was the anti Corbyn/anti Socialist stance it adopted. As well as the usual lies and filth published by other organs of the MSM the S*n ( along with that other rag The Daily Mail) actually faked and posted a video of Jeremy ” dancing” on the way to the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday. That illustrates how deep and vicious its hatred for him was( and still is) and the depths to which they were prepared to sink in order to vilify him. No doubt Starmer is hoping for more of the same directed at either Jeremy or other Socialist MPs .
I think every Merseyside CLP and MP and every CLP and MP from anywhere else who supports the Hillsborough families should record their disgust at Starmers actions openly and publicly. Failure to do this is condoning his appalling decision.
Starmer is clearly willing to sell his soul for power and control but it needs to be made clear that his actions are abhorrent to decent people who stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who have suffered at the hands of Murdock and his vile rag
The faux sincerity and exaggerating gestures reek of Blairism WMD-what Labour leader should highlighting is Leveson 2 and the release of the papers surrounding Orgreave 1984/85 now.
SM, correct. If Starmer was anywhere close to being on the left, he would have no need to keep telling us that his dad was a toolmaker, his actions would show it. On the contrary, he has shown beyond any doubt whatsoever that he is about as far from being on the left as Thatcher was.
Begs the question of the Socialist MP’s what will it take to challenge Temporary Embarrassment
I’m back to my starting point, all politicians are gutless and spineless bottom feeders until proven otherwise
As it now requires 20% of the PLP to back a challenger we are well and truly stuffed Doug- we just don’t have the numbers which is why this rule change was brought in.
Doug, along the same lines, I would just say don’t trust any of them until they have proven otherwise.
I just read that the S*n asked readers to vote libdem in some marginals where the LibDems were second to Labour. That takes some hate!
That’s the thing about Ian Byrne MP, dignity. Whenever he needs to admonish, he does it with dignity. Like another on the left in Labour, he shows everyone respect, even those he does not understand or trust. Fans supporting Foodbanks and his Right to Food campaign, I’m pleased that good people like Ian Byrne persist with Starmer’s Labour.
BBC Football pundit Ian “Wrighty” Wright ‘writes’ for the Scum. I was wondering, does rank stupidity mixed with ignorance mixed with deliberately flying in the face of centuries’ relentless persecution of your brothers qualify as an excuse? 🤔
On the same note, just about every kopite on Merseyside (all 10k of them lol) boycotts the morning Murdoch.
…But they’re always phoning in to Murdoch-owned talk
shitesport and they still subscribe to Murdoch-owned sky…And furthermore… I’ve just heard “Oh! Jeremy Corbyn” being sung at the Liverpool/City game…Admittedly not by many but enough to be heard….
85 years ago tomorrow, if memory serves, was the day of The Battle of Cable Street. There is a commemoration/celebration of the event this afternoon – probably still going on as I write.
There will be thousands there, who are standing up against antisemitism 85 years later. Michael Rosen, amongst others, is speaking. Who else will be there, standing up for decency and standing against nazism?
Will Starmer be there? or Hodge, Akehurst, Gapes. Leslie etc. etc.?
I suspect we know the answer.
Keef will be busy doing another op-ed for rupe.
Madge the pederast-enabling hag will be. busy making sure her bags are packed (so they bleedin well should be)
As for the rest of the ones you’d expect to turn up…Well maybe – in the light of recent events – berger won’t feel safe, even with the police escort she’ll no doubt require… ellman will have mysteriously forgotten the date and the event, and self professed ‘assissin of antisemites’ aka “lord” mann’s got a prior engagement with bill oddie.
Skwawkbox – any chance of an article on the Commemoration?
Karren Brady reports in the Sun that Sir Keir’s main asset is his wife’s smile. Yes, that’s about right.
He’s sunk then.
Madness really on Starmer’s part, because the Sun’s sales are a fraction of what they used to be and It’s not even all that electorally important. Its reach and influence wanes by the year too. Reported in 2021, News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun titles, made a £201m pre-tax loss on turnover of £324m for the year to the end of June.
Starmer and the people around him have a certain mindset and it’s not an attractive one. Starmer seems to worship the powerful. Whether it be the ultra-wealthy corporate & financial elites, or the unaccountable security state elites – increasingly partnered btw. Every generation faces its struggle against such cliques and secretive cabals accruing excessive power and wealth, and Starmer and Mandelson would seemingly rather join the ranks of the powerful, rather than fight for transparency and equality.
They’re busily proscribing groups and purging Labour party members who’ve had often brief associations with those groups, but both(Starmer & Mandelson) are members of the secretive Trilateral Commission, something that should really result in instant automatic expulsion from the Labour party.
Starmer and Mandelson are already part of the ranks of the rich and powerful.They made their moves many years ago and the Labour party are just another work completed ….or is it?
If anyone knows the Comrade who gave his or her impressions
as a newbie at the Conference I hope they congratulate him or her!
IT was well written and above all fair – which fills me with disgust
for he or she was obviously bending over to provide an unbiased
accounts on what was obviously an absolute disgrace ..
Well done Comrade!
On another note, when is keef gonna expel Harriet ‘pie’ Harman for this?
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/03/jewish-group-calls-on-harriet-harman-to-apologise-for-repeating-holocaust-joke
I seem to remember someone tweeting a joke about bombing an airport that keef was all too eager to prosecute
Bad decisions are becoming the recurring theme of the joint Starmer /Evans/Mandelson party leadership.
Being a Labour Party member must increasingly feel like being stuck in an abusive spousal relationship. How many black eyes from the leadership must the membership endure before CLPs collectively pass no confidence motions?
Talk today in the media of Starmer being given 12 months to turn things around. Do folks really want him and Evans heading back to conference next year trying to ram a regressive return to the electoral college through again, on the back of likely heavy electoral defeats in May?
Tom Harwood tweets…… Keir Starmer’s dad did work in a factory making tools.
The one little detail the Labour Leader always leaves out, however, is that his dad also owned that factory.
I new of a few shops on industrial estates in Redhill Surrey that repaired tools and the same around Gatwick airport on the Surrey \Sussex border around Horley and Crawley but never heard of tool manufacturing in any of them.Maybe its precission engineering but even them workshops are a rarity around Oxted in Surrey.Maybe we need a forensic search of just who is our leader of the Labour party and who manufactured him and what was the name of the company.?..maybe our wee fella from bot sentinel can enlighten us with his vast knowledge of the manufacturing of Sir keir Rodney Starmer..!
whoever produced him hes not fit for purpose and should be returned under warranty as faulty. .