Mealy-mouthed talk of ‘disappointment’ or being ‘offended’ just doesnt’ cut it
Sunday saw an array of Liverpool’s elected Labour officials make their response to Keir Starmer’s betrayal of the people of Liverpool through his disgusting decision to write for the Murdoch S*n, which lied about and abused Hillsborough victims, survivors and their families for decades and has incited hate against minorities and striking workers.
With a few honourable exceptions like West Derby MP Ian Byrne, the reaction of most elected politicians in Liverpool has failed the city’s people: mealy-mouthed, timid and cautious, trying to tread a line of getting disapproval on record without really giving Starmer what his actions deserve.
MPs and others have expressed ‘offense’ or even mere ‘disappointment’, with one even inviting him to come to the city to find out why he has offended people, instead of telling him never to set foot within its bounds again – while others have said nothing at all.
It is simply not good enough:
The people of Liverpool know how to stand in solidarity against a common enemy. But many of the Labour politicians supposed to be representing them have failed them today, pussyfooting around their disgrace of a party leader instead of properly defending their city and the people who live in it.
Keir Starmer has shown his contempt for the people of Liverpool. Liverpool’s elected representatives must send it back with interest.
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Well said, Steve.
“which lied about and abused Hillsborough victims, survivors and their families for decades and has incited hate against minorities and striking workers.
Thing is, Starmer probably believes/agrees with them (the S*n).
It’s not that he lies when he writes for the S*n. 10 Pledges. The man is as much a Tory as Tony Blair ever really was.
Qwertboi, I agree with you that Blair most of the time behaves like a red Tory. No so Starmer, rather than behaving like a red Tory, Starmer behaves like a fascist.
Ian Byrne has provided the leadership needed.
Those self serving Labour officials who won’t follow his lead are cowards who are letting their city down badly.
– – – – and the rest of us.
I have every confidence that the good people of Liverpool will let their mealy mouthed MPs and Starmer know exactly what they think of them and will hopefully withhold their votes at the next election
Starmer supports the Liverpool Arms Fair. The people of Liverpool can tell him and the Arms Fair they are not wanted by the single action of preventing the Arms Fair from going ahead.
………& which councillors are supporting the arms fair comrade?
Well done Steve, thanks for speaking up. Shame on Starmer.
Ian Byrne has done the decent thing and hit back at the Labour party leader and now its time to remind elected mps councillors and officers of the Labour party that represents Liverpool that a brave mp as put his kneck on the block and needs their solidarity standing shoulder to shoulder with ian Byrne mp as a comrade now.No more Chris Williamson martyrs to the cause weve seen to many for too. long and the fight is now not the conference or some mythical date in the future…Lets see just what we elected?
The headline to this article is ‘response of many Liverpool Labour officials to Starmer in S*n has failed city’s people’.
So WHO are the many Mr Walker? Very odd that you don’t mention any names! AND generalise! Could you give us the details please, as in WHO said WHAT.
In the initial thread on the topic earlier I posted a link to the Yorkshire Post’s coverage, along with several clips from it, which included the following:
‘…. Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson said she has written to Sir Keir to ask him to meet families of the 97 victims’
Is THAT who you were referring to when you said: ‘….. with one even inviting him to come to the city to find out why he has offended people’? I hope not, because if it IS, then you are being totally disingenuous and, as such, smearing her, and deliberately so.
As for castigating someone – albeit – not mentioned by name (and in fact giving readers of skwawkbox the impression that there were a number of MPs and officials who said as much) for expressing ‘mere “disappointment”‘, I assume you were referring to Steve Rotheram:
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.”
But you DON’T mention the following:posted by Mick Whitley (the MP for Birkenhead):
‘I am appalled at Keir Starmer contributing to the Sun. It spread foul lies about the fans who died at the Hillsborough disaster. To write for it is an insult to the 97 victims, their families and to Labour voters, MPs and Mayors in Merseyside. I condemn it absolutely ‘
And there was also another local MP who said she was ‘furious’ with Starmer for writing in the Sun. The following in the Liverpool Echo article:
Wavertree MP Paula Barker said she is ‘furious’ with Starmer’s betrayal of the people of Liverpool.
As for telling him never to set foot within the bounds of Liverpool again, hmm, sure, as if he would pay the slightest bit of attention. It’s just PURE hyperbole! But his Stasi would no doubt be accusing anyone who DID say something like that of making veiled threats
I’m not gonna start checking ALL the Liverpool councillors to ascertain if they said anything or not, or what they said if they DID, but I just found the mayor’s twitter account – Joanne Anderson – and see that she said the following:
In Liverpool we strive for social justice and equality. These values are the product of our experiences and are deeply in contrast to the right wing lies of the S*n. @UKLabour should never work with this paper.
We are deeply offended. #DontBuyTheSun
So is THIS one of the councillors you’re condemning for expressing MERE ‘offense’ – ie one of the officials you’re excoriating for being ‘mealy-mouthed’ and ‘timid and cautious’ etc?
Hmm…..
Just occurred to me to check Jo Bird’s twitter account, and needless to say:
https://twitter.com/bird4riv
Oh, and I see jokeefe is doing his usual TOTT hyperbole number….. ‘… dangerous game of appeasement’, my arse!
But he NEVER misses an opportunity to allude to the falsehood and big smear that Jeremy Corbyn appeased his enemies.
Here’s your starter for ten Joe: What happened to Jeremy Corbyn when he said in a statement that ‘the scale of the problem has been overstated’ etc?
PS If yur gonna write an article – and Steve Walker has written thousands and thousands of articles – then it’s simple enough to do a search and acquire as much info as possible and then put your article together based on the information you gathered. If you’re condemning and castigating ‘officials’ for either not using strong enough language or not saying anything at all (although no-one expects Blairites to condemn Starmer for writing in the Sun of course), then you should name them, and quote what they said if they said something.
Allan its good that you have taken the time to give us a broader range of comments and veiws of councillors and mps.You have had more time for research than Steve Walker who is there on the ground in Liverpool and knows his city and councillors \Mps and I think hes picked up on the fact that some of our elected are playing a dangerous game of appeasement when a brave and courageous MP ian Byrne needs the backing with straight to the point words that do not duck and dive or waffle offering a tour of the city.Thanks for the reserch which is increasingly becoming more important although it must always be remembered as you know journalism has deadlines to be met and Squawkbox can only cover so many comments from Liverpool mps and councillors at the given time.Allan has you know broadly supportive comments will not “cut it” with the fascist dictator starmer and will only encourage the Labour leader to throw ian Byrne under the bus and we cant have any more martyrs to the cause enough is enough.
Name and shame keef personally – not @uklabour generally ffs.
Oh, and name personally any other runt what even entertains the idea of using that pile of shite for their own self publication…like weasley (its all about me) screeching.
Vermin.
Thanks for this article Skwawkbox! I agree with the views expressed as I’ve seen some social media posts which fail to express just how vile it is to have anything to do with the rag that is the scum.
Solidarity with Ian Byrne. Solidarity with the people of Liverpool.
Justice for the 97.
Comrades, lets have more virtue signalling. Didn’t Diane Abbott write a lengthy piece for the Sun in 2010, endorsing it (with photographs) and saying how Labour needed the paper as it needed the votes of Sun readers?