‘Ditch Corbyn or we’ll withdraw insurance cover’, threaten mayor and assembly
London’s mayor Sadiq Khan and the Greater London Authority (GLA) have been accused of prioritising the silencing of an inconvenient speaker above the climate crisis, after former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was barred at the last minute from speaking to Saturday’s climate rally.
Multiple sources have told Skwawkbox that Khan and the GLA told organisers of the march that if Corbyn spoke at the event, ‘insurance for it would be withdrawn’ – forcing cancellation.
The mayor’s press office and City Hall switchboard are not taking calls, but Mr Khan’s office has been asked by email to provide comment on:
- the suitability of the mayor and other officials using their position to censor speakers at a climate event
- why climate change as an issue is apparently subordinate in the mayor’s priorities to gagging a politically inconvenient speaker
Any answer received will be added to the article when available.
Update:
GLA spokesperson said: “This is not true. At no point during the granting of permission to use Trafalgar Square was the line-up of speakers discussed – decisions on speakers are the responsibility of the event organiser, not the GLA.”
However, sources at the mayor’s office said that an event would not be allowed to proceed without insurance to protect the ‘fabric of the [Trafalgar] square and others still insist that the GLA was involved in the decision. Some are saying that pressure was applied via CAFOD, the international aid charity funding the event:
Skwawkbox view:
Corbyn’s popularity with activists – and particularly with young people, who play a key role in protests to defend the environment – will be a serious embarrassment to his wooden and unappealing successor. In addition, Keir Starmer is expected to continue to withhold the whip from Corbyn and to try to unseat him at the next general election. With speculation growing that Boris Johnson might call a snap election as early as next year, the Labour right will be desperate to deny the public evidence of Corbyn’s enduring appeal and natural ability to engage audiences of all ages.
Current and former Labour members and other supporters of the movement have said that if Starmer stands a candidate against Corbyn in a general election, they will flood into north London from all over the country to campaign for him. Corbyn’s son Tommy has warned that any move to unseat his dad underestimates his popularity with and record of service to local communities.
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And this is how it will go. Debbonaire outlined new Labour thinking on the news today. An expectation that Johnson will provoke middle England to drop him in favour of Starmer. Meanwhile, Corbyn will be closed out by authoritarian creeps like Khan and the maniac Akehurst will claim he was right all along in saying Labour had to be to the right of Gordon Brown to stand a chance of winning an election.
I doubt that Corbyn will stand at the next GE.
Tommy Corbyn doesn’t doubt it!
Tommy is standing up for his dad, what do you expect him to say.
Time will tell
SteveH, yes, of course Tommy is standing up for his dad but it’s not just because Jeremy is his dad. You obviously missed the point, as you often do, it’s because he thinks he’s standing.
And it’s clear to a blind man on a galloping horse what groupies who cheerlead for the fraudulent sectarian incompetents currently running the LP stand up for.
Jack T, I hope that Corbyn stand as an independent at the next election, because he isn’t going to be allowed to stand under a Labour banner.
Somehow sadly, I don’t see Corbyn standing against an official Labour candidate. The Party’s machine will ensure that the Labour candidate is a local, possibly a BAME woman and she wouldn’t be connected with Progress or Best for Labour or similar, a centrist will do in this case.
Hence, subtle pressure will be applied to Corbyn no to stand as an independent candidate.
Maria, Corbyn is already an ‘independent’ therefore there is no reason he should not stand as such. It’s Starmer who would have forced him into it, therefore no decent Socialist, BAME woman or not, would stand against him. Anyone who did would have to be on the right and would therefore be rejected by the electorate in Islington North.
100% right Jack T
“You are deluding yourself.”
Medici cura ti ipsum.
Dave – If only we were all as clever as you think you are. Its a shame you couldn’t manage to quote your Latin correctly.
Recognition from the acknowledged expert in the field is always welcome.
Dave – I’ve never learnt Latin so I don’t profess to be an expert, which is why I Googled it and discovered your error. I’m not the one desperate to impress.
Jack T, Corbyn still a member of the Labour Party. Hence technically speaking a Labour’s MP that has the Labour whip withdrawn but he hopes it would be reinstated.
As for your opinion that only a right winger would stand against Corbyn, I am afraid you are engaging in wishful thinking.
1st- they are ambitious people across the Party
2nd- you aren’t counting on Corbyn’s personality
3rd-a safe Labour seat doesn’t come available very often and usually aren’t offered to BAME women that aren’t on the right of the Party.
We have a sort of hiatus during the Corbyn years and we have Bell Ribeiro-Adi and Apsana Begum in a safe seats. However, as a contrast Florence Eshalomi, Abena Oppong-Asare and Feryal Clark are holding safe seat too, while Nadia Witomme and Zarah Sultana are in marginal seats. These are all MPs elected for the first time at the 2019 General Election.
Hence, if a local BAME woman is offered the position on a plate, she will find it very difficult to resits. Specially since she will know that it is the opportunity of a life time.
I envisage the scenario of a BAME woman already a local Cllr, most likely in friendly terms with Corbyn, been approached by Islington Labour leader offering her the position to become MP in a safe seat.
I envisage the same woman approaching Corbyn making him aware of the offer and asking his permission to stand for the position of PPC.
Corbyn been the decent man that he is, would stand aside.to ensure that a BAME woman gets elected into a safe Labour seat.
Maria, it is still my contention that no one on the left would stand against Corbyn if he decided to stand. Ipso facto they would not be on the left.
Modesty. Now there’s progress.
Well Steve, your reasoning for that statement cannot possibly be argued against, as there is none!
neil – It is my opinion whether you like it or not is of little interest to me. Time will tell who is right and who is wrong.
Whether you like SteveH or not I know of very few Latin speakers who vote Labour. Come to think of it, I also have friends who are left wing Italians who don’t speak Latin. I didn’t Google it so it still means nothing to me. Can’t be the only one here who doesn’t know nor care. English is hard enough. Mind you Latin. Leadership potential. Oxford? Definitely leadership stuff. SPQR.
Maybe, maybe not that’s his decision. What’s clear is that new Labour are terrified of him
lundiel – I think it is more likely that after the abysmal 19GE outcome Keir thinks that Jeremy is an electoral liability.
Starmer need look no further than in the mirror to see Labour’s electorial liability.
Yes Starmer knows all about Labour’s 2019 ‘abysmal outcome’, he engineered it.
SteveH
JC will be back when Temporary Embarrassment and Red Tories are kicked out of the party
You are deluding yourself.
Bankruptcy or the Forde Report being leaked will be followed by JC’s return as sure as God made little green apples
Doug – You are more than welcome to come back and tell me ‘I told you so’ if your La-La-Land ever becomes reality.
SteveH
you are perfectly welcome to join Red Tories when they go forth and multiply
Doug – ⬆️ see above ⬆️
Reply to Maria Vazquez
I think Starmer and the right are very worried about Jeremy- scared stiff he’ll stand and win as an Independent. Thats why they are out in force every day on sites like this trying to undermine him. Some of them pose as Socialists others are more honest but its the same message from them all – Jeremy is finished.
The fact that they still fear and try to smear him is proof Jeremy is not a spent force . The people of Islington respect and admire him as do the hundreds of thousands of others like me who saw through the lies and still back him to the hilt.
As Jack T says only a right winger would stand against Jeremy in Islington and would be given short shrift by the electorate there. Starmer knows that and the only way out of the bind he is in is to convince Jeremy to step aside for e.g a BAME woman as you say. However no BAME female socialist would be a party to this in my opinion so it looks to me as though Starmer is up the creek without a paddle on this one.
I would love to see who Headroom chooses to stand against J.C in Islington. Didn’t his majority increase at the last GE? I wish that Mann would have a go. Please don’t tell the reasons why this will never come to pass, I know. I would just like to see Mann eviscerated together with his gang of elves. Mind you Khan or Frankenstein would do.
I doubt it too – but the youngsters are quite capable of putting up their own
Independent Left Wing Candidate .. or threaten to ..
What is the email address to complain to, please?
Love to see Corbyn stand for London Mayor 🙂
He’d beat Khan hands down, and he’d beat anybody Starmer imposed as Khan’s replacement hands down.
Attention all those who have left the LP over the past couple of years.
Follow this link and scroll down to the item by Evolve Politics. Then work upwards.
Food for thought.
https://twitter.com/FreeNorthNow?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
🤣
Why are you laughing about Starmer’s pointless and unjustified existence on trying to drive Corbyn out of public life entirely? He’s not Labour’s leader anymore He’s not a Labour MP anymore. Why can’t Starmer do the decent thing and leave it at that?
Isn’t the fact that he’s turned Labour into a “centrist”(i.e., Tory) party with no internal democracy and a guarantee that no sitting Labour MP can ever be deselected and no socialist will ever be a Labour candidate again ENOUGH?
When does it end, SteveH? How much more reactionary brutality will you unquestioningly defend?
Does it not matter to you that none of this has even put Labour in the lead- that after everything else, and with the Tories literally pouring untreated human shit into the rivers, Starmer’s party- which nobody can honestly call “Labour” anymore- is STILL trailing.
Why defend what isn’t working as practical politics?
kenburch – I was laughing at the idea of a Northern Independence Party but hey thanks for the entertaining rant, you were obviously desperate to shoehorn it in somewhere.
I’m glad the link amused you. It is quite entertaining that the young man received compensation for having his LP membership mis-sold, isn’t it?
I am surprised, though, that given the time you appear to devote to things political, you had never heard of the NIP before.
In a similar vein there were a great many people like yourself steveh who laughed at UKIP and the Brexit Party – which came a whisker away from taking both seats in Barnsley two years ago. A town which was the center of the Yorkshire mining communities which those you cheerlead for abandoned decades ago.
Arrogantly and ignorantly thinking they, along with all the other working class communities and constituencies, had nowhere else to go. That turned out well didn’t it lad. Scotland, the North and every other abandoned heartland in-between has been irrevocably lost as a result of losers and numpties such as yourself – vaingloriously standing on these deck of the Titanic desperately trying to convince yourself and anyone dumb enough to take notice that there is no iceberg.
If being pitied could be turned into gold you’d be the richest individual in history.
Dave – Under Corbyn at the 19GE for the first time ever more of the ‘working class’ voted Tory than voted for Jeremy’s Labour. This was by a very significant margin only 33% of the working class voted for Corbyn whilst a whopping unprecedented 48% voted for Johnson, Actually more middle class voted for Corbyn than did the number of working class.
When was the last time we lost 60 seats.
Please stop referring to “the working class” when you have no idea what the term means.
“Workers by hand AND brain.”
goldbach – Still desperately scrabbling for the ‘moral high ground’ I see. Get over yourself, you’re trying too hard.
Physician heal thyself.
For those who are interested in accuracy – The most up-to-date data from Statista gives around 10-11% of the workforce as self-employed. If we assume that 1% of adults are ruling class, then this gives 88% who are working class.
Class is not defined by beer/wine or Dvorak/Abba.
Of course, there are a few who just don’t exhibit any class at all.
goldbach – You can dress it up in whatever way you want but the fact remains that 15% more of the poorest and most vulnerable in our society decided to vote for Boris instead of Jeremy.
Question: How do you change a light bulb in steveh’s house?
Answer: You don’t. Like all extreme centerists he’d rather sit there in the dark and blame everything on Corbyn.
Nothing to do with Brexit. ✔
Nothing to do with decades of neglect of working class communities.✔
Nothing to do with internal agenda’s seeking to lose elections. ✔
Nothing to do with a campaign of smears. ✔
It’s like listening to someone continuously affirming their belief in the bogeyman.
They voted for Brexit steve nor for B S Johnson.
And they voted against Petie and Starmer’s second referendum.
What were new Labour advisor Petie Mandleson’s links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein?
Disgusting actions by political lightweight Khan.
The Right of Labour can’t stand ideas.
Another dud mayor and perhaps apart from Burnham (1 out of 10) the rest apart from one Leftie in the North East are Bland and Bland is as Bland does.
Right Wing Labour frightened of being radical.
Burnham is no better than Khan Bazza He just cleverer and hides his dark side a bit better.
Smartboy
He was my man when I walked into the hustings in Newcastle and I managed to chat to him afterwards
That’s when I switched to JC, best I can offer is lights are on but nobody in, no fire in his belly, no core and never going to rock the boat
Perfectly decent Head Boy
Totally understandable Doug. Jeremy is the real thing. Burnham is a cheap imitation.
I have said many times, Starmer and the Blairites are the most dangerous people in the country. Far more dangerous than the daft one in Number 10 now. How could any sensible person unilaterally ban a speaker at a Claimate Change rally.
Be afraid, be very afraid.
😱😱😱
Steve H….you are embarrassing yourself if thats possible amongst the misfits
Opinions are like arseholes. Everyone’s got one.
Rare treat to see both elements of that saying on display in a self portrait by this site’s resident village idiot.
Disgusting actions by political lightweight Khan.
Right Wing Labour frightened of ideas.
Another dud Labour Mayor, apart from Burnham (1 out of 10) and a Leftie in the North East are plenty round the country who are Bland and Bland is as Bland does.
Right Wing Labour frightened of being radical.
Khan really is an opportunist little s**t. To threaten to remove insurance from a climate change protest is disgusting. The question is, was this his own idea or was he ordered to do so.
I remember driving back from an anti-fascist protest in Dover. When for at least an hour the radio was peddling a political heavyweight was going to announce his support for Owen Smith. Frantic with worry that it may be someone from Corbyn’s shadow cabinet. When the name was revealed. It was only bleeding Khan. He used the popularity of Corbyn to attract votes and this is how he repaid him. Khans loyalty is non existent.
We, as a family were asked to sign the form to support Khan as Mayor. That was five family members when he only needed another five from the rest of the borough. To be honest I wasn’t sure about him, but done it because he was standing for Labour. If I was ever asked again I’m afraid I would decline to do so.
“Khan really is an opportunist little s**t. To threaten to remove insurance from a climate change protest is disgusting.”
I would have defied him to do it.
Then we could have a real debate instead of shadow-boxing.
That would have shown everyone what a creep Khan is.
Reply to Johnsco1
Everybody already knows the kind of creep Khan is – a nasty two faced double dealing creep . As Backof Beyond said Khan used Jeremy’s popularity to help him get elected and he then turned on Jeremy once got in. Also he is very ambitious so if I was Starmer I’d be very wary of him – after all once a nasty two faced double dealing creep always a nasty two faced double dealing creep. On second thoughts Starmer will be OK -they are two of a kind.
Wasn’t sir khan the tiger in the Jungle Book? Both psychopathic. Didn’t end well.
I would have defied him to do it.
A nice idea but would you have paid for the cost of public liability insurance that the GLA were no doubt refusing to cover, which I’m sure would be in the thousands of pounds for such an event?
Otherwise he would probably have been held, at the very least, partly responsible and open to prosecution in the event of any such claims, which could well run into millions — and I certainly wouldn’t put it past some of these devious bastards to do something untoward.
Tried to like your comment but couldn’t PW – you are absolutely right – they would have contrived something to make Jeremy look bad or be responsible – as it is Khan looks bad.
Absolutely disgusting to deny anyone booked to speak on a Platform for democracy….I wonder were that idea came from,maybe its a old Labour tactic to do down on a popular socialist former Labour MP?
Joseph, neat and clever. I well remember the sly, Uriah Heeps dealing with Tories,m.ps and councillors. It always was a class struggle and it will continue until we win.
It goes without saying that Khan’s move against Corbyn is beneath contempt.
However, down the road at the talking shop known by the Establishment as the House of Commons, things are getting marginally interesting with Starmer (at least verbally) attacking Johnson and the Tories for corruption. I just wonder if this rat is fancying his chances with the electorate after hearing the speculation that there may be another General Election as soon as next year. Maybe it is because we have just passed the anniversary of 1604 that Keef is thinking that maybe a few political fireworks may be just the thing that has been missing so far from his jaded, lustreless presentation.
Of course, anyone with half a brain will fail to be taken in by such bilge. Corruption has not exactly been missing from the Labour Party’s own internal dealings. The systematic persecution and banishment of Jeremy Corbyn has, of course, been the most notorious example of this. However, we need to add to this the toll in suspensions and explusions of the left, notably by the abuse of the term “antisemitism” (ironically, and quite disgustingly, it has been left-wing/socialist Jews who have been the greatest casualties of this), the turn towards identity politics as opposed to class politics, together with its toxic tactics of silencing and de-platforming and of course the grossly undemocratic manoevering and subterfuge that has become the hallmark of the era of Starmer and Evans.
I believe that there is an old Chinese curse that says “may you live in interesting times”. Interesting times, indeed.
Theres very few politicians left in the House of Horrors that are not corrupt.Many of the day to day business that ordinary mps carry out on behalf of business and old school chums is corrupt,but legal.Many so called expenses are corrupt but legal.Much of the food and drink supplied to the Mps and Chums is massively subsidised including bar and restaurant bills that would make your eyes water but is perfectly legal and encouraged.The only solution is to tear it down and start again.They know it,you know it but it can’t happen without a cultural revolution and that sadly is many years and much suffering into the future.
Well there’s a turn up for the books. Who’d have thought it?:
Starmer u-turns over Brexit after he used it to stab Corbyn in the back
Labour had a policy to make Brexit work, that included a customs union, close regulatory alignment, protection of rights & standards etc. But Starmer was one of those who trashed that compromise policy in order to undermine Corbyn.
https://voxpoliticalonline.com/2021/11/08/starmer-u-turns-over-brexit-after-he-used-it-to-stab-corbyn-in-the-back/
While I didn’t vote to leave, mainly because of the anticipated problems we’re now seeing with Northern Ireland — which was always the elephant in the room — I would have been perfectly happy with a properly negotiated arrangement with the EU, as was then being proposed by Labour.
Instead, we now have this Tory dictated shit-show which Starmer somehow now thinks he can make a success!? Talk about trying to make a silk purse from a sow’s ear! I really can’t believe how politically inept this man is.
Remind me, who is Starmer’s Trilateral Commission handler and currently his political adviser?
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/how-mandelson-played-both-sides-brexit
The second vote on leaving the EU was initially adopted as the last resort at the
Conference 2018. This was apparently replaced by a complicated algorithm*** – involving general elections and all sorts – which amounted to the same thing .. but which confused and annoyed people, not least red wall voters.
To be fair – the ONLY way of leaving which honoured the Belfast agreement was to remain in some kind of Single Market – topography forbids anything else. This was brought up by people during the campaign and I shared there concern but was laughed off.
Instead the second vote was presented as the ONLY way forward by Starmer although it
was evident after the May 2019 Local Elections that this was going to be disastrous in any forthcoming GE.
Of course when it came to it Johnsons “oven ready deal” proved to be nothing of the sort
and involved throwing the NI politicos under a bus which left Northern Island within the
Single Market .. and the rest of the Country OUTSIDE it. Inevitably the – we are left with a border in the middle of the Irish Sea.
*** I wondered who was responsible for this complicated algorithm – now I realise it was evidently politically inept Starmer
@PW
Starlet is not inept. He is working hard for his chums in the Trilateral Commission. You and I (and almost everyone else) are merely viewed as cattle. And cattle are used for milking and slaughter. He doesn’t give a rodents furry crack about any of us.
Stamers job is to keep UK politics in bipartisan lockstep. Starmers job is to get hope back in the box and continue with TINA.
Corbyn is obviously a threat. But to what exactly? He is not a threat to Starmers labour, the man isn’t even a labour MP anymore.
Wonder what Klaus Schwab thinks about this?
NVLA…Corbyn is the ever present threat and they know it. I just love it when they do this, you know banning a hugely popular public speaker, because it just makes them more popular. Wonderful stuff from the Moronic Corrupt Khan. A man, it has to be said, who has sold off more of London’s social housing than any other London Mayor in history. Even more than Buffoon Boris. And that takes some doing doesn’t it?
“A nice idea but would you have paid for the cost of public liability insurance that the GLA were no doubt refusing to cover, which I’m sure would be in the thousands of pounds for such an event?”
My answer is NO.
I would have defied GLA to withdraw insurance cover – then cancelled the event – Then made damn-sure that everyone knew who’s fault it was and why.
I’d like more information about the claimed-increase in insurance cost by the GLA. I don’t believe the account as flimsily provided at the moment. It could be completely untrue and merely an excuse for a charlatan like Khan to please his new, very expensive boss.
And – if true – why? Jeremy’s popularity would cause ‘too many’ people to attend and listen to a fairly conventional green democratic socialist argument? For-profit insurance services inhibit participative democracy?
I’m suspicious. The story doesn’t pan properly – a bit like the covid narrative and a need for ongoing vaccinations for an illness that for the majority is asymptomatic and which (pre-vaccine at least – had a 98.6 – 99.8 pc survival rate.
Is public liability insurance even required for a march? I’ve been on many marches which I’m certain never had it. What about spontaneous marches by groups of like minded people….who pays? Do fascists pay when they have marches?
Jack T, short reply, yes insurance is necessary in order to get permission from the Police.
Maria, you don’t need permission from the police but it’s obviously better if you inform them. Demonstrations do not require police permission.
MariaV “yes insurance is necessary in order to get permission from the Police.”
I’m sure that is technically correct: Regulations about public gatherings probably necessitate insurance cover (thanks Maria).
I’m tempted to conclude that this is an instance where a perfectly justified and sound regulation is used to restrict, rather than (as claimed) to protect. Surely in neoliberal Britain this is a very common situation? (I suspect more people got a untested, experimental and possibly very dangerous covid “vaccine” so that they could board a RyanAir flight, rather than because they evaluated the risk and benefit and chose to obey the anti-science and intimidation of SAGE and HMG of the billionaires).
Qwertboi…consider the scenario….A huge crowd with Corbyn there (did you see the massive crowds in Glasgow that were not reported by the MSM?) and the security services causing trouble and mayhem and then blaming the supporters and Corbyn for being vandals. Because I’ll tell you something, that is what’s coming next. They cannot control the coming whirlwind, they reap what they sow.
All true baz2001 (btw, I never saw Corbyn in Glasgow, thanks for the information) Re. “They cannot control the coming whirlwind, they reap what they so,” I suspect most people (and way too many lefties) will just buy a wind-shield from Amazon, wrap up warmly and kow-tow to the powers that be (PTB).
This is how they erode our freedoms – and our expectations of it.
Insurance cover to speak?
Steve Richards, it would appear that Khan is requiring insurance just to walk along the street.
Khan is a centrist, Blairite careerist. Never really did understand his appeal.
Had the Tories put up a remotely competent candidate he’d have lost his 2021 reelection bid. He harnessed Corbyn’s popularity and youth canvasing resources esp. Momentum, to win the mayoral race in May 2016, then sided with big Pharma’s Owen Smith in his leadership bid in Aug 2016. Smith also promised ‘continuity Corbynism’ as per Starmer, albeit members saw through that bogus offer that they’d later fall for with Starmer.
Off topic:
Summing it up as only a Liverpudlian can:
https://dorseteye.com/scouse-nan-responds-to-telegram-from-the-queen/
Another stride towards fascism. Will Corbyn stand or won’t he? The point is, will democracy survive. Corbyn is a focal point, but we need a wide and deep grassroots movement. Thunberg is right: capitalism is inconsistent with solving the climate crises. And there is a world wide movement for change. That’s where our hope is, that’s where the chance for real change from the bottom up is possible. If Corbyn stands, we will all campaign for him, but we need a young movement. A movement of hundreds of millions, at least.
‘Angon ‘angon ..
Regarding Corbyns position in the next GE
Although the Labour Whip has been removed –
he is still a member of the Labour Party
so there is NOTHING to stop him standing again
unless Starmer directly debars him ..