{"id":13231,"date":"2017-09-08T12:58:38","date_gmt":"2017-09-08T11:58:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=13231"},"modified":"2017-09-08T12:58:39","modified_gmt":"2017-09-08T11:58:39","slug":"labours-clear-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=13231","title":{"rendered":"Labour’s clear strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

When I worked for ITN during the eighties I would find myself throwing questions at Premier\u00c2\u00a0 Thatcher and various cabinet members usually outside in Downing Street – decamping to the seaside during the conference season.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the run up to the Tories 1989\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Party Conference the bust up between Margaret Thatcher and her Chancellor, Nigel Lawson was coming to a head. Europe has long been the Conservatives fault line and this period was no different.\u00c2\u00a0 Lawson was shadowing the Deutschemark and Thatcher had her own economic adviser, Alan Walter.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

On the eve of Conference proper dressed in their glad rags Thatcher and her Chancellor walked down the stairs together in the Imperial Hotel Blackpool en route\u00c2\u00a0 to the Agents Dinner as \u00e2\u20ac\u0098a show of solidarity\u00e2\u20ac\u2122.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I shouted \u00e2\u20ac\u0098Do you have confidence in your Chancellor, Prime Minister\u00e2\u20ac\u2122?\u00c2\u00a0 I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really expect an answer but as Lawson himself wrote, in admittedly one of the better political autobiographies, he was prepared to go through the charade for appearance sake even if the two of them together looked as awkward as they felt and in front of \u00e2\u20ac\u0098a distinctly sceptical massed press\u00e2\u20ac\u2122.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Right question to the wrong person. \u00c2\u00a0I should have directed the question to the Chancellor and asked if he had confidence in his Prime Minister?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A few weeks later, ostensibly over Alan Walters remaining as her personal economic adviser, Lawson resigned.\u00c2\u00a0 Walters was merely the excuse the reality was disputes over the ERM and exchange rates more generally.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 A year later Thatcher who had won a third term with a landslide and insisted she would \u00e2\u20ac\u201c \u00e2\u20ac\u0098go on and on\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 – was ousted.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Catastrophe<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Theresa May\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s snap election was a catastrophe.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0Surveying the electoral wreckage of a lost majority and safe seats transformed by a resurgent Corbyn led Labour Party into marginals, a contrite Theresa May told Tory MPs, \u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u0098I got us into this mess and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to get us out of it. I will continue to serve as long as you want me.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Trapped by a journalist\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s question in Japan contrition had given way to misplaced hubris.\u00c2\u00a0 Calculating on no other contender being in the frame she provoked Tory MPs fury by proclaiming that she was not a quitter and would fight the next election.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hard line Brexiteers seized the moment to prop her up as the best person to achieve their objectives in the negotiations.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Welcome to Stockholm – Prime Minister.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Conference in a few weeks will see would be opponents puffing and preening while simultaneously parroting the line that there is a leader.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There will be an onslaught on Jeremy.\u00c2\u00a0 Stick with May or you will get Corbyn will be their mantra.\u00c2\u00a0 They are running scared.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Despite claims by Tory supporting journalists that Labour\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Brexit strategy is in chaos.\u00c2\u00a0 It isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t.\u00c2\u00a0 Conference season when the Westminster political\/media bubble transports itself, this year to Brighton Labour, and Manchester Conservative, concentrates minds.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Respect referendum result<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Sir Keith Starmer has always been clear, no matter that he campaigned passionately to remain, the result of the referendum must be respected.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 That is not the same as Labour giving the Prime Minister a blank cheque when the Repeal Bill to transpose EU law directly into UK law from when Britain leaves the European Union is debated this week in the Commons.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Repeal Bill sounds obvious but gives ministers powers (dubbed Henry VIII powers after the Tudor king\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 contempt for parliamentary constraint) to change primary legislation using secondary legislation without Parliamentary scrutiny.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By the time this is printed we should know which of the Tory Remainers have voted with Labour.\u00c2\u00a0 It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s said there will be trench warfare in the commons.\u00c2\u00a0 Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s see.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d think the way the Tories Brexiteers go on about the referendum result that was close was in fact a landslide.\u00c2\u00a0 Perhaps that is the same landslide that they didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get in the snap election?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Labour and the unions are clear the economy and jobs are paramount.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Frances O\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Grady writing in the Guardian this week said MPs had a duty to ensure that workers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 rights derived from EU law.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She warned that imaginative lawyers acting for unscrupulous employers would take every opportunity to whittle down our rights through endless legal challenges.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bLeft to Ministers, wrote Frances, most at risk are rules that protect small groups of vulnerable workers \u00e2\u20ac\u201c which are far easier to pick off\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We know what Conservatives are like.\u00c2\u00a0 We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve seen the way they have sought to destroy trade unions.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Experienced the consequences of their political choice \u00e2\u20ac\u201c austerity.\u00c2\u00a0 Pay freezes for our nurses, teachers, doctors, fire fighters.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Misery for disabled people who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve suffered cuts.\u00c2\u00a0 The list is endless.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Labour have a clear strategy – stay in the single market and customs union during a \u00e2\u20ac\u0098transitional period.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The snap election confounded those in the Parliamentary Labour Party who had wasted time plotting against the leadership.\u00c2\u00a0 Labour in Brighton should be united.\u00c2\u00a0 It won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be the same story in Manchester.\u00c2\u00a0 Expect turmoil and wait for history to repeat itself.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This comment piece first appeared in Tribune, September 7.<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I worked for ITN during the eighties I would find myself throwing questions at Premier\u00c2\u00a0 Thatcher and various cabinet members usually outside in Downing Street – decamping to the seaside during the conference season.   In the run up to the Tories 1989\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Party Conference the bust up between Margaret Thatcher and her Chancellor, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10123,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[22],"tags":[486,210,713,44],"wps_subtitle":"Tories are in Brexit chaos. Expect turmoil ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13231"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13231"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13231\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13249,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13231\/revisions\/13249"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}