Thread 12 Starmer: From Prescott to Rayner, working class grit

[DuncinToffee]

Previous thread

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5203242-thread-11-starmer-will-that-phone-call-be-to-harris-or-to-trump-the-decidedly-superior-looking-cats-thread?page=40&reply=139989436

What is strange about us? We don't like Andrea Jenkyns. I'm sure there are lots of people who agree with us. Do you not think she is a great fit for Reform?

What is strange?

Not liking Jenkyns or hoping that Reform will collapse?

In the way a broken clock is right twice a day, I agree there should be a debate on abortion. I expect there would be a large majority in favour of keeping the law as it is.

I'd hope he'd support a debate on one of the other social reforms of the 1960s, the divorce laws. That allow some men to abdicate responsibilities to this day and take out their anger in the way they mess their own children's mother (and sometimes the children) without consequences.

Farage doesn't like scrutiny

Asked by Sky News whether his fellow Reform MP previously being jailed for repeatedly kicking his girlfriend, and then subsequently lying to voters about it, should be grounds for his expulsion from the party, Nigel Farage replies that "I've got a million followers on TikTok" and storms off

As is the updating of his Wikipedia page.

He should leave it to a female Reform MP.

I’m sure this thread will be eager to condemn the Transport Secretary for her dishonesty conviction.

TBH, I think the bigger story is that this disclosure obviously came from within the Labour party, probably from high up. Infighting.

Why should we condemn someone for having a spent conviction dating back 11 years and for a non-violent offence? That would probably rule out a substantial chunk of all MPs.

If Haigh had kicked the shit out of a partner 13 years ago and been jailed for it, I'd feel differently, but I doubt she'd have been selected to stand in that situation. Is it great and wonderful? Nope. Is it the end of the world and proof that Labour Is So Very Bad? Also nope.

The LOTO hacked a website

Haigh pleaded guilty and disclosed it to the party.

For disliking Jenkins? Seems pretty normal to me. Are you a fan?

Louise Haig had resigned. Which I find ridiculous and disappointing

Although thinking about it, Starmer would have asked her to go. Although it was a minor mistake it's all about standards. I'm surprised this didn't come up before.

Fraud is v serious but given the sentence was the lightest they could give her, it was spent and she had informed her 'employer'.

I dunno. Not a storm in a teacup but also not particularly disastrous.

Certainly most Conservative and all Reform politicians would have ignored the front page Daily Mail headlines.

Then again they probably wouldn't have made the front pages.

What a wonderful distraction from immigration figures.

27% of the UK adult population have a criminal record, mostly for minor misdemeanours.
That's a lot of people to exclude from things.
Once a conviction is spent, it should be over. James Timpson famously employs ex-cons.
Obvs if the criminal record directly pertains to the role it could preclude you, but all Haigh did was report a phone stolen in a mugging and not rescind that report when the phone turned up later.
Given the Partygate inquiry shenanigans with lost phones and lost messages, there's been a lot of fibbing about phones all round.

Certainly true to say we have had a rash of Ministers and PMs 'misplacing' their phones with important information on them.

I'm torn on this one.

Considering all the things MPs haven't had to resign over the past few years (probably forever!) including many "misplacing" phones with important information - this is all a storm in a tea cup.

It was 15 years ago.

However, it takes the wind out of the sail of those who would have used this as headlines and distraction for weeks, months etc and does keep to what Starmer said he'd do - return to integrity.

You would hip it gives Labour a stick to beat others with because they can say "when x happened - she resigned".

But the sad fact if the truth is I think the right will see this as a win, will continue to employ those doing the same and worse and will probably say something like "she could have just apologised" - as that's their answer to everything.

I don't think it'll have the bigger change that Starmer hopes it will.

For me, she should never have been put in such a position of influence, as i don't believe she should have been selected as an MP in 2015... as the offence was just a year earlier.... even basic security clearance might not be granted for a fraud conviction, spent or not.

The allegation now is she had form for losing her phone and this wasn't a one off....which explains why the Police pursued this, a one off "i was mugged, phone stolen oh no, i mislaid it... panic over" isn't going to get you a court appearance.... so the pressure to prosecute must have come from her employer?

No good pulling Tories up on misconduct but then try and defend Labour MPs.....

Might be old fashioned but i believe MPs should be held to a higher account than ordinary people.

I see the penalty she got at the magistrate was an absolute discharge. That suggests despite pleading guilty her explanation was believed, and no substantial penalty was imposed. It also means that it would not have been recorded and should no longer be on her record.

She has clearly pissed off someone for this to come back nearly a decade later. If you did a criminal records check it would not come up.

The press won't afford Labour any mistakes so probably the right decision.

At least is should stop the 'they are all the same' rhetoric.

Elon Musk is celebrating Jenkyns move to Reform if you want to talk about strange

Well Farage said yesterday that Musk's anticipated reforms (ie sacking lots of government workers) could be a blueprint for Reform. So they are clearly blowing smoke up each others back sides at the moment.

I am surprised Haigh resigned. The offence wasn't a secret to the Labour Party. There is more to this than meets the eye, I think. Either Starmer wanted her out or there is something else iffy to come.

The debate on the assisted dying bill starts at 9.30 today

Think I will need to stay away from the news today. As I have explained before I am worried about any futures changes to the assisted dying legislation and what that may mean for disabled people. I will say that I have had pause for thought taking into account so many posters experiences of family members suffering.

I will have to trust in the thoughtfulness of MPs and rigour of the process to consider all the issues. For once I am choosing not to doubt their genuine desire to get it right (whatever right is).

She was an ally of Sue Gray, apparently.

But, generally, I agree that this sort of career sabotage from within is often caused by something bigger than personal enmity.