Why is Starmer Standing by Azhar Ali?

[Dogfisher]

AIBU to think that he should be out on his ear for his blatant anti-Semitism? I actually thought that Starmer was dealing with this in the LP - but this seems to suggest otherwise.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/feb/12/labour-criticised-for-backing-rochdale-candidate-after-offensive-israel-remark

That's the thing - very unlikely!

He's a devout Muslim man, his wife (who wears hijab) he meet on their wedding day. He has 5 children. He's generally considered a friendly family orientated local business man turned politician.

Interestingly he's denied the allegations, but unless he's alleging that someone made up WhatsApp messages then I'm not sure he's got a leg to stand on.

Doesn't look like it's harmed the by-election results...

No. The Tory Party is absolutely finished. They obviously deserve it given their psychodrama which they've inflicted on the country. Reform are going to eat their remaining vote.

Reform are going to eat their remaining vote

I believe that's entirely likely, @bombastix - especially as all Rishi's got left is some bleat about "his plans are working", which I'm sure he knows just isn't true

Pity for those of us who can't vote for any of the others either, but there you go

Reform might get another bump if Farage comes back, no idea what the plan is

It could get a high vote proportion but little to no MPs. Not sure we’ve had a voting section that big unrepresented before

Especially if the majority party has policies that will exacerbate the thing they are voting on

Feels like a new situation, but haven’t looked into it much though

Reform aren't likely to win a single seat. But they are likely to take a good ten percent off a Conservative vote. That's oblivion for a lot of Tory MPs who thought they were safe.

Last time people felt unrepresented and unhappy we got Brexit

Will see where it goes..

This probably deserves its own thread really. However I note the reaction from No 10 is firmly on tax cutting and migration. Very focussed on that end of policy; I don't think they can deliver a majority on that. They might salvage some of their electoral base. Not much time to do it

Not a scooby . Who is this tory curry chef?

The Tory curry chef is the mayor of Salisbury, who has been sacked by the Tory party over incoherent rambling antisemetic comments made over WhatsApp.

Indeed ....all those hysterical headlines about Labour in meltdown , crisis , tailspin blah blah. Quite a lot of it on the 'centre left' like the New Statesman podcast. Yet in a recent poll 49% of respondents didn't know whether Starmer handled Rochdale well or badly . Read ' don't gaf mate'.

The great electoral meltdown is happening in their poor , fevered 🧠

Thanks. The curry sounds nice but !

It was due to a big drop in a Savanta poll

Whether it sticks we’ll see

@Abhannmor

Polling shows, 3 to 1, that people would prefer to see better public services than tax cuts.

Whats point of 2 or 300 off your tax bill if you need to spend £10k on a new knee or your Gran dies after her fall because the Ambulance turns up 24hr after the 999 call?

@jasflowers - I think they are mad. I worry they will run the country into the ground until January next year. They seem that desperate and Sunak isn't actually a good political decision maker.

I worry they will run the country into the ground until January next year

So do I, and I've not the least doubt that those with smaller majorities will be grubbing round to grab whatever they can in the time they have left.
After all it's not as if there'd ever be any consequences

Agree, but what i find incredible, that in an election year, the Govt can have tax cuts funded by future reductions in public services, yet there is every possibility that the Tories won't be in power to implement them.

It is fraudulent, the Tories are going to make sure Labour inherit billions of public sector future debt or will have to reverse these tax cuts.

The Tories care nothing for the country or its people.

@jasflowers - agree. Like Rwanda, the tax cuts have run out of time, see GRA reform etc. I would respect the Conservatives a bit more if they admitted (as they do in private) that much of this is just a tactic to keep people engaged. But they have the power to change it. That's the bit that concerns me the most, the in power but not in power narrative. It's also why we are in such trouble.