Healey Resignation

[Papyrophile]

John Healey resigns! Another nail in SKS's coffin, or the only way to force a showdown?

I don't want to sign up. Can you post a copy of a screen?

No. I put my email address in, you can do the same.

I won't sign up.

What I see is this: "She repeatedly ruled out pre-election deals or pacts, saying 'no, no, no' to propping up Reform. Shipman clarified her 'no's targeted pacts, not post-election conservative support, while opponents like Ed Davey warned 'Vote Tory get Farage' and right-wing voices accused a 'uni-party' alliance."

If that's correct, then it's Shipman's interpretation, not her words. I tried to search widely and all I can find is X and other SM posts repeating the above interpretation but Kemi herself repeatedly saying that she wouldn't do any deal.

Copilot's summary:

According to The Spectator’s write‑up of the event, when Shipman asked her about any possible arrangement with Reform UK, she:

• Responded “no, no, no, no, no” to every option — coalition, pact, confidence‑and‑supply, or mutual stand‑downs.
• Said that ambiguity about deals would “send mixed messages” to voters.
• Argued that Reform has “quite a lot of Left‑wing ideas” — more benefits, more nationalisation, a bigger state — and therefore is not compatible with Conservative principles.
• Later publicly rejected a Spectator suggestion that she had left the door open, calling that interpretation “bulls---” and insisting she had said no.

In short: Shipman pushed; she shut it down.

There's no way Starmer would axe Reeves. There is very strong historical precedent that if a PM axes his Chancellor then they will follow very quickly.

Your loss. If you’d rather believe AI 🤷‍♀️

From the text that has been posted, she definitely doesn't say yes to a Reform coalition. I'm not even sure how he's interpreted what she said as saying there will be, as I don't think that would be a normal interpretation.

@nearlylovemyusername here's an archive version: https://archive.ph/eKQJN

ETA: not as clear cut as being made out. What a surprise. Not.

If you sign up to PressReader which is free from the library, you can read The Spectator on there and most of the other papers and magazines apart from The Times/FT

Not very clear cut no, but from the article the interviewer certainly gets the impression regarding a pact that: The truth is obvious: there won’t be unless there needs to be, though that is more likely after a general election than before it due to Kemi's insistence that ‘This country cannot have another left-wing government.’

Thanks for the archive version - will "Kemistry" catch on do we think??

Confidence and supply is a bit different to what was being portrayed. And it would be unusual to allow a left wing government when you're in the right if such an agreement is required.

This is ridiculous. A lot of decisions/ contracts are awaiting the DIP, with it being held up a lot of the functions cannot continue/ has no certainty. Staff are leaving left right and centre with a general ban on recruitment. Hopefully his resignation will put more pressure on to approve the DIP

Yes it's not as clear cut as was portrayed.

But my reading of the article leaves me with the thought that Kemi has some respect for Restore leadership (not Reform) so it's not out of the question that there could be a Tory/Restore pact after the GE. If the Tories deem it necessary and if Restore gain enough seats at the GE to make it worthwhile.

A Reform/Tory pact still seems unlikely - I have read from other sources too about the personal antipathy between Kemi and Farage. So unless he stands down as leader of Reform, I can't see a pact there.

Yes, I think she has respect for Lowe as a politician, even if they don't agree on everything. But little to no respect for Farage (I don't blame her).

I still think that Reform's popularity is wide and shallow (if you look at the number of council seats they won, but how few councils, it demonstrates this). I'm not sure they'd win a GE anyway. (My town was predicted to go Reform, and very much didn't, in the locals.)

I’m hoping Reform is largely a protest vote for local elections rather than a party capable of winning a General Election.

The more mainstream parties do need to sort themselves out though - especially Labour with the current mess around Defence spending & Leadership challenge.

Totally agree with you.

The political parties in this country need to get their act together (I think Kemi is succeeding with this, but she has / had an uphill battle).

@nearlylovemyusername The Spectator article in full:

https://archive.ph/eKQJN

@Papyrophile Half the issue with Labour is that they are only willing to be unpopular with people paying tax and people who run businesses. The backbenchers are cheerleaders for everyone who doesn’t work and that’s unsustainable. That won’t pay for defence. But they won’t make unpopular decisions that affect everyone. They need to.

Have you seen Burnham’s proposals for business rates? He’s more pro business than half the opposition.

I’d use the findings of the Millburn report to create lots of work opportunities for young people - apprenticeships, incentives to employers, any initiative that would get them in to work and once those were in place increase the age at which benefits could be claimed.
I agree with loads more work opportunities for young people- the situation for them now feels very similar to the situation I faced leaving school in the early 90s ( under a long term Tory Gov but with the economy in the toilet).
I really don’t agree with increasing the age thry can claim UC- this puts a ton of pressure on lower income families who still have to house and feed them. The basic rate of UC helps to cover the shortfall when child benefit and single person council tax relief ends.
90% of single parent families are headed by women and this would impact those women very negatively.
I do think that far too many young workless people are getting disability benefits for mental health issues though, and this doesn’t help them at all in the long term ( or the country)
Starmer was so weak when he u turned on this, see also winter fuel allowance ( which was a stupid policy comms- wise so early in their term).
The government should be fuelling growth for small businesses, encouraging entrepreneurship, get rid of the new NI threshold and stop prioritising pensioners over the future generations.
People need to feel hope and aspiration for the economy to grow.

I really don’t agree with increasing the age thry can claim UC- this puts a ton of pressure on lower income families who still have to house and feed them.

It would only be done after opportunities to work were in place. Perhaps those families would then put pressure on their children to go and work for their money.

Have you not read the dozens of posts from parents who are desperate for their adult children to fund a job but are unable because Labour decimated the entry level jobs?

Do you really think all it takes is for mum to sit down Olivia at the kitchen table and to tell her sternly that she needs a job?

Try reading my original post and all will become clear. ☺️

I’ve read enough, thanks.

I do wonder why you think pressure from parents is enough to make young adults get a job, but I think I know the answer to that.

I don’t. Here - I’ve made it easy for you. ☺️

I’d use the findings of the Millburn report to create lots of work opportunities for young people - apprenticeships, incentives to employers, any initiative that would get them in to work and once those were in place increase the age at which benefits could be claimed. We can’t have nearly a million young people with no experience of work.