Independent Media | Campaigning Journalism
We’ve just heard the most tone-deaf reason for voting for Keir Starmer and Rosena Allin-Khan
After voting in the UK Labour leadership and deputy leadership elections, actor Reece Dinsdale announced his decision on social media. He explained he’d voted for Keir Starmer and Rosena Allin-Khan. Dinsdale tweeted:
Just voted in the @UKLabour elections.
On basis that being in power is EVERYTHING & that the electorate recently informed us that they’d not sanction a hard left gov, I’ve gone for @Keir_Starmer & @DrRosena
Time to look after those we purport to help, not play party politics. pic.twitter.com/txd9miCR6M— Reece Dinsdale (@reece_dinsdale) February 27, 2020
But his tweet doesn’t make sense. Because even in critical postmortems of Labour’s defeat, being “hard left” didn’t exactly feature. In fact, Labour received praise from economists for its policies. And while Corbyn’s popularity, undermined by a right-wing smear campaign, was an issue, so too was Labour’s position on Brexit.
Brexit and Starmer
The general election in 2019 was billed as a “Brexit election”. And Starmer was one of the architects of Labour’s position. This proved unpopular with much of the British electorate. Yet according to a recent poll, Starmer has kept his popularity with Labour Remainers. So quite possibly some people still haven’t got the message.
Read on...
Hard what?
There was a lot of reaction to Dinsdale accusing Labour of having a “hard left” position:
What is hard left about the current Labour Manifesto policies, Reece?
Compared to Scandinavian models it’s broad, basic centre left at best.
40 years of neoliberal rule has given the impression that it’s hard left, yes. I just hoped someone like yourself would have got that.
— Ben (@BenJolly9) February 27, 2020
In response to Dinsdale’s suggestion that “power is EVERYTHING”, they reminded him just how the electorate might view Starmer:
And this person was clear what a vote for Starmer meant for them:
Starmer and Allin-Khan
In addition to his position on Brexit, Starmer needs to answer some questions. These include concerns about the undercover policing scandal. Similarly, Allin-Khan needs to be clear. On the one hand she claims to stand for the rights of Palestinians:
Yesterday, @AdamBoultonSky asked me why I'm vocal about Palestine.
When it comes to Palestine, I don't just shout about it. I've worked as a doctor treating Palestinians and have seen the appalling treatment they face. I'll never stop fighting for their human rights! pic.twitter.com/b7saFXUtjb
— Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (@DrRosena) January 30, 2020
But, along with Starmer, she signed the highly controversial list of demands from the right-wing Board of Deputies of British Jews (BoD). Pledges which, in the words of Jewish Canary editor Emily Apple, mean Labour “must ignore socialist Jews” and “Jews who don’t support the actions of the Israeli state”.
What’s the point of power?
There’s little point “being in power” if you have to sacrifice the policies your party holds dear. The “centrist” Labour government under Tony Blair moved away from working-class people and, worse still, could be deemed guilty of war crimes.
So if the message popularised by Corbyn – “for the many not the few” – is also to be compromised, it’s hard to see how it can “look after those” it claims to represent.
Featured image via YouTube – Square Chapel Arts Centre / YouTube – Guardian News / YouTube – ITV News
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Actually had to Google who Reece was (don’t watch Emmerdale or soaps at all). More amusing is he’s tweeted today that he’s been at a workshop and is amazed by the talent that abounds up here in t’north. Pretty patronising for a Yorkshire born ex-Emmerdaler.
So what’s the real excuse for yet another “don’t vote for… but vote for Burgon (and begrudgingly RLB) instead” article? It’s getting really boring.
Good grief , well that’s good reason not to vote for either of them , Emmerrbloodydale actor ffs , epitome of the Tory dales.
Truth is a Tory lite Starmer B-lair-ite Govt would go easy on his tax burdon , yah know what wos it Madrake Mendlingson said about bein intensely relaxed over rich people ……. wot-ever !
Canary please note:
The myth of electability
https://davemiddletons.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-myth-of-electability.html
is the best explanation to not pander to middle or right wing.
Less than 200,000 former Labour voters defected to the Tories in 2019, otherwise the figures don’t add up.
Worth getting Dave Middleton to re-write a more concise version for you.
Sorry, got to call this out. Any member of the Labour Party is entitled to vote as he or she feels and, should they wish to, validate that with their reasons. This article is a dog whistle to inner party intolerance. I belong to a socialist party that allows freedom of expression – not twisting and manipulation. Pitiful piece of pseudo-journalism. Oh, and I say that as a journalist in print for over 45 years.
I deplored the Corbyn smears during his two General Election campaigns by a media that is out of control. How sickening then, to see Labour members who champion the party on social media, attacked for expressing their support for a candidate. I’ve read and supported the Canary for some time but this is beyond the acceptable. Shameful really.
Look on the bright side, people. This “I’ll tell you how to vote” article actually shifted me into finding out more about Rosena Allin-Khan. Qualified quack who still makes time to put a shift in on A+E (Matt Handjob will be needing more like her as the confirmed cases increase), actually has done something useful for Palestinians rather than just wear a flag-badge on their lapel and call people Nazis because ‘edgy’
Propelled her up my Deputy list of preferences.