Politics and Human Rights.

Sir Keir Starmer and his Deputy, Angela Rayner, were recently cleared by Durham Police of any wrongdoing in relation to a party held in that city during a COVID19 lockdown in 2021, and not fined, as the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson and former Chancellor of the Exchequer (and now Tory leadership candidate) Rishi Sunak, were over a party at 10 Downing Street, which was in breach of COVID19 regulations. Starmer and Rayner had both promised to resign from their positions if they were found to be in breach of regulations and fined, in contrast to Johnson and Sunak, who did not, but this, of course, proved to be unnecessary. Starmer's and Rayner's positions in the Labour Party are thus unchallenged, and seemingly unchallengeable. The Left despises them, and the feeling is mutual, but the Centre and Right of the Party seem content with their leadership, which is a pity, for they are being led like lambs to the proverbial slaughter. As I have already noted, the 10.2% national swing f...

According to YouGov , in its most recent opinion poll (conducted 15-16th June 2022, and published on the 17th), if there was a General Election tomorrow - which, of course, there won't be - 39% of voters would vote Labour, 33% Conservative, 10% Liberal Democrat, 6% for the Green Party of England and Wales, 4% for the SNP, 4% for Reform UK, 1% for Plaid Cymru and 2% for other Parties, a total of 99%, presumably leaving 1% who didn't know or who wouldn't say. As Andrew Rawnsley points out in today's (19th June 2022) Observer newspaper, Labour enjoyed a similar lead over the Conservatives in 2013, only to lose the subsequent General Election in 2015. The next General Election is, likewise, probably two years away. Again, as Rawnsley argues, ' A charismatic leader with the capacity to generate excitement can win from the centre-left with a cautious programme, as Tony Blair demonstrated in 1997. A dramatic manifesto of social and economic change fronted by a self-effac...