general election

RMT leader Mick Lynch gives Jeremy Corbyn general election backing

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Image of Jeremy Corbyn MP, former leader of the Labour Party
Jeremy Corbyn MP, former leader of the Labour Party

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68393822

The RMT Union has announced it will be supporting former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at the next general election.

Mr Corbyn is the independent MP for Islington North – a seat he has held since 1983.

Last year, the 74-year-old was banned from standing for Labour, having been suspended from the parliamentary party over an antisemitism row in 2020.

RMT leader Mick Lynch said the union would back Mr Corbyn should he run for his seat again as an independent.

“We will support all sorts of people in this election, because we’re not affiliated,” Mr Lynch told the War on Want conference.

He added: “We will support Labour candidates. We will support socialist candidates.

“We will be supporting Jeremy Corbyn in the next election.”

The RMT became estranged from Labour in 2004 under Tony Blair’s leadership, meaning – unlike many other trade unions – it is free to support other candidates.

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68393822

Continue ReadingRMT leader Mick Lynch gives Jeremy Corbyn general election backing

Greens to stand throughout England and Wales at next general election

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Image of the Green Party's Carla Denyer on BBC Question Time.
Image of the Green Party’s Carla Denyer on BBC Question Time. Carla Denyer is the Green co-leader, alongside Adrian Ramsay

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67914916

The Green Party is aiming to field candidates in every seat in England and Wales at this year’s general election, its co-leader has said.

Carla Denyer told the BBC it was already “good way through” selecting candidates to fulfil the aim, which would mark a first for the party.

She said her party was open to talks with other parties about possible electoral pacts.

But she ruled out withdrawing candidates unless other parties do too.

The Greens are aiming to translate the record gains they made at last year’s English local elections into increased representation at Westminster.

Their only current MP, two-time former leader Caroline Lucas, is due to stand down at the next general election, which is almost certain to take place this year.

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“The Green Party is collaborative by nature. We’re always keen to work with people on areas where we agree,” Ms Denyer said when asked about possible election pacts.

But she added: “We’re not about to roll over and hand over any unilateral gifts to other parties.

“Our position is that our door is open, it’s always open, and we are prepared to talk to other parties, but we’re not going to be standing down unliterally.

“If there is an opportunity to co-operate, we’re open to that, and we’ve always made that clear so I think the other parties know it.

“But in the meantime, we are standing candidates in every single seat, so that everyone has the opportunity to vote Green.”

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67914916

Continue ReadingGreens to stand throughout England and Wales at next general election

Sunak not yet told when to hold UK’s general election.

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UK Prime Minister yet to be told by Rupert Murdoch when to hold a general election.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yet to be told by Rupert Murdoch when to hold a general election.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/jan/04/rishi-sunak-hints-he-will-delay-calling-election-until-second-half-of-2024

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“My working assumption is we’ll have a general election in the second half of this year and in the meantime I’ve got lots that I want to get on with,” he said during a visit to Nottinghamshire.

While he refused to rule out calling a May election, as has been predicted by senior Labour figures, Sunak repeated his intention to hold it in the second part of the year.

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https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/jan/04/rishi-sunak-hints-he-will-delay-calling-election-until-second-half-of-2024

Continue ReadingSunak not yet told when to hold UK’s general election.

Tory Party spent ‘unprecedentedly’ high figure on Rishi Sunak Facebook ads in December

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https://leftfootforward.org/2024/01/tory-party-spent-unprecedentedly-high-figure-on-rishi-sunak-facebook-ads-in-december/

The Tory Party has spent an “unprecedentedly large figure” in the last month on advertising for Rishi Sunak’s Facebook page leading to a huge surge in followers, a transparency organisation has found.

Political transparency group Who Targets Me said Rishi Sunak’s spending on his own Facebook page in December was an “unprecedentedly large figure for a UK politician outside of an election period”.

Sunak appeared to buy more adverts in the last three months than Keir Starmer has in the three years and eight months he’s been Labour leader, which Who Targets Me stressed was a reminder of how digital campaigns are set to influence general elections in 2024.  

Spending on Rishi Sunak’s Facebook page topped £42,000 in two weeks, with just over £9,000 spent on Meta adverts on 30th December alone and an additional £11,000 on New Year’s Eve.

According to Who Targets Me, the advertisements brought Sunak’s page a total of roughly 6 million impressions from December 25th to 31st. This has led to the page growing by nearly 100k in followers in the last month, making it now bigger than the main Conservative page, and Keir Starmers. However the official Labour Party page still has a fair hundred thousand followers more.

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https://leftfootforward.org/2024/01/tory-party-spent-unprecedentedly-high-figure-on-rishi-sunak-facebook-ads-in-december/

Continue ReadingTory Party spent ‘unprecedentedly’ high figure on Rishi Sunak Facebook ads in December

Morning Star: As the general election looms, the left has choices to make

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/editorial-left-and-election

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Stammer, December 27, 2023

2024 is almost certainly a general election year. Westminster rumours of a May poll are rife, but the autumn remains the more likely option for beleaguered premier Rishi Sunak.

An essential function of a democratic election is to offer the possibility of a change of government. The forthcoming contest, however, seems to offer little more than a shift in administrators of the same anti-popular policy.

The problem facing voters wanting significant change — the majority of the electorate one can assume — is the state of the Labour Party. On the most pressing international issues — Palestine and Ukraine — its policy is identical with the Tories: war and more war, as Washington directs.

Domestically its priority is sticking within the narrow parameters of Treasury orthodoxy. Anything involving spending public money is, even after 13 years of austerity, ruled out. So too tax rises on the rich.

The Green New Deal is diluted further by the day, and privatisation looks like extending its tentacles into the NHS.

Even more positive Labour policies, like extending trade union rights, are clouded by a scepticism as to Keir Starmer’s sincerity, given his well-earned reputation for dissimulation and double-dealing.

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/editorial-left-and-election

Continue ReadingMorning Star: As the general election looms, the left has choices to make