LABOUR ON THE PICKET LINE

Keir Starmer is between a rock and a hard place at the moment.  He does not want to discuss the rail strikes - as he wants to remain firmly seated on the fence.  He neither wants to upset the trade unions that bankroll his party, or the millions of workers who will be adversely affected by the strikes.  As the strikes commenced on Tuesday his social media accounts fell silent.  24 hours earlier he banned his frontbenchers from joining the RMT picket lines.  He didn't slap a ban on his backbenchers, because he knew that would be pointless...

Labour backbenchers on the RMT picket line on Tuesday - Beth Winter, Kim Johnson,
Rachael Maskell, Richard Burgon, Zarah Sultana, Ian Byrne, Rebecca Long-Bailey,
Dan Carden and Paula Barker

Diane Abbott and several other MPs were on separate picket lines and the former shadow home secretary tweeted a defiant message to her party leader...

Other Labour MPs on the picket line included Tahir Ali, Ian Lavery, Andy McDonald, John McDonnell, Kate Osborne, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, Mick Whitley and Nadia Whittome.  Sam Tarry was on the picket line with a loudspeaker on Tuesday, but his lover Angela Rayner was nowhere to be seen, clearly adhering to her leader's ban.  Clive Lewis hilariously tweeted apologies that he couldn't be on the picket line - as there were no trains running!

STARMER HIT BY MAJOR REBELLION

Dan Carden and Margaret Greenwood

Keir Starmer suffered a torrid Thursday as he lost two shadow ministers and five junior frontbenchers in one night.  The resignations came as 34 of his MPs rebelled against the party whip, up from 17 ten days ago at an earlier stage of the same bill.  The bill in question was the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill, designed to lend legal protection to police officers, intelligence agents and their sources in the course of operations.  Opponents fear it will allow individuals to commit serious criminal acts with impunity.

First to announce his resignation was Dan Carden, a hard left Liverpool MP who stood down from his role as Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury.  Some media outlets reported that he was the last Corbynista to leave Starmer's front bench.  Technically Andy McDonald is the last man standing.

Later on Thursday another Merseyside MP announced her resignation.  Margaret Greenwood was the Shadow Schools Minister.  Carden and Greenwood published their resignation letters on social media (see letters below, click to enlarge).

Also resigning from their front bench roles were five parliamentary private secretaries - Mary Foy (Durham City), Rachel Hopkins (Luton South), Kim Johnson (Liverpool Riverside), Navendu Mishra (Stockport) and Sarah Owen (Luton North).  With the exception of Owen all of them are members of the hard left Socialist Campaign Group, the bulk of which voted against the legislation - and the whip.  Two other PPS's opposed the bill - Charlotte Nichols and Sam Tarry - but they have not resigned.  Following previous resignations and dismissals there are now seven PPS roles vacant on the front bench, so it will be interesting to see if Starmer dismisses them as he did Nadia Whittome after she defied the whip last month.

The full list of 34 Labour MPs who opposed the bill were as follows (Socialist Campaign Group members in bold).

Diane Abbott

Tahir Ali

Paula Barker

Apsana Begum

Olivia Blake

Richard Burgon

Dawn Butler

Ian Byrne

Dan Carden

Jeremy Corbyn

Geraint Davies

Mary Foy

Barry Gardiner

Margaret Greenwood

Rachel Hopkins

Kim Johnson

Ian Lavery

Clive Lewis

Tony Lloyd

Rebecca Long-Bailey

John McDonnell

Ian Mearns

Navendu Mishra

Grahame Morris

Kate Osamor

Kate Osborne

Sarah Owen

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Lloyd Russell-Moyle

Zarah Sultana

Jon Trickett

Claudia Webbe

Mick Whitley

Nadia Whittome

Beth Winter

Plaid Cymru, the SNP and Liberal Democrats also opposed the bill, which passed its third reading 313-98 and proceeds to the Lords.

IN FOCUS: LIVERPOOL

A supposed bastion of the hard left, Liverpool contains four Parliamentary constituencies inside its city boundaries.  A fifth seat - Garston and Halewood - overlaps with neighbouring Knowsley and consists of five Liverpool council wards and three Knowsley wards.  At the 2017 general election all five seats returned Labour MPs, but two of whom have since resigned from the party (Luciana Berger and Louise Ellman).

Population (2018 est):  494,814
City Council:  Labour, since 2010
Composition:  Labour (72 cllrs), Lib Dem (10), Green (4), Liberal (3), Ind (1)
Ethnic make-up (2011):  white 88.8%, Asian 4.1%, black 2.6%, mixed 2.5%, Arab 1.2%, other 0.8%
EU referendum:  58% Remain
Largest Parliamentary majority:  Liverpool Riverside (Louise Ellman, Ind*) majority 35,947
Smallest Parliamentary majority:  Liverpool Wavertree (Luciana Berger, Lib Dem*) majority 29,466

* Elected as Labour MPs

Liverpool has returned a solid slate of Labour MPs since the Labour landslide of 1997.  The last non-Labour MP elected here was the Liberal Democrat David Alton who held the seat of Liverpool Mossley Hill until its abolition in 1997.  All five MPs elected in 2017 had huge majorities and Liverpool Walton is regarded as the safest Labour seat in Britain.  However, of the five members elected in 2017 only two are defending their seats at the forthcoming election.  Two Jewish MPs (Berger and Ellman) were driven out of the party and Stephen Twigg has opted not to stand again.

The recent selection process to replace these MPs was marred by controversy.  Accusations of a stitch-up swirled as outsiders were installed on the ballot paper in favour of local candidates.  One of those in the running was a councillor all the way from Islington no less.  It wouldn't be the first time outsiders were chosen for the ultra safe seats of Liverpool, but this time the stitch-up was largely defeated.  It should be noted that only one of the five incumbents is a Scouser.  In a month's time this is highly likely to have risen to four out of five.

Although the Parliamentary return has been a solid red for more than two decades, contrary to popular opinion the city council has been less so.  The famed hard left have frequently lost control in Liverpool over the years.  Following the last Tory-led council of 1972 the council has actually spent more time out of Labour's control.  Intermittent periods of no overall control was followed by a stable period of Lib Dem control between 1998 and 2010.  Following the electoral backlash against Lib Dem involvement in the coalition government, Labour has asserted itself with an overwhelming majority.  This is currently the longest ever period of Labour control in Liverpool.

A secondary layer of local government here is the Liverpool City Region.  This combined authority also takes in the neighbouring local authorities of Halton, Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton and the Wirral.  The elected mayor is Labour's Joe Anderson, also the leader of Liverpool City Council.

Liverpool voted to Remain in 2016 and all its MPs are Remainers, including three hard Remainers who in 2017 voted against triggering Article 50 (Ellman, Berger and Eagle).  Despite the city's reputation, Jeremy Corbyn found little support among its MPs during the 2016 leadership challenge, four out of five of whom backed Owen Smith.

Liverpool Riverside

Incumbent:  Louise Ellman (Ind), majority 35,947

Born:  Manchester, 1945

First elected:  1997, as a Labour MP

Leave/Remain:  Remain, voted against triggering Article 50

Notes:  Ellman is Jewish and quit Labour in October 2019 in protest at Labour anti-Semitism and Jeremy Corbyn's leadership.  This followed multiple attempts to have her deselected.  She became Dame Louise Ellman in 2018.  In the 2016 leadership challenge she endorsed Owen Smith.  Ellman is not standing in the forthcoming election.

Riverside was held by Labour since its creation in 1983

EU referendum:  73% Remain, strongest Remain seat in Liverpool

General election 2017

Louise Ellman (Lab) 40,599 (84.5%) +17.1%
Pamela Hall (Con) 4,652 (9.7%) +0.1%
Stephanie Pitchers (Green) 1,582 (3.3%) -8.8%
Tom Sebire (Lib Dem) 1,187 (2.5%) -1.4%

General election candidates 2019

Kim Johnson (Lab)

Sean Malkeson (Con)
Tom Crone (Green)

Robert McAllister-Bell (Lib Dem)
David Leach (Brexit)

BTLP general election prediction:  Lab HOLD

Liverpool Walton

Incumbent:  Dan Carden (Lab), majority 32,551
Born:  Liverpool, 1986
First elected:  2017
Leave/Remain:  Remain
Notes:  Shadow Secretary of State for International Development.
Scandals:  Hey Jews

Walton has been held by Labour since 1964.  After the last general election it is the safest Labour seat in Britain.

EU referendum:  52% Leave, only Leave seat in Liverpool

General election 2017

Dan Carden (Lab) 36,175 (85.7%) +4.4%
Laura Evans (Con) 3,624 (8.6%) +3.9%
Terry May (Ind) 1,237 (2.9%) New
Kris Brown (Lib Dem) 638 (1.5%) -0.8%
Colm Feeley (Green) 523 (1.2%) -1.2%

General election candidates 2019

Dan Carden (Lab)
Alex Phillips (Con)
David Newman (Lib Dem)
Ted Grant (Green)
Billy Lake (Liberal)

Note:  UKIP came second here with 9% of the vote in 2015, so the absence of a Brexit Party candidate is rather inexplicable.

BTLP general election prediction:  Lab HOLD

Liverpool Wavertree

Incumbent:  Luciana Berger (Lib Dem), majority 29,466
Born:  London, 1981
First elected:  2010, as a Labour MP
Leave/Remain:  Remain, voted against triggering Article 50
Notes:  Berger is Jewish and quit Labour in February 2019 alongside six other MPs to form Change UK.  She later switched to the Liberal Democrats, but will not defend her seat at the next election.  Instead, she will be contesting the London seat of Finchley & Golders Green.  Berger was privately educated.  In the 2016 leadership challenge she endorsed Owen Smith.

Wavertree was held by Labour since its creation in 1997

EU referendum:  65% Remain

General election 2017

Luciana Berger (Lab) 34,717 (79.5%) +10.2%
Denise Haddad (Con) 5,251 (12.0%) +2.0%
Richard Kemp (Lib Dem) 2,858 (6.5%) +0.5%

Ted Grant (Green) 598 (1.4%) -3.8%
Adam Heatherington (Ind) 216 (0.5%) New

General election candidates 2019

Paula Barker (Lab)

Catherine Mulhern (Con)

Richard Kemp (Lib Dem)

Kay Inckle (Green)

Adam Heatherington (Brexit)
Mick Coyne (Liberal)

BTLP general election prediction:  Lab HOLD

Liverpool West Derby

Incumbent:  Stephen Twigg (Lab), majority 32,908
Born:  London, 1966
First elected:  1997, for Enfield Southgate
Leave/Remain:  Remain, but voted to trigger Article 50
Notes:  Twigg rose to fame when he unseated cabinet minister Michael Portillo in 1997.  The Tories retook the seat in 2005 and Twigg was out of Parliament until 2010 when he was selected for the safe Labour seat of Liverpool West Derby.  Served on the front benches in both government and opposition, but is not standing this time.  Endorsed Owen Smith in the 2016 leadership challenge.
Scandals:  Drunk and incapable

West Derby has been held by Labour since 1964

EU referendum:  50.2% Remain

General election 2017

Stephen Twigg (Lab) 37,371 (82.8%) +7.6%
Paul Richardson (Con) 4,463 (9.9%) +3.3%
Steve Radford (Liberal) 2,150 (4.8%) -0.2%
Paul Parr (Lib Dem) 545 (1.2%) -1.1%
Will Ward (Green) 329 (0.7%) -1.7%
Graham Hughes (Ind) 305 (0.7) New

General election candidates 2019

Ian Byrne (Lab)

Tom Bradley (Con)
Steve Radford (Liberal)
Paul Parr (Lib Dem)
Will Ward (Green)
Ray Pearson (Brexit)

BTLP general election prediction:  Lab HOLD

Garston & Halewood

Incumbent:  Maria Eagle (Lab), majority 32,149
Born:  East Yorkshire, 1961
First elected:  1997
Leave/Remain:  Remain, voted against triggering Article 50
Notes:  Elected to Parliament at the second attempt (she unsuccessfully contested Crosby in 1992).  Twin sister of fellow Labour MP Angela Eagle.  Served on the front benches in both government and opposition.  Endorsed Owen Smith in the 2016 leadership challenge.
Scandals:  Expenses scandal

Garston & Halewood has been held by Labour since its creation in 2010.  It largely follows the boundaries of the previous seat of Liverpool Halewood which was held by Labour between 1983-2010.  The new seat absorbed three council wards from neighbouring Knowsley.

EU referendum:  52% Remain

General election 2017

Maria Eagle (Lab) 41,599 (77.7%) +8.6%
Adam Marsden (Con) 9,450 (17.7%) +4.0%
Anna Martin (Lib Dem) 1,723 (3.2%) -1.5%
Lawrence Brown (Green) 750 (1.4%) -2.1%

General election candidates 2019

Maria Eagle (Lab)

Neva Novaky (Con)

Kris Brown (Lib Dem)
Jean-Paul Roberts (Green)
Jake Fraser (Brexit)
Hazel Williams (Liberal)

BTLP general election prediction:  Lab HOLD

NEXT WEEK:  Bristol

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ANOTHER WEEKDAY PROTEST

The ability of the left to mobilise on workdays is famous.  Today is a little different as they've pencilled in their latest weekday exploits for 18:00 in the desperate hope that some actual working people will join them after their shifts.  The protest has been organised by the far left 'People's Assembly' and will take place outside Downing Street to protest against the incoming Prime Minister.  The great unwashed will hear from a plethora of speakers including little Owen Jones (who else?) and a number of Labour MPs (plus Caroline Lucas of the Greens, naturally).

McDonnell will be joined by his Labour colleagues Dickie Burgon, Ian Lavery, Laura Pidcock, Emma Dent-Coad, Dan Carden, Karen Lee, Laura Smith and Danielle Rowley.  No doubt they'll all be demanding a general election on the basis that Boris is 'unelected'.  As they continue to beat the drum of this shallow argument we will continue to point out the glaring hypocrisy of their argument.  Gordon Brown wasn't elected PM either.

McDonnell, in particular, is more than familiar with the 2007 Labour leadership 'election'.  Brown wasn't even elected by his own party, let alone the electorate.  He was crowned Prime Minister unopposed.  The only other challenger was none other than McDonnell himself, albeit he failed to garner enough nominations to get on the ballot.  Maybe next time John.

Despite the impressive line-up of MPs planning to address the riff-raff, the Facebook page for today's demo has so far only attracted a couple of hundred people, despite the best efforts of little Owen and his incessant tweeting.  No doubt things will pick up throughout the day and the media will gleefully report organisers' estimates of one million protesters (again).  OK, well maybe not this time.