“Dangerously Left-Wing” Hayek Hatchet Job

Angela Eagle and Imran Ahmed’s new book “The New Serfdom“, a 400-page hatchet job on the great liberal thinker Friedrich Hayek, is being lauded with praise in Labour circles, most effusively from Nick Cohen. Guido must come to Hayek’s defence in the face of their rewriting of history.

The New Serfdom is a reminder that, even as the relatively moderate challenger to Corbyn, Eagle is still a liberty-hating socialist who opposes free markets and fundamentally values the state over the freedom of the individual. Even Ed Miliband’s office warned that Ahmed was “dangerously left-wing” when he became a Shadow Cabinet adviser. Their book condemns the “veneration of markets”, the “infiltration of marketisation” into the public sector, capitalism’s promotion of competition, the “toxic culture” of admiring those who succeed, and calls for a Labour government to create an “empowered state… pursuing a reinvigorated democratic socialism”. It wants to sweep back Thatcher’s trade union reforms, regulate the food and drink industry to the hilt and put taxes through the roof. It offers a depressing view of Britain today, talking the country down as “divided and resentful”, dismisses capitalist liberal democracy as a “con”, calls Hayek a “liar” with “extreme views” who inspired Thatcher and her “successor” Trump, and claims Brexit is evidence of “the extreme right on the march”. According to the respected academic Chris Hanretty, Eagle’s Wallasley seat voted 53% to Leave…

The history of the last century comprehensively proved correct Hayek’s central assertion that socialism morphs into totalitarianism. He was proved right when the Keynesian post-war consensus collapsed and Thatcher used his ideas – “this is what we believe” – to turn the economy around. The New Serfdom is an unashamedly socialist critique of the last forty years of British political life, and so is as dangerous and wrong as you would expect. The key question for Eagle and Ahmed: if they truly believe in their socialist vision for Britain, why did they try to stop Corbyn becoming Prime Minister?

April 24, 2018 at 4:57 pm
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Corbyn Miles Ahead, Eagle and Smith Crash and Burn

Jeremy Corbyn is more popular than ever with Labour members and is set to comfortably retain the leadership, while Angela Eagle and particularly Owen Smith have crashed and burned, according to a new YouGov poll. 54% of Labour members eligible to vote say Jez will be their first preference, way ahead of nearest challenger Eagle, who is second on 21%. Smith, who Tom Watson and the ‘old Right’ Labour establishment want as the sole candidate, has bombed with the membership. A pitiful 15% would back him. In a one v one run-off Corbyn would beat either candidate by over 20 points. If you were Angela or Owen looking at these numbers, would you even want to be on the ballot?

July 18, 2016 at 11:08 pm
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Labour Voters Agree Corbyn Would be “A Good Prime Minister”

eagle corbyn stats

Topline figures from Ipsos MORI’s July political monitor might have made gloomy reading for Corbyn supporters. When asked whether or not they agree that Corbyn has what it takes to be a good Prime Minister, only 23% agreed, with 68% disagreeing, 6% impartial, and 3% “Don’t Know” (Eagle scored 21%, 40%, 15%, and 24% respectively).

However, when this is broken down into just Labour voters, the picture changes dramatically. 47% of Labour voters agree Jez has what it takes to be a good PM – compared to just 30% for Angela Eagle. In total, net 3% of Labour voters agreed with the question for Corbyn, compared to -7% for Eagle. These are voters – not members – and therefore could represent Labour’s core more accurately than internal membership polls. Though the distinction is irrelevant – both Labour members and voters clearly back Corbyn…

July 14, 2016 at 4:47 pm
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Angela’s “Hell Yes I’m Tough Enough” Moment

Angela Eagle was repeatedly asked if she is able to control her emotions by John Humphries after she cried during the Labour coup. In a response reminiscent of Miliband versus Paxman, she replied: “I’m not crying now am I?” Putin quaking…

July 12, 2016 at 8:39 am
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Angela All Alone

“BBC anyone? No? OK, Robert Peston where are you? No? Michael Crick?”

Absolutely excruciating footage from Angela Eagle’s leadership launch…

July 11, 2016 at 1:31 pm
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Rich’s Monday Morning View

Eagollum colour 540 2

July 11, 2016 at 8:59 am
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Eagle: I Will Take Out Corbyn

At last! Angela Eagle says she is ready to challenge Jez:

“There are many people asking me to resolve this impasse and I will do so. I have the support and I will do if he doesn’t act.”

Owen Smith is briefing that he has more numbers. Labour plotters have long believed this will only work if they can agree on one challenger. Clowns can’t even agree on a single candidate… 

July 4, 2016 at 9:29 am
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Guido’s Referendum Best Bits

Relive all your favourite bits from the referendum in one handy video. Let’s hope we can add an alternative ending tomorrow… 

June 23, 2016 at 7:34 pm
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Eagle Spins Caymans Aide Row

Following Guido’s revelation that the firm run by Labour’s new business tsar was incorporated in the Caymans, the FT’s Jim Pickard has asked Angela Eagle for a comment on her “ethical” business adviser. Eagle replied that Anthony Watson’s company “pays taxes in all the jurisdictions in which it operates”. What is the corporate tax rate in the Cayman Islands? Zero percent. Ian Cameron’s Panama fund paid taxes in all the jurisdictions in which it operated, and Labour said that was morally disgusting…

April 14, 2016 at 3:35 pm
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Labour Business Tsar’s Firm Incorporated in Caymans

The financial services firm run by Labour’s new business tsar was incorporated in the Cayman Islands, Guido can reveal. Anthony Watson is the flamboyant president and chief operating officer of Uphold Inc, an online financial services company headquartered in California. Earlier this year he was appointed by the Shadow Business Secretary Angela Eagle to chair Labour’s Business and Enterprise Advisory Council. Eagle said at the time: “Both Anthony and I are determined to lay the foundations for a shared capitalism… It’s great that Anthony has agreed to chair this group which will help forge a new vision for a dynamic industrial strategy, because he has the fresh ideas and a proven track record of putting innovation and ethics at the heart of business practices.”. Well, how’s that whole “shared capitalism” and ethics thing working out?

Watson took charge of his financial services company in April 2015, when it went by the name Bitreserve. This is from their website:

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission documents seen by Guido show that Bitreserve’s jurisdiction of incorporation was the Caymans. Its address is a PO box.

What does Angela Eagle think about the ethics of her top business adviser running a company incorporated in the tax-free Caymans? 

April 14, 2016 at 7:07 am
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Best of Angela Eagle at PMQs

The Eagle has landed blow after blow on George Osborne at a gag-tastic PMQs:

Labour benches were louder and happier than they’ve been for weeks…

December 9, 2015 at 12:46 pm
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Angela Eagle Turns the Airwaves Blue

New Shadow Business Secretary Angela Eagle was not pleased when Andrew Neil pushed her for an opinion on the new OECD rules this afternoon:

“Andrew, just before you ask the other question, you don’t get any bullsh*t  from me. I will have an opinion when I’ve had a read of it”

Is the new job getting to her already?

September 29, 2015 at 2:28 pm
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Where Eagle Dares… to Hire Unpaid Interns

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Here is Angela Eagle slamming unpaid internships during the election campaign:

She could not have been clearer about them:

“Let me assure you, we will legislate to stop this happening, and everybody – whether it is our own party or any other part of the country – will have to make sure there is a level playing field for interns, so those that don’t have deep pockets or rich parents can have access to the same opportunities as everyone else.”

So, this advert from Angela Eagle’s campaign asking for two unpaid interns must be a mistake then?

She calls them ‘volunteers’, but Guido will let you be the judge on whether this sounds like a job or not:

Responsible to the Field Operations Co-ordinator, the post-holders should have the ability to work both independently and as part of a team, provide leadership and have excellent organisation skills and attention to detail.

You will be required to work on:

  • Capacity building
  • Volunteer mobilisation
  • Event organisation
  • Liaising with local Labour parties
  • Social media
  • Policy inquiries  
  • Administration of an efficient campaign office
  • Entry of data
  • Other tasks as requested by campaign staff

Please note this role continues until the close of voting in the Labour leadership election.

The Angela Eagle for Deputy campaign values equality and diversity, and welcomes applications from candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

“Let me assure you…”

July 28, 2015 at 2:30 pm
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