Guido wonders what deselected Labour MP and Angela Rayner’s “soulmate” Sam Tarry would make of the candidate replacing him. Jas Athwal, candidate for Ilford South and Labour council leader in Redbridge, enjoys a more-than-extensive property portfolio. In addition to his home Athwal owns a whopping 15 extra properties in Redbridge alone. Committed Corbynite Tarry will be seething…
Labour has been murky on their plans for second homeowners and is facing high pressure to single out additional properties for extra revenue. It has not ruled out stamp duty hikes. Meanwhile, Welsh Labour is pushing ahead with its plans to address “property wealth” with satellite-assisted council tax hikes. Athwal is friends with Labour frontbench star Wes Streeting. Will the Shadow Health Secretary defend his property magnate chum against Rayner’s faction of tax-hike fanatics?
Yesterday Guido revealed that in a 2018 speech Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner vowed to abolish private schools altogether. A Labour spokesman hit back at the story, calling it “more desperate nonsense from the Tories and completely misrepresents what Angela actually said“. That strikes Guido as an over-enthusiastic denial…
In 2019 Rayner gave her support to a Labour conference motion which called for all funds and properties held by private schools to be “redistributed democratically and fairly” to other schools and for private schools to be converted into comprehensives. Democratically, fairly, mandatorily…
Rayner justified her enthusiastic support for the forced expropriation of private schools – “It means that no longer can taxpayers’ money go into private institutions that they squirrel away to help the 7% of our country do well when they’re at the expense of everybody else.” How much longer can Labour’s deputy leader pretend that she doesn’t want to completely abolish private schools?
One of Labour’s most contentious policies is their punitive tax on independent schools, slapping a 20% VAT on fees. The party is already stumbling over questions about how they’ll handle the influx of students flooding the state system. Shadow cabinet members are scrambling to refute Emily Thornberry’s slip admitting there will be “larger classes” because of this tax. Guido has unearthed a video of Deputy Leader Angela Rayner and the Shadow Chancellor vowing to abolish independent schools altogether…
Back in 2018, speaking at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds about “Labour’s vision for a fairer future for everyone involved in teaching and learning,” Rayner promised: “we will end the marketisation and privatisation of our education system.” She was met with much applause from the audience and a nodding smile from Rachel Reeves. This would be a financial and logistical disaster…
According to an IFS report in 2019, shutting down private schools would saddle taxpayers with a £3.06 billion bill to shoehorn these students into state schools. On top of that, it would strip away £4.12 billion in tax revenues. Are Rayner and Reeves to fulfil their promise of abolishing private schools? The tax on fees could just be the beginning…
Rayner and Mordaunt were locked into a heated row over which party will raise more taxes. Mordaunt insisted that the Tories had “supported people through some very difficult times, and we are starting to see the recovery” promising “more in our manifesto next week” on tax cuts. Pointing to Labour to Labour tax rises, the infamous £2,000 figure was chucked about by Penny. Rayner simply hit back: “That’s a lie”. Mordaunt kept interjecting – rather losing her cool…
First to answer a question in tonight’s debate is Angela Rayner, who repeated that Labour is committed to the triple-lock on the UK’s nuclear deterrent, which means all four submarines will be built in Barrow. A reminder that she had said she still wants to rid the world of nuclear weapons just hours Starmer announced this position. Toeing the party line…
Angela Rayner put out a highly polished video today of her meeting veterans along with Labour’s candidate in Morecambe, Lizzi Collinge. The same candidate Guido yesterday revealed had tested positive for Covid-19 only days before…
Obviously veterans are old and vulnerable to the sickness – Collinge had not waited the recommended 10 days before packing them onto the campaign bus with her and Rayner. Guido hears the furious veterans have been hurriedly securing Covid tests for themselves in the aftermath. Giving a new meaning to viral politics?
Speaking to Sky News off the back of Rachel Reeves’ Air Passenger Duty hike, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said:
“Labour is dependent on those Red Wall seats, and yet every move she makes poisons economic growth and damages the UK’s recovery… it’s the Chancellor who stumbles from policy misstep to policy misstep… I think her policy decisions are incredibly stupid.”