As Labour marshal their arguments about the past guidelines for care homes and the risks to old people whilst portraying the new looser lockdown rules as confusing or incomprehensible to ordinary people, Guido reckons it might be a good idea for them to get their own house in order. Footage from before Boris announced the loosening of the lockdown shows Durham MP Kevan Jones breaking the rules, along with some police officers, to attend a VE Day-themed birthday party for a 100-year-old constituent. The hall had placed chairs two metres apart, however footage from the event shows Jones mingling with locals prior to the performance by a Vera Lynn tribute act. Breaking lockdown rules to mingle with a very vulnerable old person looks a little reckless…
Yesterday Guido brought you the Tory MPs who have been the beneficiaries of Saudi largesse. Of course the Tories weren’t the only ones – there are numerous Labour MPs who have also enjoyed the generous hospitality of the House of Saud. Five Labour MPs enjoyed lavish all-expenses-paid trips to Saudi Arabia earlier this year. Who were the lucky five…
- Mike Gapes (Lab) Visit to “deepen understanding of Saudi Arabia.” 9-13 April 2018. Paid for by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Shura Council. Value: £8,762
- Kevan Jones (Lab) Visit to “deepen understanding of Saudi Arabia.” 8-13 April 2018. Paid for by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Value: £8,762
- John Spellar (Lab) Visit to “deepen understanding of Saudi Arabia.” 9-13 April 2018. Paid for by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Shura Council. Value: £8,762
- Paul Williams (Lab) Visit to “deepen understanding of Saudi Arabia.” 9-13 April 2018. Paid for by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Shura Council. Value: £8,762
- John Woodcock (Ind, formerly Lab) Visit to “deepen understanding of Saudi Arabia.” 9-13 April 2018. Paid for by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Shura Council. Value: £8,762
John Spellar has since interrupted Emily Thornberry in a recent Commons debate to object to her opposition to the UK selling planes to Saudi Arabia, without declaring his interest. The total value of the MPs’ junckets came in at a cool £43,810. It’s safe to say that they got better treatment than tortured and murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi…
Hard right elements are now on the fringes of the Labour Party (the very place he used to be) agrees John McDonnellhttps://t.co/QcAeYKbek8
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) January 6, 2016
Kevan Jones was never in Progress…
Shadow Defence minister Kevan Jones is the next to resign:
I've just written to Jeremy Corbyn to offer my resignation from the Labour Party front bench pic.twitter.com/hry9IpKxXq
— Kevan Jones (@KevanJonesMP) January 6, 2016
The Thornberry effect…
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Stop digging, Ken. Here is his non-apology to Kevan Jones on Wato:
“I had no idea that he had any mental health issues, otherwise I would never have said it. If he’s upset I’m sorry, but he can’t blame me. He was the one who came out and made this attack on me… I grew up in south London, if someone was rude to someone, you were rude back. I didn’t go to Eton with all that smarmy, marmy education.”
If he had “no idea” about Jones’ mental health battle, why did he specifically say: “He’s obviously very depressed”? Quite a coincidence, eh…
UPDATE: Twenty minutes later, Ken strikes a very different tone:
1/2 I unreservedly apologise to Kevan Jones for my comments. They should not have been made at all, let alone in this context.
— Ken Livingstone (@ken4london) November 18, 2015
2/2 I also make this apology because Jeremy is right to insist on a more civil politics and as a party we should take this seriously
— Ken Livingstone (@ken4london) November 18, 2015
Pretty obvious that he doesn’t mean it…
UPDATE II: Kevan Jones responds to Guido:
@GuidoFawkes and what about apologising to other thousands of people he insulted.
— Kevan Jones MP (@KevanJonesMP) November 18, 2015
UPDATE III: Mental health charity Mind tell Guido:
“It’s as unacceptable to trade insults on the basis of someone’s mental health experiences as it would be on the basis of their race, gender or sexuality. Kevan has been widely praised for opening up about his experiences and helping to make big strides against stigma, particularly in parliamentary circles. We know that many people still feel uncomfortable talking about their mental health problems, and we would encourage everyone to consider the impact of using mental health related language that could fuel misunderstanding and stigma.”
