A fresh report from Policy Exchange warns that Labour’s Islamophobia definition will be used to weaken counter-terrorism such as Prevent as well as immigration laws. The think tank points to statements made by the group fundamental to the definition – Muslim Engagement and Development. They state the definition will be used to provide:
“A sociological lens through which to carry out structural analyses of discriminatory policies embedded within, for example, immigration, counter-terrorism legislation, media portrayals of Muslims and employment practices.”
Despite government briefings that the definition might be watered down to use “anti-Muslim hatred” rather than “Islamophobia”, Policy Exchange argues that it had always been the case to embrace both: “The clear risk is that any definition elides, or ends up eliding, the two”. Authors of the report Andrew Gilligan and Paul Stott said:
“Any new definition of ‘anti-Muslim hate’ will be two things. First, it will be an explicit act of two-tier policy, creating new protections for Muslims that do not apply to people of other faiths. Second, it will create a wedge, a slippery slope. Once the principle of special treatment and new protections exclusively for Muslims is accepted by the Government, that opens the door for the plainly-expressed ambitions of those (including, in the past, Grieve and Gohir) who support a more explicitly expansionist, and legally binding, definition.”
Just 43% of BBC viewers believe the broadcaster is effective in being ‘independent from the government of the day’, according to the BBC’s own data. Of the 872,701 viewers polled, 91% believe that independence should be important. A whopping 48 point gap…
There’s also a significant gap between the importance of reflecting different parts of the UK, and the broadcaster’s current effectiveness in doing so. Hilariously, the BBC says it will “discuss [the results] with government, which will ultimately take the decision on the overall future focus and funding of the BBC, after consulting with the public.” The licence fee exodus is forcing the BBC to make changes already. New media is changing the game…
Former Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has insisted he will take legal action against the government over its changes to the Legacy Act. He’s fuming over new changes to the NI Troubles Bill that block him and 500 other IRA suspects from suing the taxpayer for compensation – a U-turn forced on Labour by the Tories. Here we go…
In a Sinn Féin press release, Adams said:
“I have instructed my legal team that it is my intention to pursue legal action against Keir Starmer’s decision to retrospectively change a law which a Conservative government broke over 50 years ago. In January Keir Starmer made it clear that he would look at ‘every conceivable way’ to ensure that I and others impacted by this did not receive compensation. Yesterday the British government produced legislation which upholds the quashing of the convictions but denies compensation. This is clearly discriminatory. Once again the British state changes the rules to protect its security personnel while denying others equality of treatment.”
Shadow Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois tells Guido:
“The Government’s Northern Ireland Legacy strategy is rapidly unravelling, within 48 hours of being announced. After months of intense opposition from the Conservatives, they finally dropped their bonkers proposals to help Gerry Adams sue the Government – and now he’s suing them anyway! His case would ultimately be resisted by the Attorney General, Lord Hermer, who prior to the election was, er,… Gerry Adams’s personal lawyer, in trying to sue the Government!”
Couldn’t make it up…
Read his statement in full below:
Continue reading “Gerry Adams Taking Legal Action Against Government Over Legacy Act Changes”
The unemployment rate rose to 4.8% in the three months ending in August, according to the ONS. The highest level since June 2021…
Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith said:
“Rising unemployment is a disaster for the economy and a tragedy for affected families.The growing crisis of young people not being able to find work is a prime example of Labour taking our country in the wrong direction. It beggars belief that the government are making things worse with their ‘back to the seventies’ employment legislation which every single business group opposes.”
At least there are fewer working people for Reeves to betray with her Winter Budget tax hikes…
Ofcom has hired a new Director of Communications: former Remain campaigner and Labour adviser David Chaplin. Impartial comms to be expected?
Chaplin began his political career working for two former Labour MPs Christine McCafferty and Gordon Marsden from 2004 to 2009. He later became a comms adviser to now-Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander from 2013 to 2015. Labour stooge…
In June 2015, Chaplin took up the role of Strategic Communications Director for the official Remain campaign. Another job well done…
Chaplin was also an executive committee member of left-wing think tank Fabian Society from 2009 to 2019, where he co-authored a report suggesting the BBC follow a “European Coverage Quota” in the fight against the “increasing rise of Euroscepticism”. He’s now about to be at the top table of an organisation responsible for policing the internet…
Lucy Powell has told the New Statesman her deputy leadership campaign is already pushing Labour further to the left… and “long may that continue“. Brace for impact because she is now practically a shoo-in to win…
Powell’s evidence for this is the government’s inevitable turn towards lifting the two-child benefit cap. Asks if she takes credit for the policy shift, Powell said:
“I do, I do actually… What the last few weeks have shown is that when members’ voices count for something, we shift policy a bit. And long may that continue.”
She has also bitten back at her campaign opponent Bridget Phillipson’s insistence that a Powell victory would lead to “more distractions, infighting and noise“:
“I honestly think it’s just absurd. Firstly, I’m not that kind of person, and that’s not how I have behaved at all. I could have come out swinging three weeks ago last Friday; I absolutely have not. I think it’s quite offensive to members, to be honest.”
Asked to define her ideological identity, the best Powell could offer was “Manchester-ism“. Though any suggestion her campaign is a helpful proxy for another well-known Labour politician from that area is dismissed as “sexism”…
Speaking at his speech on how to achieve “progressive capitalism” Wes Streeting fired a dig and Andy Burnham:
“Bond markets are not bond villains and fiscal rules matter.”
