Guido’s “expert/activist” transparency campaign is succeeding. During an interview with Labour councillor and Momentum activist Martin Abrams, BBC presenter Lukwesa Burak rightly listed Abrams’ political connections at the end of the segment. All relevant context for viewers who have just witnessed a talking head claim we “need to redistribute” wealth and support strikes…
Bravo. Guido tips his hat. Of course, Martin isn’t exactly happy about this, tweeting:
“I genuinely thought the BBC News presenter was going to go through my entire CV at the end of this interview. Why is it only ever those of us on the left that get this kind of scrutiny of our jobs and affiliations?”
To which his friend replies “Terrified of Guido Fawkes.” Martin only needs to browse Guido’s archives to see that is patently untrue. Time and again, broadcasters neglect to mention the relevant political affiliations of their guests, particularly on the left. If you have skin in the game, viewers should know about it.
Broadcasting rules stipulate that political voices should not be allowed to feign neutrality. The BBC guidelines are clear:
“We should not automatically assume that contributors from other organisations (such as academics, journalists, researchers and representatives of charities and think-tanks) are unbiased. Appropriate information about their affiliations, funding and particular viewpoints should be made available to the audience, when relevant to the context.”
So Guido tips his hat to the BBC for following its own rules, as much as it upsets Abrams. He’s still not over it: less than an hour after this post went to pixel, he fumed at ITV for failing to introduce Emily Carver as the former Head of Media “for the hard right 55 Tufton Street lot”. She has never worked at 55 Tufton Street, so claiming that would be incorrect. If it helps, Martin, Tom Harwood was repeatedly introduced as a “right-leaning” blogger during media appearances while at Guido…
No one is claiming people like Abrams should not be allowed to give their views. Their affiliations should be just clearly labelled, whatever they may be. Otherwise we end up with news interviews which are little more than party political broadcasts…
Following their last email pleading for donations, subscribers to Momentum’s mailing list received another amusing e-post today. A joint email from the Commie campaigners and Zarah Sultana announced her new Free School Meals For All Bill. This would “ease the pressure on millions of struggling families across the country”. And help millions of families with no financial issues whatsoever…
One problem for Zarah is her lack of parliamentary support, not least from her own party. So, she has had to send the email to drum up support, saying “with Labour set to kick out this rotten Tory government at the next election, it’s critical we build an organised Left ready to fight for transformative policies.”
The Lib Dems get little gratitude for their support – Zara only uses them to chastise Labour for failing to lead the way.
The Lib Dems might want to rethink their support for the bill if this is the thanks they get…
Co-conspirators will struggle not to laugh as Guido reports Momentum is facing financial peril, partly due to the inflation crisis largely caused by the sort of government spending they wanted Jeremy Corbyn to pursue.
An email sent to supporters this morning from Nadia Whittome warns that the far-left campaign group has been “hit hard by soaring inflation”. Nothing a sharp dose of Thatcherite monetarism wouldn’t solve…
The begging letter from Momentum warns that without emergency help from supporters, they “won’t be able to continue what it does.” Which these days primarily consists of tweeting ‘things would be better if Corbyn had won’.
Despite Momentum seeing the real-world damaging effects of government overspending, Nadia Whittome warns that “socialist ideas have never been more necessary or popular.” In the same breath, she implies the main proponents of such a fiscal plan are on the brink of no longer being a “financially stable organisation”. Addicts always desire more of that which is killing them…
Guido hears that Starmer has been to see Unite union boss Sharon Graham today. Starmer could, of course, be begging for more funding or perhaps to ask for the union’s help with upcoming Labour conference votes. Momentum have picked up where they left off and are once again upset with the Labour leadership. Today the Labour NEC has voted to change the Party’s constitution so that any amendments put forward by a Constituency Labour Party (CLP) must now proposed at least a year before Conference. Within the hour, Momentum put out a furious statement promising to fight the move in Liverpool next week:
“This is yet another power grab from the Party Leadership, with Starmer further centralising power in his hands at the expense of party members. We will oppose this anti-democratic move on Conference floor. Given that Starmer last year brought forward a major rule change at barely a day’s notice, it beggars belief that this rule change would force members to propose rule changes over a year in advance. It’s one rule for the Party leadership, and another for the rest of us.”
Momentum had already pledged to force a vote on strikes and pay increases on the Conference floor in a campaign led by Sam Tarry. Now with Starmer fighting back, it’s looking like all-out war…
Former Shadow Transport Minister Sam Tarry is set to lead the union’s charge to force a vote on strikes and pay rises at Labour conference next month. According to the Guardian, the campaign – organised by Momentum, obviously – will officially launch on Thursday, with Tarry accompanied by an all-star lineup including Dawn Butler, Jon Trickett, and Unison union president Andrea Egan. Presumably Angie will stay at home…
The motion will reportedly demand Labour supports rail staff pay increases in line with inflation, as per the unions’ previous demands which Tarry dutifully supported – and which got him sacked for “making up policy on the hoof”, as it was put at the time.
Now Tarry’s exacting revenge by trying to ruin Starmer’s conference:
“Labour has a huge chance to show it’s on the side of working people. But by firing shadow ministers like myself for standing on picket lines, Keir Starmer is in danger of driving a wedge between Labour and the millions of working people desperate for real relief in this escalating cost of living crisis. I am proud of our party’s historic links to the trade unions – it’s time all of our party were.”
He’s not going down without a fight…
Jolyon has hired a new Chief of Staff for the Good Law Project: former National Coordinator of Momentum – yes, that Momentum – Laura Parker. The same Laura Parker who stood side by side with Corbyn right up to Labour’s car crash defeat in 2019…
While she may have quit Momentum, she still has plenty to say in favour of the Labour Party, claiming it “can and must win the next election” and attacking “the right wing bias” of first-past-the-post. As if the Good Law Project needed yet another signal it’s just a front for anti-Tory activists…
Just this morning, Jolyon announced he’s demanding Ofgem “carries out and publishes a full equality impact assessment” before lifting the energy price cap this autumn, on the grounds that it might breach the European Convention on Human Rights and the Equality Act 2010. If Guido understands their argument right, price rises discriminate aginst the poor and is therefore a breach of their human rights. Bonkers. With Parker’s expertise in winning from her Momentum days, maybe now the Good Law Project’s fortunes will finally change. Maybe.
