Flanked by not one however two Union flags, Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer — as soon as a passionate advocate of a second referendum on EU membership — pledged in his New 12 months keynote speech final week to attempt to ‘make Brexit work’.
It was an astounding U-turn, even by Captain Hindsight’s requirements. However whether or not or not Starmer, who served because the Brexit minister beneath Jeremy Corbyn’s Remoaner junta, has lastly accepted Britain’s choice, it appears not everybody in his get together is studying from the identical hymn sheet.
A press release final week by the all-party stress group, the European Motion, pledged to launch a marketing campaign to rejoin the EU.
‘We’re dedicated to restoring this nation’s place on the coronary heart of Europe. It would take time, however there is no such thing as a excuse for delaying that course of by a day longer than obligatory,’ the assertion learn.
Flanked by not one however two Union flags, Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer — as soon as a passionate advocate of a second referendum on EU membership — pledged in his New 12 months keynote speech final week to attempt to ‘make Brexit work’
Chaired by Lord Adonis, head of coverage throughout Tony Blair’s tenure in No. 10, the European Motion is awash with Labour luvvies.
Its supporters embody Baroness Quin, Blair’s Europe minister, former Labour MEPs Mary Honeyball, Dame Pauline Inexperienced and Richard Corbett, and Clare Moody, a former adviser to Gordon Brown.
The group describes itself on Twitter as ‘the most important pro-European organisation within the UK’. ‘We’ll all the time be European!’ it says.
Final week, Lord Adonis stated: ‘This isn’t completed enterprise so far as the general public is worried.’
Certainly, assured of this public mandate, the group advertises a web based petition demanding ‘an actual different to this failed Brexit’.
What number of signatures does the marketing campaign boast? Simply over 1,600.
Starmer definitely has his work lower out dragging his get together into the actual (and democratic) world.
Absolutely Glenda deserves a gong!
Vanessa Redgrave, 84, a former stalwart of the Employees Revolutionary Occasion and life-long republican, was given a shock damehood within the New 12 months honours record.
However why no damehood for the superb Glenda Jackson? She’s a double Oscar-winner — yet one more than Redgrave — who had a second profession as a Labour MP and authorities minister.
Jackson then returned to appearing, successful a Tony award in 2018 for her Broadway function in Edward Albee’s Three Tall Ladies on the ripe younger age of 82.
Ed Davey was embarrassed on The Weakest Hyperlink quiz present final week after a contestant was requested which ‘Ed’ leads the Lib Dems and replied: ‘Is it Ed Miliband?’
Worse was to observe. At PMQs on Wednesday, the Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle known as for: ‘Ed Balls . . . Ed Davey.’ Ed who?
The PM’s principal non-public secretary Martin Reynolds is claimed to have been lined up because the ‘fall man’ when the Cupboard Workplace’s official inquiry into whether or not guidelines had been damaged at No 10 gatherings throughout lockdowns concludes.
Reynolds is claimed to have despatched an e mail invitation, and was additionally pictured with Johnson and his then fiancee Carrie Symonds in Might 2020.
However all just isn’t misplaced. Reynolds can be made an envoy, my mole tells me. Saudi Arabia is one choice, as he speaks Arabic. Reynolds ought to keep in mind boozy events are frowned upon within the ‘dry’ kingdom.
Labour MP Barry Gardiner acquired a rap over the knuckles final week from the Parliamentary Commissioner for Requirements. Gardiner had did not register £30,000 of donations from two commerce unions throughout the required 28-day interval.
Baz blamed personnel points, saying: ‘The interval was busy. Two of my employees had been sick and one caseworker had left.’
He ought to have a phrase together with his constituency workplace supervisor. It’s his spouse Caroline in spite of everything.
BoJo struggles with the invoice
Few can neglect that dinner on the Garrick Membership for previous and current Telegraph hacks in November. It was, in fact, the occasion at which it was alleged the PM was persuaded by friends of Owen Paterson to attempt to reverse the Commons requirements committee’s ruling that the Tory backbencher had damaged lobbying guidelines.
Maybe the following uproar and humiliation for Johnson — with Paterson pressured to resign as an MP and a subsequent by-election victory for the Lib Dems — was relatively distracting.
For because the Oldie journal studies, one of many journalists there has but to pay their £85 share of the invoice. And the responsible get together? The PM!