Stuart

The Plain Speaking of the Working Class. My take on why political communication no longer connects. open.substack.com/pub/stuartsmud…

@TorstenBell Whilst it feels too much like a brand now, calling people far right is lazy and shows how out of touch many of you are now. Why is that different views are being labelled as far right now? Its become tell me what I want to hear or I call you far right. Such a lazy argument.

The far right try to claim our flags but in truth hate our country. They despise what makes the rest of us proud & makes us British, from the NHS to our BBC. They peddle anti-British propaganda globally. Thousands may march today but millions more stand against hate & for Britain

@LBC Why because its not carefull PR and carefully worded scripted speeches? Its basically people speaking up in an honest way about what they believe in. I personally don't support it, its become too much like a brand now. But too many don't like honest speak, some see it as a threat

The marches in London today will frighten many, but we must fight for the spirit of Britain, writes Sir Keir Starmer lbc.co.uk/article/keir-s…

@Keir_Starmer You can't ignore what is going on in society. Many will have voted Labour in 2024 & wanted change. The question for Labour is, do you see them? Working class has become a buzzword you use to throw in a speech. Everywhere its tell me what I want to hear, or I call you right wing.

Today the voices of division will be loud. They don't speak for the country I know, one that belongs to all of us. That's our Britain. A Britain worth fighting for. lbc.co.uk/article/keir-s…

@ArchieforReform @PolitlcsUK Not convinced, as Reform and Greens have done well because of how bad Labour is under Starmer. Take the possibility of change of that away, things change. Still trust issues for Labour, but trust with Farage will evaporate if Labour sort themselves out.

@PolitlcsUK Reform will win the seat

🚨 BREAKING: The Makerfield by-election will take place on Thursday 18 June

@PolitlcsUK Better hope England win the day before then 🤣

@VividThoughts_1 @PolitlcsUK @thetimes Not convinced, take Starmer out of the equation, things will change for Labour. But its how much and how they win back trust that will be key. Reform are doing well because of Starmer, people forget that.

@PolitlcsUK @thetimes Labour has decided to hand their seat to Reform on a platter just to spite each other What a bunch of clowns

🚨 BREAKING: The NEC has voted to let Andy Burnham stand as the Labour candidate in the Makerfield by-election [@thetimes]

@PolitlcsUK @thetimes Be an interesting test for Labour this and vital they win it in my view. Lose and its game over for Labour I think. Win and it shows Labour have a chance at turning things around and winning back trust. Its a back ask but doable I think.

@matrix100jaguar @DaleVince Agree, not a good listener either.

@DaleVince I don't agree. Starmer is not a good communicator. He has governed well but does not connect with voters. He would be better as Foreign Secretary now.

I think it’s the worst thing Labour could do right now, there’s no reason to panic over some adverse polling less than two years into a ten year project - and some of what we’re seeing is more opportunism than panic - but if there is to be a leadership contest my first choice for the job would be Keir, that’s who I’ll back. The NHS has been battered for 14 years by Tory neglect and underfunding. Just as things are starting to turn a corner, Wes decides to walk away from a job he’s actually good at. Because he’s lost confidence apparently. Hard to square that with his talk of being proud to fight in the trenches with Keir at the general election. When the going gets tough and all that…... People around Ed Miliband have been briefing that he’s urged Keir to set a timetable to walk away - unhelpful enough to say it - worse to leak it to the press. Ed is seen as a potential contender, I’m not convinced. A few weeks ago,  he told the country he would finally break the link, the market mechanism that drives our energy bills sky-high in a crisis - the following week he announced the details and he did not break the link or even weaken it. Ed misled the country in my view and the Prime minister. Keir's top team should be standing behind him right now - and not with knives in their hands. How about some policy ideas? This whole leadership circus is a massive distraction from the job, not just at a time of global crisis but at a time when the people of Britain are making clear they want more change, they want to feel the change in their lives. The answer to that, some seem to think - is to have a new leader. That’s a delusion and often enough a conceit, sold to us on the premise it’s in the national interest or the party’s interest - when the truth is much closer to home. Labour has a job to do and a mandate to do it. Let’s get on with it.

@DaleVince But you need to ask yourself are you saying that because you don't see the struggle of others? I am not going to know those that do well for themselves. But its part of the problem in politics & in commentary now. Far too many don't see what we see & why Starmer has to go.

@siennamarla I think back to what Badenoch said the other day. Along the lines of, sort out the issues and Farage will go away. Its risky for Labour, but could actually do them a lot of good if he is selected and wins. Lost trust in Labour will cost them far more.

EXCL: Senior Labour figures are concerned that the party will be dragged towards “bankruptcy” if Andy Burnham successfully stands as its candidate in the Makerfield by-election, triggering a mayoral by-election and possibly a leadership contest Others say a Burnham leadership would attract enough new members to counteract all the costs: politicshome.com/news/article/b…

@PolitlcsUK I think that's a good call. Mixed views on all this but this is nice to see.

🚨 NEW: Former Green Party Leader Caroline Lucas says she hopes the Greens will “put country before party” and not campaign against Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election

@rorymkirkwood @DanCardenMP Some people don't see it because its alien to them. All jobs are important and that has been forgotten, as well as the vulnerable and disabled communities. Labour should not be just about moving up as the only direction that matters. Pathetic would be not seeing that.

@DanCardenMP Blinding irony to whinge about standing with the people in the abstract while vomiting up this banal, abstract sophistry. Pathetic.

Andy Burnham should stand in the Makerfield by-election. The Labour Party needs him to win that seat and beat Reform. Andy understands something that has been missing from Labour’s offer: that people love where they’re from. That working class communities don’t want to be managed or moved on. They want secure work, pride in where they live, and a party that stands with them rather than for them in the abstract. I hope he stands, and I hope he wins. And I hope it marks the beginning of a changed Labour government that makes the argument for full employment, rent control and stronger communities, is willing to fight those who exploit working class communities, and reduces welfare by building an economy where fewer people need it.

@DanCardenMP I agree on us not wanting to be managed. Staying where you are and doing the jobs that need doing, is not a failure. But the question for Labour is, why don't you all understand that already? We all know what works, that is fair rent & social housing alongside home ownership.

@DHSCgovuk Good to see and long overdue in my view

We're introducing the NHS Modernisation Bill to create a Single Patient Record, cut bureaucracy and improve patient safety. This means you won't have to repeat your entire medical history at every NHS appointment. Find out more: gov.uk/government/new…

@LBC That's the risk for Labour, is Burnham popular enough to win, given how people feel about Labour.

Reform to crush Burnham's leadership bid as party 'will make history' in Makerfield by-election, Richard Tice tells LBC lbc.co.uk/article/reform…

@StephenMorganMP Its not as simple as that though. Many of us have worked, in my case 30 years. But past 55 other factors become relevant like mobility from manual work and strong medication for decades. I am not begging for help with mobility, only to be turned down because the system is useless

More than a third of people with a disability or health condition say they want to work but are held back by a fear of losing their benefits. That’s why the Labour Government is removing that fear with the ‘right to try’ for sick and disabled people. ✅ Removing barriers to employment ✅ Right to try work without fear of losing benefits ✅ £3.5 billion of investment into employment support Find out more here👇🏻 stephenmorgan.org.uk/right-to-try

@LBC @NickFerrariLBC Streeting is right, Labour have a Vacuum and its not picking up very well.

Wes Streeting says, 'where we had vision, we have a vacuum.' @NickFerrariLBC asks Labour's Steve Reed, 'he's right, isn't he?'

Some might argue Starmer should fight fire with fire, with what is going on right now, which is what my Dad used to tell me. That's why he was kicked out of the fire brigade. #badjokefriday

@BBCNews Its a fair argument, but seems very risky. I guess if Labours issues are dealt with then great. But the party itself shows no sign of acknowledging what happened last week. Now months of all this, what changes for those struggling?

Josh Simons stood down for Burnham as Labour was 'imploding' bbc.in/438Djzx

@spectator Just want to say hats off to the artist for the caricature, very good.

Red alert: Tim Shipman and Noa Hoffman on Wes Streeting’s explosive plan. Subscribe to read more.