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| Corbyn provokes anger from Labour critics with NY message glossing over impact of election defeat - live news | Corbyn provokes anger from Labour critics with NY message glossing over impact of election defeat - live news |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen | Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen |
| And here is another former Labour MP on the Jeremy Corbyn message. Michael Dugher briefly served in Corbyn’s first shadow cabinet before being sacked in January 2016 for disloyalty. He left parliament in 2017. | |
| More reaction to Jeremy Corbyn’s New Year’s message. This is from Dame Anne McGuire, Labour MP for Stirling from 1997 to 2015 and a former minister. | |
| Here is the video version of Jeremy Corbyn’s controversial New Year’s message. (See 9.20am.) | |
| In the Guardian today my colleague Rajeev Syal reports that Angela Rayner is expected to endorse Rebecca Long Bailey for the Labour leadership in the new year, contrary to intense speculation that she might instead pursue a leadership bid of her own. | |
| Here are some of the Labour leadership stories in the other papers. | |
| Sebastian Payne in the Financial Times (paywall) says the Labour left is divided over who is best placed to succeed Jeremy Corbyn. He says: | |
| But Henry Yorke in the Daily Telegraph (paywall) say Labour “moderates” think Lavery is only floating the idea he might run to boost Long Bailey’s chances. He says: | |
| Henry Zeffman in the Times (paywall) says Rayner is being urged by some of her supporters not to back Long Bailey for Labour leader. He says: | |
| Tom Newton Dunn in the Sun says some leadership candidates fear Jeremy Corbyn’s allies on Labour’s national executive committee will shorten the timescale for the leadership contest to boost the chances of Long Bailey winning. He says: | |
| The Resolution Foundation, a thinktank specialising in issues affecting those on low and middle incomes, has welcomed the increase in the national living wage (see 9.53am) - although it says the government plan to increase it to £10.50 an hour by 2024 is “not risk free”. Nye Cominetti, an economic analyst at the foundation, said: | The Resolution Foundation, a thinktank specialising in issues affecting those on low and middle incomes, has welcomed the increase in the national living wage (see 9.53am) - although it says the government plan to increase it to £10.50 an hour by 2024 is “not risk free”. Nye Cominetti, an economic analyst at the foundation, said: |
| Today the government has announced that the national living wage (the minimum wage for over-25s) will increase by four times the rate of inflation. The Treasury press notice about the move is here, and my colleague Richard Partington’s news story is here. | Today the government has announced that the national living wage (the minimum wage for over-25s) will increase by four times the rate of inflation. The Treasury press notice about the move is here, and my colleague Richard Partington’s news story is here. |
| Business groups have expressed some concern about the move. | Business groups have expressed some concern about the move. |
| The Federation of Small Businesses said increases in the NLW on this scale could be self-defeating. In a statement Craig Beaumont, the FSB’s director of external affairs and advocacy, said: | The Federation of Small Businesses said increases in the NLW on this scale could be self-defeating. In a statement Craig Beaumont, the FSB’s director of external affairs and advocacy, said: |
| And the British Chambers of Commerce said this increase would put pressure on businesses. Hannah Essex, the BCC’s co-executive director, said: | And the British Chambers of Commerce said this increase would put pressure on businesses. Hannah Essex, the BCC’s co-executive director, said: |
| Good morning. It’s New Year’s Eve, which means it’s time for political leaders to issue their new year’s messages. It is hard to know why they bother (particularly given that they are now expected to produce a Christmas message too just the week before). If they say something bland, no one takes any notice. And if the message is noteworthy, that’s probably for the wrong reasons – as Jeremy Corbyn is discovering this morning. | Good morning. It’s New Year’s Eve, which means it’s time for political leaders to issue their new year’s messages. It is hard to know why they bother (particularly given that they are now expected to produce a Christmas message too just the week before). If they say something bland, no one takes any notice. And if the message is noteworthy, that’s probably for the wrong reasons – as Jeremy Corbyn is discovering this morning. |
| His message contains no direct reference to the general election, although there is an oblique reference to it in the opening line – which must count as a very late, but unbeatable, entry for the prize of understatement of the decade. | His message contains no direct reference to the general election, although there is an oblique reference to it in the opening line – which must count as a very late, but unbeatable, entry for the prize of understatement of the decade. |
| The rest of the message talks about how the Labour party will be “the resistance to Boris Johnson”. I will post it in full because it does not seem to be available online. | The rest of the message talks about how the Labour party will be “the resistance to Boris Johnson”. I will post it in full because it does not seem to be available online. |
| All of this (apart from the reference to how the party membership has soared) is the sort of thing that Corbyn might reasonably have said at the end of 2015, when he had just taken over as leader of the Labour party. But after four years as leader, two election defeats, one of which was devastating after an election Corbyn voted for, the lack of introspection, or self-criticism, is remarkable. | All of this (apart from the reference to how the party membership has soared) is the sort of thing that Corbyn might reasonably have said at the end of 2015, when he had just taken over as leader of the Labour party. But after four years as leader, two election defeats, one of which was devastating after an election Corbyn voted for, the lack of introspection, or self-criticism, is remarkable. |
| Here is some reaction from Labour figures not on the Corbynite wing of the party. | Here is some reaction from Labour figures not on the Corbynite wing of the party. |
| From Neil Coyle, the Labour MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark | From Neil Coyle, the Labour MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark |
| From the former Labour MP Jim Fitzpatrick | From the former Labour MP Jim Fitzpatrick |
| From Tom Hamilton, an adviser to Ed Miliband when he was Labour leader | From Tom Hamilton, an adviser to Ed Miliband when he was Labour leader |
| From Darren Murphy, a former No 10 adviser in the Blair era | From Darren Murphy, a former No 10 adviser in the Blair era |
| It looks as if it is going to be a quiet news day but, as usual, I will be covering breaking political news as it happens, as well as bringing you the best reaction, comment and analysis from the web. I will post a summary when I wrap up. | It looks as if it is going to be a quiet news day but, as usual, I will be covering breaking political news as it happens, as well as bringing you the best reaction, comment and analysis from the web. I will post a summary when I wrap up. |
| You can read all the latest Guardian politics articles here. Here is the Politico Europe roundup of this morning’s political news. And here is the PoliticsHome list of today’s top 10 must-reads. | You can read all the latest Guardian politics articles here. Here is the Politico Europe roundup of this morning’s political news. And here is the PoliticsHome list of today’s top 10 must-reads. |
| If you want to follow me or contact me on Twitter, I’m on @AndrewSparrow. | If you want to follow me or contact me on Twitter, I’m on @AndrewSparrow. |
| I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest, I will post the question and reply above the line (ATL), although I can’t promise to do this for everyone. | I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest, I will post the question and reply above the line (ATL), although I can’t promise to do this for everyone. |
| If you want to attract my attention quickly, it is probably better to use Twitter. | If you want to attract my attention quickly, it is probably better to use Twitter. |