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| Greece's Syriza are 'extremists' engaging in 'fantasy politics', Labour's Liz Kendall says | Greece's Syriza are 'extremists' engaging in 'fantasy politics', Labour's Liz Kendall says |
| (6 months later) | |
| Greece’s governing Syriza party are “extremists” engaging in “fantasy politics”, a contender for the Labour leadership has said. | Greece’s governing Syriza party are “extremists” engaging in “fantasy politics”, a contender for the Labour leadership has said. |
| Wading into the Greek crisis, Liz Kendall said Labour should not follow the course of left-wing party, which has faced down creditors and EU institutions to reject austerity in the face of international pressure. | Wading into the Greek crisis, Liz Kendall said Labour should not follow the course of left-wing party, which has faced down creditors and EU institutions to reject austerity in the face of international pressure. |
| "We progressive social democratic parties have to find a credible alternative to the ever-continuing austerity ... on the one hand, and the fantasy politics of Syriza and Podemos on the other," she told an event hosted by the news channel CNBC. | "We progressive social democratic parties have to find a credible alternative to the ever-continuing austerity ... on the one hand, and the fantasy politics of Syriza and Podemos on the other," she told an event hosted by the news channel CNBC. |
| "And that is just as much, I believe, a challenge for the UK Labour party as it is for our sister parties right across Europe. | "And that is just as much, I believe, a challenge for the UK Labour party as it is for our sister parties right across Europe. |
| "We have to find a different alternative, otherwise we will allow the extremists – whether from the left or the right – to come in.” | "We have to find a different alternative, otherwise we will allow the extremists – whether from the left or the right – to come in.” |
| She later added: "Trying to turn Labour into some kind of Syriza or Podemos party or simply saying what we’ve said over the past five years – albeit with a leader with a different gender or a different accent – will not cut the mustard." | |
| Ms Kendall is one of four contenders for the leadership of her party, the other three being Yvette Cooper, Andy Burnham, and Jeremy Corbyn. | Ms Kendall is one of four contenders for the leadership of her party, the other three being Yvette Cooper, Andy Burnham, and Jeremy Corbyn. |
| The Labour MP is widely viewed as the candidate most favoured by the centrist or 'Blairite' wing of the party, though she has said she rejects such a label. | |
| Her competitor Mr Corbyn has previously called for Greece’s debt to be cancelled as a “signal to the banks and financiers that we won’t keep bailing them out for reckless lending”. | Her competitor Mr Corbyn has previously called for Greece’s debt to be cancelled as a “signal to the banks and financiers that we won’t keep bailing them out for reckless lending”. |
| Ms Kendall’s attack on the Greek government is also in contrast to the approach of the Green Party. | Ms Kendall’s attack on the Greek government is also in contrast to the approach of the Green Party. |
| The environmentalists’ MP Caroline Lucas said last week that European authorities had deliberately set out to “humiliate” the country with austerity. | The environmentalists’ MP Caroline Lucas said last week that European authorities had deliberately set out to “humiliate” the country with austerity. |
| “Austerity isn’t only socially destructive, as we know – it is economically deluded as well. Greece’s government debt to GDP ratio hasn’t gone down as austerity was imposed, it has increased,” she told a crowd in Trafalgar Square,” she told a solidarity demonstration in Trafalgar Square. | “Austerity isn’t only socially destructive, as we know – it is economically deluded as well. Greece’s government debt to GDP ratio hasn’t gone down as austerity was imposed, it has increased,” she told a crowd in Trafalgar Square,” she told a solidarity demonstration in Trafalgar Square. |
| “This was never about supporting the people of Greece – it has always been about humiliating and defeating a government which has dared to stand up to the ideology of austerity.” | “This was never about supporting the people of Greece – it has always been about humiliating and defeating a government which has dared to stand up to the ideology of austerity.” |
| A poll of Greek voters conducted by the University of Macedonia last month found that Syriza had an 18-point lead over its nearest rival, a dramatic increase in support since its entered government. | A poll of Greek voters conducted by the University of Macedonia last month found that Syriza had an 18-point lead over its nearest rival, a dramatic increase in support since its entered government. |
| A poll taken at the same time in the UK showed Labour 12 points behind the Conservatives a month after a shock election defeat. | A poll taken at the same time in the UK showed Labour 12 points behind the Conservatives a month after a shock election defeat. |
| The Greek government, led by Alexis Tsipras, is trying to forge a last-minute deal with creditors after a referendum giving it a mandate to reject an earlier proposal. | The Greek government, led by Alexis Tsipras, is trying to forge a last-minute deal with creditors after a referendum giving it a mandate to reject an earlier proposal. |