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Lammy flays Jowell over betting shops as Labour mayoral race hots up Lammy flays Jowell over betting shops as Labour mayoral race hots up
(about 7 hours later)
It had all been quite comradely until David Lammy picked a fight with Tessa Jowell. “In 2005, Tessa deregulated gambling,” he said. “And now, all across our high streets, we have gambling shops. Tessa still does not apologise, ordinary people are suffering. As mayor, I would end those betting shops.”It had all been quite comradely until David Lammy picked a fight with Tessa Jowell. “In 2005, Tessa deregulated gambling,” he said. “And now, all across our high streets, we have gambling shops. Tessa still does not apologise, ordinary people are suffering. As mayor, I would end those betting shops.”
Exactly how he’d do this is not fully clear, as London mayors, like London boroughs, have few controls over such things. But at the Labour mayoral selection hustings in Southall that was not really the point. Lammy’s pitch for the job he’s had his eye on for many years includes speaking stridently to and for what he believes is a morally troubled London working class for which liberalised high street betting fosters social indiscipline. It is part of the Tottenham MP’s larger rebuke to what conservative populists demean as a “metropolitan elite” divorced from mainstream concerns and urban realities. Exactly how he’d do this is not fully clear, as London mayors, like London boroughs, have few controls over such things. But at the Labour mayoral selection hustings in Southall that was not really the point. Lammy’s pitch for the job he’s had his eye on for many years includes speaking stridently to and for what he believes is a morally troubled London working class for which liberalised high street betting fosters social indiscipline. It is part of the Tottenham MP’s larger rebuke to what conservative populists demean as a “metropolitan elite” divorced from ordinary peoples’ concerns and harsh urban realities.
Jowell was outraged. It’s not the first time her responsibility for the introduction of the Gambling Act when she was a Labour national government’s culture secretary has been held against her during the candidate contest. Diane Abbott, mayoral pretender from what we may now need to term the Jeremy Corbyn left, took a swipe at her over it at the very first hustings a month ago. Jowell has addressed the betting shops issue on Twitter and the deep detail on this, which looks quite interesting, will be dug into here on another day. What the Southall incident showed, though, in the wider scheme, is that all of Jowell’s rivals who think they have a chance of winning are looking hard for ways to drag her down.Jowell was outraged. It’s not the first time her responsibility for the introduction of the Gambling Act when she was a Labour national government’s culture secretary has been held against her during the candidate contest. Diane Abbott, mayoral pretender from what we may now need to term the Jeremy Corbyn left, took a swipe at her over it at the very first hustings a month ago. Jowell has addressed the betting shops issue on Twitter and the deep detail on this, which looks quite interesting, will be dug into here on another day. What the Southall incident showed, though, in the wider scheme, is that all of Jowell’s rivals who think they have a chance of winning are looking hard for ways to drag her down.
We might see opinion polls as flimsy straws in the wind these days, rather than as sturdy evidential oaks, but they make happy reading for the Dulwich Dame. The latest YouGov for the Evening Standard shows her still healthily ahead as Londoners’ favourite in the Labour field, including among Labour supporters. Meanwhile Lammy’s inched ahead of Tooting MP Sadiq Khan into second place according to the same survey. We might see opinion polls as flimsy straws in the wind these days, rather than as sturdy evidential oaks. But they make happy reading for the Dulwich Dame. The latest YouGov for the Evening Standard shows her still healthily ahead as Londoners’ favourite in the Labour field, including among Labour supporters. Meanwhile Lammy’s inched ahead of Tooting MP Sadiq Khan into second place according to the same survey.
Maybe, though, Khan can take encouragement from the Lammy-Jowell spat. At any rate, he seems to have enjoyed it - according to a well-placed source from outside the Khan camp he quipped that the fracas showed the Labour right to be divided and poorly organised. Very droll. And maybe having the battle’s “Blairites” publicly falling out can help the mainstream left Khan’s cause, though YouGov’s findings suggest that both he and Lammy may have gained ground at Abbott’s expense and, therefore, that the standard left-right labels may not be guiding preferences in the usual way. Maybe, though, Khan can take encouragement from the Lammy-Jowell spat. At any rate, he seems to have enjoyed it - according to a well-placed source from outside the Khan camp he quipped that the fracas showed the Labour right to be divided and poorly organised. Very droll. And maybe having the battle’s “Blairites” publicly falling out can help the mainstream left Khan’s cause, though YouGov’s findings suggest that both he and Lammy may have gained ground at Abbott’s expense and, therefore, that the standard left-right labels may not be shaping preferences in the usual way.
But with all sorts of “ifs” in play, who can tell how the actual Labour selectorate will finally behave? Jowell’s camp professes solid confidence, and even sceptics who fear she’d be the Continuity Boris candidate, little different in power from Boris Johnson should she succeeded him next May, will be mindful of evidence that she is best equipped to beat Zac Goldsmith, the probable Tory runner - YouGov reckons she’d win against him and that Khan would lose. With all the“ifs” and “buts” in play, who can tell how the actual Labour selectorate will finally behave? Jowell’s camp professes solid confidence, and even cynics who fear she’d be the Continuity Boris candidate, little different if in power from Boris Johnson should she succeed him next May, will be mindful of figures suggesting that she is best equipped to beat Zac Goldsmith, the probable Tory runner - YouGov reckons she’d win against him and that Khan would lose.
Yet there are ways that Jowell could be susceptible: rightly or wrongly, my automatic thought on seeing that she’s just taken a part-time job with sports marketing firm Chime was “own goal”. And look how Labour activists and supporters nationally have warmed to Corbyn’s leadership bid, despite every pundit and their parrot declaring him supremely unelectable. Votes will start being cast from mid-August. The ballot will close on 10 September. Nothing is decided yet.Yet there are ways that Jowell could be susceptible: rightly or wrongly, my automatic thought on seeing that she’s just taken a part-time job with sports marketing firm Chime was “own goal”. And look how Labour activists and supporters nationally have warmed to Corbyn’s leadership bid, despite every pundit and their parrot declaring him supremely unelectable. Votes will start being cast from mid-August. The ballot will close on 10 September. Nothing is decided yet.