Thursday 29th October 2020

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refitman
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Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by refitman »

Morning all.
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RogerOThornhill
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by RogerOThornhill »

Morning all.

Chris Cook reckons Shaun Bailey is running the worst campaign ever...

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Shaun Bailey
@ShaunBaileyUK
London isn’t just Westminster and the square mile. So I met @dean4watford yesterday to discuss the Metropolitan Line extension.@SadiqKhan has mothballed it. Despite it being fully funded by @BorisJohnson.@SadiqKhan
is failing to manage the TfL that Londoners deserve.
So that's Watford...in Hertfordshire.
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RogerOThornhill
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by RogerOThornhill »

Here's the executive summary on the EHRC report. The link to the full report in the Guardian live thing doesn't work.

https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/ ... nation-and" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Willow904
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by Willow904 »

Re the EHRC report, this from the G live blog caught my attention:
The EHRC said its analysis “points to a culture within the Party which, at best, did not do enough to prevent antisemitism and, at worst, could be seen to accept it.”

This is in direct contrast to the comprehensive guidance and training in place to handle sexual harassment complaints that demonstrates the Party’s ability to act decisively when it needs to, indicating that antisemitism could have been tackled more effectively.
I certainly hope it's the case that Labour's record on dealing with sexual harassment complaints is as good as implied but can't help but wonder if this could potentially be a whole new can of worms. I hope not, but certainly I found Labour to be quite amateurish as an organisation when I was a member, with poor data privacy compliance in particular, but very much in an unintentional, accidental way. Obviously this doesn't excuse the failings regarding anti-Semitism complaints but for me the context within which those failings occurred is more grey than is presented here and that has implications going forward as the lesson that needs to be learnt from this is that all voices need to be properly listened to. Women weren't always listened to over sexual harassment, my point being that it would be naive to think that if Labour just sorts its approach to anti-Semitism all would be perfect, as achieving equality is an ongoing and complex process.
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Willow904
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by Willow904 »

Keir Starmer currently doing his best to avert a media witch hunt against Jeremy Corbyn in his Q&A over the EHRC report. Labour's enemies would love to see an acrimonious split, it seems. Starmer's assurances that he will implement the reports recommendations in full, surely the best way to prevent anti-Semitism within Labour in future, don't appear to satisfy the press pack. Starmer is seeing some success in stifling their hysteria in a blanket of blandness, however. If you want to take the drama out of a situation, Keir is definitely your man.
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AnatolyKasparov
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by AnatolyKasparov »

Bex Bailey might be interested in that conclusion re sexual harassment, for sure :?
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Willow904
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by Willow904 »

Not good. There is no excuse for this:

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Jessica Elgot@jessicaelgot
Level 1:
At a media briefing, EHRC is highlighting a general lack of cooperation from Labour HQ last year after the investigation was opened. Said they faced "very disappointing obstructions" to their work.
10:35 AM · Oct 29, 2020·
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AnatolyKasparov
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by AnatolyKasparov »

Yes there is certainly stuff that doesn't show the party in a good light, but not much we didn't already know (or at least strongly suspect)
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Willow904
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by Willow904 »

I'm sympathetic to those who defend Jeremy Corbyn and I don't doubt he's a lovely person but I've seen first hand the damage a lovely person can do when promoted out of their depth into a management role they don't have the appropriate skills for.
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RogerOThornhill
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by RogerOThornhill »

Blimey!

Labour suspends Jeremy Corbyn over EHRC report comments

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... t-comments" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Asked about Corbyn’s response to the report, Starmer told reporters he would “look carefully” at his predecessor’s comments. Two hours later, the party suspended Corbyn and withdrew the Labour whip.

A Labour spokesman said: “In light of his comments made today and his failure to retract them subsequently, the Labour party has suspended Jeremy Corbyn pending investigation. He has also had the whip removed from the parliamentary Labour party.”
I'm sure the usual suspects that were bleating about Starmer being weak and how he wouldn't do anything will rush to comment on this, right?
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by AnatolyKasparov »

Its a high risk move and I don't really want to jump to conclusions about it right now.

But two things:

1) it appears JC's suspension is due to his reaction to the report, rather than the thing itself;

2) suspension is not the same as expulsion - at some point JC may have to be readmitted to the fold and it will be interesting to see how that is finessed, if so.
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Willow904
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by Willow904 »

A large part of Starmer's speech was about how those who minimised the problem were part of the problem and would be dealt with so he didn't really have much choice. When asked about Corbyn's response to the report he said he would look at it, so I don't think he knew what Corbyn had said beforehand.
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Willow904
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by Willow904 »

Here, from the G:
In his opening statement, Starmer said those who denied the problem of antisemitism should be “nowhere near” Labour. Questioned about Corbyn’s response, he said: “I’ll look carefully at what Jeremy Corbyn has said in full.

“But I’ve said a moment ago, and I’ll say it again: those who deny there is a problem are part of the problem. Those who pretend it is exaggerated or factional are part of the problem.”
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by GetYou »

One antisemite is one too many, but the scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents inside and outside the party, as well as by much of the media.

That combination hurt Jewish people and must never be repeated. My sincere hope is that relations with Jewish communities can be rebuilt and those fears overcome. While I do not accept all of its findings, I trust its recommendations will be swiftly implemented to help move on from this period.
On the face of it, it's hard to disagree with any of what Corbyn said.
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by AnatolyKasparov »

Maybe, but it was very much the wrong time to say it. I agree with the criticism of him to that extent at least.
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by gilsey »

The whole thing is too depressing for words.

The G trots out the old story about Berger needing police protection at conference, which I thought had been comprehensively debunked at the time.

BBC talking to Hodge and Smeeth.

Leaders office interfering in the process! shock! horror!, no mention that they were interfering to speed things up.

They just can't stop.


Entirely agree that JC should have kept quiet today.
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by gilsey »

Those who pretend it is exaggerated
They're not pretending, that's the problem.
Insoluble problem, sadly.
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RogerOThornhill
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by RogerOThornhill »

Looks like the Government are taking the opportunity that arises from people looking in the other direction to push out some stuff...

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adam
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by adam »

gilsey wrote:The whole thing is too depressing for words.

The G trots out the old story about Berger needing police protection at conference, which I thought had been comprehensively debunked at the time.

BBC talking to Hodge and Smeeth.

Leaders office interfering in the process! shock! horror!, no mention that they were interfering to speed things up.

They just can't stop.


Entirely agree that JC should have kept quiet today.
Also agree keeping quiet would have been better.

I think that Starmer will bow to every demand made about this, regardless of where it's coming from, and then they'll move on to attacking him again. And then whoever comes next. And so on.
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adam
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by adam »

For those looking for other distractions - I wouldn't dream of making predictions about next Tuesday but it's possible to think about what's necessary. If Biden holds what Clinton won (and I wouldn't predict even that but there's nothing in polling to seriously suggest otherwise) then he needs to win Pensylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin to win the electoral college.

It seems reasonably likely that North Carolina and Florida will declare reasonably early - they are both saying they're likely to be in a position to have a clear result on the night unless its extremeley close - and that will give some indication of how voting can be compared to polling.

And generally, it is very likely that there are 92 blue college votes in the west that will fall late into the night or beyond - California, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, Colorado and Hawaii. Again - not predicting beyond 'very likely'. That means as earlier states call, if Biden gets to 178 there is very unlikely to be a route back for Trump. Clinton's wins from last time plus Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and MIchigan are 180.
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by gilsey »

I like fivethirtyeight's winding path to victory.

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/20 ... id=rrpromo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by gilsey »

Wren-Lewis is hardly a Corbynista.
simon wren-lewis
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I'm puzzled. It is a fact that many of Labour's political opponents deliberately exaggerate the extent of antisemitism in the Labour party. By stating that fact, does that mean I cannot be a member of the Labour party? Cannot help but think this is a major mistake by Starmer.
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by gilsey »

George Peretz QC
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Replying to
@RickVictory67
A good test to apply is “what would I say if a (ex) leader of a right wing political party’s response to credible allegations of racial or sexual harassment in their party was ‘it’s all overstated by those socialists’”?
Not sure this is a very good test, given that such credible allegations don't seem to be investigated by the tories, ever.
They may not say that socialists have made it up in so many words, but that must be the implication.


And I object to the word 'all' in that tweet. Nobody's ever said that.
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by gilsey »

Just one of the things we could be talking about, instead of congratulating each other on successfully keeping labour out of office.

The 'High Priority Appraisals Team'.

https://goodlawproject.org/news/special ... -channels/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
successful contractors – like Ayanda which received a £252m contract for supplying facemasks most of which were unusable – were guided through the process by the Cabinet Office.
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by RogerOThornhill »

Gove being Gove has decided that Starmer has "questions to answer".

Lucy Powell's response?
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RogerOThornhill
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by RogerOThornhill »

Not sure how they can make this stick - even if they apply it only to staff working on news & politics.
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Exclusive: BBC staff have been banned from attending LGBT pride events and told they could be suspended if they breach the new rules. David Jordan, the head of editorial policy and standards, took the decision on Wednesday.
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RogerOThornhill
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by RogerOThornhill »

Incidentally, I'm assuming the usual suspects chuntering on about Chakrabarti haven't actually read the EHCR report. Like this section.
Complaint handling and process

• In 2016, the Chakrabarti report recommended, in relation to antisemitism complaints, that the Labour Party should adopt a ‘readily accessible complaints procedure explaining with sufficient clarity how and to whom complaints are to be made’. The Labour Party has not published a comprehensive antisemitism complaints procedure in line with this recommendation. See Chapter 6.

• The Chakrabarti report highlighted the importance of recording the identity of complainants. It recommended that genuine aftercare should be given to individuals, as well as updates on how the complaint is progressing. The Labour Party has not implemented this process adequately. See Chapter 6.

• The Chakrabarti report noted the importance of making sure that respondents are clearly informed about the allegations made against them, unless there are exceptional reasons for not doing so. We found no evidence of a clear policy from the Labour Party outlining the rights of respondents in line with this recommendation. See Chapter 6.
It's actually taking her report (amongst others) as a basis and looking to see what has happened since.
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by gilsey »

280 reported deaths from the virus today.

Mr gilsey had the dashboard from 29 Sept on his chromebook, that day there were 71. It was Tuesday, so may have included some catching up after the weekend.

:shock:
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by adam »

RogerOThornhill wrote:Not sure how they can make this stick - even if they apply it only to staff working on news & politics.
Benjamin Butterworth
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Exclusive: BBC staff have been banned from attending LGBT pride events and told they could be suspended if they breach the new rules. David Jordan, the head of editorial policy and standards, took the decision on Wednesday.
It's because the BBC are so completely left wing.
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adam
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by adam »

gilsey wrote:I like fivethirtyeight's winding path to victory.

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/20 ... id=rrpromo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I've been continuing to play the simulation on 270 to win. On my 'every state I've ever seen turn blue' map the only things Trump has left are North Dakota, Wyoming, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Nebraska District 3.
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adam
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by adam »

adam wrote:I think that Starmer will bow to every demand made about this, regardless of where it's coming from, and then they'll move on to attacking him again.
RogerOThornhill wrote:Gove being Gove has decided that Starmer has "questions to answer".
I thank you.
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Re: Thursday 29th October 2020

Post by gilsey »

Seventeen attendees of Donald Trump’s rally in Tampa, Florida today had to be taken to the hospital for intense heat, according to NBC News.

Hundreds of supporters, many not wearing masks, attended the packed rally in 87-degree heat. At one point during the rally, a fire truck sprayed water onto the crowd in an attempt to cool down attendees, NBC reported. Many of the supporters had been waiting for hours to hear Trump speak.

This is the second hiccup the Trump campaign has experienced at its rallies week. In Omaha, Nebraska, on Wednesday night, hundreds of Trump supporters were stuck in freezing weather waiting for buses that were supposed to take them out of the airfield where the rally was held. Seven people were taken to the hospital that night suffering varying conditions.
'hiccup'


However low one's opinion of Trump, he always seems able to limbo under it.
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