Our campaign too Laboured Share footie wealth with our real fans
It’s quite clear the main Remain and Leave campaigns have morphed into the Tory Government and the Tory Government-in-waiting. Brexiters Michael Gove and Boris Johnson effectively published their own manifesto this week, calling for a points system on allowing migrants in. This Tory split story would normally have me grinning from ear to ear.
But it’s hijacked the most important vote of our lifetime – whether we should remain in or leave the EU.
In fact, it threatens to undermine Britain’s future prosperity, people’s jobs and pay, and the rights of millions of workers.
A study by Loughborough University of the print and broadcast media coverage of the EU referendum so far found 42 per cent of the people being featured were Tory politicians.
Only eight per cent were Labour politicians. The media are more than happy to turn the referendum into a meeting of the Eton Debating Society.
That’s why it’s vital my party had a separate “Labour In For Britain” campaign. I’ve been on the battlebus with Alan Johnson and wrote countless articles in this column. Many of our activists are knocking on doors and holding street stalls to get our message across.
That’s because the Tory-led Stronger In campaign does not speak for me.
I’ve refused requests to share a platform with a government that hits the poor, doesn’t care about workers’ rights and thinks climate change is “green crap”.
And Cameron looked a total hypocrite standing with Labour’s Sadiq Khan, when only weeks before he was saying the mayor had shared the stage with Muslim extremists.
This week in a televised debate he was rightly mocked for scaremongering and waffling.
But when the public sees Labour politicians campaigning with Tories – be it with Cameron for Stronger In or, like Kate Hoey, Frank Field and Gisela Stuart, backing Boris on Vote Leave, they get confused as to where we stand. Our party policy, decided at conference, was to stay in a social Europe consistent with Labour’s values. But we must admit our messages have not been getting through.
Research claims nearly half of Labour voters are unaware of the party’s stance on the EU referendum.
A leaked memo from the Stronger In campaign found supporters were “uniformly uncertain” about Labour’s position on the EU.
You can blame the media for focusing on the Tory split story. But only to an extent. Some of that blame must fall on the leadership for appearing not to campaign full-out to keep us in Europe.
If some people around the Labour leader’s office believed that by standing by and watching Cameron lose the EU referendum, he’d be forced
What a lot of fuss about Laura Kuenssberg getting booed by Labour supporters at Corbyn’s EU speech. It sounded more like a panto than a demo! But maybe disgruntled Labour folk have a point to be grumpy with her. Corbyn gave her an exclusive – his first interview as leader. And what did she ask? Would he kneel before the Queen and kiss her hand! Sadly political journalists today focus more on personalities and grabbing headlines than examining policies and looking at the issues. out of Downing Street – be careful what you wish for.
We could end up with a Boris Brexit Government that will bring even more chaos to the economy and make Thatcher look like Clem Attlee.
Just as we saw in the Scottish Referendum, it’s down to Labour to win over its supporters and make a passionate and positive case to stay in the EU. A Europe where we can live, work or retire abroad.
A Europe where we can work together to tackle global problems like terrorism and climate change with global solutions.
That’s why I welcome Jeremy Corbyn’s strong speech, making the case for remaining in Europe but being true to Labour values.
Immigration isn’t a threat, it’s an opportunity.
Between 2000 and 2011, EU migrants made a net contribution to the UK of £20billion. That’s helping fund our NHS, our schools and the pensions of an ageing population.
So let’s keep making a case for a social Europe that protects working people. And stop providing photo opportunities for Tories who don’t give a damn about them. I’m chuffed Hull City got promoted back to the Premier League at Wembley.
But we sold only 26,000 tickets and had to hand back 7,000.
Those seats were as empty as the hearts of some Hull fans for City’s owner. Egyptian millionaire Assem Allam hasn’t bent over backwards to win friends.
His attempt to name change the club to Hull Tigers, which I supported, was stopped by the FA and some supporters.
But his new membership scheme, forcing long-standing season ticket holders to move from their seats to other parts of the ground, has caused uproar.
Even manager Steve Bruce hasn’t decided if he wants to stay.
It’s a perfect example of how modern-day football gives fans