Rutherglen & Hamilton West Labour candidate Michael Shanks is a Modern Studies teacher. I’ve said before that the introduction of Modern Studies in Scottish schools around 50 years ago, along with improvements in the teaching of History, must be given some credit for the surge in support for independence and for the SNP among younger people. So, it’s surprising that Shanks has not been persuaded.
In his drive to become the Starmeroid candidate, I suspect he’s had to zip his lip many times as he watches the Labour Party dragged to the right and to British nationalism under the truly appalling Sir Keir Starmer. When he does get to speak, we get ‘I’m not against..whatever.‘
What are you for Michael? Ending child poverty? Taxing the wealthy? £85 000 a year and as many new mouthzips as you need?
His position, would the MSM expose it, is quite untenable and today we see new challenges to his sanity.
From the Guardian today:
Labour and the Conservatives have been accused of being out of step with public concern about the cost-of-living crisis, as polling [YouGov] suggested fewer than one in four people believed tackling it was a priority for the two parties.
Swing voters from key demographics – Workington man and Stevenage woman, monikers campaign strategists have given to groups they are targeting – appear sceptical about the parties’ proposals to ease cost pressures.
Labour was viewed as significantly better placed to tackle the crisis, by 40% to the Conservatives on 21%. But only 23% and 21% of voters respectively believed tackling is itwas a priority for the two parties.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/aug/31/labour-and-tories-out-of-step-with-cost-of-living-concerns-poll
Time to be for something, Michael?
I joined 70 other economists and human rights experts, and the thinktank Compassion in Politics, in writing a letter to Sir Keir Starmer this week urging him to reconsider his current, too-limited economic vision. My concern is not just that he is about to tie his colours – and the fate of the British public – to several more years of economic suffering. It is also because I fear he is closing the door on an unprecedented opportunity to reshape the economic agenda.
We don’t have to go back too far in our history to see how differently things can play out. Immediately after the second world war, Britain’s economy was on its knees. Debt had risen to 270% of GDP (three times what it is today). Industries were devastated. Hundreds of thousands of British soldiers had been killed or wounded. International trade was in crisis.
The economic vision that won out has largely been attributed to the genius of John Maynard Keynes, who argued that straitened economic times call not for fiscal conservatism but a generous and ambitious package of public spending. Britain’s postwar economy needed investment to get it back on its feet. That had to be coupled – as William Beveridge argued and championed – with a social safety net that ensured everyone could lead a decent life. The spirit of collectivism that saw Britain through the war had its legacy in the political and economic agenda that followed it.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/30/keir-starmer-economic-labour-tories-austerity-britain
Keynesian economics with 1940s core Labour politics? There are conservatives who agree with this.
Labour’s shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, confirmed last weekend what many progressives have long feared: the party has no serious plans for reforming Britain’s regressive taxation system. There will be no new property taxes or wealth tax. Nor will tax rates on capital gains – unearned income from increases in the value of property or financial assets – be raised to match those on wages.
Reeves claims to be a supporter of “Bidenomics”. But Joe Biden’s administration has fully and publicly rejected trickle-down economics, embarking on aggressive tax rises to support a massive fiscal expansion as part of the Inflation Reduction Act that has helped the US so effectively recover from the pandemic.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/30/wealth-tax-labour-economics-rachel-reeves
Even Joe Biden, too far left?
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
The Guardian can’t just report things as they are , they always have to twist and confuse when it’s something they are not in favour of.
The guardian is out and out right wing.
No mistaking it.
In this report where the you gov poll finds that less than one in four people think the Labour Party and the Conservative Party are actually trying to end the cost of living crisis , the guardian which doesn’t see a problem with the cost of living crisis because it benefits most of its readers , has to word it like this
“ fewer than one in four people believed tackling it was a priority for the two parties “
Phrasing it in the above manner could be construed and will be construed as a finding that less than one in four people think that tackling the cost of living crisis SHOULD be a priority for the two parties .
LikeLike
Please don’t ask ”What is Labour in favour of ?” as any positive answer will entail a complete Starmer U-turn a few days later .
LikeLike
You have to remember, Mr Shanks would not be the Labour candidate if he held or expressed views which are contrary to whatever views Starmer and the Labour leadership actually hold, other than ‘not repealing’ a raft of Tory legislation, because it ‘would take up valuable Parliamentary time’.
Parliamentary time for what??????? They are not telling us anything positive, just what they are not going to do. Wes Streeting said that they do not want to offer people ‘hope’, because dashed hopes are disappointing.
So, by being ‘not against’ ……. anything?? ……. Mr Shanks is sining from the same hymn sheet as the leadership, whose policy is based on John Cage’s musical composition 4’33.
LikeLike
Not forgetting that Michael Shanks was NOT the candidate of choice for those in that area who are members of the Labour party…..their preferred choice(s) of candidates were bumped…..which is quite amazing considering he, Shanks, LEFT the Labour party in 2019 because of their lack of opposition to Brexit, yet he now stands as a Labour candidate FOR them as a party…..while they as a party publicly support and intend to continue with that TORY policy aka BREXIT.
Now that does not seem right does it….I mean if he has now clearly backed down, on what was previously a supposed STRONG position that he held, indeed one that saw him LEAVE the party, to now rejoin the party in STANDING as a candidate for the SAME party that he previously left….then it begs the question…going forward what ELSE will he back down on that he currently says he opposes via the SAME party…..as in his so called principles and positions that may quite easily fall by the wayside for the ‘greater’ good….the ‘greater’ good, in this case, being THE party…obviously…..
LikeLike
For all that Labour supporters have historically bowed to party decisions under the heading of solidarity, there is considerable disquiet over the direction of the party in England, and despite the brave face the media etc are putting on it in Scotland, Labour are in deep trouble.
Even if Shanks wins by a whisker in Hamilton, his tenure as MP will be all too brief before the next GE comes around and the big decision for Scotland leaves him high and dry….
LikeLike
I looked at the Labour Shadow Cabinet at Westminster searching for their respective “net worths”.
After 13years in opposition everyone I looked at was a millionaire 5 times over.
How can that be?
With respect to Scotland: Alexander, Baillie, Murray, Sarwar and 20 or 30 Labour acolytes who went to the House of Lords are all multimillionaires.
Labour are no longer the party of the pound land high Street but masquerade soulless in the pursuit of power in London.
Thanks John…
Best Wishes
Bob McNair
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cut £30Billions+ tax evasion. EU is doing it. The Tories wanted Brexit to support tax evasion by multinationals. Manipulating and monopolising the market. US copyright Laws. Breaking US and International Law. Cut £Billions wasted on HS2 and Hinkley Point. The Tory slush fund. Fund rail develop in the North & Scotland to cut journey times, throughout Britain. Cut Trident and redundant weaponry contracts. Invest in renewables and get back into the EU. That will save£Billions to fund Education, NHS and welfare cut by the Tories. Underfunded. Austerity making people ill.
Unionist? Tayside Health Board let a surgeon operate when there were concerns. Under a Labour Administration. Labour administration did nothing. Left in 2014. After SNP administration came to power. Labour blame others for their inadequacy. Claim others are responsible for their administration and medical failures.
LikeLike
Guardian sales in Scotland 18,000.
Looking for contributions. £Billion in reserve.
Polly getting opposed BTL for ignorant comments about Scotland. Clueless.
LikeLike