General Press Cycle

[Griff Rhys Morrison (LAB)]

It doesn’t surprise me that Mr Cardigan missed entirely a point about ideology vs evidence. He made it clear he would prioritise blindly following along ideologically when he said of Maastricht; “internationalists like me have nothing to worry about.” They do, for the reasons outlined. 

Irony. That Mr Cardigan would claim not to understand my “turn of phrase” while banging on about cricket and painting.

[Ege (LAB)]

Labour's Deputy Leader fails confirm that whether he is comfortable or not on Labour's position on NATO which is as stated by Shadow Foreign Secretary and I am quoting "The United Kingdom will be remaining in NATO and fulfilling our duties and obligations within it". I think that says a lot about divide within Labour's Shadow Cabinet on Foreign Policy. I do not expect them to actually confirm anything this close to the election but it shows whom they really are. Now I fully expect Labour to be defensive and deflect but Tommy Dawson loves to comment on foreign policy and any number of policy issues that are not connected to his shadow cabinet responsibility but I guess so asking him to confirm he is comfortable with a core commitment from the Party he is Deputy Leader from is too much to ask, despite the fact that he loves to speak about any given policy issue.

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Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary on NATO. "I’ve had that closer look at NATO for Sir James, and it’s one of Labour’s finest achievements in government. I stand by it and it’ll be in our manifesto."

Labour's Leader on NATO "I only said we would give it due consideration, as we should with any project we're in. A Labour government will look at everything the Tories have done and we'll see what stays and what goes."

One of them says the consideration is done, the other says we will take look at it later and decide what stays and what goes. Which one is it? Is NATO membership up for consideration or not because this is the definition of mixed messaging.

[Ruth Murphy (LAB)]

The Tories know that they have very little to offer in term of governance, so they are once again trying to make a storm in a teacup. It's been made clear in cabinet by myself, by Tommy and by Sir James in Cabinet and now publicly that the next Labour government will be supporting membership of NATO and that this commitment will be in our upcoming election manifesto. That is that. 

NATO is one of Labour's proudest achievements in government, and a cornerstone of our internationalist values will be actively participating within it. With the Soviet Union more prepared to show aggression than ever, I and everyone in Shadow Cabinet understands the importance of our NATO membership. I don't feel any need to chest beat about it or add anything further than that.

[William Summer (CON)]

There is only one party leader who has openly advocated taking a "hard look" at whether or not we should remain a member of NATO: Sir James, the leader of the Labour Party. Ruth Murphy can try as had as she wants to pretend that Labour supports Britain's place in NATO, but the very fact that she felt the need to clarify Labour's stance to the press underscores the fact that there is serious doubt in the first place. For the past decade the Conservative have staunchly defended Britain's role in NATO, leveraging our place in the alliance to keep Europe free and promote democratic values around the globe. It shouldn't take instability in Russia, or probing from Conservative MPs, for the Labour leader to begrudgingly admit that a Government under his leadership would keep Britain in NATO... for now, that is.  

[Ruth Murphy (LAB)]

I felt the need to clarify because the Conservatives have nothing positive to campaign on, so have picked this dead horse and are still flogging it despite the Labour Party confirming we are in agreement that membership of NATO is a positive thing for Britain. Shadow Cabinet are resolute and united that a Labour government would see continued membership of NATO and that a commitment to membership of NATO will be in our next manifesto - it is simple as that. William Croft should focus on his Ministerial duties instead of fluttering to the press to waste everyone's time, but then again he is as bad a Home Secretary as he is a husband.

[Alex Cardigan MP (LD)]

Today, I was greeted at the National Union of Teachers Conference by a far warmer welcome than I could possibly have expected. It is a national scandal that there is such a gap in achievement and opportunities between richer and poorer pupils in schools up and down the country, and we need real change, now. It is fundamental to my politics that our society should be fair, and that those who work and study hard shouldn't feel like the system is stacked against them. That's why a key centrepiece of the next Liberal Democrat manifesto is going to be a Pupil Premium of over £1,000, to close the attainment gap and create opportunities for all.
 
We have a comprehensive plan to make our schools better, and address the fundamental institutional issues they face. The Conservatives have done too little too late, after gutting our education system under Thatcher. Labour are running an major ideas deficit, and clasping at straws. By electing a large number of Liberal Democrat MPs next election, we can get the clear strategy and radical change that our schools need to thrive, alongside a proper plan to fund our changes. The status quo just isn't good enough, and the Liberal Democrats are the real alternative up and down the country.

https://politicsuk.net/culloden/thread-998.html

[Nicholas Eden (LAB)]

It is a disheartening double standard that when formerly respected heavyweights of the Labour Party, like their former Deputy Leader Roy Hattersley, their former Shadow Chancellor John Smith, and economic expert Margaret Beckett come out in favour of the Maastricht Treaty and Euro they are discarded due to their lack of utility to the current leadership. In the Conservative Party we recognise that there are a broad variety of views on Europe and we will allow Ministers to campaign on either side of the future Euro referendum, Labour will simply force you to comply with their narrow isolationist views or expel you to the wilderness.

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What I will say to the Labour Europeans so readily tossed aside as yesterday's news and a bunch of nothing backbenchers by the party leadership is that you won't get a referendum on our future in the Euro if you don't vote for the ratification of the Maastricht Treaty. I urge the Labour rebels standing so bravely on principle against a leader committed to leaving the EEC for decades to vote with the Government, ratify the Maastricht Treaty, and work to legislate for a referendum on the Single Currency before Labour can block it.

[Ruth Murphy (LAB)]

It's clear that sleaze is gripping this government. The Prime Minister has already promoted a known adulterer into high office. Now it's come out one of his biggest backers and supporters herself had been acting in an inappropriate way that no Member of Parliament should have acted in - in a way I cannot even describe to the press in case it be read by children.

This Prime Minister said he would be a Prime Minister for families... and yet he has promoted adulterers and ignored sleaze in his own party: the start of the spiritual destruction of the family unit no Family Hub could compensate for. He should take action now.

[Ruth Murphy (LAB)]

It was lovely to finally deliver a speech outlining Labour's alternative vision for the Maastricht Treaty. It is clear that the country, Parliament and all parties have a diversity of view on how we can proceed with our relationship with Europe: the Labour Party is absolutely clear the government must be taking all of these views into account and presenting a vision that can unite the country and put British communities, workers and consumers first. That is what the vision I have outlined today promotes.

[Nicholas Eden (LAB)]

If Ruth Murphy can't get any traction in Europe then her crusade is dead before it has even begun, in failing to take the concession side of her demands seriously she has turned up at the supermarket till with a shopping trolley full of wishes and dreams, but no way to pay for them. Ruth can say "we want this but we won't give this back" all she wants but until she starts to bring about serious proposals for common ground consensus rather than pie in the sky thinking she will never be able to get any kind of agenda through the European Community and her wish list will remain with Tinkerbell and the Fairy Godmother.