Labour's ‘Starmtroopers' Mount Rebellion Against Their Leader
Keir Starmer's landslide UK general election win last July delivered to the House of Commons what was supposed to be a hand-picked army of loyalists molded in his image, a cadre that earned the moniker 'Starmtroopers.' As the prime minister's first anniversary in power approaches next week, the troops have mutinied, and some now have him and his chancellor in their sights.
Backbench Labour Members of Parliament on Thursday forced the government into a humiliating U-turn on its flagship welfare reform policy, canceling some £3 billion ($4 billion) of planned disability benefit cuts which had enraged the left-leaning party's ranks. Downing Street had little choice but surrender: without concessions, Starmer faced the prospect of a parliamentary defeat Tuesday that would have been extraordinary for a government with a 165-seat majority, calling his premiership into question.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Venue cancels Marilyn Manson's performance following campaign
A Brighton venue has cancelled rock star Marilyn Manson's show, following pressure from a campaign group and an MP. Manson – real name Brian Warner – was set to kickstart the UK leg of his One Assassination Under God Tour at the Brighton Centre on Wednesday, October 29. Now, customers have been informed by Ticketmaster that the event has been cancelled and they will be refunded. An online campaign group, No Stage for Abusers, called on the Brighton Centre, and Brighton and Hove City Council, which owns the venue, to cancel the performance. In January, a year-long investigation into Manson was dropped. California prosecutors said allegations against Manson exceeded the statute of limitations, adding that they cannot prove charges beyond a reasonable doubt. Manson has repeatedly denied the accusations and dismissed the claims as "falsehoods". Known for his eccentric stage persona and provocative statements and behaviour, Manson has long been a controversial figure. Last week MP Siân Berry expressed her concerns about Manson's upcoming performance in an open letter to leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, Bella Sankey. In Siân's letter she urged the council to consider cancelling the event as she believes it goes against 'the city's well-renowned values'. One person told The Argus: "This is cancel culture nothing more, and it'll backfire when artists don't add a Brighton and Hove date to their tours and stick to London, which incidentally haven't banned Marilyn Manson from their city. Set a very worrisome precedent."
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
BBC: Kneecap's Glastonbury set will not be live streamed but could go on-demand
Kneecap's performance at Glastonbury Festival will not be live-streamed but is likely to be made available on-demand, the BBC has said. A number of politicians have called for the Irish rap trio to be removed from the line-up and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said their performance would not be 'appropriate' after one of the members was charged with a terror offence. A BBC spokesperson said: 'As the broadcast partner, the BBC is bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers. 'While the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans ensure that our programming meets our editorial guidelines. 'We don't always live-stream every act from the main stages and look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap's performance available on our digital platforms, alongside more than 90 other sets.' It is understood the BBC needs to consider the performance before making a final decision. The band said on Instagram: 'The propaganda wing of the regime has just contacted us…. 'They WILL put our set from Glastonbury today on the iPlayer later this evening for your viewing pleasure.' Liam Og O hAnnaidh, 27, was charged with allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah, while saying 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah' at a gig in November last year. On June 18 the rapper, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in Free Mo Chara T-shirts. He was released on unconditional bail until the next hearing at the same court on August 20. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thinks the BBC 'should not be showing' the group's set. In an X post from last Saturday, she said: 'The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda. 'One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act. 'As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism.' Ahead of the performance, Gemma Gibson, 41, from Newcastle told the PA news agency that she was 'really excited' to see Kneecap perform. Asked if their set should have been cancelled amid the ongoing controversy, she said: 'Well, that would be completely against everything that Glastonbury stands for … This is where they should be.' An Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson told PA: 'Ticket-holders can once again expect to see uniformed officers on site at Glastonbury Festival 24/7 throughout the festival as part of our extensive policing operation ensuring it is safe for everyone attending, as well as those who live nearby.' Saturday has seen performances from the likes of rock band Kaiser Chiefs and US star Brandi Carlile, who released an album with Sir Elton John earlier in the year. Elsewhere, Irish singer CMAT, who played the Pyramid Stage on Friday, performed a secret set at the BBC Introducing stage. Neil Young, best known for songs such as Rockin' In The Free World, Like A Hurricane and Cinnamon Girl, will headline the festival's Pyramid Stage on Saturday night with his band the Chrome Hearts. The corporation will broadcast Young's set after previously saying it would not be shown 'at the artist's request'. On Saturday a BBC spokesperson said: 'We are delighted to confirm that Neil Young's headline set from Glastonbury on Saturday will be broadcast live to audiences across the UK on the BBC.' The set will be shown on the BBC iPlayer Pyramid Stage stream from 10pm, as well as broadcast on BBC Two and BBC Radio 2. Another act expected to draw a big crowd is Brat star Charli XCX, who will headline the Other Stage around the same time Young and Grammy Award-winning rapper Doechii will also perform. The 1975 headlined the festival's Pyramid Stage on Friday night, with the performance seeing singer Matty Healy joke he was his generation's 'best songwriter'. Friday also saw a performance from Scottish music star Lewis Capaldi who told the Glastonbury crowds 'I'm back baby' as he played a surprise set, two years after a performance at the festival during which he struggled to manage his Tourette syndrome symptoms. Celebrities who have been spotted at the festival include singer Harry Styles, Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne, The Crown actor Emma Corrin, and Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn. Saturday could see highs of 26C, 'with high levels of humidity', according to the Met Office. Spokesman Grahame Madge said: 'There is always the chance of a light shower, but there is nothing in the forecast that suggests anything heavier for Saturday for Somerset.' Avon and Somerset Police have said there have been 75 reports of crimes at the festival with 20 arrests made. Performing in the coveted Sunday legends slot this year is Sir Rod Stewart, who previously said he will be joined by his former Faces band member Ronnie Wood, as well as other guests. The BBC is providing livestreams of the five main stages: Pyramid, Other, West Holts, Woodsies and The Park.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Labour should introduce minister for porn, Conservative peer says
Labour should appoint a minister for porn to tackle the wave of 'violent, abusive and misogynistic' images, a Conservative peer has said. Baroness Gabby Bertin, who leads the Independent Pornography Review Taskforce, said that MPs shy away from tackling abuse in the porn industry out of embarrassment. 'We're really British about it so we don't want to have a graphic conversation about sex and porn. But you've got to shout about it as loudly as possible. The reason why we've got into this mess is because nobody has really wanted to talk about it,' she told The Guardian. She is pushing for the government to appoint a ministry for porn to make sure the issue gets addressed. 'You can't leave the pitch on this stuff just because you're worried about being accused of being too strait-laced,' she added. A review, commissioned by Rishi Sunak's government and led by Baroness Gabby, proposed banning degrading, violent and misogynistic pornography. The report, which was published in February this year, urged ministers to give Ofcom further powers to police porn sites for dangerous material. It also suggested banning online porn videos that would be deemed too harmful for any certificate in the offline world. One of the report's recommendations, making strangulation in pornography illegal, has now been accepted by the government. Minister for victims and tackling violence against women, Alex Davies-Jones, said that 'cracking down on the appalling rise of strangulation pornography will protect women and send a clear signal to men and boys that misogyny will not be tolerated'. Recent research published by Ofcom found that eight per cent of children aged eight to 14 have watched online pornography. Boys aged 13 to 14 were the most likely viewers, with two out of 10 visiting adult sites. Major porn sites, including Pornhub, Stripchat and Youporn, have agreed to implement stronger age verification measures, with platforms now facing fines of 10 per cent of their global turnover if they fail to make changes.
