Andy McDonald suspended over rally comments

HolgateCorner said:
But they do, and it makes Labour look divided on policy, so McDonald needs to be more careful what he says.
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Listen to yourself. The man called for peace for all sides and you think he should watch what he says? What kind of world are we living in where those who seek a peaceful solution are demonised and those who reject ceasefire are the heroes? And this will never change with Starmer as PM.

Perhaps Starmer should be more careful who he accepts funding from; that would help his cause.
 
BlindBoyGrunt said:
It is laying out your beliefs before the people, which is honest and furthers the debate, as opposed to hiding your beliefs through fear.
Very few people see what happens in HoC debates but people want to know what their politicians are made of.
Labour should have the antiSemitism argument, not be cowed into silence and bullied into changing their stance.

Labour councillors up and down the country are leaving the party or being signatories to letters calling for Starmer to back a ceasefire. He has really handled this badly and is out of kilter with most of his party.

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Don’t you think Labour politicians should concentrate more on what happens in this country, you know, something they can actually influence if they get into power rather than be a talking shop for a conflict overseas?

I have no doubt from what I have read that McDonald was promoting peace in Gaza but the right wingers are too manipulative to miss out on an opportunity to embarrass Starmer. Labour politicians need to live in the real world and stop being naive.
 
BlindBoyGrunt said:
Listen to yourself. The man called for peace for all sides and you think he should watch what he says? What kind of world are we living in where those who seek a peaceful solution are demonised and those who reject ceasefire are the heroes? And this will never change with Starmer as PM.

Perhaps Starmer should be more careful who he accepts funding from; that would help his cause.
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All politicians have to be disciplined, it’s just the way it is, they are high profile.

The likes of you and me can get away with posting all kinds of views and opinions on here and it goes no further.

But a senior Labour MP?

Nothing wrong with calling for peace but it’s where you do it and how you say it that matter, he has been caught offside.
 
HolgateCorner said:
Don’t you think Labour politicians should concentrate more on what happens in this country, you know, something they can actually influence if they get into power rather than be a talking shop for a conflict overseas?

I have no doubt from what I have read that McDonald was promoting peace in Gaza but the right wingers are too manipulative to miss out on an opportunity to embarrass Starmer. Labour politicians need to live in the real world and stop being naive.
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You could say that about all politicians; they should all concentrate on what is happening in their constituencies but that's not where their job ends and they are quite capable of holding one thought at a time. What real world are you describing where political figures are cowed into hiding their beliefs out of sheer cowardice or the fear of being attacked by their opponents? If a politician doesn't like opposition then they are in the wrong job.
HolgateCorner said:
Nothing wrong with calling for peace but it’s where you do it and how you say it that matter, he has been caught offside.
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VAR has confirmed that he said it at a peace rally where his words would be heard.
 
BlindBoyGrunt said:
You could say that about all politicians; they should all concentrate on what is happening in their constituencies but that's not where their job ends and they are quite capable of holding one thought at a time. What real world are you describing where political figures are cowed into hiding their beliefs out of sheer cowardice or the fear of being attacked by their opponents? If a politician doesn't like opposition then they are in the wrong job.

VAR has confirmed that he said it at a peace rally where his words would be heard.
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Unfortunately I do think I am describing the unfortunate world we live in where the VAR decision can still be argued against by those who don’t like the outcome. It’s not a great world just now.
 
HolgateCorner said:
Don’t you think Labour politicians should concentrate more on what happens in this country, you know, something they can actually influence if they get into power rather than be a talking shop for a conflict overseas?
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Weak ground for Starmer's Labour. They've got Austerity 2: Austerity Harder lined up for domestic politics.

HolgateCorner said:
I have no doubt from what I have read that McDonald was promoting peace in Gaza but the right wingers are too manipulative to miss out on an opportunity to embarrass Starmer. Labour politicians need to live in the real world and stop being naive.
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This isn't about Starmer trying to avoid being embarrassed by any right wingers external to Labour. It's about the right wingers inside of Labour using everything they can to drag the party further and further to the right.
 
I left around 2 years ago and I still get e mails asking for financial contributions and have refused them all. Notwithstanding that, I have continually said, that at the next election I would be voting for the Labour candidate in my constituency, despite all the concerns I have had about the direction those at the top of the Labour party are taking us.

When the Tories are sacking one of their MP's for calling for peace and now Labour are suspending one of theirs for doing exactly the same, where exactly are the dividing lines?

When the Labour leadership seems to be taking Suella Braverman's meaning of the words "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free", and taking them totally out of context and seemingly ignoring the fact that McDonald said at the beginning of his speech "for Israelis and Palestinians", then I can no longer say that I will be voting labour at the next election.

Shame on you, the Labour leadership.
 
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SuperStu said:
Weak ground for Starmer's Labour. They've got Austerity 2: Austerity Harder lined up for domestic politics.



This isn't about Starmer trying to avoid being embarrassed by any right wingers external to Labour. It's about the right wingers inside of Labour using everything they can to drag the party further and further to the right.
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I see where you are coming from but I think you are wrong, the right wing and mainstream media backed by global right wing billionaires are looking to seize on anything which can make Labour look divided and conflicted simply because they want the Tories to remain in power for their own purposes.
 
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