Labor conference live: Andy MacDonald accused of ‘sabotage’ resignation

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Shadow Cabinet Secretary resigned after Keir Starmer ordered him to oppose raising the minimum wage

One House member said Andy MacDonald’s resignation appeared to be a “planned sabotage” of the Labor Party convention.

Mr Macdonald, the shadow employment minister until yesterday, resigned from the claim that Sir Keir Starmer’s office had told him to argue against a £15 an hour minimum wage and raising statutory sickness pay to a living wage figure.

Scottish Shadow Secretary Ian Murray said today that the resignation “looks like a planned sabotage of Congress” rather than a matter of principle.

In a speech later today, Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas Symonds is set to invoke the famous Blair-era mantra of “tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime” while pledging to tackle antisocial behavior if elected.

He will accuse the Conservatives of being “tolerant of crime and tolerant of crime issues” in a knowingly reference to Labour’s new pledge.

Key PointsShow Last Updated 163282547720 Delegates Banned From Business Conference

The head of the party’s constitutional arrangements committee revealed this morning that the Labor Party prevented 20 delegates from attending its party conference for disciplinary reasons.

Harry Donaldson said the ban did not disqualify any party from voting. In one case, he said, the sole delegate for a constituency was banned and a replacement was found.

Liam James September 28, 2021 11:37

Thomas Symonds says Starmer was ‘showing solidarity’ in £15 wage pictures

Asked about photos of Sir Keir Starmer appearing to support a £15 minimum wage, Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas Symonds said the Labor leader was “showing solidarity with those workers who were seeking to fight for it”.

“What we’re going to look at is the special economic conditions and make sure we’re offering something we can,” he told LBC on minimum wages.

Liam James September 28, 2021 11:22

1632824037 Diane Abbott: “Nonsense” to say that resignation is sabotage

Diane Abbott, who was Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow home secretary, said Andy MacDonald’s resignation proposal to sabotage Labor’s convention was “nonsense”.

“Andy MacDonald is not at all like that,” the Hackney North MP told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“It’s a fact though that Keir Starmer supported £15 an hour until recently, and was at a protest demanding that.

“So it is strange that he was so adamant that Andy MacDonald was arguing with conference delegates for just £10 an hour.”

She added: “A lot of circuit reps are subsidizing £15 an hour. It’s the bare minimum.”

Liam James September 28, 2021 11:13

1632823017 Labor calls out Tony Blair with “crime tough” and anti-social behaviour

John Stone wrote that Labor would cite Tony Blair’s “crime-hardened” message and promise to crack down on antisocial behavior if elected.

In a speech to the party convention, Nick Thomas Symonds, the shadow home secretary, will accuse the Conservatives of being “tolerant of crime and tolerant of crime issues”.

The comments are a knowingly reference to Mr Blair’s claim that New Labor will be “tough on crime, ruthless as to the causes of crime”.

This slogan was coined by Mr. Blair when he was Shadow Home Secretary in 1993, and it has continued to do so when he took the helm of the party.

More on party proposals here:

Liam James September 28, 2021 10:56

1632821831 StarMer has shown support for the £15 minimum wage in the past

Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure over previous comments apparently in support of a £15 minimum wage.

Andy MacDonald resigned last night saying the Labor leader’s office told him to argue against raising the minimum wage to £15.

Sir Keir shared a photo of himself on Twitter walking with McDonald’s workers for a wage of £15 an hour during the 2019 election campaign.

At the time, he said, “They ask for the basics – £15 an hour, the right to know their hours in advance and have union recognition. This should be the norm in 21st century Britain.”

Liam James September 28, 2021 10:37

1632820872 Summary of last night’s resignation

Follow the controversy over last night’s resignation with John Stone’s coverage:

Liam James September 28, 2021 10:21

MacDonald’s resignation looks like a ‘planned sabotage’

The deputy speaker of the House of Representatives suggested that Ian MacDonald’s resignation over a row over the £15 minimum wage was intended to sabotage Sir Keir Starmer’s first personal party conference.

Asked about the departure on the BBC, Scottish Shadow Secretary Ian Murray said: “We’re not quite sure why he quit yesterday, it looks like he said one thing and wrote another.

“It appears that this may be a planned sabotage of the conference, rather than a matter of any principle.”

He added, “This was a policy, don’t forget, that Andy MacDonald and the Shadow Cabinet wrote, he put the Shadow Cabinet and gave a huge acclaim in the conference room 48 hours before he resigned.

“We’re not entirely sure why he’s resigning, but these things happen in politics and we’re all very angry and frustrated because the headlines are dominated by one person when we should be talking about the big issues in the future.”

Liam James September 28, 2021 10:14

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