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Major events
Starmer says he cannot see how Corbyn can be the Labor candidate at the next election
In his Today interview Keir Starmer Jeremy Corbyn has also ruled out standing as a candidate in the next election. Asked whether Corbyn would be Labour’s candidate in Islington North at the next election, Starmer replied:
I don’t see any circumstances in which that could happen. Obviously, we haven’t reached that particular constituency yet, but I don’t see any circumstances in which Jeremy Corbyn will stand as a Labor candidate.
Corbyn is still a member of the Labor Party, but lost the whip more than two years ago after responding to the Equality and Human Rights Commission. [EHRC] A report on anti-Semitism in the Labor Party under his leadership was thought to downplay the seriousness of the problem.
At the time, Starmer said that, in order for the whip to be reinstated (which is for him to be eligible to stand as the party’s candidate), Corbyn would have to apologise. But that hasn’t happened, the standoff hasn’t been resolved, and Starmer’s latest comments (which echo what his aides have been saying privately) are likely a clear public confirmation from him that Corbyn will not be able to return to the party.
Keir Starr says he does not think rejoining the single market will boost economic growth ‘at this stage’.
good morning Keir Starmer The interviews are being held this morning ahead of the publication of a report by the party’s Commission on the Future of the UK, chaired by Gordon Brown. Much of the reporting focused on the earlier report’s recommendation that the House of Lords be abolished, partly because the Saturday Times ran a story claiming that “proposals to abolish the House of Lords will be watered down after the eleventh.” -Gordon Brown and Row of hours between Sir Keir Starmer’s advisers”. The paper claimed that Brown wanted a firm commitment from Starmer to abolish the Lords, while Starmer’s team only wanted a commitment to consult on reforms. That’s why Starr was on the Today program a few minutes ago. The first question then was whether Starmer wanted to abolish the Lords.
Starmer said he did – but he said when that would happen would be a matter of consultation.
But Starmer also stressed that the report’s recommendations go far beyond what should happen in the upper chamber. That was clear in an overnight briefing released by the party ahead of the report which did not even mention the Lords, and instead emphasized the party’s commitment to decentralization and the devolution of power to local government.
We’ll get back to that shortly, as the star was also asked about Brexit in her Today interview. He has repeatedly said that a Labor government cannot take the UK back into the single market, but he put a particularly provocative spin on this in response to a question. Mishal Hussainwho asked whether membership of the single market would boost economic growth. Starmer Answered:
No, at this stage, I don’t think it will. And there is no case for going back to the European Union or going back to the single market.
I think there is a case for a better Brexit. I think there is a very strong case for Brexit to work.
when Hussain Pressed again, economists say the UK’s exit from the single market has hurt trade, Starmer Answered:
I think the trade has gone down because the deal we got is not a very good deal. I think we can go from getting Brexit done, which we have managed at the moment, to making Brexit work and I think there is a better deal.
But do I think… that going back to years of strife, years of uncertainty, will help the economy? No, I don’t.
I spent a lot of the years after 2016 talking to businesses who told me, over and over again, that the hardest thing for us is all the uncertainty. And it held us back for many years.
I will post more from the interview soon.
Here is the agenda for the day.
10am: Keir Starmer held a press conference with Gordon Brown to present the report of the Commission on the Future of the UK, which Brown chaired.
11.30pm: The Downing Street lobby holds a briefing.
3.30 pm: Starmer and Brown hold another launch of the commission’s report in Edinburgh.
After 3.30 pm: MPs resumed their debate on the Online Safety Bill. The bill has been stalled for months as first Liz Truss’s government and then Rishi Sunak’s government were considering changes to it. Those changes were announced last week.
I try to monitor comments below the line (BTL) but it’s impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, include “Andrew” somewhere in it and I’m more likely to get it. I try to answer questions and, if they’re of general interest, I’ll post the question and answer it above the line (ATL), though I can’t promise to do this for everyone.
If you want to get my attention quickly, better to use Twitter. I’m on @AndrewSparrow.
Alternatively, you can email me at andrew.sparrow@theguardian.com
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