MI6 enters the Labour leadership debate with vintage "Red Smear" piece in the Torygraph

[David Guyatt]

I think Andrew needs a Bex and a good lie down. He is being a bit histrionic isn't he?

Astonishingly camp, like on old Tory queen who's discovered a special adviser in his bed - he can barely contain himself!

Rum lot of buggers, these Tories.

When speaking of "rum buggers" my mind always turns to Mandy Mandelson, Blair's minder.

[Paul Rigby]

I think Andrew needs a Bex and a good lie down. He is being a bit histrionic isn't he?

Astonishingly camp, like on old Tory queen who's discovered a special adviser in his bed - he can barely contain himself!

Rum lot of buggers, these Tories.

When speaking of "rum buggers" my mind always turns to Mandy Mandelson, Blair's minder.

Lord Minty of Felch is unquestionably "one of them".

I mean a Tory, of course.....

[Paul Rigby]

The deranged Peter Tatchellenko, the far-right homosexualist rights activist, today led an MI6 mob in support of the CIA's liver-eaters in Syria:

Peter Tatchell disrupts Jeremy Corbyn speech with Syria protest

Campaigner shouts over Labour leader, demanding he do more to condemn actions of Russia in conflict

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016...ia-protest

Chris Johnston

Protesters led by Peter Tatchell have disrupted a speech by Jeremy Corbyn, calling on the Labour leader to demand action to end the conflict in Syria.

Corbyn halted his speech while several protesters held up banners with slogans including: "Step up and demand action in Syria" and "End the suffering in Aleppo".

Tatchell, a human rights campaigner who has previously supported the Labour party, shouted over the party leader to demand he do more to condemn the actions of Russia in the Syrian conflict.

As the protesters stood silently in front of Corbyn, the Labour leader said: "It's all right, it's OK."

Tatchell then said: "What is happening in Aleppo is a modern-day Guernica. We haven't heard the leader of the Labour party speak out enough to demand UK air drops to besieged civilians who are dying in their thousands."

Corbyn could be heard consulting the Labour peer Shami Chakrabarti before temporarily leaving the stage while the protest continued.

Chakrabarti was heard telling the Labour leader "just let them do this". Corbyn then asked the shadow foreign secretary, Emily Thornberry: "When did we condemn the bombing?"

After returning to the podium at the Methodist central hall in Westminster, he told the audience Thornberry had clearly expressed Labour's opposition to the war in Syria and had called for an end to the conflict.

Corbyn was then heckled from the audience by Tatchell, who continued to demand he do more to criticise the Russian regime, which is propping up Bashar al-Assad's brutal dictatorship.

"There has to be an end to the bombing, there has to be a ceasefire, there has to be a political solution in Syria," the Labour leader said. He added in a question and answer session after the speech: "We have condemned all bombing in Syria, including Russian bombing, and continue to do so."

Thornberry said Labour had called on the government to back air drops of aid in rebel-held eastern Aleppo. "We have taken the strongest possible stand on this issue," she said.

Tatchell said he had staged the demonstration out of desperation over Corbyn's inaction on the humanitarian crisis in the country. "We are so frustrated that the leader of the Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn, seems to have forsaken the principle of international solidarity," he said.

"He's made no statements as far as we know in solidarity with civil societies in Syria. He's not listening to their demands, he's not promoting their demands, which are very simple a UN-supervised ceasefire, for the UN to supervise the evacuation of civilians to safe havens, and, most importantly right now, the airdrop of aid and medicine to besieged civilian populations.

"Those are things that Jeremy Corbyn could push for in parliament right now this week. He hasn't done so, so far. We hope as a result of today he will."

Tatchell joined forces with Syria Solidarity UK, whose spokesman said: "Western diplomats have conceded that there are no technical obstacles to delivering airdrops of food and medicine to Aleppo. What is lacking is the political will. If we stay silent, if western politicians refuse to take what actions are available to them, then they are complicit in these massacres."

Corbyn's speech marked the anniversary of the United Nations general assembly signing the universal declaration of human rights in 1948.

Earlier this year the former Labour prime minister Tony Blair condemned Corbyn for inaction over Syria. "Jeremy is seen as a progressive icon as we stand by and watch the people of Syria barrel-bombed, beaten and starved into submission and do nothing," Blair said in June.

[Magda Hassan]

The deranged Peter Tatchellenko, the far-right homosexualist rights activist, today led an MI6 mob in support of the CIA's liver-eaters in Syria:

Peter Tatchell disrupts Jeremy Corbyn speech with Syria protest
...

Tatchell then said: "What is happening in Aleppo is a modern-day Guernica. We haven't heard the leader of the Labour party speak out enough to demand UK air drops to besieged civilians who are dying in their thousands."

That's Yemen. I don't recall Tatchell's prominent appearance demanding the UK stop arming the anti LGBTQI misogynistic head chopping Saudi bombing of Yemen...

"He's made no statements as far as we know in solidarity with civil societies in Syria.

Civil society is part of the multi party multi ethnic non denominational secular elected government in Syria.

Last edited by Paul Rigby; Today at 06:31 AM. Reason: Insufficient venom

::laughingdog::

[Magda Hassan]

Labour politician and Murdoch journalist caught plotting against Corbyn, in a conversation they hoped would stay secret

January 31st, 2017 Steve Topple UK
UK

The Canary has seen details of an alleged conversation between a senior Labour politician and a journalist working for Rupert Murdoch. The content of it includes offensive and derogatory comments about Labour Party MPs, a national media outlet, party policies, and Jeremy Corbyn. They hoped the conversation would remain secret. And it did. Until now.

Brief encounters?

Alice Perry is a Labour councillor in Islington. She is Deputy Whip of the Local Government Association Labour Group, and the local government representative on Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC), also sitting on the Organisational Committee and the Equalities Committee. She is also a member of Labour's National Policy Forum.
James Lyons has been The Sunday Times' Deputy Political Editor since 2014. Before that, he was Deputy Political Editor at The Mirror. He recently announced he was leaving the Murdoch-owned paper to become the NHS Head of Media and Public Affairs.
On 28 September 2016, directly after Corbyn's closing speech at the Labour Party conference, a conversation between Lyons and Perry took place on the crowded 4.47pm Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston train.

Source code

A passenger on that train a senior figure within the Labour Party passed details about the conversation to another senior Labour Party figure, who then informed The Canary. The Canary is not revealing the name of our source, but we have verified their identity and seen correspondence that backs up their claims.

Strangers on a train…?

Perry and Lyons' conversation reportedly took swipes in every direction at the Labour Party. According to The Canarys source, the pair discussed:
Emily Thornberry, MP for Islington South
After Lyons made various "abusive remarks" about Thornberry, Perry said she was "absolutely awful". But that she had a bit of a "soft spot" for her because she had known her so long.
John Spellar, MP for Warley
Perry said of the way Spellar controls the West Midlands: "It is fear and it is wonderful to see."
Alicia Kennedy, Baroness Kennedy of Cradley
Perry and Lyons were discussing Iain McNicol, Labour's General Secretary. She told Lyons that the left of the party tried to "knife" McNicol, and give the job to "Alicia" (Kennedy). Lyons said he would include that in the forthcoming Sunday Times.

Murder on the Euston Express?

Perry and Lyons' conversation also widened to NEC members and non-Labour figures. According to The Canarys source, they said:
About Rhea Wolfson, Labour NEC Constituency Party representative:
Perry agreed with Lyons when he said Wolfson is "absolutely f*cking mad".
About Jennie Formby, regional Unite Secretary:
Perry and Lyons repeatedly discussed Formby's private education. Lyons said Formby must have been in "gymkhanas". Perry told him the school's website, where he could find out more. Also, Perry and Lyons discussed a disagreement she had with Formby at an NEC meeting over how Unite would vote on rule changes. Formby apparently told Perry that Unite was "unhappy" with these. Lyons said "like you give a f*ck", and Perry agreed.
About gay marriage:
Perry said that conference delegates applauded images of Nelson Mandela and gay marriage. Which she called a "liberal niche issue".

Snakes on a train…

According to The Canary's source, Perry and Lyons also took aim at:
The Huffington Post
Perry said: "They take any shit I write for them." She was also uncomplimentary of Guardian journalist Anushka Asthana.
Registered supporters
Perry claimed that it was her idea to set the fee for registered supporters for the 2016 leadership election at £25. But she did not want Lyons to publish this information.
Labour policy

Perry tweeted during Corbyn's speech:

Hurray! @jeremycorbyn confirms that a Labour government will lift the HRA borrowing cap and thanks Councillors for the important work we do
Alice Perry (@aliceperryuk) September 28, 2016

But she told Lyons she actually thought the policy (relating to the Housing Revenue Account) wouldn't get any attention. And she agreed with Lyons' view that it meant "Loony Left councillors could borrow themselves into bankruptcy".
Islington Council
Perry told Lyons she repeatedly tried to get Islington Council to fly the St George's flag. But that the Council avoided doing it. Lyons asked her if she would supply emails about this so he could run a "loony left council won't fly the flag" story. He said he'd make sure Perry looked good. She did not dismiss the idea, but was worried about being exposed as the source.
Corbyn's EU referendum strategy
Perry thought Corbyn's approach to the EU referendum failed because of "unbelievable incompetence".

Unstoppable

The Canary's source also said Perry and Lyons also took aim at:
The Shadow Cabinet
Perry reportedly described the Shadow Cabinet as being "just like a nursery for middle class kids".
NEC meetings
Perry openly shared details with Lyons of NEC meetings and conversations that had taken place.
Tom Watson
Perry reportedly agreed when Lyons said that Watson's address to conference was the real "leader's speech".

The lady vanishes…?

A senior Labour source told The Canary:

Perry's conduct is a disgrace. Serious allegations about the conduct of a senior Labour figure have been dismissed, which lowers the bar on the conduct expected within the party. Ordinary members were expelled and purged for less.

The Canary approached Lyons, McNicol, and Perry for comment.
Perry told The Canary:

A malicious complaint was made against me to the Labour Party on the basis [of] an inaccurate account of a private conservation. These allegations were bizarre and false. This complaint was thrown out by the party and any suggestion that I brought Labour into disrepute is clearly defamatory. These are malicious, false claims that are not even worthy of the term fake news'.

But neither Lyons or McNicol had responded to The Canary's requests at time of publication.

From Islington with love

The leaked conversation shines a light on the nature of the relationships between senior Labour Party sources and the mainstream media. On 26 June 2016, Lyons penned an article [paywall] in The Sunday Times on the Chicken Coup'. It stated that, while nine Shadow Ministers had already resigned, "more revolters" were waiting to quit. Lyons said [paywall]:

A shadow cabinet source claimed: Corbyn will be out by the end of the week.' However, another senior Labour source predicted that the coup would fail because Corbyn will dig in and refuse to go, even if shadow ministers start resigning. It was said that any attempt by him to cling on will destroy' the party… As anticipated by The Sunday Times last night, Heidi Alexander, the shadow health minister, became the first member of Mr Corbyn's top team to quit…

Lyons also wrote an article [paywall] in September 2016 headlined Union boss plots coup with Stalinist purge'. The piece said:

Andrew Murray, a communist trade union chief, is among close supporters of Jeremy Corbyn who are accused of plotting a Stalinist purge' of Labour Party staff that moderates fear could lead to him running the party.
They agreed to use the party's new-found wealth to pay off staff they want to remove from HQ after JC's second victory, including the rest of Iain's office and the compliance unit,' a shadow cabinet source said. Talk was that redundancy packages could be up to a year's salary to get key figures out the door.'
A second Labour source added: Whatever it takes they are just going to pay all these people off and get their own people in. It's a Stalinist purge.'

End of the line…?

The reported conversation shines a light on the relationship between the anti-Corbyn element of the Labour Party and the mainstream media. And it makes sense of much of the hyperbolic briefings strewn across their pages. Meanwhile, pro-Corbyn Labour members were suspended from the party for far less traitorous acts.
http://www.thecanary.co/2017/01/31/labou...ay-secret/

[David Guyatt]

Ldet me take a wild assed guess. She's a Blairite?

[Paul Rigby]

Will the Foreign Office Try to Stop Corbyn Implementing the Labour Manifesto?

WRITTEN BY MARK CURTIS ON 29 SEPTEMBER 2017. POSTED IN NEWS & COMMENT

Mark Curtis looks at the 1974 FCO paper Britain in an altered world: The outlook for foreign policy'

http://stopwar.org.uk/index.php/news-comment/2742

In February 1974 the Permanent Under Secretary's Planning Committee of the Foreign Office approved papers for the incoming Labour government, consisting of 42 departmental papers plus an overview of "Britain in an altered world: The outlook for Foreign Policy". A key aspect of these papers was to argue against the new government implementing its manifesto commitments.

FCO paper, Britain in an altered world: The outlook for foreign policy', 26 February 74

"British foreign policy is largely shaped by the need to maintain British independence, prosperity and security in a world in which none of these objectives can be achieved by British efforts alone, least of all during a period when the British economy is under severe strain. As and when the British economic position improves, it may become possible to exert a more positive and independent influence in world affairs and to promote certain developments on their merits rather than in response to immediate national needs… The disappearance of cheap oil, for instance, has transformed the world in which British foreign policy has to operate". In 1972 industrial countries had a trading surplus of $10bn, in 1974 likely to be deficit of $48bn and oil producers a surplus of $69bn. This is referred to as a "major shift in the economic balance of power…"

"In the next few years the United States will become even more important as our principal partner…only American leadership…can promote effective international cooperation in the management of the world's economic and financial problems… The maintenance of constructive American leadership in all fields thus constitutes a primary British objective". "Partly because of Britain's colonial past, which has often put us on the defensive, and partly because of the bloc voting system that now prevails, the United Nations have [sic] hitherto proved less of an asset to British foreign policy than other international groupings… Britain has an interest in the economic and social development of the less developed countries for the contribution it [sic] makes to the expansion of world trade, the preservation of political stability and the reduction of international tension".

Paper no.8, "European Defence Cooperation".

Notes the Labour manifesto commitment of "the ultimate objective of the movement towards a more satisfactory relationship in Europe must be the mutual and concurrent phasing-out of NATO and the Warsaw Pact". FCO comments that "The eventual phasing-out of NATO and the Warsaw Pact is unlikely to become agreed NATO policy in the foreseeable future. In the meantime, it seems prudent to avoid any suggestion that our security could be protected in a pan-European system of the kind advocated by the Russians, rather than through arrangements which bind the Americans to the defence of Western Europe".

Paper no 9, "NATO problems, including burden sharing".

Notes the Labour NEC's commitment to expel Greece and suspend Portugal from NATO. FCO comments that "any attempt to secure the expulsion of Greece or the suspension' of Portugal from the Alliance would invoke a very hostile US reaction, and would probably be opposed with varying degrees of emphasis by the majority of the Alliance. The North Atlantic treaty contains no provision for the expulsion or suspension of signatories. It is possible that Greece and/or Portugal could be forced to withdraw by a sustained campaign of criticism. But this would almost certainly lead to a major crisis within the Alliance, and could produce a major review of the US attitudes there".

Paper no.25, "Chile".

The junta "has imposed stern measures to ensure law and order. All political activity has been suspended. The parties which made up President Allende's socialist coalition have been banned and their leaders detained. It is unlikely that Chile will return to parliamentary democracy for several years… British economic interests are considerable: (i) third largest supplier of copper (11% of UK imports); (ii) defence sales. The Chilean navy are by tradition equipped with British vessels. Current orders, which were contracted with the Frei and Allende governments are worth £70 million, cover the construction of two frigates (Yarrow), two submarines (Scotts) and the refitting of a destroyer (Swan Hunter).(iii) UK exports in 1973 were £22 million (6.2% of the market). Chile is one of the better markets in Latin America and when the country becomes creditworthy again, Britain might gain several major contracts… The aims hitherto have been: (a) to improve our trade and other earnings by maintaining our traditional good relations with the Chileans and our long established connection with the Chilean navy. (b) to encourage the Chilean regime in the direction of a more human style of government… The abandonment of normal relations could however do damage to our trade, especially to future shipbuilding orders for the Chilean navy".

Paper No,30. "Rhodesia".

The manifesto calls for "support for the liberation movements of Southern Africa". FCO comments that: "In considering support for the Rhodesian movements Ministers would no doubt wish to take account of Britain's own constitutional responsibility for Rhodesia and the implications of such support for general policy towards the Rhodesian question… There might also be implications in the Irish context".

Paper no.31, "Problems relating to Southern Africa".

The UK abstained on the 1966 UN General Assembly resolution calling to terminate South Africa's mandate over Namibia and to vest responsibility in the UN "because of doubts about the legal capacity of the Assembly to take this step". The UK was "unable for legal reasons" to accept the 1971 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice that South Africa's presence in Namibia was illegal. Labour's manifesto calls for support to liberation movements and "a disengagement from Britain's unhealthy involvement with apartheid". FCO comments that "it has been bipartisan policy for some time to avoid involvement in apartheid' in the sense of attitudes and actions which might be interpreted as implying support for or condonation of apartheid. If the new government wanted to go further to demonstrate their disapproval of South African policies, the following measures are listed in ascending order of their likely impact on British interests, particularly commercial interests." The paper raises 13 possible policies, beginning with general curtailment of inter-governmental contacts to support to UN sanctions. The effect of sanctions on the UK "could be direct and immediate and the commercial damage could be very great: British exports to South Africa in 1973 were £374m".

Paper no.35, "Economic relations with the third world".

In 1972 23% of UK exports were to the third world. "The EEC members favour international commodity agreements as a means of stabilising prices at a level fair to consumers and remunerative to producers. But concerted attempts to raise prices whether by restricting supplies, forming cartels or other arbitrary means, represent a serious danger to our trading position".

Paper No.42, "Overseas Aid".

The UN adopted in October 1970 the 0.7% of GDP target to be reached by the mid-1970s. Currently, UK aid is at 4.0%. "Britain has not so far accepted the need for that target. The main advantage in accepting a target for official aid, with or without a specific date for its achievement, would be that it would bring to an end criticism of HMG internationally and from a growing section of parliamentary and public opinion". The Labour manifesto states that Labour will seek to implement the 0.7% target.

National Archives: FCO 49/507

[Magda Hassan]

You can vote for any one you like.
As long as they are approved by TPTB.

[Paul Rigby]

You can vote for any one you like.
As long as they are approved by TPTB.

And a jolly good thing, too. After all, we can't have any old riff-raff running the show, particularly if elected by said riff-raff.

Tooth

[Paul Rigby]

Radio Sputnik

'There is a desperate need now to take the UK intelligence services under control' - David Miller

An aide to the UK Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn has suggested that the UK security services could be undermining the Labour leader in order to prevent him from coming to power.

Andrew Murray, a long-standing ally of Corbyn and former Communist party member, suggested that the intelligence services could be behind delays to the approval of his parliamentary pass. He also implied they could be behind media reports that he had been banned from Ukraine over his alleged links to a Russian "global propaganda network".

http://soundcloud.com/radiosputnik/there...vid-miller