Labour is no longer a party of principle

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Keir Starmer’s pro-Israeli stance in the present Gaza war is nothing short of disgraceful (PA Wire)

Traditionally, the Labour Party has been on the side of the oppressed and the downtrodden. Alas, it seems no longer so.

Keir Starmer’s pro-Israeli stance in the present Gaza war is nothing short of disgraceful. For a probable future prime minister, it is scandalous that he is unable or unwilling to articulate and acknowledge the root cause of the conflict.

How dare he ignore the 16-year blockade of Gaza, during which time not even medical supplies were allowed in by the Israelis? How dare he remain silent on the ongoing illegal settling of the West Bank by Israelis and their unhindered killing of innocent Palestinians?

How dare he enthusiastically side with an extreme right-wing type like Benjamin Netanyahu, who has overseen the killing of thousands of innocent women and children?

Starmer’s reluctance to admit that Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza in the face of overwhelming evidence is utterly damning, and reveals the Labour Party to be one without principle or moral courage.

Anthony Hartnett

Cork

Removing the regime

Benjamin Netanyahu and his extremist government strike me as criminals who have lost all reason. They behave like the worst of their own enemies of yesteryear. The nasty regime present in Israel by no means represents the wider population of Jewish citizens, who have been protesting at the attempts by Netanyahu to protect himself from prosecution since he took office.

Remember the riots when Netanyahu introduced laws to restrict the authority of the Supreme Court? He will stop at nothing.

The attacks on Iranian senior military officers look like provocation to ensure a wider war with Hezbollah which Netanyahu can claim requires he remains in office during this forever war. If he is not removed before November, and Donald Trump wins the US presidential election, the situation in the Middle East and beyond will be intolerable.

The Democrat leader of the Senate, Charles Schumer, got it right. All efforts must be focused on the removal of the regime in Israel and replacement by moderate Israelis.

Simon Fisher

Sellindge

A cautious man

John Rentoul is right to suggest that the prospect of a Labour landslide at the forthcoming general election may cause voters who are disenchanted with politics and unconvinced by Labour to stay away from the polling stations.

This would hand the Conservatives if not re-election, then a platform in parliament that their woeful performance in government does not deserve. They need to be routed, and Labour returned with a substantial majority, if the nation is ever to begin the process of reform and renewal that is so desperately needed.

Quite frankly, I think it is in the Conservative Party’s interest to be heavily defeated so it can finally be forced to re-examine its values and purpose, if only so that it can serve the nation as a constructive party of opposition.

If Labour is to secure the majority we all need, it has to persuade voters to turn out in numbers and subscribe to a compelling vision of the future, to replace the disillusion and pessimism that hangs over us after the last 14 years.

And there lies Starmer’s problem. As a cautious man, he is wary of alienating those who voted for Brexit and still believe it was the right thing to do, fearful of overpromising on changes that the nation’s finances cannot afford and concerned not to appear too radical for a naturally conservative electorate.

He needs to do more than merely expose the multiple ways in which the present government has ill-served the nation economically, internationally, socially and culturally. To win public support, he must present a compelling narrative that talks about economic renewal, national security and effective management of immigration through reframing our relationship with our European neighbours. He must expose the inequalities – in health, welfare, education and opportunity – that have been allowed to widen under the Conservatives and redress the balance more equitably for the benefit of those vulnerable in our society.

He must show he will invest in our future by focusing on the needs of the young. He must address the existential crisis hastening towards us as a result of climate change by showing that Labour has a strategic plan that will avert the crisis and stimulate economic growth.

I am sure that all of these points are, if not within the draft manifesto, then within the party’s internal dialogue. The electorate needs to be persuaded to back a party that is capable of addressing the big issues in ways that can be readily understood. The alternative is more of that which, for 14 years, has dragged the nation into a downward spiral, benefitting nobody but those blessed with excessive wealth.

Graham Powell

Cirencester

Star-spangled spectacles

Fundraising by Donald Trump is now not only for his US presidential campaign but also to help pay for burgeoning legal bills and huge court fines already imposed on him. Recently, he was offering gold-coloured basketball boots with his “T” logo for the bargain price of $99.99. That’s been followed by his own version of the Holy Bible for only $59.99.

Watching his salesman schtick on television encapsulates the highly partisan, shambolic and sleazy tactics that many politicians are engaged in around the world these days. It’s most prevalent in America where political campaigns seem to be never-ending from one election to the next. Costing vast amounts of money, the spectacle of US elections, both humorous and haphazard, is entertainment that is really difficult to ignore.

Bernie Smith

Canada

Murky waters

We wake to another story of the mess caused by a privatised water company in England and the greed that has left more essential infrastructure teetering on the brink of collapse.

This time, it’s Thames Water and the vast loans that may be called in by Chinese and Dutch banks as investors, who’ve not got the dividends they want, financially abandon the company they have hollowed out.

Those who spout pretend patriotism, those who use xenophobia and jingoism as an election tool, are the very same people happy to see UK infrastructure sold off to foreign interests for private profit.

It’s not just the water that stinks…

Amanda Baker

Edinburgh