Labour have learnt nothing – Angela Rayner's latest bright idea proves it
OPINION - ESTHER MCVEY: Clearly it's too much to expect the Government learn from the unambiguous drubbing Labour received days ago.
It seems that the Labour Party have learnt nothing from their hammering at the local elections. Angela Rayner has said that Keir Starmer should let Andy Burnham into Parliament when a Labour MP vacates their seat to allow the ‘Windbag of the North’ to stand in a by-election. Did Ange not see the results across the country including in her patch? What is this safe seat that she thinks Burnham can walk straight into and guarantee being elected?
This is the typical entitled, taking voters for granted attitude that has left Labour in their current mess. They think the public are just pliant mugs who will just accept any shuffling of MPs so that ambitious politicians can pursue their personal ambitions. I look forward to the public making it clear to the likes of Rayner and Burnham that they cannot be treated with such contempt.
Who'd have thought these would make a comeback?
Read more: 'Keir Starmer is embarrassing himself – a desperate leader firmly on way out'
Read more: 'Not just Starmer facing electoral oblivion – this party leader's doomed too'
Who’d have thought boob tubes and bra tops would be back this season but it seems they are. Millie Mackintosh led the way at the BAFTA this weekend with her cropped top and toned abs. Time to put down the biscuits and start those sit ups!
Is this really too much to ask?
One of the biggest stories of last week's local elections has to be the rise of sectarian politics and council candidates openly standing for Gaza.
Since when did local elections become about Gaza?
The Henry Jackson Society think tank has been following 171 Muslim council candidates whose campaigns were based on issues such as Palestine or Kashmir.
What on earth is happening to our country? Is it too much to ask local election candidates to concentrate on local issues? In too many places it would seem so.
It's high time cyclists were held to a higher standard
Whatever the rights or wrongs of Benedict Cumberbatch jumping a red traffic light on his e-bike last week – video showing the actor in a confrontation with another cyclist who had, apparently, pulled him up on his riding – there lies the serious issue of cyclists thinking they are above the law.
They are the first to complain about motorists who don’t follow the Highway Code so isn’t it high time cyclists were held to the same standards, pay road tax and have registration numbers so they too can be prosecuted and given points when they break the rules.
British politics has changed for good
Make no mistake, last week's local elections confirmed a fundamental shift in British politics. The two-party system is over and the multi-party system is here to stay.
Previously, the first-past-the-post system managed to keep all strands of opinion within the two main parties but those uneasy alliances have now been breached, and we are in the world of five Party politics or more.
With this multi=party fracture, it's possible to be elected with as little as 28% of the vote. So the next question we will need to grapple with is, has first past the post had its day and is proportional representation on its way?
I have always supported first-past-the-post, but it is difficult for elected representatives to claim a firm mandate when elected with such a small proportion of the vote.
