LABOUR MPs have been banned from publicly speaking about the cost-of-living crisis, the war in Ukraine and other pressing issues during the period of national mourning, it has been claimed.
Owen Jones, a journalist and columnist, shared screenshots of emails he said were from Labour high command, warning MPs against making statements not relating to the death of the Queen.
MPs have been told not to make posts on social media “expect [sic] your own tribute or what you have been asked to share from the [Parliamentary Labour Party] Office”, according to the emails.
Jones, who has links with left-wing Labour MPs, shared the screenshots on Twitter on Tuesday, and said Keir Starmer’s office had issued the guidance to all of the party’s politicians in Westminster.
The guidance also states MPs should not speak with “any media, except for your own tribute to local outlets”.
A fuller list of guidance advises MPs to stick to a “sombre” dress code, sign their local book of condolences and to cancel planned events on the day of the state funeral for the Queen.
MPs are additionally advised, according to the screenshots, to suspend campaigning “until further notice” but to continue helping constituents and holding advice surgeries “as normal”.
Some appear to have ignored the advice, such as Streatham MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, who has posted on her Twitter page about the death of Chris Kaba.
Diane Abbott, a former Labour frontbencher under Jeremy Corbyn and fierce Starmer critic, has also tweeted recently about issues not related to the monarchy.
All parties with elected representatives in Westminster – other than abstentionist Sinn Fein MPs – have suspended campaigning for the period of national mourning.
The House of Commons remains closed for the same time and will reopen following the state funeral of the Queen.
The National has approached the Labour Party for comment.
Labour Party enforces message discipline during the mourning period isn’t that big a story. The alternative is MPs risk making a PR cock-up at a politically sensitive time.
Unfortunately this is the lesser of two evils. MPs of all parties have shown themselves to be soppy fuckers when it comes to social media, they don’t seem to understand it. If I were the comms director of any party right now I would be telling my MPs to shut the fuck up.
Furthermore the tainted press and tv media in this country would jump on even the most innocuous statements to try to inflame and outrage. No it isn’t fair and no Starmer isn’t particularly courageous but that’s what we are left with after forty years of neo-Liberal ratchet.
Labour haven’t had a relevant public statement for years. Nobody will notice.
I am a member of the labour party, an abolitionist, ambivalent on Starmer (not my first choice as leader) and sick of hearing about the royals already. Saying this to put the venue in context
This is absolutely the right right call by labour leadership, yeah whatever you’re personal views how about stfu about stuff while in a sensitive time as you know someone will say something stupid that the Tories will jump on for months and months if leadership don’t nip it in the bud
Either the other parties have the same rules in place or Starmer is the only leader who can’t trust his own MPs to not do something stupid.
Surely us as labour voters should be able to remove Keir leader. No one wants him in that position. Labour need to start actually being a party of the left, none of this civility central bullshit. For humanity to survive, we need a left party that actually delivers on left policies.
I think it’s important to remember that a lot of people in the country are quite stupid and will eat up any propaganda, expecially if feeling a loss of national identity or whipped up by events, their mates and the press. Examples are Brexit, Boris, and the anti Union rhetoric.
Anything the press can stoke up stories about disrespect, Labour fighting against tradition and protocol will get a lot of voters up in arms and will be something they and the Tories will use for a time to come. There is no satisfactory answer you can give to “Why did my honourable friend not stop his party holding a energy cost protest on the day our Queen was laid to rest?”.
Whereas, if Labour MPs keep quiet for one day, are respectful, make the right noises etc… and then Tuesday go into battle they are much cleaner and it makes it harder for the press and Tory mob to say Labour hate the monarchy and those that would turn on them might, MIGHT, think about voting for Labour if they are seen as a sensible and reasonable party. Kier, like him or not, plays the part of a statesman better than some at the moment. That’s not to say he is any good but appearance is a lot of the battle.
Like it or not, we are quite a traditional country. We mostly follow the rules, we love a good queue but many have lost the ability to think for themselves. By avoiding negative feedback on social media and in the reply media Labour will win more hearts and hopefully minds!
I know this sub is anti Monarchy, is left wing etc… and I respect that. However, if Labour want to win, and I hope they do, the game needs to be played by the currently established rules. Once they are in they can change the rules. They need to get in first.
Just my two pence.
Edit for spelling and just to add that I know stupid is a loaded word but recent history would support this assertion.
I mean, come on. There’s nothing more important going on right now. We don’t need food and heating if we’re too busy mourning.
Sensible. The left of the party take every chance they can to make Labour unelectable.
Not a bad idea. The royal family has experienced a surge of support as is to be expected because of Queen Elizabeth’s passing. If not for any other reason this makes sense from an election perspective.
I find British politics and its parliamentary system very interesting. But unfortunately this article is blocked here in Ukraine 😭
Labour are now doing a better job at being Conservative than the fucking conservatives are. Who the hell am I supposed to vote for now?
everything starmer does is about signalling to the establishment that the labour party isn’t a threat so racist millionaires and newspaper owners endorse him. not sure how anyone can be surprised by his latest drivel.
Good job there’s nothing else going on right now that Labour need to talk about.
If somebody is going to decide to vote Tory because a Labour MP misspoke on the day of the Queen’s funeral, let’s be honest, they probably weren’t going to vote Labour in the first place.
OTOH, there are vast numbers of younger voters, probably inclined to vote Labour, who currently don’t vote at all because they think the two parties are too alike to be worth bothering.
Not to mention that at least half the country must be completely sick of all the fake mourning going on.
And if the police start arresting people left, right and centre for expressing the wrong views on that special day, are Labour going to ignore that too?
Honestly, this just seems like yet another attempt to manufacture angst within and about the Labour Party.
I’m absolutely sure that the Labour leadership are fully aware of the need to keep pushing on all those issues facing people all across we the country.
I’m also sure that they are conscious of the real risk of widespread populist backlash if the right wing press can get hold of a story (any story) they can can push with a big negative spin at the moment.
I absolutely *want* Labour (and the rest of the opposition) to keep piling the pressure on the Tories over the energy costs, inflation, the cost of living crisis generally, the NHS and any number of other issues facing all of us.
But… I also understand that there is a very real need to avoid any perceived gaffes, especially over the next five or six days. Keeping the messaging tightly managed, for just a week or less, is *not* derogation of duty. It’s good, tactical politics and sensible party management.
I know it’s frustrating to have a hiatus like this when there are so many issues facing us but we can, and should, begin again full force by this time next week.
I’ve tried to fashion as many replies as I’ve deleted so far. All I’ll say is, the Reddit hivemind is 0% of the electoral demographic that Labour needs to convince to win the next election.
Keep it schtum, Starmer!
Finally we can have the conversation that needs to be had.
Prophet’s Song is better than Bohemian Rhapsody.
Because Labour must constantly live in fear if they want to have any chance of ever winning.
And if they do manage to get in it will be even worse with the billionaire owned, public school boy run media looking for any opportunity and making stuff up when there isn’t one.
What’s the point in even being called Labour at this point lmao
Might as well just rename themselves to genericcentristbritishparty.exe
So it’s not just us who no longer have freedom of speech and protest but the politicians are doing it to themselves on the behalf of the elite. We are totally fucked.
Going by the comments, Keir is dealing with the media and populace we have, Redditors are dealing with the ones they want.
Freedom of speech you plum. As long as they aren’t abusive leave people to their own opinions
Labour Party leader makes sure nobody oversteps during a national funeral where a vast majority of their supporters are grieving.
Well done Keir. Hopefully we can stop seeing people being outraged because they aren’t allowed to cause criminal damage or commit a section 4A public order offence with eggs during a funeral procession.
Seriously. Just look how far we have sunk to be outraged by not being able to protest AT A FUNERAL!
The queen’s death is being used to silence people during a cost of living crisis and other chaos and its disgusting. Its more disrespectful to use her death to silence people than it is to talk about problems that have little to nothing to do with her.
Seems that our politicians can’t walk and chew gum. ☹☹☹
Starmer chameleon rides again. Imagine how different politicsin the UK would have been over the last 10 years ifthere had been an opposition.
I detest Keir Starmer. Used to be a life long labour voter and now I can’t stand the party.
Oh, I wondered why John McDonnell was on my doorstep singing Bohemian Rhapsody this morning.
You’ve had all your life before she died to protest the royal family, and you’ll have the opportunity going forward.
Why have people waited until her funeral to start gobbing off?
Labour Party don’t give a fuck about workers or labourers anymore. Corbyn was the best chance they had for years. Fuck starmer
32 comments
LABOUR MPs have been banned from publicly speaking about the cost-of-living crisis, the war in Ukraine and other pressing issues during the period of national mourning, it has been claimed.
Owen Jones, a journalist and columnist, shared screenshots of emails he said were from Labour high command, warning MPs against making statements not relating to the death of the Queen.
MPs have been told not to make posts on social media “expect [sic] your own tribute or what you have been asked to share from the [Parliamentary Labour Party] Office”, according to the emails.
Jones, who has links with left-wing Labour MPs, shared the screenshots on Twitter on Tuesday, and said Keir Starmer’s office had issued the guidance to all of the party’s politicians in Westminster.
The guidance also states MPs should not speak with “any media, except for your own tribute to local outlets”.
A fuller list of guidance advises MPs to stick to a “sombre” dress code, sign their local book of condolences and to cancel planned events on the day of the state funeral for the Queen.
MPs are additionally advised, according to the screenshots, to suspend campaigning “until further notice” but to continue helping constituents and holding advice surgeries “as normal”.
Some appear to have ignored the advice, such as Streatham MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, who has posted on her Twitter page about the death of Chris Kaba.
Diane Abbott, a former Labour frontbencher under Jeremy Corbyn and fierce Starmer critic, has also tweeted recently about issues not related to the monarchy.
All parties with elected representatives in Westminster – other than abstentionist Sinn Fein MPs – have suspended campaigning for the period of national mourning.
The House of Commons remains closed for the same time and will reopen following the state funeral of the Queen.
The National has approached the Labour Party for comment.
Labour Party enforces message discipline during the mourning period isn’t that big a story. The alternative is MPs risk making a PR cock-up at a politically sensitive time.
Unfortunately this is the lesser of two evils. MPs of all parties have shown themselves to be soppy fuckers when it comes to social media, they don’t seem to understand it. If I were the comms director of any party right now I would be telling my MPs to shut the fuck up.
Furthermore the tainted press and tv media in this country would jump on even the most innocuous statements to try to inflame and outrage. No it isn’t fair and no Starmer isn’t particularly courageous but that’s what we are left with after forty years of neo-Liberal ratchet.
Labour haven’t had a relevant public statement for years. Nobody will notice.
I am a member of the labour party, an abolitionist, ambivalent on Starmer (not my first choice as leader) and sick of hearing about the royals already. Saying this to put the venue in context
This is absolutely the right right call by labour leadership, yeah whatever you’re personal views how about stfu about stuff while in a sensitive time as you know someone will say something stupid that the Tories will jump on for months and months if leadership don’t nip it in the bud
Either the other parties have the same rules in place or Starmer is the only leader who can’t trust his own MPs to not do something stupid.
Surely us as labour voters should be able to remove Keir leader. No one wants him in that position. Labour need to start actually being a party of the left, none of this civility central bullshit. For humanity to survive, we need a left party that actually delivers on left policies.
I think it’s important to remember that a lot of people in the country are quite stupid and will eat up any propaganda, expecially if feeling a loss of national identity or whipped up by events, their mates and the press. Examples are Brexit, Boris, and the anti Union rhetoric.
Anything the press can stoke up stories about disrespect, Labour fighting against tradition and protocol will get a lot of voters up in arms and will be something they and the Tories will use for a time to come. There is no satisfactory answer you can give to “Why did my honourable friend not stop his party holding a energy cost protest on the day our Queen was laid to rest?”.
Whereas, if Labour MPs keep quiet for one day, are respectful, make the right noises etc… and then Tuesday go into battle they are much cleaner and it makes it harder for the press and Tory mob to say Labour hate the monarchy and those that would turn on them might, MIGHT, think about voting for Labour if they are seen as a sensible and reasonable party. Kier, like him or not, plays the part of a statesman better than some at the moment. That’s not to say he is any good but appearance is a lot of the battle.
Like it or not, we are quite a traditional country. We mostly follow the rules, we love a good queue but many have lost the ability to think for themselves. By avoiding negative feedback on social media and in the reply media Labour will win more hearts and hopefully minds!
I know this sub is anti Monarchy, is left wing etc… and I respect that. However, if Labour want to win, and I hope they do, the game needs to be played by the currently established rules. Once they are in they can change the rules. They need to get in first.
Just my two pence.
Edit for spelling and just to add that I know stupid is a loaded word but recent history would support this assertion.
I mean, come on. There’s nothing more important going on right now. We don’t need food and heating if we’re too busy mourning.
Sensible. The left of the party take every chance they can to make Labour unelectable.
Not a bad idea. The royal family has experienced a surge of support as is to be expected because of Queen Elizabeth’s passing. If not for any other reason this makes sense from an election perspective.
I find British politics and its parliamentary system very interesting. But unfortunately this article is blocked here in Ukraine 😭
Labour are now doing a better job at being Conservative than the fucking conservatives are. Who the hell am I supposed to vote for now?
everything starmer does is about signalling to the establishment that the labour party isn’t a threat so racist millionaires and newspaper owners endorse him. not sure how anyone can be surprised by his latest drivel.
Good job there’s nothing else going on right now that Labour need to talk about.
If somebody is going to decide to vote Tory because a Labour MP misspoke on the day of the Queen’s funeral, let’s be honest, they probably weren’t going to vote Labour in the first place.
OTOH, there are vast numbers of younger voters, probably inclined to vote Labour, who currently don’t vote at all because they think the two parties are too alike to be worth bothering.
Not to mention that at least half the country must be completely sick of all the fake mourning going on.
And if the police start arresting people left, right and centre for expressing the wrong views on that special day, are Labour going to ignore that too?
Honestly, this just seems like yet another attempt to manufacture angst within and about the Labour Party.
I’m absolutely sure that the Labour leadership are fully aware of the need to keep pushing on all those issues facing people all across we the country.
I’m also sure that they are conscious of the real risk of widespread populist backlash if the right wing press can get hold of a story (any story) they can can push with a big negative spin at the moment.
I absolutely *want* Labour (and the rest of the opposition) to keep piling the pressure on the Tories over the energy costs, inflation, the cost of living crisis generally, the NHS and any number of other issues facing all of us.
But… I also understand that there is a very real need to avoid any perceived gaffes, especially over the next five or six days. Keeping the messaging tightly managed, for just a week or less, is *not* derogation of duty. It’s good, tactical politics and sensible party management.
I know it’s frustrating to have a hiatus like this when there are so many issues facing us but we can, and should, begin again full force by this time next week.
I’ve tried to fashion as many replies as I’ve deleted so far. All I’ll say is, the Reddit hivemind is 0% of the electoral demographic that Labour needs to convince to win the next election.
Keep it schtum, Starmer!
Finally we can have the conversation that needs to be had.
Prophet’s Song is better than Bohemian Rhapsody.
Because Labour must constantly live in fear if they want to have any chance of ever winning.
And if they do manage to get in it will be even worse with the billionaire owned, public school boy run media looking for any opportunity and making stuff up when there isn’t one.
What’s the point in even being called Labour at this point lmao
Might as well just rename themselves to genericcentristbritishparty.exe
So it’s not just us who no longer have freedom of speech and protest but the politicians are doing it to themselves on the behalf of the elite. We are totally fucked.
Going by the comments, Keir is dealing with the media and populace we have, Redditors are dealing with the ones they want.
Freedom of speech you plum. As long as they aren’t abusive leave people to their own opinions
Labour Party leader makes sure nobody oversteps during a national funeral where a vast majority of their supporters are grieving.
Well done Keir. Hopefully we can stop seeing people being outraged because they aren’t allowed to cause criminal damage or commit a section 4A public order offence with eggs during a funeral procession.
Seriously. Just look how far we have sunk to be outraged by not being able to protest AT A FUNERAL!
The queen’s death is being used to silence people during a cost of living crisis and other chaos and its disgusting. Its more disrespectful to use her death to silence people than it is to talk about problems that have little to nothing to do with her.
Seems that our politicians can’t walk and chew gum. ☹☹☹
Starmer chameleon rides again. Imagine how different politicsin the UK would have been over the last 10 years ifthere had been an opposition.
I detest Keir Starmer. Used to be a life long labour voter and now I can’t stand the party.
Oh, I wondered why John McDonnell was on my doorstep singing Bohemian Rhapsody this morning.
You’ve had all your life before she died to protest the royal family, and you’ll have the opportunity going forward.
Why have people waited until her funeral to start gobbing off?
Labour Party don’t give a fuck about workers or labourers anymore. Corbyn was the best chance they had for years. Fuck starmer