To the Labour party conference, where Starmer’s army is celebrating its first meet as a part of government in over 14 years. Labour frontbenchers are desperate to distract from their current woes — a freebie fiasco and leak inquiry over bad briefings, to name a few — and this morning it was Yvette Cooper’s turn to make headlines.
The Home Secretary took to the main stage in Liverpool to laud her party’s time in power so far — and tear into her adversaries. On the issue of the Southport riots, Cooper was quick to turn the guns on her political opponents. First remarking that the riots shouldn’t be allowed to ‘silence serious debate on immigration’, Cooper was quick to slam both the Tories and Reform UK as ‘right wing wreckers’. Oo er. The Home Secretary insisted:
[They are] undermining respect for the rule of law and trying to fracture the very bonds that keep communities safe. They have nothing to offer but fear, division and anger. But that’s not who we are, that’s not what Britain is about. Our country has always championed respect and the rule of law and that’s what this Labour Party will always stand up for. The party of law and order, now a government of law and order once more.
What that law and order looks like, Mr S would remind readers, is, um, releasing convinced criminals early to free up prison places — something the Prime Minister appears content to joke about. How interesting…
On the subject of small boats, Cooper went on:
A serious government sees that net migration has trebled because overseas recruitment has soared while training has been cut right back, and says net migration must come down as we properly train young people here in the UK. A serious government sees an asylum system in chaos and say we have to clear the backlog and end asylum hotels. And a serious government looks at the criminal gangs who are profitting from undermining our border security while women and children are crushed to death in crowded, flimsy small boats and says they’ve got away with it for too long – we will not stand for this vile trade in human lives.
That’s all very well — but on clear-cut solutions, Labour still seems rather lost at sea. Perhaps if Cooper spent less time playing blame games, her party might have a better idea of how to solve the crisis. But will Labour ‘change’ anytime soon? Don’t hold your breath…
Comments