Tories taken over by ‘crackpots and conspiracy theorists’, says Labour’s Wes Streeting

Published

2 years ago

October 8, 2023

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The Tories have been taken over by “crackpots and conspiracy theorists”, Wes Streeting said as he defended Labour’s appeal to voters.

Appearing on Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips programme, the shadow health secretary rejected criticism that his party under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership is “a bit wet”.

He said he was “proud” Labour is “appealing to the country rather than repelling people” when “the cranks, the crackpots and the conspiracy theorists” have taken over the Conservative Party.

Politics Live: Israeli ambassador on ‘nightmare’ Hamas attack

Pointing to comments made by Transport Secretary Mark Harper – who last week claimed local councils want to “decide how often you go the shops” – Mr Streeting added: “When you’ve got cabinet ministers, notionally serious cabinet ministers like Mark Harper on your programme this morning, peddling conspiracy theories as if he’s been doom-scrolling TikTok trying to find the most bonkers things to say from the conference platform – what are these people doing?

“And how on earth does this address the biggest crises in our country?”

Mr Streeting was responding to criticism from the head of Labour’s biggest donor, who last night warned the party against being “too timid” and “limping into Number 10”.

Sharon Graham, the general secretary of Unite, said she wanted the party to resemble the reforming Labour government of 1945 led by Clement Attlee in the aftermath of the Second World War, when the NHS was founded.

Mr Streeting made the point that Labour’s new plan to spend £1.1bn providing another two million NHS appointments during evenings and weekends is an example of its ambition.

The measure forms part of Labour’s NHS proposals – including extra scanners and dental reforms – worth around £1.6bn, but it relies on NHS staff volunteering for extra shifts despite the lure of lucrative private work.

Labour peer Peter Mandelson said he agreed with Ms Graham that “we need more than policy tweaks and we need more than small twists of the policy dial”.

However, he said Sir Keir needs to continue doing what he’s doing “taking the party from being ‘weird’ to ‘normal’.”

RMT boss Mick Lynch also called on Labour to be bolder, telling Sky News: “There’s no point in being timid or hiding your light under a bushel. People need something to vote for, not just something to vote against.”

It comes as Labour members gather in Liverpool for what could be the final Labour conference before the expected general election next year.

After its dire performance at the last election, the party has been buoyed by consistent double-digit poll leads over the Tories and the recent Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election triumph over the SNP.

Speaking to the BBC, Sir Keir said he wanted to use the conference to change people’s minds about those who aren’t convinced by him.

Confronted with a word cloud that suggested the public thought “nothing” about him, he said: “I’ve had a lot worse thrown at me in my life… that is why this week is so important for us.

“We come here to this, the last conference before a general election, to set out our positive case.”

In other developments as the conference started on Sunday:

Sir Keir said his plan to grow the economy would raise money to invest in public services – but would not say what would happen if the economy doesn’t grow
The Labour leader restated a commitment to build 1.5 million homes over a five-year term, and said he would scrap the Rwanda deportation plan even if it’s approved by the courts and brings down Channel crossings
Deputy leader Angela Rayner gave a speech which was interrupted by a heckler talking about the NHS
The speech addressed rental reforms, housing and workers’ rights but did not contain new policy

Politics

Crypto influencers are replacing VCs, and that’s a good thing

Published

3 hours ago

August 9, 2025

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Crypto influencers are replacing VCs, and that’s a good thing

Crypto influencers democratize early-stage investing by offering transparent, accessible opportunities that VCs keep behind closed doors for the elite.

Politics

UK, Australia, Germany, Italy and New Zealand condemn Israel’s plan for new operation in Gaza

Published

12 hours ago

August 9, 2025

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UK joins four countries in condemning Israel's plan for new operation in Gaza

The UK and four allies have criticised Israel’s decision to launch a new large-scale military operation in Gaza – warning it will “aggravate the catastrophic humanitarian situation” in the territory.

The foreign ministers of Britain, Australia, Germany, Italy and New Zealand said in a joint statement that the offensive will “endanger the lives of hostages” and “risk violating international humanitarian law”.

It comes a day after Israel’s security cabinet approved an operation to take military control of Gaza City – and concluded a full takeover of the enclave is required to end the conflict.

It marks another escalation in the war in Gaza, sparked by the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023.

In their joint statement, the UK and its allies said they “strongly reject” the decision, adding: “It will endanger the lives of the hostages and further risk the mass displacement of civilians.

“The plans that the government of Israel has announced risk violating international humanitarian law. Any attempts at annexation or of settlement extension violate international law.”

The countries also called for a permanent ceasefire as “the worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding in Gaza”.

It comes as Sky News analysis has found that airdrops of aid are making little difference to Gaza’s hunger crisis, and pose serious risks to the population – with a father-of-two killed by a falling package.

Meanwhile, France, Canada, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the United Nations all criticised Israel’s plan for a full occupation of Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “expressed his disappointment” with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s in phone call on Friday after Berlin decided it would stop selling arms to Israel.

In a post on X, the Israeli prime minister’s office added: “Instead of supporting Israel’s just war against Hamas, which carried out the most horrific attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, Germany is rewarding Hamas terrorism by embargoing arms to Israel.”

US ambassador hits out at Starmer

Earlier on Friday, the US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, criticised Sir Keir Starmer after he said Israel’s decision to “escalate its offensive” in Gaza is “wrong”.

Mr Huckabee wrote on X: “So Israel is expected to surrender to Hamas & feed them even though Israeli hostages are being starved? Did UK surrender to Nazis and drop food to them? Ever heard of Dresden, PM Starmer? That wasn’t food you dropped. If you had been PM then UK would be speaking German!”

In another post around an hour later Mr Huckabee wrote: “How much food has Starmer and the UK sent to Gaza?

“@IsraeliPM has already sent 2 MILLION TONS into Gaza & none of it even getting to hostages.”

Sir Keir has pledged to recognise a Palestinian state in September unless the Israeli government meets a series of conditions towards ending the war in Gaza.

The UK and its allies criticised Israel as US President JD Vance and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy met at Chevening House in Kent on Friday.

Mr Vance described a “disagreement” about how the US and UK could achieve their “common objectives” in the Middle East, and said the Trump administration had “no plans to recognise a Palestinian state”.

He said: “I don’t know what it would mean to really recognise a Palestinian state given the lack of functional government there.”

Mr Vance added: “There’s a lot of common objectives here. There is some, I think, disagreement about how exactly to accomplish those common objectives, but look, it’s a tough situation.”

The UN Security Council will meet on Saturday to discuss the situation in the Middle East.

Ambassador Riyad Mansour, permanent observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, said earlier on Friday that a number of countries would be requesting a meeting of the UN Security Council on Israel’s plans.

Politics

BlackRock launching a SOL ETF in first wave would be ‘messed up’ — Analyst

Published

12 hours ago

August 9, 2025

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<div>BlackRock launching a SOL ETF in first wave would be 'messed up' — Analyst</div>

BlackRock hasn’t filed for a Solana ETF, but ETF analyst James Seyffart says they shouldn’t be allowed to jump in at the last minute after other issuers’ hard work.