Left-wing candidate Faiza Shaheen resigns from Labour after being blocked from standing

Published

5 months ago

June 4, 2024

admin

Faiza Shaheen has resigned from Labour after being blocked from standing as a candidate in the election – accusing the party of a “hierarchy of racism”.

Ms Shaheen was dropped as a candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green after she allegedly liked a series of social media posts that downplayed antisemitism accusations.

Follow live: Farage has milkshake thrown over him

In a statement on X, she said she had been “penalised for describing my experiences of Islamophobia”.

“Today, with a heavy heart, I have made a decision to resign from the Labour Party.”

Ms Shaheen accused Labour of conducting a “sham process initiated for spurious reasons” in order to remove her as a candidate in the northeast London seat.

At the last election in 2019, she came second to Tory heavyweight Sir Iain Duncan Smith, losing to him by just over 1,000 votes.

However, on Tuesday the party’s ruling National Executive Committee confirmed they would not be endorsing the economist and author this time around, with Brent councillor Shama Tatler chosen instead.

Ms Shaheen claimed that she has faced “a relentless campaign of unfair treatment, bullying and hostility that I have never before experienced in all my personal or professional life”.

She added that the person who is replacing her is “someone not known to or supported by most local members with no links to our community”.

“I have been penalised for describing my experiences of Islamophobia and been dismayed at the hierarchy of racism that exists in my own party,” she said.

She concluded by saying she was deciding on her next steps and would make a further announcement on Wednesday.

Nominations for the election close on Friday, meaning Ms Shaheen could still put herself forward as an independent candidate.

A party spokesperson declined to be drawn on the claims in the letter, telling Sky News: “We are focused on electing a Labour government and delivering the change that people in Chingford and Woodford Green and across the country need.”

The row comes amid accusations Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is purging left-wing candidates.

Last week Lloyd Russell-Moyle, the previous MP for Brighton Kemptown, was told he cannot stand after being suspended by Labour over what he called a “vexatious and politically-motivated complaint” against him.

And veteran MP Diane Abbott had also claimed she was barred from standing in Hackney North and Stoke Newington, though Sir Keir later said that was not the case following days of confusion.

Labour has since confirmed the Jeremy Corbyn ally and the UK’s first black female MP is the chosen candidate in her constituency, which she has represented for 37 years.

But the handling of both Ms Abbott’s and Ms Shaheen’s candidacies promoted the resignation from Labour of seven of the party’s councillors in Slough, who accused Labour of racism.

Asked about the resignations earlier on Tuesday, Sir Keir Starmer said there were “brilliant Labour teams out in every constituency, fighting for votes in this general election”.

He said: “We’re in good form, we’re making a positive argument about the choice before the country.”

Politics

NHS league tables and cancelled pay rises for managers among government health reforms

Published

4 hours ago

November 13, 2024

admin

NHS league tables and cancelled pay rises for managers among government health reforms

NHS league tables revealing failing NHS trusts and cancelled pay rises or dismissal for managers who don’t turn things around are to form part of the government’s plans to improve the health service.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting is confirming new measures he hopes will boost failing hospital trusts and encourage successful ones.

The changes form part of the Labour government’s strategy to reduce waiting lists “from 18 months to 18 weeks”.

Politics latest: ‘Eye-watering’ climate target announced by PM

Health and the state of the NHS were consistently among the most important issues for voters at this year’s general election – with Labour blaming the Conservatives for “breaking” it.

As health is a devolved area, any reforms proposed in Westminster would only apply to England.

Chief among Mr Streeting’s proposals is a “league table” for NHS trusts.

An announcement from the Department for Health and Social Care said: “NHS England will carry out a no-holds-barred sweeping review of NHS performance across the entire country, with providers to be placed into a league table.

“This will be made public and regularly updated to ensure leaders, policy-makers and patients know which improvements need to be prioritised.”

It also promises to replace “persistently failing managers” – with “turn around teams” being sent in to improve trusts running sizeable deficits or offering poor service to patients.

The government says “senior managers” who fail to make progress will not be eligible for pay rises.

There will be “financial implications” for more senior figures such as chief executives if their trust does not improve.

On the flip-side, those trusts that are deemed to be “high-performing” will get “greater freedom over funding and flexibility”.

Senior leaders at these trusts will also be “rewarded”.

The government says the current system is not incentivising trusts to run a budget surplus, as they cannot benefit from it.

Mr Streeting said: “The budget showed this government prioritises the NHS, providing the investment needed to rebuild the health service.

“Today we are announcing the reforms to make sure every penny of extra investment is well spent and cuts waiting times for patients.

“There’ll be no more turning a blind eye to failure. We will drive the health service to improve, so patients get more out of it for what taxpayers put in.

“Our health service must attract top talent, be far more transparent to the public who pay for it, and run as efficiently as global businesses.

“With the combination of investment and reform, we will turn the NHS around and cut waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks.”

Concerns from health representatives

Amanda Pritchard, the chief executive of NHS England, said: “While NHS leaders welcome accountability, it is critical that responsibility comes with the necessary support and development.

“The extensive package of reforms, developed together with government, will empower all leaders working in the NHS and it will give them the tools they need to provide the best possible services for our patients.”

Further plans on how monitoring will be published by the start of the next financial year in April 2025, the government said.

Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation – a body that represents all NHS trusts – said healthcare leaders welcome the “government’s ambition”.

However, he said he was concerned league tables and reducing pay may “strip out” the nuance of what’s going on.

👉 Listen to Politics At Jack And Sam’s on your podcast app👈

Mr Taylor said: “NHS staff are doing their very best for patients under very challenging circumstances and we do not want them feeling like they are being named and shamed.

“League tables in themselves do not lead to improvement, trusts struggling with consistent performance issues – some of which reflect contextual issues such as underlying population heath and staff shortages – need to be identified and supported in order to recover.”