Connect with us

Published

on

Labour’s new deputy leader Lucy Powell promised to be Sir Keir Starmer’s ally.

Yet in her victory speech she criticised his government and its record no fewer than 20 times. And told him to raise his game, or else.

Politics live: Follow for updates as Labour names new deputy leader

Here’s what she said – and what she meant:

  1. “Division and hate are on the rise. Discontent and disillusionment widespread.” What she meant: The Labour government has been a huge disappointment.
  2. “The desire for change is impatient and palpable.” What she meant: You’ve had 16 months to deliver change – voters are saying, “Get on with it”.
  3. “We have to offer hope, to offer the big change the country’s crying out for.” What she meant: Stop tinkering. Get more radical. You’ve got a huge Commons majority, after all.
  4. “We must give a stronger sense of purpose, whose side we’re on and of our Labour values and beliefs.” What she meant: We’re not doing enough for working people or tackling inequality.
  5. “People feel that this government is not being bold enough in delivering the kind of change we promised.” What she meant: Our voters are deserting us because they don’t see change.
  6. “I’ll be a champion for all Labour values and boldness in everything we do.” What she meant: Watch out! I’m going to hound you and hold your feet to the fire!
  7. “We won’t win by trying to out-Reform Reform, but by building a broad progressive consensus.” What she meant: Stop the lurch to the Right on immigration. We’re better than that.
  8. “It starts with wrestling back the political megaphone and setting the agenda more strongly.” What she meant: We need to sharpen up our communication and selling our message.
  9. “We’ve let Farage and his ilk run away with it.” What she meant: The Reform UK leader is running rings round us in communicating and campaigning. We’re too sluggish and flat-footed.
  10. “For too long the country and the economy has worked in the interests of the few and not the many.” What she meant: Winter fuel payment cuts were a disaster and the two-child benefit cap has to go.
  11. “Trickle down economics hasn’t worked.” What she meant: No more tax cuts for the rich. It’s time for a wealth tax, for example, to redistribute wealth.
  12. “Life has just got harder and harder, less and less secure in work, in housing, in making ends meet.” What she meant: We’re failing to tackle the cost of living crisis and housing shortages.
  13. “The deep-seated inequalities that have widened in wealth in regions in class in health need fundamentally redressing.” What she meant: We’re failing to look after our “red wall” voters.
  14. “Re-unite our voter coalition and re-unite the country.” What she meant: Start governing for everyone, urban and rural, rich and poor, North and South. Stop neglecting poorer regions.
  15. “We need to step up.” What she meant: For goodness sake, sort out the chaos in 10 Downing. Stop blaming aides and civil servants and sacking them. Get a grip!
  16. Members and affiliates “don’t feel part of the conversation or party of the movement right now. And we have to change that.” What she meant: Stop ignoring and alienating activists, MPs and unions.
  17. “Unity and loyalty comes from collective purpose, not from command and control.” What she meant: Stop the control freakery in parliament and party management. It’ll backfire.
  18. “Debating, listening and hearing is not dissent. It’s all strength.” What she meant: Listen to your backbenchers and stop suspending them when they vote against policies like welfare cuts.
  19. “As your deputy, my commitment is to change the culture.” What she meant: I’m going to stand up for rebels and critics and force you to ditch the control freakery and bad decisions.
  20. “At the election 16 months ago the British people voted for change. I’m here to do everything I can to make that change a reality.” What she meant: Raise your game, or else!

Read more from Sky News:
The one thing Farage and Polanski have in common
China ‘enemy’ reference removed from witness statement

She said it all with a smile, but there was menace there.

As deputy leader, Lucy Powell was always going to be a critical friend. So there you go, prime minister. Here’s 20 things you need to do for her to be more friend than critic.

Continue Reading

Politics

Lawmakers stumble on stablecoin terms as US Congress grills Fed’s Bowman

Published

on

By

Lawmakers stumble on stablecoin terms as US Congress grills Fed’s Bowman

US Representative Stephen Lynch pressed Federal Reserve Vice Chair Michelle Bowman on Tuesday over her past remarks encouraging banks to “engage fully” with digital assets, questioning the Fed’s role in advancing crypto frameworks while showing confusion over the definition of stablecoins.

In a Tuesday oversight hearing, Lynch asked Bowman, the Fed vice chair for supervision, about remarks she had made at the Santander International Banking Conference in November. According to the congressman, Bowman said she supported banks “[engaging] fully” with respect to digital assets.

However, according to Bowman’s comments at the conference, she referred to “digital assets” rather than specifically cryptocurrencies. The questioning turned into Lynch asking Bowman about distinctions between digital assets and stablecoins.

The Fed official said that the central bank had been authorized by Congress — specifically, the GENIUS Act, a bill aimed at regulating payment stablecoins — to explore a framework for digital assets.

“The GENIUS Act requires us to promulgate regulations to allow these types of activities,” said Bowman.

Cryptocurrencies, Federal Reserve, Law, Congress, Stablecoin
Representative Stephen Lynch at Tuesday’s oversight hearing. Source: House Financial Services Committee

While the price of many cryptocurrencies can be volatile, stablecoins, like those pegged to the US dollar, are generally “stable,” as the name suggests. Though there have been instances where some coins have depegged from their respective currencies, such as the crash of Terra’s algorithmic stablecoin in 2022, the overwhelming majority of stablecoins rarely fluctuate past 1% of their peg.

Related: Atkins says SEC has ‘enough authority’ to drive crypto rules forward in 2026

Bowman said in August that staff at the Fed should be permitted to hold small “amounts of crypto or other types of digital assets” to gain an understanding of the technology.

FDIC acting chair says stablecoin framework is coming soon

Also testifying at the Tuesday hearing was Travis Hill, acting chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The government agency is one of many responsible for implementing the GENIUS Act, which US President Donald Trump signed into law in July.

According to Hill, the FDIC will propose a stablecoin framework “later this month,” which will include requirements for supervising issuers.