Chris Whiteside's Blog

Sir Keir Starmer has resigned as leader of the Labour party and will step down as Prime Minister when his replacement in that post is elected.

Two years ago today, during the 2024 election campaign, journalist Michael Crick posted this on X: "In two to three years time, when Starmer and his government are no doubt deeply unpopular, I hope we in the media will ask ourselves:  " Why were we so supine during the long 2024 election; why didn't we hold Labour properly to account while we could, and ask more probing questions, and explore their records, rather than give them such an easy ride? ". Michael Crick on X: "In two to three years time, when Starmer and his government are no doubt deeply unpopular, I hope we in the media will ask ourselves: "Why were we so supine during the long 2024 election; why didn't we hold Labour properly to account while we could, and ask more probing" / X Well, there was a tweet that aged well. I don't always agree with Michael Crick but I have a huge amount of respect for him, because he really does try to hold all parties to account and they are all terrif...

 'Reform are economic fantasists - the numbers never add up. They had £140 billion worth of unfunded commitments and tax cuts. The numbers do not add up and, seemingly, they do not seem to care about that. They just simply think that if you go out and promise the Earth to everybody, somehow that is going to be enough - well, it isn't responsible.' Mel Stride , Shadow Chancellor

"Voters are not ours to trade like football cards" Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch in the Mail on Sunday today, from an article ruling out any pact between the Conservatives and Farage's Reform UK. A fuller version of the quote: "Farage may be trying to unite the right. I am trying to unite the country." "If you want lower taxes, you cannot vote for a party that keeps finding new ways to spend money it does not have. Reform UK dress like Thatcherites but act like Corbynites. Reform is not like the Conservative party. At all. We are not the same, and voters are not ours to swap ike football cards." She added "I know that Reform has tapped into the country's anger. But it is easy to promise everything. It is easy to blame everyone else, as Starmer did. It is easy to shout abut betrayal, easy to offer unfunded giveaways and move on before anyone asks how the numbers add up. Winning elections may be about popularity, but government is different. Government ...

 

No apologies for posting again the so-called "Albinoni's Adagio in G Minor for Strings" as I do like this performance of it. As I have previously posted, most if not all of this piece was actually composed by 20th century Italian composer and biographer Remo Giazotto who claimed to have based it on a fragment he allegedly found in the ruins of a library wrecked during the RAF and USAF bombing of Dresden, of a piece he thought had been composed by the the 18th-century Venetian master Tomaso Albinoni.  The library which was destroyed in the 1945 Dresden bombing raids did indeed contain a substantial and irreplaceable collection of Albinoni's work and it is, sadly, almost certainly true that much of the composer's work was lost forever to allied bombs.  However, it is more than a little suspicious that neither Giazotto (who died in 1998) or his heirs have ever produced the manuscript fragment supposedly recovered from the museum, and sceptics have described the claim...

Kemi Badenoch posted today: " While the Press will be focused on the battle for the Labour leadership and Conservatives celebrating our win in Aberdeen, there are two people I want to pay tribute to. The first is Michael Winstanley @Winstamike who was an excellent candidate for us in Makerfield. He represented our party with grace, dignity and competence. The result was no reflection on him but on the circumstances of a peculiar by-election where the question was not “who would be the best representative?” but “should Andy Burnham challenge Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership?” The second is Jack Cruickshanks @j_cruickshanks whose valiant efforts in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry took us from 3rd behind Labour to 2nd place, increasing the Conservative vote share. By-elections can be more intense than general elections because of the focus and scrutiny.  I am proud of all our Conservative candidates this morning.  Part of a strong, united team. " Kemi also published this let...

 Kemi Badenoch has been asked again if a post-election deal with Reform UK is possible… Her response is clear to anyone with two or more working brain cells: “No, no, no, no, no, no… I don’t know what people don’t understand about the word NO.”

Britain needs an economic revolution. This is the Conservative plan

Congratulations to Douglas Lumsden, the new Conservative MP for Aberdeen South, who gained that seat from the SNP yesterday by 6,000 votes. This is a massive result. In  MAKERFIELD RESULT In a by-election dominated by tactical voting, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham held the seat for Labour and contrary to expectations, it wasn't close. Makerfield by-election vote shares result: LAB: 54.8% (+9.6) REF: 34.5% (+2.7) RST: 6.8% (+6.8) CON: 2.2% (-8.7) GRN: 0.7% (-3.7) LDEM: 0.4% (-6.4) I will confess to being disappointed that the excellent Conservative candidate and my good riend Michael Winstanley didn't do better. I campaigned in Makerfield for Michael more than once, and a very high proportion of the local residents I to whom I spoke had a high opinion of Michael - many of them referring to him unprompted by his first name - but he was hit by two diametrically opposed forms of tactical voting. Many of those who would normally have backed Michael Winstanley either said the...

"You cannot regulate your way to growth. You cannot tax your way to prosperity. And you cannot build a stronger economy by making life harder for the people who create jobs." Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch

Polls have now closed in the three parliamentary by-elections, in Makerfield, Aberdeen South and Arbroath. A big thank you to everyone who voted, especially those who voted for Michael Winstanley, Douglas Lumsden, or Jack Cruickshanks

Polls are now open in three by-elections, in Makerfield, Aberdeen South and Arbroath In the Makerfield by-election the Conservative candidate is Michael Winstanley. This is an exceptionally unusual by election. Having been to canvass for Michael, I can say only two things about the election with total confidence. The first is that of all the candidates, Michael Winstanley would make far and away the best MP for Makerfield and is by a country mile the candidate with the strongest commitment to the Makerfield area where he lives and has been a councillor. The second is that if anyone attempts to extrapolate any implications at all about any other election from whatever is the result of this one, their conclusions should be taken with a bucketful of salt.   In Aberdeen South, which is a seat won at the last election by the SNP, the Conservative candidate is Douglas Lumsden, who is the pro-Union candidate with the best chance of defeating the SNP. For any  voter in Aberdeen S...

Robbie Lammas serves as a Councillor in Medway, Kent. He worked for Conservative MPs for over eight years and served as a Special Adviser to the Chairman of the Conservative Party. He wrote on Conservative Home at Robbie Lammas: I made a mistake defecting to Reform. They are not a serious party | Conservative Home that his decision last year to defect to Reform was an enormous mistake which he now regrets. Here are some extracts from his article. "I made a huge mistake leaving the Conservatives last year. I was wrong and I apologise. Here’s what happened and why I changed my mind. Following the worst defeat in its history in 2024, the Conservative Party faced a clear choice: to change radically or to sit back. Many senior Conservative voices urged immediate renewal, but the choice was made and Farage filled that vacuum. I was very concerned. I too shared a concern that the breadth of the Tory church was too broad and lacked the will to drive through the constitutional restoration ...

"Anyone who still downplays Russia’s attacks is one of two things: wilfully ignorant or complicit.  There is no third category. The Kremlin is not ambiguous about its intent. Nor should we be. Those who bend the knee to Moscow are traitors." Rt Hon Tom Tugendhat MP

Congratulations to the Scottish men's football team on winning their first World Cup match! This is a proud moment for everyone involved, a win in their first World Cup in 28 years is a historic moment and is something to celebrate.  Wishing the players, coaches, and supporters every success for the rest of the tournament.

Kemi Badenoch, leader of the opposition and of the Conservatives, writes: " Our Armed Forces cannot defend Britain on empty promises and delayed plans.  Keir Starmer’s Defence Ministers resigned as his plan falls short. Their warnings are extremely serious.  I’ve written to the PM offering the support of my MPs to vote to cut welfare to fund defence. " Here is her letter

"A number of far left politicians, commentators & other useful idiots seem to have a very hard time understanding that fracturing a policewoman’s spine with a sledgehammer isn’t magically transformed into some beautiful act of protest because it was done for the Palestinian cause." Daniel Sugarman on X

The Green party leader posted that it was "gut wrenching" to see four "Palestine Action" activists who broke into a Filton factory with sledgehammers and did more than a million pounds of damage, sent to prison. One of them was convicted of grievous bodily harm after he hit a policewoman in the back, twice, with his sledgehammer. Kemi Badenoch replied as follows: "These thugs fractured the spine of Sgt Kate Evans, who spoke in court of the medical and emotional trauma she still lives with. Prison is where they belong. Unlike Zack Polanski, I want serious consequences for anyone who attacks police officers risking their lives to protect us." Quite.

From one of the defence ministers who resigned on Thursday. I don't often praise or agree with Labour MPs, but John Healey and Al Carns behaved with honour and put their principles and the needs of the country before their own careers when they resigned, and we would be wise to listen to them.    

Congratulations to Councillor Stephen Mosley, who increased the Conservative share of the vote by 8.1% to see off a strong Green challenge and hold the Christleton and Huntingdom council seat on the Cheshire West unitary authority.  Christleton and Huntington (Cheshire West and Chester) council by-election result: CON: 32.9% (+8.1) GRN: 30.4% (+8.2) REF: 17.2% (+17.2) LAB: 10.5% (-8.1) LDEM: 9.0% (-8.0) No Ind (-17.4) as previously

"First the Defence Secretary resigned saying the government is making the country and our troops less safe. Then the Veterans Minister went, saying the government is abandoning our veterans and it’s harming our national defence. It’s clear the armed forces have lost all faith in Keir Starmer. A Prime Minister who cannot command the respect of our military cannot continue in office.  Britain’s national security must come before Keir Starmer’s ego. The Prime Minister’s time is up." Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP, Leader of the Conservative party and leader of the opposition.

"John Healey, the former Defence Secretary, has acted honourably by resigning.  Keir Starmer is too weak to cut welfare and fund defence - as I told him yesterday at PMQs. Only the Conservatives have a plan to put our national security first." Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch , Conservative leader. See tweet at  Kemi Badenoch on X: "John Healey, the former Defence Secretary, has acted honourably by resigning. Keir Starmer is too weak to cut welfare and fund defence - as I told him yesterday at PMQs. Only the Conservatives have a plan to put our national security first. https://t.co/vGaOyasRy4" / X

In what certainly ought to be a devastating blow to the Prime Minister, the Defence Secretary, John Healey, and Minister of State for the Armed forces Al Carns, have resigned, on the basis that the PM is unable, and the treasury unwilling, to commit the resources needed for Britain's defence. Mr Healey said funding for the long-delayed Defence Investment Plan (DIP) “ falls well short of what is required ”, with extra support not coming until after 2030 even though the “imperative to speed up readiness to fight is in the first two years”. I regarded John Healey as one of the few Labour ministers competent to find his own backside with both hands and approach radar. He also deserves credit for putting his support for defending Britain above his career and position. Mr Carns, who was a colonel in the marines before becoming an MP, said the government was “ failing Britain’s armed forces. ” This is John Healy's resignation letter And this is Al Carns' resignation letter Ouch....

"The Public Sector Equality Duty has allowed identity politics, DEI bureaucracy and ideological box-ticking to take over our public services. Enough is enough. It's time to scrap it. The Conservatives will." (CCHQ statement yesterday)

There are two versions of this, the one I first heard (and sang) was "Miss Hoolihan's Christmas Cake" But apart from the names it's the same. For some reason the memory came into my head this afternoon, so I thought I would put this Irish Rovers version up as today's music spot.

No party leaves government and thinks, " Yup, mission accomplished – we did everything we wanted and we did it perfectly. "  We need political leaders to confront mistakes they made in office and explain how they'll do better next time. This is normal and healthy.  " Why didn't you do it while you were in office? " is an intellectual cul-de-sac. Tom Harris (former Labour MP) on X yesterday.

Today Kemi Badenoch will set out the next steps in our plan to root out identity politics from our public services. Live on X from 10:30am. Don’t miss it! Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) / X

"Another sunny day on the doors of Aberdeen South. It’s clear voters are sick of the SNP. The best way to beat the SNP and stand up for our North Sea oil and gas industry is to vote Douglas Lumsden on June 18." Douglas Lumsden MSP , Conservative candidate for the Aberdeen South by-election

 

"There are only two ways of telling the complete truth - anonymously and posthumously." Thomas Sowell

Pollster Opinium asked 2,051 people what they thought of the responses of four of the party leaders to the murder of teenage student Henry Nov8wak. Percentages saying they approve or disapprove were as follows: Nigel Farage: 26% approve, 32% disapprove Keir Starmer: 26% approve, 27% disapprove Zack Polanski: 12% approve, 17% disapprove Kemi Badenoch: 28% approve, 15% disapprove 

"This wasn't institutional racism. It was institutional incompetence." Headline on the print edition of Kemi Badenoch's article in today's Sunday Times about the murder of Henry Nowak. It's a very good article and you can read the whole thing (no paywall) at Kemi Badenoch: Institutional racism? This is institutional incompetence Here are some more highlights. "People are right to be angry about the murder of Henry Nowak.  But rage is not a strategy. "   "People like JD Vance will blame migration. Others social media, knives, racism or the police. There will be recrimination and finger-pointing, with too many people forcing the facts to fit what they want to believe. There is a lot to be angry about but the job of a politician is not to tell people to be angry, but to offer solutions.  People need us to fix what has gone wrong. " "I have my own view of what has gone wrong. Some will disagree. But this much should be beyond dispute: if p...

"Some people collect stamps, some collect train numbers, some collect rare coins, some collect miniature wargames figures.  Reform politicians collect community notes calling out their lies. And it’s quite an impressive collection!" James Cleverly MP on X today. And he's right. I've seen more community notes on the last few weeks calling out false statements made or repeated by Reform UK and Reform politicians than all the other parties put together. 

"Today we remember the sacrifice and bravery of the British and Allied forces who stormed the beaches of Normandy 82 years ago. They fought for freedom, duty, and our values. We will never forget their sacrifice." Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch

 

This parody is superbly done (and performed well enough as a song to be worth listening to for the music regardless of the humour.) Sheev Palpatine (the evil Emperor) on the Saxophone accompanies Anakin Skywalker who is singing " I'm never gonna fight again " to the tune of "Careless Whisper."  Brilliant.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine has posted his open letter to the Russian president on X. Here it is. "Open Letter To the President of the Russian Federation From the President of Ukraine When you came to power in Russia more than 26 years ago, many people in Ukraine viewed you positively. That is how it was. But that is now in the past. Now, the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians view it positively that our long-range drones paid a visit to the opening of your forum in St. Petersburg, covering a distance of more than 1,000 kilometers. As you know very well, that distance is not the limit of our capabilities. For 26 years, your time in power has completely changed the agenda of relations between Ukraine and Russia. From discussions about trade and other civilian matters, our nations have moved to talking almost exclusively about strikes and losses. You have spent nearly half of your 26 years in power in Russia waging war against Ukraine. Whatever you may say about NATO, ...

"The Henry Nowak episode reveals a fault line between the two parties of the right. That line is not one of policy, but character. Farage’s instinct when faced with the pleas of a grieving father was to reach for the culture war button and stir up division. Whatever his views on supposed “two-tier policing” may be, using a young man’s murder as the opening line of a political attack is not the behaviour of a statesman.  Badenoch’s restraint, by contrast, was precisely the type of attitude one would hope for in a political leader. By all accounts, she could have gone in for the kill. The footage is disturbing, the questions it raises about police conduct are real, and there would have been no shortage of applause from the Conservative Party’s base had she followed Farage’s lead. But she chose not to. That choice matters not just to those in SW1 but to the wider country. Badenoch is already experiencing a personal popularity bump in the polls and this episode will only serve to stre...

"Today I have met Lucy, Mark and Katie, Henry Nowak’s mother, father and stepmother. Their courage is extraordinary. They have endured the most appalling loss, it is a life sentence for them.  They have also faced the agonising decision to release the harrowing body-worn camera footage, knowing how painful it would be and how strongly people would react. They did so because they want truth, accountability and change. They have asked that we work across political parties and religions to rebuild trust in the police. That trust has been broken because of what happened, and I agree with them on that. We must also be prepared to examine, carefully and seriously, religious practices or exemptions that permit the carrying of dangerous weapons in public, and other activities that are not conducive to the public good. We also need to examine where the law needs to change. Henry’s family do not want anger to tear communities apart. They are a family who have friends across faith and race, ...

Out this afternoon campaigning in Hawcoat & Newbarns for the Conservative candidate Marco Fawcett. And here is a piece of music from Steeleye Span to which to wind down an relax after the campaign.

Polls have now closed at 10pm today (4th June 2026) in the Hawcoat & Newbarns by-election in the Barrow and Furness constituency for a seat on Westmorland and Furness council. A big thank-you to everyone who voted, especially those who voted for the excellent Conservative candidate is the enthusiastic and energetic Marco Fawcett.

Polls opened at 7am this morning (4th June) and will remain open until 10pm in the Hawcoat & Newbarns by-election in the Barrow and Furness constituency for a seat on Westmorland and Furness council. If you live in the ward, You do not need your polling card to vote but do need some form of photographic ID - it can have expired as long as it clearly identifies you Possible forms of ID include Passport Driving licence (which can be full or provisional) Bus pass Blue Badge An identity card with the "Pass" hologram The Conservative candidate is the enthusiastic and energetic Marco Fawcett, who has been working very hard for this by-election, and I am very impressed by him.

"Identity politics divides our country whoever is doing it. The Conservative Party rejects it.  We believe in universalism and equality under the law. We must not treat people differently on the basis of skin colour. We have to build faith and trust in our institutions. If there is one thing that should come from Henry’s death, it is that we make things better, so that this does not happen to any of our boys again. That is what I am committed to. I do not want his death to be in vain. Let’s do this for Henry. Let’s get this right." Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch

Journalist Stephen Pollard has published on X here and in the Spectator  here a response to the smears which Reform UK has been putting round against Kemi Badenoch. I think it is worth republishing here. Zia Yusuf’s attack on Kemi Badenoch shows he is a hypocrite I’m usually resistant to the sentiment behind one of the oldest political jokes: How can you tell when a politician is lying? His lips move. In my experience – I’ve been in and around Westminster for nearly four decades – most politicians might have large egos but they are genuinely trying to do their best for their country. The idea that all politicians lie with impunity is corrosive and wrong. But it’s not always easy to make that case. And the wilful, brazen smearing of Kemi Badenoch by Reform over her reaction to the murder of Henry Nowak is one such example of that difficulty. Yusuf’s hypocrisy would be laughable if the issue at the heart of all this – the murder of a young man – was not so tragic Speaking on yester...

"I don’t want to hear about Black Lives Matter. I don’t want to hear about White Lives Matter. Everyone matters. Henry Nowak matters." Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch

On my return from Barrow (see previous post) I attended the annual meeting which Egremont Town Council, like all Town and Parish councils, is required to hold each year for members of the public to ask questions of the council. The meeting was held in Egremont Market Hall at 5.30pm this evening. It was not well attended though we did have some useful discussion about the council's Safeguarding policy and a few other issues. The chairman of the Town Council made a report which will be placed on the Town Council website.

Out today in Barrow campaigning in a council by-election. Had a friendly reception on the doorstep but what really struck me was the extent to which far more people were wiling to say who they certainly would not be voting for than who they were.  There was plenty of support for Marco, the Conservative candidate, but I was struck by how many people (including previous lifelong Labour voters) told me they would absolutely not be voting Labour. I also met more voters who told me they certainly would not be voting Reform.than I did who were certain they were going to vote for that party. Though FWIW I think the by-election is a close race between the Conservatives and Reform UK. More on this to follow In the meantime, some music to relax after campaigning: the award winning theme m usic from Sid Meier's Civilisation IV, "Baba Yetu" by Christopher Tin. (The lyrics are the Lord's Prayer in Swahili)  

Look what Labour's Welfare secretary admitted in one of the documents released yesterday following the Mandelson investigation:  

Gilbert & Sullivan's wonderful song in which the first Lord of the Admiralty seeking the hand of a captain's daughter, has no idea how forcefully his arguments plead the cause of his rival for her hand, a common seaman ...

On this day, the First of June, in 1794 the British and French fleets met in battle. Here are three of the most beautiful of the many pictures which have been created to capture what become known in Britain as "The Glorious First of June."  What was particularly unusual about this battle is that both sides succeeded in the object for which they fought. The objective of the French fleet was to get a grain convoy through to France, which they succeeded in doing, the objective of the Royal Navy was to inflict serious damage on the French fleet, which they also succeeded in doing. Here are three depictions of the event, painted respectively by Derek Gardner, Philippe-Jacques de Loutherbourg, and John Bentham-Dinsdale.