Friday News Review

Boris and Cameron at war, again

The two biggest beasts in the Tory jungle clashed yesterday over their own spending cuts. War broke out after Boris Johnson warned David Cameron he would not tolerate “Kosovo-style social cleansing” caused by axing housing benefits. The London mayor said: “The last thing we want is the less well-off pushed out to the suburbs. “I’ll emphatically resist any attempt to recreate a London where the rich and poor cannot live together. We will not see and we will not accept any kind of Kosovo-style social cleansing of London. “On my watch, you are not going to see thousands of families evicted from the place where they have been living and have put down roots.” The extraordinarily provocative remarks echo the horrific “ethnic cleansing” of thousands of Albanians in the Balkan wars of the 90s. And they sent the Prime Minister – Mr Johnson’s old rival from Eton and Oxford – into a fury. – The Mirror

Boris Johnson provoked fury in Downing Street yesterday as he warned that Coalition reforms of housing benefit would lead to a ‘Kosovo-style social cleansing’ of the poor from city centres. The Tory London Mayor tore into ministers’ plans to cap housing benefit payments at £400 a week, insisting he would ‘emphatically resist any attempt to recreate a London where the rich and poor cannot live together’. ‘What we will not see and we will not accept [is] any kind of Kosovo-style social cleansing of London.  On my watch, you are not going to see thousands of families evicted from the place where they have been living and have put down roots,’ he declared on radio in the morning. – The Daily Mail

Make no mistake about it, Boris Johnson’s rhetorical assault on the coalition’s housing benefit plan is a direct challenge to David Cameron’s authority. The two best-known Conservatives in the country are now involved in a battle that only one of them can win. Boris told BBC London this morning: “What we will not see and we will not accept any kind of Kosovo-style social cleansing of London. “On my watch, you are not going to see thousands of families evicted from the place where they have been living and have put down roots.” What is infuriating the Tory machine is not only Boris’s criticisms, but the language that he is used—which makes Labour’s talk of social cleansing sound positively moderate. The mayor has clearly decided that he needs to be seen to be standing up for Londoners on this issue. I also suspect that he might have decided that there will have to be concessions to appease the Lib Dems and that he wants to be in a position to take credit for them. – The Spectator

Boris Johnson has faced calls to apologise for “appalling” comments about housing benefit reforms after London’s mayor dramatically stoked political controversy over welfare cuts. The outspoken Tory tried to calm anger at Number 10 on Thursday, claiming his vow not to accept “Kosovo-style social cleansing” in the capital had been taken out of context. But Employment Minister Ed Davey renewed Government attacks on the mayor, accusing him of a flawed analysis of the changes and demanding he say sorry for “scaremongering”. The exchanges came amid reports higher-earning men will be required to disclose if their wives claim child benefit – with fines for non-compliance – in a bid to enforce another welfare cut. – Press Association

Miliband appeals to Scots

Ed Miliband yesterday delivered his damning verdict on Alex Salmond’s reign as First Minister – calling it nothing more than “four years of showmanship”. The Labour leader said Scotland was crying out for a change of government and last night backed Iain Gray to defeat the Nats in a “bellwether” election next year that will be keenly followed across the UK. Miliband and Gray spoke of their determination to beat both the SNP at Holyrood and the Con-Dems at Westminster in an exclusive joint interview on the eve of Scottish Labour’s conference in Oban. The conference is the Scots party’s most important gathering for four years and will be the launch-pad for their Holyrood election campaign. Miliband, who makes his keynote speech today, told the Record: “I think it’s pretty clear Scotland requires new leadership and I think Iain is the man to provide that leadership. “We’ve had four years of showmanship. We now need four years of statesmanship and I think that is what Iain is going to provide.” – Daily Record

ED MILIBAND will use his first leader’s speech to the Scottish Labour Party today to claim that the cause of Scottish nationalism has been “left behind” by the realities of a world shaken by the financial crisis. In a traditional attack on the SNP, the new Labour leader will argue that “narrow nationalism has nothing to offer to meeting the challenges of the 21st century”. He will tell the party’s conference in Oban: “Let’s face it, across the world, the debate has changed since the financial crisis. Who is left behind? The Scottish National Party.” Miliband will also argue that the government rescue of the banks in 2008 was possible “because we are one United Kingdom”. “Where would we have been on our own?” he will ask. – The Scotsman

Rahman takes up role of Mayor

Lutfur Rahman swept to power with more than half of the vote, giving Ed Miliband his first taste of defeat as party leader. His victory last week came after Labour sacked him as its candidate over his alleged links with the Islamic Forum of Europe and concern at alleged vote-rigging. Mr Livingstone, an ex-London Mayor and GLC leader, campaigned openly alongside the independent candidate. Mr Rahman, speaking for the first time since his triumph, said today: “Ken Livingstone is a great politician. I’m grateful to him for coming here to support justice. I’m very happy to have his support.” He also attacked Labour Party members who he claims are trying to “discredit” him using “innuendo, hearsay and untruth”. During the campaign, Mr Livingstone angered Labour activists by suggesting the party’s candidate Helal Abbas was not “credible or competent” and was forced to state he was only recommending voters give their second preferences to Mr Rahman. But several Labour MPs are furious at his conduct and frustrated that Mr Miliband has not reprimanded him. – The Evening Standard


One Response to “Friday News Review”

  1. Rob says:

    We will see how it turns out, thats the best way to look at this.

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