Stewart

Stuff, stuff, and more stuff.

[habibi @habibi_uk]

But no. The tilt is underway. It is all against Israel. When he will achieve next to nothing in the Middle East, at best. And fail to regain lost voters here too.

A shameful start. Looking at Labour today, I expect it to get much worse.

Burnham's Manchester. 7/7

[habibi @habibi_uk]

Andy Burnham could have found something - anything! - to offer to all of us who are alarmed and disgusted by the surge of antisemitic hatred in the UK, up to and including backing for unspeakable terrorists.

Proscribing the PFLP like the rest of the West, for example. 6/7

[habibi @habibi_uk]

The terrorist hijacker Leila Khaled was the "iconic" PFLP figure in the 1970s. She was and remains a monster. She can be seen on video strongly backing the 7 October atrocities. She is a very big star for far left ghouls, to this day. 5/7

[habibi @habibi_uk]

I wish the far left ghouls would just listen to terror victims. This is a very moving account from a Lod survivor. If you feel empathy, because you know just what this is like, my very best wishes to you. It is a heavy burden to carry. Ros finds the words. 4/7

[habibi @habibi_uk]

Here's Kanafani with the "Japanese Red Army", the PFLP ally that carried out the horrific Lod airport massacre. The victims included 18 Christian pilgrims from Puerto Rico. Terrorists don’t care. Any victim will do. Just as we saw with Hamas on 7 October, when it brutally murdered foreign agricultural and care workers. 3/7

[habibi @habibi_uk]

Far left extremists love the PFLP because it is “revolutionary” rather than religious. You'll find odes to Ghassan Kanafani, its 1970s figurehead, on one far left account after another. Yes, the group dedicated to airliner hijacking and airport slaughter. You'll see it celebrated on London hate marches too. 2/7

[habibi @habibi_uk]

An important and topical point. The PFLP terrorist group has been proscribed by the EU, the US, and Canada. We are the odd man out, even though the PFLP took part in the 7 October atrocities. And I see no reason to expect Prime Minister Burnham to remedy this.

So what we see will continue. 1/7

[Daniel Sugarman @Daniel_Sugarman]

I've written about how, even as the government put out self-congratulatory press releases about sanctioning Israeli politicians who had no intention of coming here, they took no action to proscribe a group directly involved in 7 October.

Something Burnham is unlikely to change.

[Alicia Kearns MP @aliciakearns]

Relieved to see a man has been arrested for her murder, what a shocking crime.

Grateful to the police, the quick arrest is important for her family and friends who will be grieving so heavily.

[Campaign Against Antisemitism @antisemitism]

Andy Burnham has yet to say something substantive on antisemitism during his campaign to win the backing of his Labour colleagues to become Prime Minister. We are seeing the worst levels of racism against Jews in our lifetime, and Jewish blood has repeatedly been spilled on our streets.

So it’s alarming that Mr Burnham’s first intervention on the subject is a passing reference in an announcement relating to a foreign conflict, which he himself insists should not be connected to the fight against antisemitism.

Why is a foreign conflict a more pressing matter for Mr Burnham than the domestic threat that British Jews face right here at home?

The fact is that successive Prime Ministers have been pressured to appease the extremist mob that demands that our leaders treat the tiny faraway Jewish state as though it is the most important matter to us here in Britain.

If you appease the mob, you just get more extremism.

These foreign policy announcements are unlikely to change matters in the Middle East but they are music to the ears of the same extremists and Islamists responsible for surging Jew-hatred here in Britain. At a time when Jews are being stabbed and killed on the streets of Britain, we need our leaders to face down extremists, not excite them.

Politicians must name the sources of antisemitism and confront those who spread it. It is literally a matter of life and death for British Jews.

Mr Burnham appears to be about to become Prime Minister. The time for political grandstanding is over, and he must recognise that his first priority is the safety of British people in this country. That must include the Jews.

If Mr Burnham wishes to be a ‘change’ Prime Minister, that can begin with doing what neither of his two predecessors did: robustly tackle antisemitism and extremism in his country.

[The Telegraph @Telegraph]

🔴 Ann Widdecombe was found dead at her home in Dartmoor at the age of 78 and there had been no suggestion of anything other than natural causes when her death was announced by her agent on Friday morning.

However, detectives from Devon & Cornwall Police are now investigating and the force is expected to make a public statement on Friday afternoon.

🔗 https://t.co/3qdDxDtDNC

[Dame Tracey Crouch @tracey_crouch]

This morning I was sad to hear about the passing of Ann Widdecombe, who had campaigned for me in Chatham & Aylesford. Seeing the breaking news about a police investigation this afternoon has now left me sad, shocked and horrified. Terrible.

[Stewart @ComfortableBlue]

There are some really horrid people in the world who do not have the decency to act with decorum for a short while after such awful news

[Rosie Duffield MP @RosieDuffield1]

I disagreed loudly, and 100%, with #AnnWiddicombe on the treatment of pregnant prisoners, maternity rights at work, Brexit and v many other issues. But she was extremely supportive of my stance on women's rights to single sex spaces, and the hounding and cancellation of those who agreed. As so often in the febrile world of Politics, it's almost always possible to find some common ground. And whatever her views, she was a formidable woman, active in a political world still dominated by men. #RIP

[Tom Tugendhat @TomTugendhat]

I was sorry to learn about the death of Ann Widdecombe today.
Throughout her life she displayed a passion and commitment to the causes that she cared about and from the House of Commons to the dance studio displayed the same panache and punch that could charm and unbalance partners and rivals alike.
Her faith was a powerful reminder that some truths matter more. I shall remember her in my prayers as she goes in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life.

[Tom Harwood @tomhfh]

BREAK: Police launch murder investigation following the suspicious death of Ann Widdecombe at her home.

Police describe the Reform Party justice spokeswoman as having “sustained serious injuries.”

A cordon remains in place at the property while specialist officers continue forensic examinations.

Detective Chief Inspector Ilona Rosson said: “Our murder enquiry is in its early stages but moving at a significant pace. We are deploying all of the necessary resources to find out exactly what has happened and to locate the person responsible who we believe to be a white male.”

[Tom Harwood @tomhfh]

This isn’t a murder investigation into a former politician.

It’s a murder investigation into the hitherto currently serving Justice Spokeswoman for the Reform Party.

[Nile Gardiner @NileGardiner]

A reminder why Andy Burnham will be an absolutely awful and weak prime minister. He has already surrendered to the Islamists.

[Priti Patel MP @pritipatel]

Burnham's comments will cause pain and anger to all those affected by the terrorist attacks on 7 October where civilians were murdered, taken hostage, tortured, butchered and raped.

He also risks stoking up anti-Israel and anti-Semitic narratives, which cause harm to the Jewish community. 

The fact that Burnham is continuing with Starmer's anti-Israel rhetoric rather than tackling the threats we face from Iran, China and Russia shows he's unfit to govern and unwilling to defend our interests and our values.

[Shabana Mahmood MP @ShabanaMahmood]

I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of Ann Widdecombe. The circumstances of her death are extremely distressing and my thoughts are with Ann's family and loved ones.

Ann's dedication to public service was decades long, and she was a true servant of her constituents.

I have spoken to the Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall police today. The Home Office stands ready to provide whatever support they need with their ongoing investigation.

I urge everyone to avoid speculation and allow the police investigation to progress.