Keir Starmer under pressure from Labour left after ‘disappointing night’
May 7, 2021, 10:16 am

Keir Starmer under pressure from Labour left after ‘disappointing night’

A Labour source said the party had expected a tough time in north-east England and the Midlands, and that early election results ‘would be particularly difficult’.

But leader’s allies say he needs to move more rapidly away from Corbyn era after bad early results

Keir Starmer is facing immediate pressure from the left of Labour to change course after the first series of local council and other election results pointed towards a hugely disappointing night for the party.

As well as a bad loss in the Hartlepool byelection to the Conservatives, the first time the seat has not been held by Labour since it was created in 1974, early English council results showed significant reverses for the party.

While Labour had accepted the early results were likely to be among the worst of the series of votes across all of the UK except Northern Ireland, the immediate message from Starmer and his allies was to push for a more rapid move away from the Jeremy Corbyn era.

Labour was “not yet changing fast enough” to win back the support of voters, the shadow communities secretary, Steve Reed, said.

Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Reed said it had been “a very difficult and disappointing night”.

He said: “It tells us something we need to know. Although the Labour party is changing, we’re clearly not yet changing fast enough to win back the trust that has been lost over recent years.”

The party’s problems “run very, very deep”, Reed said, adding: “It was always going to take more than a year, given the breakdown in trust between the Labour party and very many people right across this country.Diane Abbott, who was shadow home secretary under Corbyn, tweeted: “Keir Starmer must think again about his strategy.” She said: “Crushing defeat for Labour in Hartlepool. Not possible to blame Jeremy Corbyn for this result. Labour won the seat twice under his leadership.”

Richard Burgon, the Leeds East MP who was shadow justice secretary under Corbyn, said Starmer’s team “needs to urgently change direction”. He tweeted: “It should start by championing the popular policies in our recent manifestos – backed by a large majority of voters.”

A spokesman for Momentum, the Corbyn-allied Labour group, said: “The leadership are reacting to this disaster by promising ‘more change’ – but over the last year we’ve gone backwards. It’s time to change direction, not double down on a failed strategy.”

Peter Mandelson, who held the Hartlepool seat for Labour from 1992 to 2004, said he was “fairly gutted” at the result but also felt “a mild fury that the last 10 years of what we have been doing in the Labour party nationally and locally has brought us to this result”.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “What I would say is this, and remind the party we have not won a general election in 16 years. We have lost the last four, with 2019 a catastrophe – the last 11 general elections read: lose, lose, lose, lose, Blair, Blair, Blair, lose, lose, lose, lose.

“We need, for once in this party, to learn the lessons of those victories, as well as those defeats, and I hope very much that when Keir and his colleagues in the shadow cabinet say this means that we have got to change direction that they actually mean it.”Starmer was expected to speak to reporters later on Friday.

Early council results showed Labour losing a string of seats, among them 12 seats to the Conservatives in Dudley, giving the Tories control of the council. Of the first 14 seats declared for Nuneaton and Bedworth in Warwickshire, the Conservatives took 13, winning back control of the council from Labour.

In Redditch in Worcestershire, the first nine seats declared all went to the Conservatives, seven being taken from Labour, including Labour’s former council leader and deputy leader. The Conservatives also took control of Northumberland council from no overall control.

A number of Conservative gains were aided by the party acquiring what was a significant Ukip vote from the last time they were contested, in 2016 or 2017, illustrating the scale of the long-term, structural issues facing Labour.

A huge number of elections were held on Thursday in every part of the UK except Northern Ireland, with results coming in between Friday and Sunday, due to counts slowed by Covid restrictions.

Early results seemed to indicate a positive night for the Greens, who took seats both from Labour and other parties. They gained two seats from Labour on South Tyneside council with a huge rise in their vote and in Stockport, from the Conservatives in Northumberland, and from the Liberal Democrats in Colchester.

As well as more than 4,600 seats contested across 143 English councils of various types, people in Scotland and Wales have voted for members of their devolved parliaments, with counting starting on Friday. While Labour is likely to remain the lead party in Wales, in Scotland the Scottish National party is hoping for a majority.

Also being chosen are 13 mayors, including in London, where Labour’s Sadiq Khan is widely expected to be re-elected. But in other races, notably the West Midlands and Tees Valley, Conservative mayors are also predicted to be re-elected. Also, 39 police and crime commissioners are being selected across England and Wales.

source: Peter Walker

Levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.