In the US it is those suburbs - socially conservative, traditional, aspirational but moderates - which deserted Trump because he went too far & because of C19 whhttps://amp.economist.com/britain/2021/04/03/the-truth-behind-the-tories-northern-strongholds?__twitter_impression=true
Starmer must win them & he won't do this on tales of misery & oppression: those voters are proud of what they achieved.They are a success story. Modest but generally content as long as salary keeps coming in & the kids can hope to do at least as well if not better. It will turn
on the economy & jobs. And then perhaps a dislike or at least distrust - particularly from women- of Johnson if he goes too far. But then Starmer needs to be liked, to form an emotional relationship with those voters, to show he understands and LIKE them. And they need to trust
Labour on the economy. Which is why I personally believe that pitching Dodds, a clever & nice academic, against the sharp suited Sunak, son of 2 immigrants doctors & a success story, is a huge miscasting. Labour needs a tough lower-middle class success story as shadow Chancellor.
@wesstreeting brought up on a council estate, educated at Westminster City & winner of Ilford, would in my view be a far better bet. Who else can you think of?

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More from @mafevema

3 Apr
I am in despair to still see articles saying: oh but the EU failed because the US vaccinated 38% of its adult population & the UK about 50%.
But these 2 countries didn't export any vaccines & the UK got 21 millions doses from the EU out of 31 millions vaccinated.
The EU allowed exports of 48% of vaccines made on its territory to countries which needed it. HOW MANY MORE WOULD BE VACCINATED IN THE EU IF IT BEHAVED LIKE THE UK AND THE US? 48% MORE. AND HOW MANY LESS IN THE UK? 21 millions less!
The EU behaved ethically & I am proud of it. And if now it blocks AZ vax from EU plants to the UK it is perfectly justified because the UK will still get its UK made AZ production + the EU Pfizer production (more than the AZ vaccines) + in a few weeks the Moderna vaccines. And
Read 6 tweets
2 Apr
An excellent programme. For 9 years before changing countries & later becoming a corporate partner in the City, I was a criminal defense barrister. No one who has worked repeatedly with criminals can be in any doubt that traumas does leave huge baggage.

bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b0…
It leaves its physical imprint on their brain. Visible marks. But there is hope as apparently it can be improved to deliver them from what is a terrible condition & importantly protecting their potential victims
Why more money is not spent on early intervention on young delinquants or troubled children, I simply do not know as it would save so many victims & abusers. It does raise ethical issues - marking a child with a scarlet letter? - but so does prison & a broken life.
Read 4 tweets
2 Apr
IMPORTANT: The UKG's argument for justifying a de facto export ban of AZ vaccine is: we spent more & came in early.This is false.
Not only did Germany spent massively more than the UK on Covid-vaccine but 70% of the funding of the Oxford/AZ vaccine didn't come from the UK.🧵
It came from CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations) the charitable foundation set up by the Welcome Trust & Bill Gates fondation:
CEPI gave to Oxford: USD 384 millions
UKG gave: USD115 millions
The figures can be checked here (graph 2).
Now I do not blame the UK for securing exclusivity by undisclosed means (likely naked State power): in December we were in a terrible position
I note though that this was appropriating an invention 70% funded by the world (CEPI funds come from benefactors & public money )
Read 6 tweets
1 Apr
BREAKING:
Germany invested massively more than the UK in Covid's research. $1,500 millions ! And Germany + the EU ($350 mollions) spent $1,850 millions + a few millions for Spain & France. The UK invested $500millions.
But Germany did not ask for priority for itself or the EU on the BioNTech vaccine (which would have destroyed the UK Vaccines programme). Whereas the UK boasted about its "superior contract". Different values.
Read 7 tweets
1 Apr
Yes they are sleazy. From public contracts to Tory donors to the PM paying for sex with tax payers money.
Then there is Johnson's very close relationship with Evgeny Lebedev & his father, a (former?) agent in the Foreign Intelligence directorate of the KGB, then the SVR, a man who is known to have been a spy based in the Russian London embassy. When Foreign Secretary, Johnson visited
The 2 Lebedev abroad without security details for a private visit. As PM, he celebrated his victory of the GE19 at Lebedev's House where Lebedev threw a lavish celebration party. Imagine if Keir Starmer had a close relationship
Read 6 tweets
24 Mar
Not for profit? REALLY? Or as disclosed by an unusually truthful PM, capitalism & greed? Massive private profits when the risk has been funded by the taxpayers?
"Pure" scientists at Oxford University or massive PERSONAL beneficiaries? A 🧵 khn.org/news/rather-th…
Under its deal with AstraZeneca, Oxford will receive no royalties during the pandemic but could make millions after it ends through a web of patents including those held by Vaccitech, a for-profit spinoff. Vaccitech’s ownership includes a 50% stake held directly or indirectly
by Oxford & 5.25% each owned PERSONALLY by Hill and Jenner’s other top vaccine scientist, Sarah Gilbert, U.K. regulatory filings show.
The potential for vaccine profits at Vaccitech was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Read 14 tweets

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