Taylor Swift Met Police escort news is ‘a piece of nonsense’ – political strategist – Channel 4 News

We spoke to John McTernan, a political strategist who was Tony Blair’s director of political operations when he was prime minister.

We started by asking if he thinks the newest row over P&O Ferries has been resolved now.

John McTernan: Sure, I do. DP World, the house owners of P&O, are going to return to the funding summit. Their funding goes to go forward. And I suppose it reveals you’ll be able to’t dictate the insurance policies of this Labour authorities by simply threatening to remove your cash. I feel that’s a great factor. I perceive in authorities you don’t need to have a row with a giant investor. However equally, you’ll be able to’t be seen to bend or sway to their opinions or their emotions.

Ciaran Jenkins: Is it the federal government’s place that DP World, the proprietor of P&O Ferries, is a rogue employer or not? As a result of one a part of the federal government’s been saying that it’s and one other a part of the federal government’s been saying it isn’t.

John McTernan: It’s bipartisan that P&O have been a rogue employer, Grant Shapps was towards it when he was transport secretary. The purpose is will it be capable of…

Ciaran Jenkins: That’s not what the enterprise secretary was saying this morning, although, is it? The enterprise secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, went on the tv and mentioned it’s not the federal government’s place that DP World is a rogue employer.

John McTernan: The federal government’s place is evident, that what P&O did prior to now will probably be banned by our laws. So the query isn’t whether or not you’re a rogue employer or not a rogue employer, the query is will you obey the legal guidelines of the UK and can they favour employees’ rights relatively than rogue employers.

Ciaran Jenkins: There’s additionally been messaging across the VIP escort for Taylor Swift.

John McTernan: This can be a piece of nonsense. Are you able to think about the headlines if the Metropolitan Police had determined that there was no actual risk to Taylor Swift? We all know that there are terrorists who will assault followers in arenas, going to look at music, pop music. And so a severe risk needed to be handled a severe response. Because it occurred, we had an enormous increase to the British financial system with Taylor Swift showing. We had an enormous increase to individuals’s well-being by going to and having fun with the live shows. And we truly protected a customer for an actual risk. We stay in an period of geopolitical uncertainty, of real threats, real terrorist threats, real threats to individuals’s security, and the obligation of the federal government, the foremost obligation of presidency, is to supply safety.

Ciaran Jenkins: Do you suppose there’s been a transparent, sturdy political narrative supporting Labour’s first 100 days in workplace?

John McTernan: I do suppose the pink thread that runs by way of all of these actions has not been clear. The narrative, the framing, ‘we’re doing this for these causes to realize this final result’. Ten years of British renewal is what Labour’s elected on, change is what Labour’s elected on. However the story of that change of the place Britain will probably be in 4 years, 5 years, ten years, that’s not being spelt out properly sufficient for me.

Ciaran Jenkins: Why do you suppose it’s that Labour haven’t communicated in addition to you’d have preferred on this first hundred days? It’s as in the event that they didn’t have sufficient time to plan, is it?

John McTernan: In a manner they didn’t have sufficient time to plan as a result of this election was sooner than I anticipated to be. I believed it will be a November election, December election, I believed that in that sense…

Ciaran Jenkins: They nonetheless had time. Sir Keir Starmer was calling for an election for a very long time, and if he was severe about it, you’d count on he’d have a plan.

John McTernan: Labour’s manifesto was prepared in Might this yr. Labour was able to struggle on a programme, a platform, of change. That was clear. Governments make missteps once they are available from opposition. It’s so totally different to be a authorities than be an opposition. The query is, is Labour, this time, going to be taught from what they did as Labour did final time? I consider they may. I do suppose politics must be on the coronary heart of Quantity Ten. I feel that’s again now.