LOUISE HAIGH: ‘Nigel Farage couldn’t assist however rush to assist Donald Trump’s conflict in Iran’
‘Whether it’s having our back in defending the country, or simply by not hurting our economy, it’s impossible to know we stand with the US’, the former Transport Secretary Louise Haigh writes
Nigel Farage showed his ‘true colour’s by backing Donald Trump’s war, Louise Haigh claimed
Donald Trump’s war in the Middle East has been a disaster, in more ways than one.
The scenes of the school hit by bombs were devastating, and hundreds have lost their lives across the region. The war has also weakened America itself – and its NATO allies. It has set the cause of peace back in the Middle East. And now the impact is being felt here at home, on the cost of living.
I am proud that this government has kept Britain out of the war. It’s the right thing to have done. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage couldn’t help but rush to the side of his hero, Trump and commit to support him no matter what. He’s backtracked now that he’s seen the opinion polls, but he revealed his true colours first time around.
READ MORE: Donald Trump reveals he’s seen ‘very interesting’ US government UFO files
It’s why it’s been good to see Rachel Reeves coming out so strong in the Mirror this week to say the war and Trump are wrong. She made crystal clear that she’s angry that Trump has started a war that he can’t end and as the woman in charge of the country’s finances, she knows better than most the catastrophic impact it will have on the global economy.
At the end of the day, this isn’t about politics, it is about people, the impact this reckless war will have on people already struggling to make ends meet. The cost of petrol is up, and we’re told to expect higher prices on things like food too.
The government has already done lots to help out with big increases in the minimum wage, helping those who work hard to take a little more home at the end of the week. Energy bills are capped for everyone – for now – and that’s made a difference to so many of us. Free childcare from nine months has made a huge difference to working parents, as well as free school breakfast clubs are rolling out.
But if things pinch even more over the Summer and Autumn, we need the government to be ready to act. That includes looking out for profiteering from big firms like the supermarkets who could use the crisis to pad their bottom line at our expense. The longer the crisis goes on, the more President Trump lurches from one position to another, and issues reckless social media post after reckless social media post, we have to ask ourselves, is the ‘Special Relationship’ losing its shine?
We used to be able to rely on America, despite our occasional disagreements. Whether it’s having our back in defending the country, or simply by not hurting our economy, it’s impossible to be so sure where we stand. Trump’s recklessness is certainly something to ponder while filling up the car this summer.
‘Government must protect cabbies’
Anyone who’s been in a taxi recently may well have got into a chat with the cabbie about the problems of out-of-town drivers operating in the area.
This is an issue that Private Hire Vehicle drivers and Unite the Union have been grappling with since the Tories deregulated the market to allow Uber to operate anywhere they liked.
It means a driver can get licensed in the Isle of Man but conduct all their business in Sheffield if they want to. And some authorities, like Wolverhampton, are churning out thousands of licenses a year to drivers who operate all over the country. It means drivers are less likely to know the local area, and it’s a real problem when councils want to uphold high standards in their area to protect passengers. The Government needs to step in fast and fix the market to protect cabbies – and passengers.
‘World snooker in its rightful home’
Sheffield has been absolutely buzzing since World Snooker announced it would be staying in its spiritual home, the Crucible for the next 20 years. We really thought we were going to lose it, maybe even overseas. But the Government and the local council have made a big break and secured the Championships in its rightful home.
‘Peter Mandelson scandal could collapse faith in politics’
The drip feed of scandals around Peter Mandelson’s appointment risk a complete collapse in any remaining faith people have in politics. People are asking how its possible that he was appointed before his full vetting was complete and who knew what, when.
Only full transparency will resolve this now. It’s urgent that the Government publish everything this week. It’s a fundamental matter of trust in the Government
