For anyone attempting to understand how the British Labour Party has been transformed in recent times, a new history of the movement’s first 100 years demonstrates just how it has been able to reinvent itself.
With polls showing a 20-point lead for Labour over the governing Conservative Party, the former’s transformation is from something of a democratic pariah to a potential government. But outsiders could be forgiven for wondering how real the overhaul has been.
Veteran MP Jon Cruddas uses his book A Century of Labour to illustrate its recent changes, and he provides valuable insights into how Labour has reverted to the moderate centre. In the last pages of the soon-to-be-released book, Mr Cruddas provides a reassurance that the party, having survived former leader Jeremy Corbyn’s search for its essential socialist identity, can withstand the authoritarian populism even in government.
With the left either crumbling to new extremist parties in countries such as France or splitting into hard-left factions as in Germany, this is important for the direction of European politics. One commentator in Foreign Policy magazine last week went so far as to proclaim Labour leader Keir Starmer as an incoming global beacon where the light of “responsible centrism shines bright”.
The hard-left activist Aaron Bastani, a Corbyn acolyte, claimed “Prime Minister Starmer” would be more hawkish than any Conservative. “One can also see how issues of foreign policy might quickly appeal to a Labour prime minister whose opportunities for domestic reform are constrained,” he wrote.
The 14 or nearly 15 years’ gap with the last Labour government is a live issue facing Starmer and his colleagues
Mr Cruddas has identified three competing strands within the Labour movement. The first is to see redistribution of wealth within UK society so that the richer give up resources for the poorest. The second is its long lineage as a party devoted to the freedoms of the kind embedded in the Magna Carta principles. And the third is its concern with a progressive agenda that seeks to reform and overhaul society at home and abroad.
Warning against simply relying on the heavy hand of the state, Mr Cruddas sees the need for an idealistic programme that demonstrates that the country can be made fairer and repositioned on the international stage. At a time of stagnant growth for European economies, Labour could find bold ways to buck the trend and overcome discontent with the shrinking economic pie.
A Labour think tank put it differently, as it examined the results of internal polling. It said that the party membership is divided between ideologues, idealists and instrumentalists (or members who will pragmatically go along with a programme for power).
If there is a Labour government as a result of the 2024 general election, its success will not just be down to domestic improvements in the welfare state and other London-based directives to restructure the economy. It will also need to combine these instincts with more global concerns about equality, development and the reduction of international tensions.
These are some of the reasons behind last week’s launch of the Labour Middle East Council. The body – co-chaired by the distinguished former diplomat William Patey, a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia – sees the need for the party to inform how it approaches the region as it looks to enter government.
When I spoke to Mr Patey in central London, he discussed how almost 15 years out of power had affected Labour’s policy development and its base of connections to a region that is globally vital.
The council’s starting point, as it is launched, is that Labour in government has always had a broad international agenda – and so it is important to listen to Middle East voices to understand both the region’s own aspirations and its perspectives on Britain.
“How would an incoming Labour government address the issues it will face?” he asked, pointing out his experience of how parliamentarians have always benefited from greater understanding and exposure to other people’s points of view.
The 14 or nearly 15 years’ gap with the last Labour government is a live issue facing Mr Starmer and his colleagues. “Quite a lot has happened in the Middle East since Labour last held power,” Mr Patey said. “We talk about educating the Middle East on what Labour is really about, its approach to the region, as well as talking to people there and listening to their views. It would be a two-way thing.”
The pressing issue of the Israel-Gaza war, particularly over securing a sustainable ceasefire, dominates foreign policy circles at Westminster. The importance of Middle East policy for the next government cannot be ignored and Mr Patey sees the period ahead as historic. “This feels like one of those pivotal points,” he said. “There’ll be a lot of different views on what should happen. What we have to do is help Labour politicians into a process of dialogue.”
It’s not just security, though it is key. So are issues such as the UAE’s development of a space industry in the last decade, the regional embrace of the climate change agenda and interlinkage of migration with development in the region.
Mr Starmer has brought Labour’s internal dynamics into a kind of equilibrium that UK voters appear to have embraced. The challenge for the party is to use its strong traditions to create a confident and effective foreign policy if it does seize power in the year ahead.
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Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Don't get fined
The UAE FTA requires following to be kept:
- Records of all supplies and imports of goods and services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents related to receiving goods or services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents issued
- Records of goods and services that have been disposed of or used for matters not related to business
The Beach Bum
Director: Harmony Korine
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg
Two stars
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The biog
Family: Parents and four sisters
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing at American University of Sharjah
A self-confessed foodie, she enjoys trying out new cuisines, her current favourite is the poke superfood bowls
Likes reading: autobiographies and fiction
Favourite holiday destination: Italy
Posts information about challenges, events, runs in other emirates on the group's Instagram account @Anagowrunning
Has created a database of Emirati and GCC sportspeople on Instagram @abeermk, highlight: Athletes
Apart from training, also talks to women about nutrition, healthy lifestyle, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The stats: 2017 Jaguar XJ
Price, base / as tested Dh326,700 / Dh342,700
Engine 3.0L V6
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 340hp @ 6,000pm
Torque 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.1L / 100km
Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
