Reinforced by a strong lead in the opinion polls, Britain’s leader of the opposition has put forward his arguments to become the next prime minister.
As Boris Johnson reels from a disastrous final two months of 2021, Sir Keir Starmer set out in a speech an alternative government that he hopes will appeal to the British public.
With the possibility of a general election next year, the Labour leader is bidding to portray himself as a strong, steady leader untainted by the mishaps that have gripped Mr Johnson’s administration.
Recent Conservative bungling has opened a door for voters to have another look at Labour and its leader.
If the British public wants a sensible, straight but less ebullient leader then they will see another option, Mr Starmer's aides believe.
In the two years since he became Labour leader at the start of the pandemic, he has strived to expunge the disastrous tenure of the former leader, left-winger Jeremy Corbyn, who many believed made the party unelectable.
In a speech heavy with patriotic references and with the British Union flag displayed behind him, Mr Starmer laid out his new “contract with the British people”.
Continuing his theme, he said Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham offered the opportunity for Britain to show it was an “open, generous, tolerant nation” as demonstrated by the England football team that reached the final of the Euros.
Playing on the sleaze that has gripped Downing Street, with rule-breaking Christmas parties and a ham-fisted attempt to circumvent parliamentary rules, he promised “straight leadership” based on the values of “security, prosperity and respect”.
While the speech lacked major policy announcements it sought to portray Mr Starmer as a very different leader to Mr Johnson, who is “flawed” and leads a “reckless” government.
“We have a prime minister who thinks the rules apply to anyone but him,” he said.
In a cutting reference to the prime minister’s jovial style, which initially endeared him to voters, Mr Starmer reasoned that politics was not “a branch of the entertainment industry”, but “the serious business of getting things done”.
“I want to start the new year by making a pledge of straight leadership. Today I want to introduce my contract with the British people”, he told the audience in Birmingham.
He suggested that Britain was entering a “new phase” at the start of the new year as the government has shown itself to be increasingly incompetent.
In the coming months British households will face sharply higher living costs, with energy bills rising and tax increases scheduled to start in April.
While the Conservatives under Boris Johnson have forfeited the trust of voters, Mr Starmer said Labour cannot afford to be complacent and still had to earn the confidence of the public.
He said his “contract” would ensure people have a “basic right” to feel safe in their own communities, knowing the National Health Service was there for them when they needed it, while having the opportunity to thrive and prosper.
Mr Starmer stated he would build on the record of the party’s previous election winners — Clement Attlee, Harold Wilson and Tony Blair — who he said all made Britain a better country.
What the Labour leader will want to emphasise now is that — beyond Brexit — Mr Johnson has achieved little else.
But he will know, too, that politics is a long game and the pandemic has eviscerated the Conservative agenda.
A long stretch without gaffes, a more purposeful direction, strong leadership and an end to the pandemic, could yet see Mr Johnson return as a formidable electoral force.
Honeymoonish
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
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ABU DHABI CARD
5pm: UAE Martyrs Cup (TB) Conditions; Dh90,000; 2,200m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap; Dh70,000; 1,400m
6pm: UAE Matyrs Trophy (PA) Maiden; Dh80,000; 1,600m
6.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Apprentice Championship (PA) Prestige; Dh100,000; 1,600m
7pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Ladies World Championship (PA) Prestige; Dh125,000; 1,600m
8pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (PA) Group 1; Dh5,000,000; 1,600m
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
List of alleged parties
- May 15 2020: Boris Johnson is said to have attended a Downing Street pizza party
- 27 Nov 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff
- Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
- Dec 13 2020: Mr Johnson and his then-fiancee Carrie Symonds throw a flat party
- Dec 14 2020: Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative Party headquarters
- Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
- Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
