We will not shrug our shoulders

“We will not shrug our shoulders”

The last week has been dominated by the publication of the Epstein files. The revelations were depressing and grimy, revealing the corruption of Peter Mandelson, and adding to the case against Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.

First of all, there is a lesson for all of us about believing the victims rather than the powerful. It is the victims who were brave enough to step up and reveal what Epstein was. The fact that Virginia Giuffre is not alive to see her testimony vindicated is a tragedy.

In UK politics, the spotlight falls on Keir Starmer and those around him. As I type, the news has just broken that Morgan McSweeney Starmer’s Chief of Staff has resigned. I do not think that this will be the end of it, because decision making must always sit with the politician, not the advisor.

So what of Starmer? Whilst I have always considered him not especially adept at politics, and I certainly do not support many of the policies that he has pursued, I believe he is, at heart, probably a decent man. On Thursday morning Starmer gave a speech that I listened to in the car. It was clear from his tone that he was aiming for moral righteousness. There was one line in his speech that brought me up short though (the emphasis in bold is mine):

The victims of Epstein have lived with trauma that most of us can barely comprehend.
And they’ve had to relive it again and again.
They have had to see accountability delayed — and too often denied.
To them, I want to say this.
I am sorry.
Sorry for what was done to you.
Sorry that so many people with power failed you.
Sorry for having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointed him.
And sorry that even now, you are forced to watch this story unfold in public once again.
But I also want to say this.
In this country, we will not look away.
We will not shrug our shoulders.
And we will not allow the powerful to treat justice as optional.

The line, “We will not shrug our shoulders,” made me shout at the radio, because when Starmer was choosing who to appoint as US Ambassador, he did have a choice. Faced with a US President that the Labour Party would ideally have preferred not to have been elected, Downing Street was undoubtedly trying to work out how to make the best fist working with a Trump Administration. Peter Mandelson was the person they believed demonstrably had the links and relationships within the elites of American society. Downing Street hoped that Mandelson would be the most helpful appointment. Starmer chose Mandelson even though he knew that Mandelson had carried on being a friend and champion of Epstein after he was convicted of paedophilia. When Starmer made his choice, he did “shrug his shoulders,” because in that moment, political expediency won out over his crusade to tackle violence against women and girls.

Keir Starmer’s position is hanging in the balance. It would be extraordinarily grave if the election of Donald Trump led to the fall of a British Prime Minister.

Hosepipe ban lifted

Now for something completely different.

I am really pleased that South East Water has listened to our calls, and lifted the hosepipe ban. Whilst we can now get the pressure washers out, and muddy dogs can be hosed down, there is much more for the company to put right. The overall resilience of our water supply is poor, serious investment is needed so that if we have another dry spring and summer we do not end up in the same situation again. This comes against a backdrop of burst pipes, and bills that continue to rise. 

Mid Sussex residents need - and deserve - a water supply that they can rely on and a system that is working in their best interest.  I will continue to push hard for this.

Staying in or going out

Staying in? Here is something to listen to for those who are interested in the impacts of tech on children: Social Media Bans: Are We at a Global Turning Point?. This is another episode of Radical presented by Amol Rajan. His guest in the episode is Jonathan Haidt author of The Anxious Generation.

Fancy trying something new? Why not join the Burgess Hill Creative Community at their new venue on Church Walk. Whether it’s ceramics, weaving, painting or sewing, there is something for everyone to try out. It was lovely to pop in on Friday and catch up with Jo and Bella.

Getting in touch

My parliamentary email address is: alison.bennett.mp@parliament.uk. If you need my help, please get in touch.

Best wishes,
Alison

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