Luke Akehurst
@lukeakehurst
Followers
29K
Following
21
Media
1K
Statuses
110K
If you are a North Durham constituent and need to contact me please email luke.akehurst.mp@parliament.uk.
53
3
14
Imagine being a Labour leadership that had managed to alienate a globally iconic children's author, who previously identified with Labour so strongly that she gave the party £1m, but thinking it's her rather than the party that has the problem and needs to do some soul searching.
Imagine being JK Rowling and using your 14 million followers to dump on a a party wanting to help the poorest and least fortunate. Meanwhile, my feed tweeting class struggle politics and common sense socialism has a fraction of the following. Can you help this #SocialistSunday?.
487
919
4K
If you are spending more time attacking Labour on the day we announced we would end energy prepayment premiums, giving 4m households relief on bills, than attacking the Tories who are the government presiding over this crisis, I've got to question your political motives.
1K
347
3K
I have a different simple message for @tom_watson "you should fucking be proud of yourself" for fighting antisemitism.
155
349
2K
My lovely mum passed away suddenly this morning aged 75. Later on I will try to write a bit about her and her life, meanwhile thoughts are with my dad, sister and nephew who very much depended on her love and care. RIP Nan Akehurst (nee Davies). Missing you already.
434
38
2K
Unbelievable that when Labour has the Tories on the ropes and the best poll leads for a decade, Momentum's priority is attacking Starmer.
940
158
2K
If they abolish Deputy Leader @tom_watson should immediately get the PLP to trigger a leadership challenge in which he should run.
653
313
2K
If Keir Starmer comes campaigning in your area help him to beat the Tories rather than wasting his time with internal Labour criticisms.
To avoid the most tedious people on the internet misconstruing what I said, I’ll rephrase it:. If Keir Starmer comes campaigning in your area, challenge him politely but robustly on the lies he said to become leader of the Labour Party.
525
150
2K
Clean sweep for Labour in all 4 of last night's council byelections, including 3 gains, 2 from the Tories.
60
251
2K
There's always an excuse. It's always someone else's fault. 1983 it was SDP and Falklands. 2017 "sabotage". 2019 Brexit. The cold hard truth is they lost because Hard Left politics and Corbyn as leader are deeply unpopular with vast majority of voters.
488
289
1K
This is going to be a tough byelection not a walkover. We couldn't win Uxbridge even in 1997 GE and the byelection later same year, which I was an organiser in. Needs everyone Labour to help Danny Beales' campaign:
246
377
1K
First day at the Commons. Thank you to parliamentary staff for a well-organised induction process for all us new MPs.
161
49
1K
I have a new job. Can't wait to get stuck into fighting for the wonderful people and communities of North Durham as their Labour MP.
276
81
1K
Thousands of people put their hearts and souls for years into working for the Labour victories in 1997, 2001 & 2005. To see the amazing progressive achievements of those governments dismissed as same as vile Thatcherism they replaced is disgusting.
Labour MP, 26, demands end to '40 years of Thatcherism' in first speech attack.
254
283
1K
Labour in Wales just hit 30 seats, equal to its highest ever total.
365
152
1K
It's disappointing that Andy McDonald would distract from a successful conference by grandstanding like this. He hasn't been a high profile member of the shadow cabinet so his departure enables Keir to promote a heavier hitter, one who understands collective responsibility.
657
124
1K
Every time these thugs harass Keir it adds swing votes to Labour because the public can see the party has decisively rejected the flag-waving politics of the Corbyn era. British voters don't want a PM who is popular with the far left.
1K
149
1K
Note how all the aggression online and offline is aimed at Starmer and Labour MPs, rather than the actual government. It's almost like this is more about far left anger towards Labour than any actual concern about the suffering of Palestinians.
Labour MP Jo Stevens' office vandalised by pro-Palestine protesters
561
185
1K
In my case I'm "gammon faced" because it's a side effect of the life threatening neurological disease I survived in 2009, which also caused my disability. Thanks for your concern Kerry-Anne.
Why do so many Centrist Dads look riddled with gout?. Akehurst, Kid Starver, Ian Austin, that Mann bloke who became the Tory antisemitism tsar. All slack-jawed and gammon-faced
103
63
994
Meanwhile in the real world - Labour soars to 13-point lead in polls as Tories scrap over Boris Johnson’s successor
171
189
886
I fundamentally disagree with RLB's premise that "we need to rebuild Labour as an insurgent force". Any fool can do protest and insurgency and anger. You win power, and get to change society when you stop looking like insurgents & look like a trustworthy alternative government.
61
179
874
I think I now understand from replies to my tweet yesterday that:.- Opposing Tory Brexit means u r a Tory.- Not wanting the poverty Brexit causes means you don't care about poverty.- Donating to the Labour Party b4 2015 means u r a Tory .- Voting Labour b4 2015 means u r a Tory.
59
175
838
Can people stop trying to make the Lib Dems a thing again? Their behaviour in 2010 ought to be enough to consign them to the dustbin of political history. The British political system can function quite well without them and their dodgy bar charts.
574
122
844
These Labour gains aren't happening by accident, they are happening because Keir Starmer has changed Labour politically, and David Evans and Morgan McSweeney have overhauled Labour's staffing, organisation & election machinery and turned us back into a winning team.
372
146
801
A simple statement from @jeremycorbyn saying he doesn't want Luciana no confidenced or deselected and that she is a valued colleague would have a hugely powerful impact. It might save Labour from splitting. I'm not holding my breath. Please surprise me.
Luciana Berger faces no confidence motion from her Constituency Labour Party for cricising Jeremy Corbyn
174
222
784
No disrespect to Sam Tarry but I really don't think his career as a junior shadow minister is worth even the slightest ripple in the 120 year link between Labour and the unions. Why all this attention to such a minor figure?.
Sam Tarry tells @BenKentish that he has just taken phone calls from seven union general secretaries that are "absolutely fuming" about his sacking and are now on a "direct collision course with the Labour Party".
506
81
782
BBC got the caption wrong- it's North Durham not Durham North!
154
11
865
The Tories have lost Tunbridge Wells borough council to NOC.
47
112
741
I missed the bit when it became OK to mock people's disability. I have a walking stick, and splints on both ankles, because a life threatening illness I had in 2009 left me with permanent nerve damage.
@lukeakehurst @Oxford_Labour What's with the walking stick Luke, you having to carrying protection around with you in case you bump into a real socialist? ☺.
83
172
740
I'm going to vote for this at the NEC on Tuesday.
EXCLUSIVE Starmer set to expel 1,000 far left Labour members in four ‘poisonous’ groups
111
60
717
Everything the Corbynistas are doing in response to Panorama - deflection, minimising the issue of AS, attacking whistle blowers, attacking Watson, is all visible to the EHRC. It all adds to the charge sheet of an organisation not taking racism seriously I.e. institutional racism.
270
203
687
Worth noting that South Africa, whilst bringing case vs Israel to ICJ, happily hosted ships of Russian Navy while Putin was invading Ukraine. Sadly the SA govt may be motivated by its geopolitical alliance with Russia and China rather than a universal concern for human rights.
673
182
707
Lots of snobby metropolitan "yuck" reactions to me talking about Labour needing to win in Kent and Essex. If we can't win there, it's us there is a problem with, not decent voters in those counties who happily elected many Labour MPs in 1997, 2001 and 2005.
89
77
695
This isn't lobbying or campaigning, it's intimidation and bullying, and targeting an opposition MP suggests the motive is some previous political beef rather than actually changing government policy. I suspect it will have the opposite impact to that intended.
We are outside Wes Streeting MPs office right now. Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists demanding he "step aside." #FreePalestine
395
122
670
A room full of old white Trots, many of them not from Streatham, expressing a desire to sack one of few black MPs. Grotesque.
I was in Streatham constituency tonight for the latest #DemocracyRoadshow. Really positive meeting and a unanimous vote in favour of #MandatoryReselection too. And I had the added privilege of meeting Labour movement legend Ted Knight.#ChangeIsComing
167
256
664
I can confidently say that some of the the people who were murdered by Hamas in these kibbutzim probably did more for peace and for the Palestinians in their lives than almost everyone marching through London on Saturday will ever have done.
140
190
693
15% poll leads don't happen by accident. They are possible because we changed the Labour Party. Please elect @labtowin NEC members who will continue to change Labour to get it ready to win. Voting closes on Friday at noon.
315
113
636
This is ridiculous as there isn't a problem with personation in UK elections. Is blatant US Republican style turnout suppression.
Voter ID pilots planned in five areas for 2018 elections to combat fraud
56
484
641
This sort of personalised invective and insults seems completely disproportionate to any political disagreement Owen might have with Keir. All staggeringly childish.
A professional political conman - that’s @Keir_Starmer - sacks someone who, unlike him, has principle and courage, and knows what solidarity means.
215
40
607
Standing next to a flag, terrible campaign idea, will never work for a centre left party with a reassuring, competent leader trying to oust a populist right-winger. Oh.
295
76
626
Thank you to everyone who voted to re-elect me to the NEC. I'm delighted and humbled to have topped the poll, with twice the number of votes required to get elected, for the second time. Congratulations to my @labtowin colleagues @JohannaBaxter @gsjosan & @AbdiDuale_.
96
51
619
Remind me whether local members decided the shortlist for the Coventry South MP selection during the Corbyn era?.
Liverpool Labour Party members must be able to select their own candidates. This undemocratic interference has to end.
31
95
633
Lesson for CLPs - it doesn't matter how overwhelmingly you pass Remain policy, if you send Momentum delegates to conference they will contrive a way not to vote for it. Never, ever elect these people as delegates again.
26
148
596
I look like a gammon because of the side effects of surviving a life-threatening neurological illness that also left me disabled, but thanks for your complexion related abuse, comrade.
52
171
615
Because he is part of the problem not part of solving it.
Richard Burgon 'has not signed and won't be signing' anti-Semitism pledge.
42
101
612
Ukraine isn't a "complex global situation", it's the unprovoked invasion of a free country by a more powerful autocratic neighbour, involving gratuitous slaughter of civilians. The issue people have with "Stop the War" is that it only seems to be interested in stopping some wars.
The continued attacks on the Stop the War Coalition is a damning indictment on our political culture and ability to tolerate different political opinions on complex global situations. 1/3
223
98
602
I intend to vote for this motion at NEC tomorrow.
BREAKING: Labour's ruling NEC will tomorrow consider a motion proposed by Keir Starmer formally blocking Jeremy Corbyn from being a Labour candidate at the next election.
537
56
575
Just for clarity, if you are an apologist for Putin or China or Hamas or antisemitism, or you think Corbyn was anything other than a disaster for Labour and a moral disgrace, I DO NOT WANT your vote in the NEC elections. Please go through all 19 candidates and put me 19th. Thanks.
902
54
573
Sick. We'll know when Labour deserves to be elected again when people who come out with this sort of disgusting discourse are nowhere near the party.
Membership of Labour Friends of Israel should automatically disqualify a person from the Labour leadership race. It’d be as absurd as members electing a leader in the 80s who’d joined Labour Friends of Apartheid South Africa. Wrong then, wrong now.
29
136
600
I'm not sure they are up for a ceasefire.
Hamas Official Ghazi Hamad: We Will Repeat the October 7 Attack Time and Again Until Israel Is Annihilated; We Are Victims - Everything We Do Is Justified #Hamas #Gaza #Palestinians
182
188
614
Criticising NATO is not a "bog standard left position". It's a fellow traveller position. NATO was created by Attlee and Bevin and supported by every Labour government, and only an extreme fringe have ever opposed it.
@Baddiel Arguing that somebody who criticises a Western military alliance - a bog standard left position - is therefore "pro-Russia" is straightforward McCarthyism, compounded by your ignorance of that person protesting against Russia. Have you ever gone on a protest against Putin?.
15
165
558
I don't understand how taking cash to lobby ministers when you are an MP isn't a criminal offence along the lines of Misconduct in Public Office.
10
87
567
Watching #Election97 and had enough of living on nostalgia for glory days of my 20s - I want Labour results like this in the future not just the past.
54
55
600
Momentum's latest email says "The results for Die Linke may have been disappointing in the national elections". They are bemoaning the performance of the ex-communist Die Linke, while not even mentioning that Labour's sister party, the SPD, won the general election.
59
97
548
There's been a lot of calling out of Mick Lynch over his bizarre remarks about Ukraine, not enough about his reprehensible comments about the genocide and gulag system being perpetrated by China against the Muslim Uyghurs, which he randomly compares to Leicester.
429
155
550
Latest email from Stop the War calls for Ukraine not to be armed, and for there not to be sanctions as these "inflame the situation". Basically just a call for Russia to win, accompanied by half-heartedly asking them to withdraw. Here's the text:
75
116
543
All these people still tweeting "when is Keith going to announce Labour's cost of living policy" when Keir has literally said this afternoon that a comprehensive plan is being announced on Monday.
245
56
506
Don't get why anyone on the left would back the Greens, when they oppose the house building that is needed to solve one of UK's most acute social and economic problems, lack of affordable housing.
391
75
552
Personally, I preferred it when Labour aspired to landslide majorities rather than hung parliaments, and was able to focus on gaining 8 seats in Kent rather than defensive battles to save former coalfield strongholds.
41
83
545
Curtice: biggest increase in Labour's vote in a Scottish byelection since 1945. Labour vote share back to 2010 level.
57
101
519
Odd that organisers objected to this placard but not blatantly antisemitic ones.
Stop The War stewards blocked my way at the start of Palestine march today. They objected to my placard?. Said I was "a troublemaker". "We are here to stop you," they said. "We know what you did at the Ukraine march." I supported arming Ukraine.@J_Bloodworth @Ozkaterji @im_PULSE
103
129
549
Perhaps people could wake up and realise there is a connection between antisemitic attacks, whether in Dagestan or Stamford Hill, and lurid, exagerated, demonising language about Israel commiting "genocide", "collective punishment" or "carpet-bombing".
723
121
541
It's just sunk in that this time next year we might have a Labour Government. It's been far, far too long. Looking forward to a year of campaigning for a better, fairer country. Join us:
346
96
515
There is genuine pathos in someone Labour being nostalgic for a single opinion poll rather than 3 actual Labour governments with landslide majorities.
23
60
527
I really care about my union, Unite. It does great industrial work for its members. I've been in it or its predecessors for 27 years. I'm very sad to see the union of Ernie Bevin, Bill Morris, Ken Jackson, Clive Jenkins, Frank Chapple, making laughably silly political decisions.
36
93
508
I've spent the last four years as an NEC member working to change the Labour Party to get it ready to win and change Britain. Tomorrow I hope to be elected as MP for North Durham so I can be part of bringing change to communities here which desperately need a Labour Government.
239
50
525
I don't like the sniping at @Ed_Miliband. It takes humility and team spirit and courageous self-awareness of what went wrong to come back and serve again after having been leader. Back off and let him contribute.
29
41
510
Just checking I've correctly understood this. Small numbers of people on left stopping voting Labour = definitely entirely Keir's fault. Massive numbers of other people starting voting Labour = nothing to do with Keir, just osmosis or gravity or something.
238
59
496
What Keir actually said: Labour "will never again lose sight of its purpose or its morals. And it will never again be brought to its knees by racism or bigotry. If you don’t like that, if you don’t like the changes we have made, I say the door is open and you can leave.".
Starmerism is determined to permanently eradicate the left from the Labour party - and thus from English politics almost altogether. My new column 👇.
265
75
487
Always bemused by people whose primary political cause is abolition of the world's only Jewish state getting affronted at the suggestion they might be a bit antisemitic.
227
73
529
He's probably done more to set back left wing ideas in British politics than anyone since Ramsay MacDonald.
Jeremy Corbyn really is the best of us. A principled, decent man who has brought left-wing ideas back to the forefront of British politics. No lucrative speaking gigs await - just more tireless activism to improve the lot of working class people across the globe. A titan.
53
60
495
30,000 people have joined the Labour Party since the beginning of September. Join them here:
298
155
465
Yesterday was a really positive day for Labour as we set out clear and bold policies on the cost-of-living crisis. But still there was sniping and negativity from the Hard Left. Please make sure you use your NEC vote to ensure we have an NEC 100% focused on winning not whining.
469
78
483
How anyone can get from watching the horror of what's happening in Ukraine to arguing that we don't need NATO and a strategic nuclear deterrent is beyond me. We live in a tougher geopolitical neighbourhood than we wanted to believe, & we need to be serious about defence.
71
76
500
And until members grow up from this infantile hatred of their most successful leader, Labour will keep losing.
In the question of the future of the Labour Party, no version of the answer includes Tony Blair. None.
22
86
505
Because the one thing that really needs changing about Labour is that we need to spend more time trying to deselect MPs. Divisive codswallop.
NEW: Rebecca Long-Bailey set to announce support for open selections in "democratic revolution" plan:
155
87
496
Sounds like @Keir_Starmer has succeeded in passing a more radical package of party democratic reform in one week than his predecessors often painstakingly took a year of painful infighting to achieve. Well done every member who elected sound delegates. You made this happen.
25
58
487
Maybe there could be a ballot of the movement, to see how much support Keir has. .
Keir has the PLP. Jeremy has the movement. The movement hasn’t backed Keir. Stay & we can build our own force within the Labour Party.
48
46
508
Not impressed by resigners from frontbench. Labour MPs should show moral leadership to their constituents and stand with Israel as it fights Hamas.
643
63
484
George McManus is a longstanding Momentum-backed member of Labour's National Policy Forum. This is pretty naked antisemitism, jumping straight to the medieval Christian version.
65
338
475
Have had about a dozen people make what they think are hilarious jokes about my skin colour today, in fact I get "jokes" - actually just ignorant insults about it almost every day, so for their benefit here's a fact sheet about my medical condition:
101
45
493
If this is an attempt by Howard to make Keir look bad, it rather fails, as all the income as a lawyer is from before he was leader, and the other "second jobs" appear to be rather worthy unpaid roles. But he did go to a football match and a rugby match. Shocking stuff.
95
56
458
Hearing that mainstream candidates won every single CLP rep seat at the Labour East regional conference, Momentum won none.
202
34
444
Just to be a rulebook nerd, all candidates have to be endorsed by the NEC. A local CLP can't just go and pick who they fancy.
🚨 EXCL. Jeremy Corbyn: Keir can’t ban me, I will stand as Labour MP if members agree.
175
57
474
He literally said "equality" was one of the 4 values that were central to his politics.
Starmer did not mention inequality once. Such an omission would be remarkable for a Labour leader even during an economic boom – but it’s utterly astonishing in the midst of a pandemic that has seen inequality skyrocket. Me for @tribunemagazine
21
44
476
As a Unite member I feel the £3 per member per year it costs the union to affiliate to the Labour Party is rather better value for money that the £100 million spent on a hotel in Birmingham (actual value less than £30m).
113
64
464
I'm fascinated that according to the Hard Left everyone Labour who wins is a "socialist" and everyone else isn't. They are now embracing Andy Burnham as a "socialist". How do they measure this? There's no difference in policy or positioning between Andy and any other Labour mayor.
352
59
457
The reason Israeli food is similar to Arab food isn't colonial cultural appropriation, it's that half of Israeli Jews are from families that were refugees from Morocco, Iraq, Egypt, Yemen and other Middle Eastern countries
26
69
473
For the record, I voted for the proscription by the Labour Party of Labour Left Alliance, Socialist Labour Network and Alliance for Workers' Liberty at today's NEC meeting.
126
38
440
Today I was officially sworn in as Labour MP for North Durham
121
26
475
Delighted to have been selected today by Labour members in St Mary's Ward to be one of their candidates for this May's Oxford City Council election. It's a really interesting marginal ward held by Green Party for many years. Can't wait to get campaigning!.
189
28
460
I'm an MP??? Brilliant news, can't wait to tell my mum and dad.
23
24
444
Looking forward to representing Labour members who want to get on with beating the Tories at this afternoon's NEC meeting, will be shrugging off any divisive attempts to distract us from this mission from the voices of yesteryear.
375
58
434