Stig Abel
Appearances
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
And what is the Albania deal?
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
So this isn't the kind of money you or I would be spending on clothes. It is quite a lot of money. According to Starmer's register of interest, he's received £18,625 worth of work clothes and multiple pairs of glasses. Here's Starmer addressing the controversy in this clip from The Telegraph. See if you can catch his message.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Yeah, I know you're saying it's different, but I mean, it doesn't seem that different. I mean, like the general public was against the Rwanda plan. I mean, surely something like this they would be against as well. It's not different enough.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
So Zoe, you put a lot of effort into trying to rebalance all the myths and disinformation really about migrants. And I noticed that you're on TikTok. I follow you on there. You are truly doing the Lord's work. Thanks, I hate it. Pretty negatively. you received some pretty negative reactions. Why do you do this work on social media?
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Why is it better to be out there than trying to be on mainstream media? I know you do do a lot of that, but I just find it interesting in terms of like directly reaching the public.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Yeah, so the thing that is off about this is that despite this being within the confines of the rules, the rules are a little bit, well, fucked, aren't they?
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
It is incredible to me how little people know about other countries. I know it sounds weird. I was having a conversation, one of those like uncomfortable conversations you have to have because it's a holiday and someone's brought their in-laws and whatever, and you sort of begrudgingly have this conversation.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
And I remember talking to someone and they said this line being like, I just don't understand why they come here. Why can't they stay in their own countries? And I'm like, well, because their own country's in war, for example. Well, then they should get that sorted then. They should stay there and sort it out.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
You know at this moment we're being like, wow, you really know very little about how it is in other countries. And how do you expect them to sort it out?
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
And you have this moment being like, well, what do you think will happen? You know, some of these places are not functioning. Democracy is like, you know, dealing with militias with guns.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Good migrants, bad migrants, human or not?
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Well, it's the old escape goat in the book, right? And, you know, in times of economic downturn and, you know, let's be honest, government mismanagement, government ideologically pursuing an agenda of neoliberalism and giving favours to millionaires and billionaires and so on, who better to blame than the migrants?
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Do you think we can actually ever have a good conversation about migration without talking about rebalancing the economic gap in Britain?
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Even if it is within the rules, you know, when Johnson was in power, the opposition were spending a lot of time talking about how it was within the rules for them to fundraise for their decorating their flats or whatever. But it wasn't the spirit of the rules.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Well, Zoe Gardner, thank you for joining us on Pod Save the UK. And seriously, do check out her work on social media. It is very, very good. We will put a link in our show notes or you can just search the name. Thank you so much.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
The spirit of the rules is to try and ensure that people, that politicians don't live excessive lives that are far away from the people and that they are also not being unduly influenced, so to speak. So there's a sense that the spirit of the rules isn't being followed here.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Now, last week, we invited you all to send in your ideas for unpopular policies that might make the UK a better place for all of us. And you've responded in your droves. We're very grateful for it.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
I'm loving this, like, diversion into history podcast that we're doing.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Anyway, on to some of your unpopular ideas. We've had loads in and again, a really big thank you to everyone that took the time. One of the other topics that many of you were excited about was home ownership. Jez wrote in to say we should implement Wales's second home council TAC rules and take those nationwide, make it an escalator for third homes, fourth homes nationwide. etc.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
It's a very interesting suggestion, so let's explain it. In Wales, from April 2017, councils were able to charge up to an extra 100% of the standard rate of council tax on long-term empty dwellings. England and Scotland have since followed suit, but from 2023, the premium in Wales increased to up to 300%. The Welsh Government says the policies are designed to bring long-term empty properties to
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Thank you so much for joining us. Well, kind of. There's been an increase in the number of homes on the market, but actual sales do remain low. Local real estate agents claim that the properties coming onto the market are too expensive for first-time buyers and that many homes are being listed, but they're exploiting the loophole of the extra tax not being payable if the house is listed for sale.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Yeah, there's been a few, isn't it? Glasses gate. I've actually come up with my own version, if you want to hear. Threads dread. What? Because it's about clothes, isn't it?
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Despite that, though, it doesn't seem to be something that the Labour Party are interested in. So in the run up to the election, Labour said it's not looking to change up council tax banding. And since being in government, Housing Minister and Deputy PM Angela Rayner has refused to rule out scrapping the 25% council tax discount for single occupiers.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
That might be another of the government's forewarned tough decisions and is sure to be unpopular.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
I don't know them. So I don't know who they are. As Zoe very succinctly pointed out, some of the least integrated in the UK are the ultra wealthy. I don't know one. I do not have one. I don't have their number on my phone. There's no one they can... Zoe? Doesn't bother me.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Well, they always say the same thing, isn't it? Because they always say, oh, if we do that, then the 1% will leave. We're just all really sad about that, I guess. I don't know where they're going to go. Monaco, lame. I don't want to go there anyway.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
I don't think it was at night. I don't think that happened at night.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
No, I know, I know.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
No, but I was just thinking, well, that would be extra weird, wouldn't it?
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
So we've had, yeah, we've had some wonderful suggestions.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Oh, wow. Wow. Should we go for a romantic kettling? Wow.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
For criminal charges as well. Gosh, I kind of hope that they got together because that would be such a wonderful wedding speech.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Wow. I once had a date to go and see Alien.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Is that fine?
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Well, I mean, Downfall's horrific in its own way as well.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Yeah, no, it is a happy ending. It is a happy ending. No, no, it is. And finally, we had one in from Yayin. My most painfully left-wing date was seeing Nish's show in Glasgow this week. 100% would do it again. Aw, Nish, you really are... Doing your bit for Podshag the UK. You're keeping it going. You're providing entertainment for left-wing dates.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Podshag the UK never dies.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
You should get that on the poster, my friend.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
And that's it. Thank you for listening to Pod Save the UK. And we want to hear your thoughts. We want to know what you think about Starmer's donations and how money infects British politics. Email us at psuk at reducelistening.co.uk.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Pod Save the UK is a reduced listening production for Crooked Media.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Our theme music is by Vasilis Fotopoulos.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
The executive producers are Anishka Sharma, Dan Jackson and Madeleine Herringer with additional support from Ari Schwartz.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Well, the Prime Minister has had his say on that. And next time you interview him, you could ask him yourself. I don't have an opinion on what the Prime Minister does in these instances. Wow.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
So it's threads.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
In a way, Dame Andrea Eagle's answer, because other politicians have been saying things like, well, you know, there's no prime ministerial budget for clothes and other countries have it. I think those comments are really... out of touch with the people. Do you know what I mean? Because that's sort of saying, well, why are you getting angry about it? This is just what we do. Us in politics.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Okay, that's not working. I can see that's not working. Okay, what about this?
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
And I'm Coco Karn. Nish, I can't believe it's happened so soon. We have a new scandal. A new gate.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Well, you know, definitely the way it's being presented in the press, there is... They are trying to present this moral equivalence between stuff that the Conservatives did and this scandal. I'm not saying that it's... not a problem what's going on, but nonetheless, it's not the same. And you know, you really, people want a proper break from the Conservatives.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
And this is just not a good look for Labour.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
I just thought like a new way that we could talk about it. Like, oh, have you heard about the threads dread?
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Now, what the government really wanted to be talking about, and this is a very much overdue change, is the environment. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband spoke to the Energy UK annual conference to set out the government's mission for clean power. Now, there's not much new here, but the tone is a market shift. Much more optimistic, much more enthusiastic.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Miliband's core points were that the cost of living crisis exposed the failures in our energy security and that renewable energy is the way forward. But check out the tone shift in this video from Miliband's Twitter.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Okay, what about this? Garms. That's what the kids on the street call clothes.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Starmer's garm drama. Yeah.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Don't you think it's got more, you know, theatre than Frockgate or Glassesgate or Freebiegate? Starmer's Garm Drama.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
No, absolutely. And look, you know, a lot of this stuff does remain to be seen. There is still that problem of the Treasury and... These projects need money. Will they get that money? But it's just nice to hear some optimism and some enthusiasm. And I know much is made of Ed Miliband's infectious puppy dog energy, but he is also very, very competent. And I'm surprised they don't make more of him.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
That's my thought. If you're listening, Ed, please come on our show. I'd love to just have a chat. We can talk about Batman and the environment. We could do that, couldn't we, Nish?
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Anyway, let's discuss someone that has been on our show. Some interesting murmurs about a potential new progressive party broke out over the weekend. The Guardian reports that a number of influential British lefties, including Jeremy Corbyn, filmmaker Ken Loach, Unite director Len McCluskey, held a private meeting to discuss a new party called Collective.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
I mean, yeah, it's really interesting. I mean, I do wonder, though, you know, if there's an issue about splitting the left.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Yeah. Also, I feel sorry for the Greens a little bit. Imagine them reading this being like, excuse me, a new party? You haven't even given us a real go.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Yeah, in this parliament, sure. But when we go to a general election, if you have all these multiple parties, what will that mean then?
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
Well, we'll definitely be keeping an eye on it, that is for sure. Now, after the break, we're joined by a very special guest to find out what Keir Starmer's been up to in Italy this week.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
So Keir Starmer, all dressed up in a green tie and one of his fancy pairs of glasses, has been on a state visit to Italy this week to meet Giorgio Maloney, the Italian Prime Minister. The main reason for the visit was to learn from Italy's immigration plans, which has cut small boat crossings in the Mediterranean by almost two thirds in the past year, from 118,000 to 44,500.
Pod Save the UK
Starmer’s Garm Drama + the Government looks right on immigration w/ Zoe Gardner
So can you break down what exactly Italy has been doing to deter irregular immigration that means Starmer seeks the advice of Georgia Maloney?