Jeremy Corbyn’s refusal to recognise the hand of the Russian state in the Salisbury attack puts him at odds with the British government and its intelligence services, Nato, the United Nations Security Council, France, America, Germany and a host of other allies.

It also serves as a reminder that if the British label you an enemy, Corbyn’s ears prick up and he detects a comrade. For decades, the Labour leader’s instincts and sympathies have seen him stand in solidarity with IRA bombers, socialist dictators and Islamist terror groups.

A charitable reading is that he is drawn to the underdog. A more accurate interpretation is that he, along with those closest to him, is motivated by a 30-year history of anti-Western sentiment. Corbyn invited IRA members to parliament, and protested outside the trial of the Brighton bombers. He lauded Hugo Chavez, even as the regime collapsed into authoritarian misery.

Read more: Shadow ministers contradict Corbyn over Russia

He described internationally recognised terror groups as his friends. He was a regular on propaganda channels of brutal regimes, including Iran’s Press TV, the Kremlin’s RT and even Chavez’s own phone-in show.

His office is staffed with individuals of the same warped philosophy, including a former Communist Party member with a soft spot for Stalin.

All of this is dismissed by his cheerleaders as smears, despite being documented and verifiable. I drag it all up again now because his shameful position on the Salisbury attack is a very modern example of his judgement being shaped by the history he has of backing any cause, as long as it is anti-Western. He’s a student union activist a heartbeat away from the world stage, and people should be very worried. I won’t tire of saying it: on matters of foreign policy and security, Corbyn’s values and priorities make him irreparably unfit for office and a danger to the country.

Raising awareness of trafficking

To M Restaurant in Victoria tonight, where hospitality guru Martin Williams is raising money to combat sex trafficking and modern slavery with the charity Not For Sale. Getting women off the street and into work is the mission of the charity, and Williams has raided his contact book to bring out some star support from the likes of Gary Barlow, Tinie Tempah and rugby legend Simon Shaw. Trafficking remains a hidden issue and it’s good to see such efforts to raise awareness and offer a way out.

The IoD strides on

On Monday I interviewed the PM of Malta, Joseph Muscat. The conversation took place on stage at the IoD’s Open House festival, which has replaced their traditional annual conference at the Albert Hall. It has been a difficult time for the IoD and it was good to see their Pall Mall HQ buzzing with a young crowd, soaking up the atmosphere of debate, conversation and ideas. With a bit of luck, the organisation will be able to put the past couple of weeks behind it.

Read more: Institute of Directors chair "steps aside" after misconduct allegations

Youth embrace financial services

Good news, readers: young people don’t hate you. To put it another way, Generation Z have a broadly positive view of the financial services sector. The Lord Mayor, Charles Bowman, worked with the research group Britain Thinks to survey the attitudes of Gen Z (born between 1995 and 2012) towards financial services. They conducted roundtables across the country and, in general, those aged 18-29 were more positive about the sector than older generations. The naivety of youth, or a welcome turning point?

City A.M. bucks the industry trend

Permit me to blow a little trumpet on behalf of all at City A.M. as the latest national audit figures, released yesterday, show that we’re the only newspaper whose circulation is not in decline. These are difficult times for media organisations, and everyone has their own strategy. As much as we embrace a digital future the daily newspaper is absolutely core to our identity. My thanks to all the reporters, designers and commercial colleagues who keep us on the streets.

Read more: The Golden Age of newspapers approaches

Original Article

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CityAM

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Jeremy Corbyn’s refusal to recognise the hand of the Russian state in the Salisbury attack puts him at odds with the British government and its intelligence services, Nato, the United Nations Security Council, France, America, Germany and a host of other allies.

It also serves as a reminder that if the British label you an enemy, Corbyn’s ears prick up and he detects a comrade. For decades, the Labour leader’s instincts and sympathies have seen him stand in solidarity with IRA bombers, socialist dictators and Islamist terror groups.

A charitable reading is that he is drawn to the underdog. A more accurate interpretation is that he, along with those closest to him, is motivated by a 30-year history of anti-Western sentiment. Corbyn invited IRA members to parliament, and protested outside the trial of the Brighton bombers. He lauded Hugo Chavez, even as the regime collapsed into authoritarian misery.

Read more: Shadow ministers contradict Corbyn over Russia

He described internationally recognised terror groups as his friends. He was a regular on propaganda channels of brutal regimes, including Iran’s Press TV, the Kremlin’s RT and even Chavez’s own phone-in show.

His office is staffed with individuals of the same warped philosophy, including a former Communist Party member with a soft spot for Stalin.

All of this is dismissed by his cheerleaders as smears, despite being documented and verifiable. I drag it all up again now because his shameful position on the Salisbury attack is a very modern example of his judgement being shaped by the history he has of backing any cause, as long as it is anti-Western. He’s a student union activist a heartbeat away from the world stage, and people should be very worried. I won’t tire of saying it: on matters of foreign policy and security, Corbyn’s values and priorities make him irreparably unfit for office and a danger to the country.

Raising awareness of trafficking

To M Restaurant in Victoria tonight, where hospitality guru Martin Williams is raising money to combat sex trafficking and modern slavery with the charity Not For Sale. Getting women off the street and into work is the mission of the charity, and Williams has raided his contact book to bring out some star support from the likes of Gary Barlow, Tinie Tempah and rugby legend Simon Shaw. Trafficking remains a hidden issue and it’s good to see such efforts to raise awareness and offer a way out. (more…)