Sir Keir Starmer is branded untrustworthy and timid by union barons as they warn him not to ‘go down the route of Tony Blair’

• The Labour leader also came under pressure to repeal all anti-strike laws

By Martin Beckford Policy Editor

Published: 17:37 EDT, 11 September 2023 | Updated: 18:37 EDT, 11 September 2023

Joe Biden softened his campaign pledge to reopen most of the nation’s schools only eight days after taking office, a new book has claimed, in a bid to appease the powerful head of a teachers’ union, Randi Weingarten.

Biden in July 2020 laid out a plan, on the campaign trail, to bring students back to classrooms.

After the election, on December 8, 2020, he reiterated his intention to reopen most schools within the first 100 days of his presidency.

‘It should be a national priority to get our kids back into school and keep them in school,’ said Biden.

‘If Congress provides the funding, we need to protect students, educators and staff.

‘If states and cities put strong public health measures in place that we all follow, then my team will work to see that the majority of our schools can be open by the end of my first 100 days.’

Yet almost immediately on taking office, his stance shifted, writes author Franklin Foer in a new book about Biden’s first two terms, The Last Politician. 

The move has been condemned as devastating for children’s educations – particularly those already deprived who were less likely to be supported with online learning. 

COVID school closures and mask wearing have also been blamed for serious issues with children’s psychological development and mental health.

Weingarten was a major Democrat fundraiser, through her union, and the new president needed to keep her on side.

Foer, in excerpts of his book analyzed by The New York Post, called the watering down of the campaign promise ‘the price of peace’.

Foer writes that, on January 28, 2021, Biden rang Weingarten – who had initially welcomed his campaign plan to reopen schools, but was now calling for the pace to be checked.

Biden, Foer writes, told Weingarten that ‘he knew she was taking a lot of heat around the reopening of schools.’

Teachers were concerned about resuming in-person classes, and Biden told Weingarten that he heard their fears, and that ‘he was an abiding friend.’

He told her: ‘I am not abandoning you on schools. I want you to know that.’

The week before, on January 21 – Biden’s first full day in office – his wife Jill, herself a teacher, had invited Weingarten and Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, to the White House.

Jill Biden told the pair that Weingarten was the ‘type of general who is never far from the front lines.’

The first lady added, according to Foer: ‘I said I was going to bring you with me into the White House. And on day one, you’re here.’

On February 9, the White House subtly adjusted the guidance on school reopening, to water down the promise to reopen ‘the majority of our schools’ within Biden’s first 100 days.

Under the new plan, only schools up to 8th grade would reopen – and they would be considered ‘open’ if they had students in their classrooms one day a week.

‘His goal that he set is to have the majority of schools — so, more than 50 percent — open by day 100 of his presidency,’ said Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary.

‘And that means some teaching in classrooms.

‘So, at least one day a week. Hopefully, it’s more.

‘And obviously, it is as much as is safe in each school and local district.’

Subsequent text messages and emails between Weingarten and Biden administration officials showed Weingarten worried about reopening schools too quickly.

On February 12, 2021, guidance on school reopening was issued by the government.

In a draft copy obtained by The New York Times, the guidance said ‘all schools can provide in-person instruction’.

Weingarten objected, Foer writes, and the language was changed to to ‘all schools have options to provide in-person instruction.’

Weingarten’s union, the AFT, gave more than $2.6 million to Democratic candidates during the 2020 election cycle, according to the political donation tracking website OpenSecrets.

Pringle’s group, the NEA, gave more than $2.4 million.

Biden himself received more than $245,000 from teacher’s unions during the campaign, more than four times the amount taken in by the next-closest candidate, Bernie Sanders.

By Patrick Djordjevic For Dailymail.Com

Published: 17:48 EDT, 15 August 2023 | Updated: 20:55 EDT, 15 August 2023

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President Joe Biden will announce his re-election bid after he gives his State of the Union address in February, according to new reports Thursday, as his advisers dismiss the classified documents scandal as ‘DC elite’ making ‘DC noise.’

Biden will give the speech on February 7th in the House of Representatives, where he’ll expected to use the prime time television event to emphasize his administration’s accomplishments, stress the importance of bipartisanship and governing, and tout the country’s strengthening economy.

‘We want him to be a president at State of the Union, not a candidate,’ a person close to Biden told NBC News. 

Meanwhile, his close inner circle of longtime aides have been on lockdown as they prepare for Biden’s 2024 re-election bid, trying to hold off any leaks about their plans and avoid triggering any legal issues with the Federal Election Commission.

But plans are moving full steam ahead and are unaffected by the appointment of a special counsel to investigate the classified material Biden had at his D.C. think tank and Wilmington, Delaware, home – an issue that has engulfed the White House in the past week.

Several of Biden advisers told CNN that it’s simply the ‘DC elite’ making ‘DC noise,’ referring to it merely as the latest passing obsession. 

They also argue the questions from reporters and lawmakers on Capitol Hill are from those who won’t accept that Biden is ‘honoring his promise to a T by upholding the rule of law and respecting DOJ’s process.’ 

But, despite the argument from Biden’s team, the revelation the president had classified material in his personal possessions has affected Biden’s standing with the public.

Biden’s approval rating is getting back toward the lowest numbers of his presidency – despite coming off a strong performance by Democrats in the midterm election and the growing economy. 

A Reuters-Ipsos poll – conducted amid the fallout of the documents scandal – found only 40 percent of Americans approved of Biden’s performance as president. 

Biden advisers have argued the documents won’t be a political issue by the time the November 2024 contest rolls around but Republicans will be intent on keeping the administration’s crisis front and center.

Donald Trump, who is running for again in 2024, has been hammering Biden on the issue. The former president, who is being investigated by a special counsel for his own classified document scandal, is portraying himself as a victim of a double standard.  

Meanwhile, House Republicans, in addition to holding hearings on the classified documents, plan to investigate Hunter Biden’s business dealings, the ‘weaponization’ of the federal government and the crisis at the Southern border – all areas they see as Biden weak spots. 

The White House plan has always been to continue with the business of governing and to show Biden being presidential. 

Additionally, since the New Year began Biden’s schedule has been filled with events that can easily transform into a campaign message – including a trip to the Southern border.  

Biden’s age – he is 80 – and his health remain a factor. He is the oldest president in American history.

A health issue for him or his family is one of the few things that could derail any plans for a second term. 

First lady Jill Biden recently underwent a cancer scare – she was pronounced cancer free by White House Dr. Kevin O’Connor on Wednesday – and President Biden has faced questions about his advancing age. If he wins a second term he will be 86 when he leaves the White House.

Officials have said he will have his annual physical soon and, if he has it before he announces a second bid, it could take some of the pressure off the age question. Additionally, if it reveals a health issue, it could also allow the Biden family to reassess their 2024 plans. 

Some Democrats have argued it’s time for a new generation of leadership in the party. Nancy Pelosi recently stepped down as the Democratic leader in Congress – although she remains a member of the House of Representatives – but odds of Biden facing a primary challenger are slim.

It’s highly unusual to challenge a sitting president who is running for a second term. And the fact Democrats held off a predicted Republican wave in the midterm election has strengthened Biden’s credentials as the leader of his party.

Powerful Democratic powerbroker Rep. Jim Clyburn – a longtime Biden ally – said he is all in for a second Biden term.

‘I’m all-in for President Biden,’ he told CBS’ Robert Costa. ‘I think he’s demonstrated, in these two years … that he is deserving of re-election. And I do believe he will be re-elected irrespective of who the Republicans, they put up.’

Ahead of President Joe Biden‘s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, Republican lawmakers told DailyMail.com that they want to see the commander-in-chief pledge to rein in federal spending and be ‘truthful’ with Americans about the current threats to U.S. homeland security.

The president will be delivering his first speech to a divided Congress, tasked with bringing a unifying message to a Republican-controlled House of Representatives and a Democrat-held Senate.

But before he even begins, Biden’s address is already likely to be overshadowed by the recent diplomatic incident caused by a suspected Chinese ‘spy balloon’ floating over multiple U.S. states at a low enough altitude to be seen with the naked eye – alarming millions across the country. Multiple GOP lawmakers told DailyMail.com that he will need to address the near-crisis.

Meanwhile, some House Republicans indicated they’re already skeptical of what Biden will bring to the table.

Republican Study Committee Chairman Kevin Hern (R-OK), among the conservatives leading the charge for spending cuts to offset raising the U.S. debt limit, pointed out that the president’s speech is coming one day after he’s expected to miss a statutory deadline for submitting a budget proposal to Congress for the next fiscal year. 

And China hawks within the GOP conference, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) and Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), are demanding that Biden give Americans answers on what happened regarding China’s suspected surveillance device.

Waltz also called on Biden to broach the crisis at the southern border – an issue that’s been an albatross for the White House for much of his term.

‘This Chinese spy balloon was a wake-up call and I believe a Sputnik moment for the country,’ Waltz told DailyMail.com in reference to the infamous Soviet satellite that epitomized the 20th Century space race.

‘President Biden needs to be honest with the American people that the Chinese Communist Party is in a Cold War with the us and this needs to be made a priority for our country.’

Johnson, a member of the House Select Committee on China, shared a similar call for accountability on Tuesday night.

‘President Biden should absolutely use this moment to express to the American people what in the world happened,’ the South Dakota congressman told DailyMail.com. 

Waltz also said Biden ‘needs to be truthful about the threat of our open southern border.’

Biden made his first visit to the border as president just last month, amid growing pressure from federal, state and local authorities. He did not appear to meet with any migrants during the brief trip.

Back home in Washington, meanwhile, the president is facing pressure from GOP critics to present his budget for the next fiscal year – which Roll Call reported won’t be given to Congress until next month.  

Hern, who unveiled the Republican Study Committee’s own proposals for cutting spending to raise the debt limit last week, questioned what Biden could share with Congress about the country’s future without details on how he wants to spend its dollars.

‘February 6th is the deadline for Biden’s budget request – and he’s coming to speak to Congress the very next day. Without a budget, what does he have to present to us?’ the Oklahoma Republican asked.

‘Americans made it clear that they’re sick of the spending; they know what the Biden Administration refuses to admit, that every dollar Biden spends comes from the American taxpayers.

 ‘Anything short of a full commitment to cut spending and balance the budget is a failure of leadership from this president.’

The White House and House Republicans are gridlocked on how to move forward raising the debt limit in order to avoid a massive national default.

Conservatives have made clear that they won’t allow a clean increase without offsetting it with future spending cuts. But Democrats are standing firm on the debt ceiling being an ‘obligation’ of the U.S. government rather than a bargaining point.

At the RSC’s regular luncheon last week, Hern unveiled a set of proposals to cut back on discretionary spending and advancing ‘targeted, paid-for, pro-growth tax policies’ among others.

The set of proposals, obtained by DailyMail.com, also includes calls to enact ‘inflation-busting reforms to increase domestic energy capacity and reduce associated regulatory and permitting barriers.’

Hern’s plan would also streamline ‘duplicative programs’ and attempt to avert another such crisis by codifying ‘procedures to ensure the federal government honors certain critical obligations’ like debt payments, veterans’ care, social security and Medicare.