Jeremy Corbyn - Not Not Labour Party(?), not a Communist (BBC)
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Hope he does make a LVG type purge of all the deadwood.
The trident issue is coming up. He really can't afford to give another free vote but at the same time he can't be seen to be hypocritical. He has to purge.
All options available to him are bad . "Self preservation" should be what he's after at he moment.
All options available to him are bad . "Self preservation" should be what he's after at he moment.
This thread could take years to reach page 225.
Can't see it increasing at the same rate as the first few weeks.
Corbyn rejects call to pull out of Stop the War fundraising event
Labour leader says anti-war group ‘repeatedly called it right’ after former shadow cabinet member Tristram Hunt described coalition as ‘disreputable
Nicholas Watt Chief political correspondent
Sunday 6 December 2015
Jeremy Corbyn has launched a strong defence of the Stop the War Coalition describing them as “a vital democratic campaign” as he rejected a call by the former shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt to pull out of a Christmas fundraising event.
In light of Labour’s byelection victory and his success in securing support among a party majority against the airstrikes in Syria, the Labour leader took a bolder approach in saying the coalition “has repeatedly called it right”.
Corbyn spoke out after Hunt called on him to pull out of a Christmas fundraising event organised by the “disreputable” Stop the War Coalition. Hunt cited “ugly comments” about the shadow foreign secretary, Hilary Benn, and a blog on the coalition’s website which said that Paris was “reaping the whirlwind” of western military intervention in the Middle East. A Labour source pointed out that the Paris blog had been taken down because it did not reflect the organisation’s views.
A spokesperson for Corbyn rsaid: “The anti-war movement has been a vital democratic campaign which organised the biggest demonstrations in British history and has repeatedly called it right over 14 years of disastrous wars in the wider Middle East.
“Jeremy Corbyn rejects any form of abuse in politics from any quarter. But he will not accept attempts to portray campaigning, lobbying and protest as somehow beyond the pale. In fact, it’s at the heart of democracy.”
Corbyn’s strong defence of the Stop the War Coalition came after the Guardian reported on Saturday that he will assert his authority over the shadow cabinet by making clear that Hilary Benn, the shadow foreign secretary, will need to hold the government to account on Syria in line with the thinking of the Labour party.
The Observer reported on Sunday that shadow cabinet ministers are braced for a “revenge reshuffle” of his senior frontbenchers which will see him move some of the eleven shadow cabinet members who voted in favour of the bombing.
The leadership is blaming the reports on Labour figures who are still struggling to come to terms with Corbyn’s leadership and his success in securing a majority in the three main centres of the party for his opposition to the airstrikes. They are the shadow cabinet, the parliamentary Labour party and the wider membership.
Corbyn is understood to have no interest in exacting revenge but is keen to ensure there is “coherence in the leadership team”. That might involve a reshuffle, but after Labour’s success in the Oldham West and Royton byelection and Corbyn’s success in winning majority support for his position on airstrikes, even on a free vote, he wants to concentrate on ensuring that shadow ministers such as Hilary Benn reflect the leader’s thinking.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/dec/06/corbyn-stop-the-war-fundraiser
Labour leader says anti-war group ‘repeatedly called it right’ after former shadow cabinet member Tristram Hunt described coalition as ‘disreputable
Nicholas Watt Chief political correspondent
Sunday 6 December 2015
Jeremy Corbyn has launched a strong defence of the Stop the War Coalition describing them as “a vital democratic campaign” as he rejected a call by the former shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt to pull out of a Christmas fundraising event.
In light of Labour’s byelection victory and his success in securing support among a party majority against the airstrikes in Syria, the Labour leader took a bolder approach in saying the coalition “has repeatedly called it right”.
Corbyn spoke out after Hunt called on him to pull out of a Christmas fundraising event organised by the “disreputable” Stop the War Coalition. Hunt cited “ugly comments” about the shadow foreign secretary, Hilary Benn, and a blog on the coalition’s website which said that Paris was “reaping the whirlwind” of western military intervention in the Middle East. A Labour source pointed out that the Paris blog had been taken down because it did not reflect the organisation’s views.
A spokesperson for Corbyn rsaid: “The anti-war movement has been a vital democratic campaign which organised the biggest demonstrations in British history and has repeatedly called it right over 14 years of disastrous wars in the wider Middle East.
“Jeremy Corbyn rejects any form of abuse in politics from any quarter. But he will not accept attempts to portray campaigning, lobbying and protest as somehow beyond the pale. In fact, it’s at the heart of democracy.”
Corbyn’s strong defence of the Stop the War Coalition came after the Guardian reported on Saturday that he will assert his authority over the shadow cabinet by making clear that Hilary Benn, the shadow foreign secretary, will need to hold the government to account on Syria in line with the thinking of the Labour party.
The Observer reported on Sunday that shadow cabinet ministers are braced for a “revenge reshuffle” of his senior frontbenchers which will see him move some of the eleven shadow cabinet members who voted in favour of the bombing.
The leadership is blaming the reports on Labour figures who are still struggling to come to terms with Corbyn’s leadership and his success in securing a majority in the three main centres of the party for his opposition to the airstrikes. They are the shadow cabinet, the parliamentary Labour party and the wider membership.
Corbyn is understood to have no interest in exacting revenge but is keen to ensure there is “coherence in the leadership team”. That might involve a reshuffle, but after Labour’s success in the Oldham West and Royton byelection and Corbyn’s success in winning majority support for his position on airstrikes, even on a free vote, he wants to concentrate on ensuring that shadow ministers such as Hilary Benn reflect the leader’s thinking.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/dec/06/corbyn-stop-the-war-fundraiser
Corbyn often voted against the party line, free vote or not.
If he penalises others for doing the same he won't get to page 100.
If he penalises others for doing the same he won't get to page 100.
Fair enough to not have dissenters in his cabinet tho, isn't it? Just like he wasn't in Blair or Brown's cabinets. It makes sense to have a cabinet that reflects his views and those of the wider membership, if he can find enough talent and experience to cobble such a cabinet together.
I don't think he will tho.
He probably won't, but I wouldn't blame him if he does. You're not going to have a very productive cabinet if half of them undermine you at any given opportunity. He has the mandate of Labour leader so he's well within his means to fill his cabinet with allies and those that align with his views, not contrarians who would rather force him out.
Ideally he would probably prefer not to have dissenters in his cabinet but he did put them there in the first place, knowing that they were dissenters. There are some good politicians in the Labour party and if he sidelines too many of them it won't go down well with the voting public.
You mean if it was a whipped vote? I'd agree if so. But if they're sacked for their position in a free vote, which he'd agreed to because he didn't want the embarrassment of a mass walkout from the cabinet, it's bullshit.
He also has to be careful that he doesn't create a completely "us and them" situation, whereby his shadow cabinet is made fully of his own supporters. His support among the PLP is so low that in such a situation, you'd have pretty open warfare and likely a second, unofficial shadow cabinet set up.
That's his dilemma. I don't think there's too much inconsistency there, putting experienced people in the first cabinet while he consolidates his position. After a few months he will be better placed to promote his own people, and have a better idea which "opposing" Labour MPs he can work with, and which will be more obstructive.
But yeah, I think as you said he can't afford to get rid of all the experience and talent, most of which isn't allied with him. It'll probably have to be very gradual. People like Benn will be around for a while yet.
It doesn't have to be about the vote, it's about being able to work with them. I don't think he will sack people who disagree on this issue if they are constructive in the way they deal with him generally. If people are being difficult generally he should probably get rid.
I imagine there'd be a high correlation between the two, and people will quite reasonably infer there's causation there too.
Well they're welcome to infer. But it can be justified on the basis of what I said, imo. Even tho I don't think he'll actually do it, because he hasn't got the talent on his side to do without those people.
You could argue that, but there'd also be a justified backlash if the perception took hold that it was a result of the Syria vote (and upcoming Trident renewal). Plus, given he ran on a platform of building consensus, it wouldn't appear great for him that he'd sacked well regarded people on the basis of their disagreeing with him, and stuffed the cabinet full of supporters. But yeah, as leader he can do what he wants with the cabinet, he's just not immune from the reaction.
Corbyn sought out the centrists not the other way around, it wasn't a case of him granting them a favour. When you consider those cabinet members thought to be his closest supporters, they have been amongst the most gaffe prone prone: McDonnell, Abbott, Burgon e.t.c.
His continued association with STW is a blatant provocation, particularly with last week's accusations that MPs personal details were leaked to those opposing air strikes. The man puts on this air of the quietly spoken, dignified politician, yet behind-the-scenes his style of leadership is antagonistic. Corbyn seems to expect unity without cost to himself, a position which fails to recognise his standing within the PLP and the responsibilities of the job.
His continued association with STW is a blatant provocation, particularly with last week's accusations that MPs personal details were leaked to those opposing air strikes. The man puts on this air of the quietly spoken, dignified politician, yet behind-the-scenes his style of leadership is antagonistic. Corbyn seems to expect unity without cost to himself, a position which fails to recognise his standing within the PLP and the responsibilities of the job.
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I guess the thing with that is he gets plenty of shit from all sides whatever he does. So I wouldn't worry about the backlash if was him. The reason not to do it is practical rather than principle imo. And I think that'll end up being the deciding factor. So he will lead a party of many opinions, at least for now.
All I'm saying is he can remove people who are being difficult, it doesn't have to be because they voted against him, it can be because they're being obstructive, briefing against him and there is just a lack of any common ground. Yes there will be some correlation but that doesn't mean causation.
On some issues perhaps there can be compromise... But air strikes and Trident are too core for Corbyn
I can't see him softening his stance on Trident and that will potentially be the issue that brings it to outright hostility
As @Adebesi says, if there was to be a reshuffle, I imagine those who'd lose out would be the people constantly undermining Corbyn through shit-stirring media briefings, not those who have a principled difference of opinion.
Good piece on the true core of StW here from Kate Godfrey - https://medium.com/@KateVotesLabour...rying-and-love-labour-52bfcc6bcb75#.r4nqsi88y
In short, it's hard to go into it at the higher levels and leave smelling clean. I do genuinely wonder about how Corbyn felt being on the right of a political organisation. At least, I hope he was on the right.
Good on Lucas for this. What will Jeremy do?
An interesting and amusing read from Godfrey, thanks. Coincidentally, there is also a section in the article which calls Lucas out on her association with StW.
Being the cynic that i am i do wonder at the sincerity behind her decision, but at least Lucas has seen the wisdom in forcing this separation.
Although Corbyn resigned as Chair in September, he has maintained close ties in the months since and continued to defend the organisation so...
What would you have him do? Harshly criticise an organisation that he had been an integral part of and one that he garners a lot of loyalty from?
He's already resigned as chair, expecting him to stick the knife in is just pushing it.
I expect him not to insist on speaking at the upcoming dinner. But he will, because he doesn't think they've said anything untrue.
And how did you make that assumption based on the sole fact he's speaking at their dinner?
Based on his political career. But you are correct that it's an assumption.
This guy (a Labour member) got thrown out of a Momentum meeting for being a Progress employee.
SWP and the Socialist Party are allowed to give out leaflets calling for Labour MPs to be deselected, though.
Boooooring. This is much more interesting:
From Maoist bicycles to a chilling reminder of the Winter of Discontent, a mischievously witty guide to...the hidden meaning of Comrade Corbyn's Christmas card
By LEO MCKINSTRY FOR THE DAILY MAIL
- Jeremy Corbyn continues tradition of party leaders' Christmas card
- Features a group of bicycles in front of red telephone box covered in snow
- But the card could also reveal insight into Corbyn's character
- See more news on the Labour Party leader at www.dailymail.co.uk/labour
PUBLISHED: 01:53, 16 December 2015 | UPDATED: 08:56, 16 December 2015
The appearance of the party leaders’ Christmas cards has become a ritual of the season. Like the utterances that used to emerge from the Kremlin, each is scrutinised for hidden political messages.
This year, particular attention has focused on the image chosen by Jeremy Corbyn, featuring a group of forlorn bicycles in front of a red telephone kiosk amid deep snow.
No wonder — because the card offers a rather revealing insight into Corbyn’s character and his socialist vision, as LEO McKINSTRY explains...
Jeremy Corbyn's party leaders' Christmas card which could be full of secret political messages
ON YER BIKE!
Corbyn cycles his way around the capital, and the bikes that are the card’s central feature could be seen as a reflection of his much-trumpeted green credentials.
But they may also be a jibe at the famous ‘on your bike’ call made in 1981 by then-Tory Minister Norman Tebbit, when he urged the unemployed to ‘look for work’, instead of rioting. It was a comment that made Tebbit a pantomime villain for Corbynistas.
MAOIST BRITAIN
In the China of Communist dictator Chairman Mao, bicycles were a symbol of the egalitarian socialist system and the country became known as ‘the kingdom of bicycles’.
Perhaps Corbyn is suggesting that he wants to replicate the Chinese leader’s bicycle kingdom in Britain — after all, Mao is a hero among Corbyn’s inner circle, judging by the extraordinary decision by Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell to quote at length from Mao’s Little Red Book in the Commons in response to George Osborne’s Budget.
IT’S A GENDER NEUTRAL MODEL
While Corbyn’s own bike is a man’s Raleigh 300, the one prominent in the picture appears to be a unisex bicycle with a lowered central bar — all very appropriate for the modern, right-on political Left, which regards gender as nothing more than a ‘social construct’ and harps on about sexist oppression.
Yet Corbyn himself has failed to live up to this gender sensitivity. Almost every top job on his front bench has gone to men, while his supporters have become notorious for their macho bullying.
The bike in the Christmas card could be a reflection of Corbyn's (pictured) green leanings
ANTI-CAPITALIST FESTIVE MESSAGE
Tellingly, the central message of ‘Merry Christmas’ is entirely in lower case, without any capitals — an anti-capitalist statement if ever there was one. Similarly, the last part of the letter ‘m’ links up with the ‘h’ in the word ‘christmas’.
It is the same font as that used by the Corbynista pressure group Momentum, which — like the Marxist Militant Tendency in the Eighties — is said to be plotting a far-Left takeover of the party.
EVEN THE TRAFFIC LIGHT IS RED!
The traffic light is stuck on red — perhaps a symbol of how Britain would come to a standstill under a Corbyn government.
It is an unmistakable illustration of his war on motorists, too. It was Corbyn’s ally Ken Livingstone who made motorists’ lives a misery with the introduction of the congestion charge in London when he was the capital’s mayor. Red Ken was also accused of arranging for traffic lights to be kept on red for longer in order to deter drivers.
As an MP, Corbyn has boasted that he has never driven and, during the leadership contest, refused to get into a car because it was environmentally unfriendly — though he has now accepted an official vehicle in his role as Leader of the Opposition.
Coincidentally, the first traffic light was introduced to Britain in 1926, a key date in the Corbynite history of struggle, as it marks this country’s only General Strike.
GOLDEN AGE OF THE PHONE BOX
The red telephone box is a typical piece of nostalgia, harking back to the golden age when the phone network was still under public control and mobiles did not exist.
The entire Labour Party, including Corbyn, was ferociously opposed to Mrs Thatcher’s privatisation of British Telecom in 1984.
CHILLING REMINDER
The stark, wintery monochrome landscape is an echo of the Winter of Discontent of 1978-79, when the unions brought the country to a standstill with endless strikes, rubbish piled up in the streets and coffins were left unburied.
Corbyn was prominent on the picket lines, relishing the moment.
‘It was a time of great advances for working people,’ according to Len McCluskey, the militant leader of Britain’s biggest union, (who last month vowed to defend Corbyn against an attempted ‘coup’ by disgruntled Labour MPs).
FLURRY OF HYSTERIA
Corbyn’s emphasis on snow may well be part of his green propaganda, which holds that white winters will soon disappear because of global warming.
Not that there is, despite all the current hysteria over climate change, much concrete evidence that the Earth’s temperatures have been rising over the past decade.
Mind you, one place where snow-covered Christmases are guaranteed is Russia, another object of Corbynistas’ affections.
Snowy Christmases are all but guaranteed in Russia even with the threat of climate change
BORDER PATROL
The bright-red border around the photo is emblematic of Corbyn’s desire to capture all of Britain in his socialist net. Never mind that he disregards the country’s actual borders because of his ideological enthusiasm for unfettered immigration and multiculturalism.
LABOUR'S MELTDOWN
With its icy imagery, the card could be seen as a symbol of the chilling effect of Tory austerity. In fact, this photo was taken in London on February 2, 2009, when heavy snowfalls, rather than industrial action by Corbyn’s union friends, disrupted the transport network.
This was 12 years into a Labour Government that had presided over the financial crash and subsequent economic meltdown.
That day, it was announced house prices had suffered their worst fall on record, while the former bosses of RBS and HBOS apologised ‘profusely and unreservedly’ for their banks’ failings.
GOING UNDERGROUND
The photo was taken not in Corbyn’s political base of trendy Islington, but outside Queensway Tube station in the heart of Tory-run Westminster.
Originally named Queen’s Road in honour of Queen Victoria when it opened in 1900, it was renamed in 1946.
Though if republican Corbyn ever comes to power, he might try to get rid of the Queen altogether.
The photo for the Christmas card was taken outside Queenswasy Tube Station, pictured
The moment Santa Claus was revealed to be...Jeremy Corbyn?
A PRICKLY CUSTOMER
On the back of the card, against a bright-red backdrop, is a festive version of the Labour Party’s logo, with a sprig of holly replacing the red rose.
That must have thrilled Corbyn, since the red rose was the ultimate emblem of New Labour, introduced by the much-hated Peter Mandelson in advance of the 1987 General Election.
On the other hand, the holly fits Corbyn well. For all his genial reputation, he can be highly prickly when challenged about his beliefs.
NO SIGN OF SANTA CLAUS...
As SIX-times winner of the Parliamentary Beard of the Year, Corbyn might have been expected to show some enthusiasm for Santa Claus. But no.
It seems that Karl Marx is the only white-bearded wonder who inspires Corbyn.
AND OF COURSE, THERE'S NO JESUS
As a long-time advocate of a multi-faith society, Corbyn is clearly reluctant to show any bias towards Christianity — though the same impulse has never inhibited his support of Islamic terror groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas.
In the same vein, there is something unnatural about the use of the term ‘merry’ by Corbyn, a humourless ideologue and vegetarian who declares that he drinks ‘very, very little’.
Unelectable Maoist
Liz Kendall would probably have Labour at around at least 70%
Liz Kendall would probably have Labour at around at least 70%
Ed Miliband was at about 40% at this point. And most polls recently have had Labour 8 or 9+ points back.
The Sun told to put apology to Jeremy Corbyn on front page
http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...page/ar-BBnNyfv?li=AAaeUIW&ocid=mailsignoutmd
That's got to hurt.
http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...page/ar-BBnNyfv?li=AAaeUIW&ocid=mailsignoutmd
That's got to hurt.
About bloody time. Probably a point for a different thread, but the press in this country gets away with all sorts and I hope this ruling sees a lot more people challenging their bullshit. I hope the idea that apologies should be printed on the same page that the offending article was on gains traction. It'd be nice if the apologies had to be the same size as the original as well.
And what an apology it is:
In case you're wondering, that tiny bit (bottom-left) about 'IPSO COMPLAINT' is the relevant bit.
More on the non-apology:
http://www.theguardian.com/media/20...print-front-page-correction-over-corbyn-claim
In case you're wondering, that tiny bit (bottom-left) about 'IPSO COMPLAINT' is the relevant bit.
More on the non-apology:
http://www.theguardian.com/media/20...print-front-page-correction-over-corbyn-claim
I know it's a bit off topic but is the front page of a newspaper in 2015 really about elected officials having an affair? How is it of any relevance to the public interest what our representatives choose to do with their own genitals in their own free time? Christ.
Is somebody's character relevant to why you may vote for them? - If somebody would cheat on their wife / husband would they keep their election promises to the electorate - its probably not something I would take too seriousley into account but I think its fair enough to say it is probably of interest to some... also the press complaints definition of something being "in the public interest" includes serious impropriety - I imagine mr Jenkyns and Mrs Lopresti feel serious impropriety is an apt description.
Just saw that Jezza is a gooner.
I like him.
I like him.