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John McDonnell: I'm not good at consensus politics John McDonnell: I'm not good at consensus politics
(about 1 hour later)
Jeremy Corbyn’s closest political ally, John McDonnell, has admitted he is more combative than the new Labour leader, amid signs of fierce resistance within the parliamentary party to his appointment as shadow chancellor.Jeremy Corbyn’s closest political ally, John McDonnell, has admitted he is more combative than the new Labour leader, amid signs of fierce resistance within the parliamentary party to his appointment as shadow chancellor.
McDonnell told a fringe meeting at the Trades Union Congress in Brighton that he was not very good at the consensual style of politics Corbyn has promised to bring to his leadership, or respecting people who disagree with him.McDonnell told a fringe meeting at the Trades Union Congress in Brighton that he was not very good at the consensual style of politics Corbyn has promised to bring to his leadership, or respecting people who disagree with him.
Among senior Labour figures, McDonnell’s appointment was seen as a disavowal of Corbyn’s commitment to create a political consensus. He also told the Guardian on Sunday night that Labour under Corbyn will not give a “free pass” to David Cameron by saying whether it would support or reject an EU referendum.
Charles Clarke, a former home secretary, said on Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday that he was “aghast” at the appointment and took it as an indication that Corbyn was appointing hard-left allies instead of building a broad-based shadow cabinet. Hours later, Hilary Benn, the shadow foreign secretary, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Corbyn would fight to stay in the EU “under all circumstances”. It was not clear on Monday who was stating Corbyn’s true position on the EU referendum.
Hilary Benn, who remains as shadow foreign secretary, declined to offer a full endorsement of McDonnell. Asked if he was 100% behind the appointment, Benn told Today: “This is the choice that Jeremy has made. I respect the choice that Jeremy has made as leader.” Among senior Labour figures, McDonnell’s appointment was seen as a disavowal of Corbyn’s commitment to create a political consensus, as well as a failure to create gender balance at the top of the party.
Charles Clarke, a former home secretary, said on Today that he was “aghast” at the appointment and took it as an indication that Corbyn was appointing hard-left allies instead of building a broad-based shadow cabinet.
Benn declined to offer a full endorsement of McDonnell. Asked if he was 100% behind the appointment, Benn told Today: “This is the choice that Jeremy has made. I respect the choice that Jeremy has made as leader.”
McDonnell acknowledged his reputation as a political bruiser at a meeting organised by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) at the Corn Exchange in Brighton on Sunday night.McDonnell acknowledged his reputation as a political bruiser at a meeting organised by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) at the Corn Exchange in Brighton on Sunday night.
An hour before he was named shadow chancellor on Sunday, McDonnell told the audience: “Jeremy’s style has been consensual. And what has been appreciated throughout the campaign of the last 12 weeks was to introduce something which hasn’t been in British politics for a long while. It is called kindness. It means that you respect one another in a debate even if you disagree.An hour before he was named shadow chancellor on Sunday, McDonnell told the audience: “Jeremy’s style has been consensual. And what has been appreciated throughout the campaign of the last 12 weeks was to introduce something which hasn’t been in British politics for a long while. It is called kindness. It means that you respect one another in a debate even if you disagree.
“But I am not very good at that. That is why I am not the leader of the Labour party,” he said, to laughter and a round of applause.“But I am not very good at that. That is why I am not the leader of the Labour party,” he said, to laughter and a round of applause.
He defended the shadow cabinet appointments which were soon to be declared, but hinted the process of putting together a frontbench team had been fraught. Speaking to the Guardian later, McDonnell said Corbyn would take a view on the EU referendum package when David Cameron presented a deal. “Jeremy has made it clear that what we should be working with parties across Europe for is a reform package across Europe itself. Whatever Cameron comes back with, we will have to assess what that is.
“If it is any attack on employment rights or the promotion of TTIP [the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership] we will be rejecting that package, but we will have to come up with a reform programme as well. Jeremy has not supported withdrawal but has not given Cameron a free pass on it.”
Hours later, on the Today programme, Benn said Corbyn would campaign to stay within the EU. He said: “Jeremy has made it very clear that we are going to stay to fight together for a better Europe. We will be campaigning to remain in the European Union ... Under all circumstances.”
At the PCS meeting, McDonnell defended the shadow cabinet appointments which were soon to be declared, but hinted the process of putting together a frontbench team had been fraught.
“I am hoping that within the hour we will have a shadow cabinet put together,” he said. “As you know, that has been slightly more challenging than the traditional shadow cabinet. It will be as broad-based as we could possibly make it and as inclusive as possible.”“I am hoping that within the hour we will have a shadow cabinet put together,” he said. “As you know, that has been slightly more challenging than the traditional shadow cabinet. It will be as broad-based as we could possibly make it and as inclusive as possible.”
Speaking to Sky News on Monday, McDonnell defended Corbyn’s failure to appoint any women to what have traditionally been seen as the top positions in opposition – shadow chancellor, shadow home secretary and shadow foreign secretary.Speaking to Sky News on Monday, McDonnell defended Corbyn’s failure to appoint any women to what have traditionally been seen as the top positions in opposition – shadow chancellor, shadow home secretary and shadow foreign secretary.
“They are not top jobs,” he said. “I don’t accept that. You can’t say that foreign secretary is more important than delivering education to our children, or the health of the population. We don’t accept those hierarchies.”“They are not top jobs,” he said. “I don’t accept that. You can’t say that foreign secretary is more important than delivering education to our children, or the health of the population. We don’t accept those hierarchies.”
McDonnell has also dismissed concerns over the party’s stance on Europe after Chuka Umunna quit the frontbench because he did not receive unambiguous assurances that the new leadership would support Britain’s continued membership of the EU. In a bid to allay criticism, Corbyn made a decision to offer Angela Eagle, the new shadow business secretary, an extra role as shadow first secretary of state, meaning she will deputise for him in the Commons.
He told the Guardian that Labour under Corbyn would not give a “free pass” to David Cameron by saying whether it would support or reject an EU referendum. A member of his team was overhead by Sky News saying they should give her the role because they were taking a “fair amount of shit out there about women”.
He said: “Jeremy has made it clear that what we should be working with parties across Europe for is a reform package across Europe itself. Whatever Cameron comes back with, we will have to assess what that is. If it is any attack on employment rights or the promotion of TTIP [Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership] we will be rejecting that package, but we will have to come up with a reform programme as well. Jeremy has not supported withdrawal but has not given Cameron a free pass on it.” A full list of shadow cabinet ministers has now been unveiled with more than half of the key posts going to women but the top jobs still held by men.
McDonnell, who served as head of finance at the now-defunct Greater London Council under Ken Livingstone, shared the platform at the PCS meeting with Yanis Varoufakis, the former Greek finance minister. He quipped that some people were already trying to compare him to Varoufakis because of his anti-austerity views. “Someone said to me, ‘Are you going to be Britain’s Yanis Varoufakis?’ And I said, ‘I could never be that cool,’” he said, to laughter from the audience. McDonnell, who served as head of finance at the now-defunct Greater London Council under Ken Livingstone, shared a platform at the PCS meeting with Yanis Varoufakis, the former Greek finance minister. He quipped that some people were already trying to compare him to Varoufakis because of his anti-austerity views. “Someone said to me, ‘Are you going to be Britain’s Yanis Varoufakis?’ And I said, ‘I could never be that cool,’” he said, to laughter from the audience.
At the meeting, he described the government’s trade union bill, due to be debated in parliament on Monday, as an “existential threat” to the Labour movement.At the meeting, he described the government’s trade union bill, due to be debated in parliament on Monday, as an “existential threat” to the Labour movement.
“The Labour party is unanimously opposed. We will be working with the other parties in opposition. There are a number of Conservatives who are anxious about the bill because employers are worried about the change in the industrial relations climate as a result,” he said.“The Labour party is unanimously opposed. We will be working with the other parties in opposition. There are a number of Conservatives who are anxious about the bill because employers are worried about the change in the industrial relations climate as a result,” he said.
“So what we are going to try and do, if we can’t defeat the bill, is ameliorate the bill. One of our big demands is for electronic balloting in the workplace. If we can’t get that in the Commons, we will have to focus on the Lords campaign by putting it in a civil liberties context.”“So what we are going to try and do, if we can’t defeat the bill, is ameliorate the bill. One of our big demands is for electronic balloting in the workplace. If we can’t get that in the Commons, we will have to focus on the Lords campaign by putting it in a civil liberties context.”