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Stop the War chief: Corbyn Christmas party row is absurd Stop the War chief: Corbyn Christmas party row is absurd
(34 minutes later)
Jeremy Corbyn is a staunch ally of Stop the War and suggestions from within his own party that he should distance himself from the group are “absurd”, the new chairman of the anti-war coalition has said.Jeremy Corbyn is a staunch ally of Stop the War and suggestions from within his own party that he should distance himself from the group are “absurd”, the new chairman of the anti-war coalition has said.
Ahead of the Labour leader’s appearance at the Stop the War festive fundraiser, Andrew Murray, who is also chief of staff at Unite and a member of the Communist party of Great Britain, said the furore around him attending was ridiculous and absurd. Before the Labour leader’s appearance at the Stop the War festive fundraiser, Andrew Murray, who is also chief of staff at Unite and a member of the Communist party of Britain, said the furore around him attending was ridiculous and absurd.
Labour MPs have called on Corbyn to withdraw from the event, after the coalition had to withdraw two controversial statements about Syria and Isis in recent weeks. Some Labour MPs have called on Corbyn to withdraw from the event, after the coalition had to withdraw two controversial statements about Syria and Isis in recent weeks.
Related: Stop the War chair Andrew Murray: ‘Everyone sees friends at Christmas. But Jeremy, apparently, has a problem’Related: Stop the War chair Andrew Murray: ‘Everyone sees friends at Christmas. But Jeremy, apparently, has a problem’
Stop the War has also come in for criticism from two former backers – Green party MP Caroline Lucas and Peter Tatchell the human rights campaigner – who raised concerns that it was not doing enough to support democratic Syrian groups opposing Bashar al-Assad.Stop the War has also come in for criticism from two former backers – Green party MP Caroline Lucas and Peter Tatchell the human rights campaigner – who raised concerns that it was not doing enough to support democratic Syrian groups opposing Bashar al-Assad.
But Corbyn is still planning to attend the Christmas fundraiser at a restaurant in Southwark, as Labour sources say he has promised to hand over his old role as chairman in person.But Corbyn is still planning to attend the Christmas fundraiser at a restaurant in Southwark, as Labour sources say he has promised to hand over his old role as chairman in person.
Speaking to the Guardian, Murray said there would be around 100 or so people at the dinner and Corbyn was expect to give a brief speech. Speaking to the Guardian, Murray said there would be about 100 people at the dinner and Corbyn was expected to give a brief speech.
“It’s all ridiculous. Totally absurd. Everyone hangs around with their friends and family at Christmas. But Jeremy, apparently, has a problem,” he said. “We’ll do our best. It’s an unusual situation.”“It’s all ridiculous. Totally absurd. Everyone hangs around with their friends and family at Christmas. But Jeremy, apparently, has a problem,” he said. “We’ll do our best. It’s an unusual situation.”
He said it had not occurred to him that Corbyn might pull out. He said it had not occurred to him that Corbyn might pull out. “Why on earth would he? He’s made his support for Stop the War clear. It’s longstanding. There’s no earthly reason he’d have pulled out, unless there was an accident or something … I think people sometimes mistake decency for weakness.”
“Why on earth would he,” he said. “He’s made his support for Stop the War clear. It’s longstanding. There’s no earthly reason he’d have pulled out, unless there was an accident or something ... I think people sometimes mistake decency for weakness.”
Murray acknowledged mistakes over an unofficial statement released in the aftermath of the Paris attacks, suggesting that the west was reaping the whirlwind of military intervention, and an article that suggested the jihadi movement had a spirit of internationalism and solidarity close to the International Brigades. Both were swiftly withdrawn.Murray acknowledged mistakes over an unofficial statement released in the aftermath of the Paris attacks, suggesting that the west was reaping the whirlwind of military intervention, and an article that suggested the jihadi movement had a spirit of internationalism and solidarity close to the International Brigades. Both were swiftly withdrawn.
The group would have to be thinking more carefully about its public image given how it reflected on Corbyn in his new position, he added.The group would have to be thinking more carefully about its public image given how it reflected on Corbyn in his new position, he added.
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“We have to think about everything we say, and how we protest – how it’ll not just impact on public opinion, but how it could impact on Jeremy, who is a very staunch friend of Stop the War,” he said. “We have a lot of money in the bank with each other, as it were. So yeah, we have to try and raise our game. We’re a coalition – there are people with different views, who come at different issues from different angles – but we have to make sure that when we speak collectively, we do it with the right tone.”“We have to think about everything we say, and how we protest – how it’ll not just impact on public opinion, but how it could impact on Jeremy, who is a very staunch friend of Stop the War,” he said. “We have a lot of money in the bank with each other, as it were. So yeah, we have to try and raise our game. We’re a coalition – there are people with different views, who come at different issues from different angles – but we have to make sure that when we speak collectively, we do it with the right tone.”
Murray also spoke about his membership of the Communist party, rather than Corbyn’s Labour, saying: “All my children are in the Labour party. All four. One has been in the Labour party a long time; the other three are all there as a result of Jeremy’s surge. But no, I’m a member of the Communist party. That’s where I am.Murray also spoke about his membership of the Communist party, rather than Corbyn’s Labour, saying: “All my children are in the Labour party. All four. One has been in the Labour party a long time; the other three are all there as a result of Jeremy’s surge. But no, I’m a member of the Communist party. That’s where I am.
“Communism still represents, in my view, a society worth working towards – albeit not by the methods of the 20th century, which failed.”“Communism still represents, in my view, a society worth working towards – albeit not by the methods of the 20th century, which failed.”