This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/dec/11/stop-the-war-chief-corbyn-christmas-party-row-is-absurd

The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Stop the War chief: Corbyn Christmas party row is absurd Jeremy Corbyn praises Stop the War coalition as vital democratic force
(about 1 hour 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 will on Friday night hail Stop the War as “one of the most important democratic campaigns of modern times”, while accusing the coalition’s critics of trying to close down debate.
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. The Labour leader will give a staunch defence of Stop the War at its Christmas fundraising dinner, after calls from some figures within the party for him to withdraw from the event and cut links with the group.
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. Former shadow cabinet ministers Emma Reynolds, Tristram Hunt and Caroline Flint were among those to suggest he should distance himself from Stop the War after it had to withdraw two controversial statements about Syria and Isis in recent weeks.
The coalition has also come in for criticism from two of its 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 in a brief speech to around 100 guests at a Turkish restaurant in south London, Corbyn is expected show his strong support for the coalition, which he served as chairman until he stepped down when he became Labour leader in September.
“The Stop the War coalition has been one of the most important democratic campaigns of modern times,” he will say.
“It has brought hundreds of thousands of people on to the streets time and again. It has organised protests and lobbies in every part of the country, including by military families.
“Most of all, it has been shown to be right in opposing more than a decade of disastrous wars – in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya – while many of its most vociferous critics supported them.
“The anti-war movement has been a vital force at the heart of our democracy. Branding it as somehow illegitimate is an attempt to close down democratic debate and campaigning.”
Corbyn insisted on attending the Christmas fundraiser in Southwark, as Labour sources said he had promised to hand over the chairman’s role in person.
Before the Labour leader’s appearance, 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.
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. “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.”
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 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.”
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.”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.”
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 think more carefully about its public image given how it reflected on Corbyn in his new position, he added.
Related: Jeremy Corbyn wins parliamentary beard of the year by a whiskerRelated: Jeremy Corbyn wins parliamentary beard of the year by a whisker
“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.”
Stop the War issued a statement on Thursday saying it was “under unprecedented attack” not just because of its opposition to the bombing of Syria but because such hostility was “perceived to weaken Jeremy Corbyn”.
The group said its positions had been routinely misrepresented by the Conservative government, the right of the Labour party and sections of the media, and stressed it had never supported the Assad regime or Russian intervention in Syria.
It said it was also “utterly opposed to [Islamic State] as a totally reactionary and, in the Arab spring, counter-revolutionary force”.