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Corbyn to hold crisis talks as Labour MPs try to force him out | Corbyn to hold crisis talks as Labour MPs try to force him out |
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Jeremy Corbyn will attempt to confront the crisis facing his leadership on Monday morning as he enters emergency talks with the deputy Labour leader, Tom Watson, amid a series of further shadow cabinet walkouts and a likely vote of no confidence from his MPs. | |
The Labour leader was left reeling after his decision to sack the shadow foreign secretary, Hilary Benn, when reports of an attempted coup were followed by the resignations of 11 senior shadow cabinet members in a dramatic day of walkouts. | |
The resignations, which will pitch politicians against Labour party members who elected Corbyn by an overwhelming majority in a battle for the heart of the party, began with shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander. | The resignations, which will pitch politicians against Labour party members who elected Corbyn by an overwhelming majority in a battle for the heart of the party, began with shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander. |
Related: The Guardian view on post-Brexit politics: perilous times for progressives | Editorial | Related: The Guardian view on post-Brexit politics: perilous times for progressives | Editorial |
The shadow cabinet members who followed – including Lord Falconer, in justice, Gloria De Piero, representing young people, Seema Malhotra, the shadow chief secretary and Chris Bryant, the shadow leader of the Commons – said the cataclysmic loss of the EU referendum had created a sea-change of opinion among the party’s membership. | The shadow cabinet members who followed – including Lord Falconer, in justice, Gloria De Piero, representing young people, Seema Malhotra, the shadow chief secretary and Chris Bryant, the shadow leader of the Commons – said the cataclysmic loss of the EU referendum had created a sea-change of opinion among the party’s membership. |
Many said the turmoil in the Tory party, caused by the shock Brexit vote and leading to the possibility of a general election within months, had forced them to act, with more senior figures expected to resign on Monday. | Many said the turmoil in the Tory party, caused by the shock Brexit vote and leading to the possibility of a general election within months, had forced them to act, with more senior figures expected to resign on Monday. |
The shadow business secretary, Angela Eagle was among those thought to be considering their positions. Many are pointing the finger of blame at Corbyn over the EU referendum, with Phil Wilson, the MP who chaired the parliamentary campaign to remain in Europe, accusing his leader of consistently trying to “weaken and sabotage” the pro-EU effort. | The shadow business secretary, Angela Eagle was among those thought to be considering their positions. Many are pointing the finger of blame at Corbyn over the EU referendum, with Phil Wilson, the MP who chaired the parliamentary campaign to remain in Europe, accusing his leader of consistently trying to “weaken and sabotage” the pro-EU effort. |
Watson, who will be a key figure in determining whether the leader can survive, intervened on Sunday evening to say he was saddened about the resignations. | Watson, who will be a key figure in determining whether the leader can survive, intervened on Sunday evening to say he was saddened about the resignations. |
But in a blow for Corbyn, his deputy, who was forced to rush back from Glastonbury festival, also said he was deeply disappointed about the sacking of Benn and could add his voice to those urging him to resign. | |
Arguing that his focus was keeping his party together through turbulent times, Watson said: “It’s very clear to me that we are heading for an early general election and the Labour party must be ready to form a government. There’s much work to do.” | |
Related: Corbyn sabotaged Labour’s remain campaign. He must resign | Phil Wilson | Related: Corbyn sabotaged Labour’s remain campaign. He must resign | Phil Wilson |
Corbyn supporters said the destabilisation attempt was long planned and would be fiercely resisted, arguing that Corbyn had thrown himself into the referendum battle, and insisting that the MPs had long planned the coup. | Corbyn supporters said the destabilisation attempt was long planned and would be fiercely resisted, arguing that Corbyn had thrown himself into the referendum battle, and insisting that the MPs had long planned the coup. |
In a statement on Sunday night Corbyn said that anyone who wanted to change the leadership would have to “stand in a democratic election, in which I will be a candidate”. He insisted that he was elected by hundreds of thousands of Labour party members and supporters with an “overwhelming mandate for a different kind of politics”. | |
“I regret there have been resignations today from my shadow cabinet. But I am not going to betray the trust of those who voted for me – or the millions of supporters across the country who need Labour to represent them,” he said, arguing that he wanted the party to come together to heal the divisions of the Brexit vote. He said the referendum underlined how shut out of the political system people felt adding that he would reshape his shadow cabinet over the next 24 hours. | |
Writing in the Guardian, Len McCluskey, the general secretary of the Unite union, warned MPs tweeting and briefing against their leader that they could face mandatory deselections if they continued with their disloyalty. “Those Labour MPs plunging their party into an unwanted crisis are betraying not only the party itself but also our national interest at one of the most critical moments any of us can recall,” he wrote. | |
The grassroots movement Momentum also began mobilising to protect Corbyn, with phone banks being set up to contact up to 100,000 supporters ready for another leadership battle. A petition had attracted almost 200,000 signatures to save the leader, and a protest is being planned outside parliament on Monday evening at the same time as the leader will face the vote of no confidence. | |
The MPs hope that they can challenge Corbyn to the leadership, and prevent him from running again by blocking his chances of securing the required nominations. | The MPs hope that they can challenge Corbyn to the leadership, and prevent him from running again by blocking his chances of securing the required nominations. |
Any contest is likely to trigger a bitter legal challenge. One piece of advice from lawyers, leaked to the Guardian, suggests that the leader may automatically have the right to run again. The document states that an “election triggered by a challenge to the incumbent” does not involve “the case of a vacancy” so does not require the leader to attract nominations. A challenger, however, would need the backing of 20% of Labour’s Westminster and European parties. | |
But a national executive committee source said the party had separate advice that had drawn the opposite conclusion, and argued that there was a historic precedent for leaders to have to seek out nominations in the case of a challenge. | But a national executive committee source said the party had separate advice that had drawn the opposite conclusion, and argued that there was a historic precedent for leaders to have to seek out nominations in the case of a challenge. |
The Guardian understands that rebel politicians are planning to poll Labour members as they work together to decide the best way in which to depose their leader. Potential leadership challengers, such as Dan Jarvis and Angela Eagle, are prepared to work together to decide which of them has the best chance of toppling Corbyn. | |
Rumours in Westminster were that the MPs had organised themselves via a WhatsApp group called “the birthday” with one supporter of Corbyn saying information about the coup had been passed on to the leadership team, including the fact that Powell was likely to resign. | |
One organiser said: “The plan is to make Corbyn’s job as leader extremely difficult in the hope of pushing him to resign, with most MPs refusing to serve as shadow ministers, show up on the frontbench in the House of Commons, support him at PMQs or formulate policy under his leadership. When he’s sitting on the frontbench with Emily Thornberry and Richard Burgon, surely even he will see this is untenable.” | One organiser said: “The plan is to make Corbyn’s job as leader extremely difficult in the hope of pushing him to resign, with most MPs refusing to serve as shadow ministers, show up on the frontbench in the House of Commons, support him at PMQs or formulate policy under his leadership. When he’s sitting on the frontbench with Emily Thornberry and Richard Burgon, surely even he will see this is untenable.” |
De Piero told Corbyn in her resignation letter that she had a “warm personal relationship” with the Labour leader but added: “I do not believe you can deliver that victory at a general election, which may take place in a matter of months. I have been contacted by many of my members this weekend and it is clear that a good number of them share that view and have lost faith in your leadership.” | De Piero told Corbyn in her resignation letter that she had a “warm personal relationship” with the Labour leader but added: “I do not believe you can deliver that victory at a general election, which may take place in a matter of months. I have been contacted by many of my members this weekend and it is clear that a good number of them share that view and have lost faith in your leadership.” |
Powell told Corbyn that she had enjoyed her role, which included pushing the government to drop plans for forced academisation. She said she found her leader “decent, principled and kind”, but added: “However, it is increasingly clear that your position is untenable and that you are unable to command the support of the shadow cabinet, the parliamentary Labour party, and most importantly the country.” | Powell told Corbyn that she had enjoyed her role, which included pushing the government to drop plans for forced academisation. She said she found her leader “decent, principled and kind”, but added: “However, it is increasingly clear that your position is untenable and that you are unable to command the support of the shadow cabinet, the parliamentary Labour party, and most importantly the country.” |
Greenwood told the Guardian she had told Corbyn it was no longer “appropriate for me to serve in the shadow cabinet”. | |
“The Labour party needs unity, and I have concluded that this can only be achieved under new leadership. The EU referendum has exacerbated fault lines within the party and our supporters, and those divisions are still widening.” she added. | “The Labour party needs unity, and I have concluded that this can only be achieved under new leadership. The EU referendum has exacerbated fault lines within the party and our supporters, and those divisions are still widening.” she added. |
Perhaps the biggest surprise resignation was Malhotra, who was seen as an MP who had behaved loyally and would stand by Corbyn. Some suggested she was working on behalf of the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, a charge that was fiercely denied by both teams. | |
McDonnell said Corbyn was going nowhere, and questioned if his opponents had got enough sleep since the EU referendum last week. He said: “We are on the path of building a majority government for Labour … I think they should calm down and listen to their members.” | |
Related: Brexit crisis won't end for years – and no one is taking responsibilty | Related: Brexit crisis won't end for years – and no one is taking responsibilty |
Other allies of Corbyn also waded in, with Diane Abbott, Emily Thornberry and Jon Trickett offering support. “We need to get on with the business of offering an alternative vision of a Britain outside the EU to the one offered by [Michael] Gove and [Nigel] Farage, which is a small-minded, inward looking and chauvinistic,” said Trickett. | |
Abbott, the shadow international development secretary and Corbyn’s staunch ally, said some of her colleagues had been planning to launch a coup for months, whatever the result in the EU referendum. | Abbott, the shadow international development secretary and Corbyn’s staunch ally, said some of her colleagues had been planning to launch a coup for months, whatever the result in the EU referendum. |
She said the challenge to his leadership was “a recipe for unhappiness” and called for the party to fall into line, saying his opponents could not challenge either the unions who back Corbyn or the membership, which overwhelmingly supports him. “There has been a plan to challenge Jeremy for a long time, because many have failed to reconcile themselves with his victory last year.” | |
A close ally of Corbyn said: “They don’t have a candidate, they don’t have a programme, they don’t have the supporters to win a leadership election. Rather than self-indulgent destabilisation, they should work with the Labour leadership to respond to the a momentous national event that needs a united Labour party.”He insisted that all the positions would be replaced, and Corbyn would fight on, taking on any challenger in a ballot of members and winning. | A close ally of Corbyn said: “They don’t have a candidate, they don’t have a programme, they don’t have the supporters to win a leadership election. Rather than self-indulgent destabilisation, they should work with the Labour leadership to respond to the a momentous national event that needs a united Labour party.”He insisted that all the positions would be replaced, and Corbyn would fight on, taking on any challenger in a ballot of members and winning. |