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Len McCluskey plays peacemaker in Labour leadership crisis Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet agrees to Labour peace talks
(35 minutes later)
Len McCluskey, the general secretary of Unite, has met Jeremy Corbyn and Tom Watson in an effort to find a solution to the crisis engulfing the Labour leadership. Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet has agreed to kick off formal peace negotiations between the warring factions of the Labour party in a bid to prevent civil war.
The trade union leader is attempting to mediate after more than 60 shadow ministers resigned and MPs passed a motion of no confidence in Corbyn, the leader of the Labour party, last week. Len McCluskey, general secretary of the Unite union, met Corbyn and his deputy leader, Tom Watson, on Tuesday in what some Corbyn loyalists hope will be the first step towards a brokered deal – involving MPs, unions and the party’s national executive committee – that could ensure a dignified exit for the embattled leader.
McCluskey first held lengthy talks with Watson, Labour’s deputy leader, who urged Corbyn on Monday to consider his position. The union chief then met Corbyn, whom he has repeatedly and publicly backed to stay as leader. One source involved in the discussions said the process could result in Corbyn stepping aside before a 2020 general election but added there could be no pre-conditions. “The bottom line is, there can be no gun to Jeremy’s head,” one shadow cabinet source said.
Corbyn is still adamant that he will not step down and believes anyone who wants to challenge his leadership should do so through the proper process. He is understood to be open to listening to concerns about policymaking and management of the party, without contemplating stepping aside. The TUC general secretary, Frances O’Grady, or her predecessor Brendan Barber are seen as potential chairs for the peace negotiations, which are aimed at averting an immediate challenge to Corbyn’s leadership and “cooling the temperature”. The role is likened by some senior party figures to that of General John de Chastelain, who oversaw the disarmament process in Northern Ireland.
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But Labour MPs say his position is untenable without the support of the parliamentary party. Watson told MPs on Monday that he had informed Corbyn it was not enough to have a mandate from the party membership, which voted overwhelmingly for his leadership nine months ago.
Sources said McCluskey’s role was at an exploratory stage, to “see the lie of the land” about whether there could be any common ground between Corbyn and the unhappy parliamentary party.
McCluskey is expected to liaise with other trade union chiefs before returning for meetings with Watson later on Tuesday.
If attempts to resolve the situation fail, Corbyn is likely to face a leadership challenge within days from Angela Eagle or Owen Smith, two former shadow cabinet ministers.
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Eagle, his most likely competitor for the leadership, stated publicly on Monday for the first time that she was prepared to break the impasse at the top of Labour by directly challenging Corbyn. Limits on the power of Corbyn’s close ally John McDonnell to interfere in other shadow ministers’ policy areas are likely to be one element of any deal. “You would have to McDonnell-proof a future shadow cabinet,” one shadow minister said.
The former shadow business secretary, who resigned last week, told Sky News as she left her home on Monday: “I have the support to run and resolve this impasse and I will do so if Jeremy doesn’t take action soon.” Andy Burnham, the shadow home secretary, won agreement at Tuesday’s shadow cabinet for a process of formal discussions. He stressed at the meeting that the party should respect Corbyn’s mandate.
Her team is understood to be considering the timing for a challenge, given the upcoming publication of the Chilcot report and the parallel Tory leadership contest, if Corbyn does not stand down. Corbyn is adamant that he will not step down and believes anyone who wants to challenge his leadership should do so through the proper process. He is understood to be open to listening to concerns about policymaking and management of the party without contemplating stepping aside.
Disquiet is growing among Labour MPs who are keen to see Corbyn resign but are frustrated at the lack of a coherent alternative. “We have been left high and dry. We’ve been whipped up to do this, and now we are getting threats all the time, demonstrations against us,” one MP said. But Labour MPs say his position is untenable without the support of the parliamentary party, and they would be unlikely to join any talks without the prospect of Corbyn handing over to another leader before the next general election.
Corbyn’s team announced the new lineup for the shadow cabinet on Tuesday, with some members doubling up portfolios to deal with the mass resignations that have hit the party since the EU referendum result.
Jon Trickett, a close Corbyn ally, will add shadow business secretary to his existing job of campaigns and elections chair; and Dave Anderson will be shadow Northern Ireland and Scotland secretary, after Labour’s one Scottish MP, Ian Murray, resigned.
Watson told MPs on Monday that he had informed the embattled leader it was not enough to have a mandate from the party membership, which voted overwhelmingly for him nine months ago.
Angela Eagle, the former shadow business secretary, is still considering a challenge to Corbyn’s leadership, as is the former shadow work and pensions secretary Owen Smith, with the two unable to agree who would be best-placed to beat him.
But Burnham and others, including Watson, believe a leadership race would destabilise and risk splitting the party amid bitter recriminations between the leadership team – backed by the grassroots membership – and most of the party’s MPs.
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One shadow cabinet source said Burnham had also tried to build support for a more radical deal last week that could have involved the leftwing Norwich South MP Clive Lewis replacing Corbyn, who has lost the confidence of more than 80% of his MPs. Ed Miliband is also understood to have pressed Lewis to stand.
But the mood changed over the weekend, as the prospect of a snap general election receded, with leading candidates in the Conservative leadership contest saying they would not immediately seek their own mandate from the electorate.
In a bid to start the peace process, McCluskey first held lengthy talks with Watson, who urged Corbyn on Monday to consider his position. The union chief then met Corbyn, whom he has repeatedly and publicly backed to stay.
Sources said McCluskey’s role was to see whether there could be any common ground between Corbyn and the parliamentary party.
Eagle stated publicly on Monday for the first time that she was prepared to break the impasse at the top of Labour by directly challenging Corbyn.
Eagle, who resigned last week, told Sky News as she left her home: “I have the support to run and resolve this impasse and I will do so if Jeremy doesn’t take action soon.”
Disquiet is growing among Labour MPs who are keen to see Corbyn resign but are frustrated at the lack of a coherent alternative. “We have been left high and dry. We’ve been whipped up to do this, and now we are getting threats all the time; demonstrations against us,” one MP said.