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John McDonnell 'furious' over Labour list of Corbyn detractors
John McDonnell 'furious' over Labour list of Corbyn detractors
(about 4 hours later)
John McDonnell has said he is “furious” about a briefing note from Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign team that listed 13 Labour MPs who had supposedly abused their party leader, saying he had apologised and would meet the MPs in question.
John McDonnell said yesterday that he was “furious” about a briefing note from Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign team that listed Labour MPs who had supposedly abused their party leader, saying he had apologised and would meet the MPs in question.
The shadow chancellor, speaking at an event alongside Corbyn, made the comments after one of the MPs, Ben Bradshaw, said he had made a formal complaint to party officials about the note.
The shadow chancellor, speaking at an event alongside Corbyn, made the comments after one of the MPs, Ben Bradshaw, said he had made a formal complaint to party officials about the note. Bradshaw wrote to Corbyn, Iain McNicol, the party’s general secretary, and Rosie Winterton, the chief whip, to ask that the allegation about him be substantiated.
Bradshaw wrote to Corbyn, Iain McNicol, the party’s general secretary, and Rosie Winterton, the chief whip, to ask that the allegation about him be substantiated.
The list was mistakenly released to journalists by a member of team behind Corbyn’s campaign to be re-elected as Labour leader. It triggered anger among MPs, but Corbyn appeared to stand by the briefing when asked about it during a Sky News hustings on Wednesday, saying the remarks were all on public record.
The list was mistakenly released to journalists by a member of Corbyn’s team without approval, triggering anger among MPs. However, Corbyn appeared to stand by the briefing when asked about it during a Sky News hustings on Wednesday night, saying the remarks were all on public record.
Answering questions in central London yesterday, following a speech by Corbyn about the economy, McDonnell said he would meet all the MPs “on any issues or concerns”. He did, however, appear to say that those named had made negative statements about the Labour leader.
Answering questions in central London following a speech by Corbyn about the economy, McDonnell said he would meet all the MPs “on any issues or concerns”. He did, however, appear to say that those named had made negative statements about the Labour leader.
“We’ve apologised; it was just inappropriate,” McDonnell said. “One of our researchers saw a bit of incoming flak and did a list of all the statements that had been made by MPs, some of which were not particularly kind, put it that way.
“We’ve apologised – it was just inappropriate,” McDonnell said. “One of our researchers saw a bit of incoming flak and did a list of all the statements that had been made by MPs, some of which were not particularly kind, put it that way.
“It was a briefing note, and it shouldn’t have gone out, and we apologise for that. It certainly wasn’t a list in any way to attack anyone. It was just a factual report. The thing about last night, it just set us back. I was furious about it, to be frank, furious. Just at a time when we were, I think, really rebuilding relationships, very, very well. I hope it hasn’t set us back and I will certainly be having conversations with all those named.”
“It was a briefing note, and it shouldn’t have gone out, and we apologise for that. It certainly wasn’t a list in any way to attack anyone. It was just a factual report.”
The row over the list came with just over a week to go before the result will be announced of Labour’s hard-fought leadership battle.
He added: “The thing about last night, it just set us back. I was furious about it, to be frank, furious. Just at a time when we were, I think, really rebuilding relationships, very, very well. I hope it hasn’t set us back and I will certainly be having conversations with all those named.”
Corbyn made less direct reference to the list, saying only that he condemned all abuse: “I, as you know, never abuse anybody, tempting as it sometimes is, and I don’t respond to unkind remarks.”
Corbyn was said to have been “apoplectic” about the release of the list of MPs, which came after he was widely seen has having scored a rare victory in prime minister’s questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday. At yesterday’s speech, he made a less direct reference to the issue, saying only that he condemned all abuse: “I, as you know, never abuse anybody, tempting as it sometimes is, and I don’t respond to unkind remarks.”
He stressed his desire to reconcile with unhappy Labour MPs. “I’m very keen on providing olive branches, and indeed a number of olive branches have already been offered,” he said, adding as an aside that he was growing an actual olive tree on the balcony of his office, and that it was thriving.
He stressed his desire to reconcile with unhappy Labour MPs. “I’m very keen on providing olive branches, and indeed a number of olive branches have already been offered,” he said, adding as an aside that he was growing an actual olive tree on the balcony of his office.
In his complaint to Labour headquarters, Bradshaw said the briefing made an “extremely serious allegation, which Jeremy’s office did not have the courtesy of putting to me first. It is not the behaviour one would expect from a leader of the Labour party.”
Bradshaw said the briefing made an “extremely serious allegation, which Jeremy’s office did not have the courtesy of putting to me first. It is not the behaviour one would expect from a leader of the Labour party”. The MP for Exeter wrote to Corbyn to say he would be “extremely grateful if you could outline to me exactly what form this abuse is supposed to have taken”.
The MP wrote to Corbyn to say he would be “extremely grateful if you could outline to me exactly what form this abuse is supposed to have taken”.
Some of those named are annoyed that Tom Watson, the deputy leader, received an apology from a Corbyn aide for being included among the detractors when the others did not.
Some of those named are annoyed that Tom Watson, the deputy leader, received an apology from an aide to Corbyn for being included on the list when the others did not.
In the list, obtained by the Press Association, Owen Smith, the challenger for the Labour leadership, was accused of being the “real disunity candidate” and it alleged he had failed to tackle abuse meted out by his own supporters.
In the release, Owen Smith, the challenger for the Labour leadership, was accused of being the “real disunity candidate” and it alleged he had failed to tackle abuse meted out by his own supporters.
It highlighted the behaviour of a number of other Labour MPs, including Jess Phillips for telling Corbyn’s ally Diane Abbott to “fuck off”, John Woodcock for dismissing the party leader as a “fucking disaster”, Tristram Hunt for describing Labour as “in the shit” and Watson for calling the grassroots Corbyn campaign Momentum a “rabble”.
The list, obtained by the Press Association, highlighted the behaviour of a number of Labour MPs, including Jess Phillips for telling Corbyn’s ally Diane Abbott to “fuck off”, John Woodcock for dismissing the party leader as a “fucking disaster”, and Tristram Hunt for describing Labour as “in the shit”.
Hunt told the Guardian: “It seems a pretty unremarkable statement to say that after losing two general elections, the Labour party is in dire trouble, and if this is what the leader’s team are resorting to, it doesn’t bode well for the future”.
Watson was highlighted for calling the grassroots Corbyn campaign Momentum a “rabble”.
Watson made clear he accepted the apology, and insisted he had never abused Corbyn. “I was a bit surprised by it,” he told House magazine. I’ve never personally abused Jeremy in public. He added: “John McDonnell has given an apology this afternoon, he’s said he was furious that it went out as a release - that’s good enough for me. As far as I’m concerned the matter’s over.”
The other MPs identified on the list were Ian Austin, Neil Coyle, Frank Field, Anna Turley, Jamie Reed, Karl Turner, Stephen Kinnock and Tom Blenkinsop.
The list emerged hours before the final Labour leadership hustings between Smith and Corbyn. At the Sky News debate, Smith branded it a “deselection list” that would be used by some activists to target MPs considered hostile to Corbyn.
“You talk about trying to unite the party, but I find that quite hard to reconcile with something your campaign did just this evening, which was to publish a list, a deselection list if you like, of … MPs, including the deputy leader of our party, Tom Watson, who your campaign think transgressed against you in criticising you. That isn’t unifying. That is deeply divisive,” he said.
Smith said the deselection of sitting MPs would lead Labour into “even greater trouble than we are now”, before accusing Corbyn of not being serious about winning power.
Corbyn responded by defending the accuracy of the release and urging Smith to focus on policies. “There was information put out there, which is statements made by colleagues on the record and is all out there in the public domain,” the leader said. He went on to say he would rather Watson had not referred to activists from the Momentum group as a “rabble”.
Speaking on Thursday, McDonnell said the party leadership was trying to “just work with everybody”. He said: “Whatever happens in the result of the leadership election next week we’ve all got to come together. If you listen to all the debate, particularly around the economy, we are all on the same page. There’s no dispute at all, as far as I can tell, on the direction of economic policy.”
Watson said: “John McDonnell has apologised on behalf of the Jeremy campaign and I accept that. Mistakes are made during closely fought campaigns. It’s right that he deals with staffing issues privately.”
