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| John McDonnell 'furious' over Labour list of Corbyn detractors | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| John McDonnell has said 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. | John McDonnell has said 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 on Thursday 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. | The shadow chancellor, speaking on Thursday 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. |
| 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 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. |
| Answering questions in central London on Thursday, 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 on Thursday, 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 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’s pitch on the economy was also marred by the emergence of a video from 2013, which showed McDonnell welcoming the 2008 financial crash, which plunged Britain into a deep recession, because it would expose the weaknesses of capitalism. | Corbyn’s pitch on the economy was also marred by the emergence of a video from 2013, which showed McDonnell welcoming the 2008 financial crash, which plunged Britain into a deep recession, because it would expose the weaknesses of capitalism. |
| In the little-watched YouTube clip of a speech, McDonnell identified himself as a Marxist. He says: “I’m honest with people: I’m a Marxist. This is a classic crisis of the economy – a classic capitalist crisis. I’ve been waiting for this for a generation! For Christ’s sake don’t waste it, you know; let’s use this to explain to people this system based on greed and profit does not work.” | In the little-watched YouTube clip of a speech, McDonnell identified himself as a Marxist. He says: “I’m honest with people: I’m a Marxist. This is a classic crisis of the economy – a classic capitalist crisis. I’ve been waiting for this for a generation! For Christ’s sake don’t waste it, you know; let’s use this to explain to people this system based on greed and profit does not work.” |
| The row over the list and the video came with just over a week to go before the result will be announced of Labour’s hard-fought leadership battle. Owen Smith, Corbyn’s challenger, will use a speech in London on Friday to warn Labour members that they have “five days left to save the Labour party”, before ballots close on 21 September. | The row over the list and the video came with just over a week to go before the result will be announced of Labour’s hard-fought leadership battle. Owen Smith, Corbyn’s challenger, will use a speech in London on Friday to warn Labour members that they have “five days left to save the Labour party”, before ballots close on 21 September. |
| He will also accuse Momentum, the grassroots campaign group set up to support Corbyn, of acting as “a party within a party”, seeking to deselect MPs and “fostering a culture of bullying and intimidation … Exactly the same tactics used by Militant in the 1980s.” | He will also accuse Momentum, the grassroots campaign group set up to support Corbyn, of acting as “a party within a party”, seeking to deselect MPs and “fostering a culture of bullying and intimidation … Exactly the same tactics used by Militant in the 1980s.” |
| 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 Thursday’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.” | 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 Thursday’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. | 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. |
| 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”. | 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”. |
| Some of those named are displeased that Tom Watson, the deputy leader, received an apology from a Corbyn aide for being included among the detractors when others did not. | Some of those named are displeased that Tom Watson, the deputy leader, received an apology from a Corbyn aide for being included among the detractors when 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 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. |
| 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”. | 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”. |
| 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.” | 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 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.” | 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.” |