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Owen Smith accuses Momentum of using Labour as 'host body' Owen Smith accuses Momentum of using Labour as 'host body'
(35 minutes later)
Owen Smith, the Labour leadership challenger, has made an outspoken attack on Momentum, the grassroots movement set up to support Jeremy Corbyn, accusing it of using the party like a “host body” to promote hard-left policies. Owen Smith has made an outspoken attack on Momentum, the grassroots movement set up to support Jeremy Corbyn, accusing it of using the party like a “host body” to promote hard-left policies.
With just five days to go until voting closes in the hard-fought leadership contest, Smith compared Momentum, which has been closely involved in Corbyn’s campaign, to Militant, the hard-left group expelled from Labour in the 1980s. With just five days to go until voting closes in the hard-fought leadership contest, the challenger compared Momentum, which has been closely involved in Corbyn’s campaign, to Militant, the hard-left group expelled from Labour in the 1980s.
“There is nothing comradely about setting up a party within a party. Still less in trying to use our movement as a host body, seeking to occupy it, hollow it out, until it’s outlived its usefulness, when you throw it aside like a dead husk,” Smith said. “There is nothing comradely about setting up a party within a party. Still less in trying to use our movement as a host body, seeking to occupy it, hollow it out, until it’s outlived its usefulness, when you throw it aside like a dead husk,” said Smith.
“Jeremy Corbyn and his allies in Momentum want to lead our party down a route away from Labour’s mainstream, parliamentary tradition, and away from the voters.”“Jeremy Corbyn and his allies in Momentum want to lead our party down a route away from Labour’s mainstream, parliamentary tradition, and away from the voters.”
He accused Momentum of drawing up plans to deselect MPs up and down the country who are disloyal to Corbyn, whom he said had made an “art form” of disloyalty to past Labour leaders himself.He accused Momentum of drawing up plans to deselect MPs up and down the country who are disloyal to Corbyn, whom he said had made an “art form” of disloyalty to past Labour leaders himself.
Smith was speaking after John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor and chair of Corbyn’s campaign, was forced to apologise after a list emerged singling out MPs for allegedly abusing the leader.Smith was speaking after John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor and chair of Corbyn’s campaign, was forced to apologise after a list emerged singling out MPs for allegedly abusing the leader.
Ben Bradshaw, one of the MPs named in the list, has used a comment piece in the Guardian to accuse Corbyn of a “destructive combination of incompetence, deceit and menace”. Ben Bradshaw, one of the MPs named in the list, writing in the Guardian, accused Corbyn of a “destructive combination of incompetence, deceit and menace”.
Bradshaw said he had yet to receive a promised apology after his name was among those on the list, or to have explained what he had said that was abusive.Bradshaw said he had yet to receive a promised apology after his name was among those on the list, or to have explained what he had said that was abusive.
The Exeter MP described the situation as a “fiasco”, saying it wasanother example of “how Jeremy Corbyn is not a leader, and how he is not able or even interested in unifying our party”.The Exeter MP described the situation as a “fiasco”, saying it wasanother example of “how Jeremy Corbyn is not a leader, and how he is not able or even interested in unifying our party”.
Smith said that there was a danger of significant damage to Labour’s parliamentary party. “Momentum are trying to get rid of good Labour MPs through deselection, while Jeremy’s leadership is threatening to get rid of good Labour MPs through electoral defeat at the hands of the Tories.” Smith said that there was a danger of significant damage to Labour’s parliamentary party. “Momentum are trying to get rid of good Labour MPs through deselection, while Jeremy’s leadership is threatening to get rid of good Labour MPs through electoral defeat at the hands of the Tories,” he said.
The Pontypridd MP, who is widely expected to fail in his bid to unseat Corbyn, was making his last major speech of the campaign in Westminster. He was introduced by the former shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander, who admitted that the contest had been bruising. The Pontypridd MP, who is widely expected to fail in his bid to take the leadership from Corbyn, was making his last major speech of the campaign in Westminster. He was introduced by the former shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander, who said the contest had been bruising.
Smith said Labour should be a broad church, and sought to rehabilitate the reputation of Tony Blair after an audience member at the Sky leadership hustings earlier this week said she hated the former Labour prime minister.Smith said Labour should be a broad church, and sought to rehabilitate the reputation of Tony Blair after an audience member at the Sky leadership hustings earlier this week said she hated the former Labour prime minister.
Smith praised the last Labour government as transformational. “We have always been a broad-based party, where people may have honest disagreements over policy but share the same commitments and values, and where we have always found common ground,” he said. “We are the party of Jeremy Corbyn and Tony Blair – not the party of Jeremy Corbyn or Tony Blair.” Praising the last Labour government as transformational, he said: “We have always been a broad-based party, where people may have honest disagreements over policy but share the same commitments and values, and where we have always found common ground.
“We are the party of Jeremy Corbyn and Tony Blair – not the party of Jeremy Corbyn or Tony Blair.”