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John McDonnell: Labour MPs should not fear party activists John McDonnell: Labour MPs should not fear party activists
(about 2 hours later)
Labour MPs have nothing to fear from activists criticising their performance, the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, has said, arguing that a recent spate of no-confidence motions is little different to what has always happened in the party. Labour MPs have nothing to fear from activists criticising their performance, the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, has said, arguing that a recent spate of no-confidence motions is little different from what has always happened in the party.
Speaking before an address to the TUC where he will call for more rights for casual workers in the so-called gig economy, McDonnell said he was against attempts to impose mandatory reselection for Labour MPs, but that people should not overreact. Speaking before an address to the TUC where he will call for more rights for casual workers in the gig economy, McDonnell said he was against attempts to impose mandatory reselection for Labour MPs, but that people should not overreact to two or three incidents at local party level.
“I keep saying to people: don’t mistake democracy for division, because that’s what democracy is all about, people get up and say: this is what I feel,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.“I keep saying to people: don’t mistake democracy for division, because that’s what democracy is all about, people get up and say: this is what I feel,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
He dismissed the idea that Labour had been infiltrated by hardliners who were seeking to push out MPs such as Frank Field – who has now quit the party whip – and Joan Ryan, both of whom have had no-confidence motions passed against them by local parties. Rosie Duffield, the new MP for Canterbury, was also threatened with such a move.He dismissed the idea that Labour had been infiltrated by hardliners who were seeking to push out MPs such as Frank Field – who has now quit the party whip – and Joan Ryan, both of whom have had no-confidence motions passed against them by local parties. Rosie Duffield, the new MP for Canterbury, was also threatened with such a move.
“We now have 500,000 members. It’s a huge, mass party now, and of course those members want to get involved in discussions about policy, and also they will reflect at times their view about the performance of their local MP,” McDonnell said.“We now have 500,000 members. It’s a huge, mass party now, and of course those members want to get involved in discussions about policy, and also they will reflect at times their view about the performance of their local MP,” McDonnell said.
“And we’ve had a small number of incidents that we’ve seen – two or three – where parties have come together and they’ve expressed concern about the performance of their MP. That’s happened right the way through the history of our party. It’s nothing untoward.”“And we’ve had a small number of incidents that we’ve seen – two or three – where parties have come together and they’ve expressed concern about the performance of their MP. That’s happened right the way through the history of our party. It’s nothing untoward.”
At a meeting of the parliamentary Labour party (PLP) on Monday evening, Jeremy Corbyn urged his colleagues to “turn our fire outwards”, but faced criticism when he declined to directly support Duffield, the MP unexpectedly elected on a landslide swing in the 2017 election. Duffield faced criticism from some local party members for attending a demonstration in March opposing antisemitism in the Labour party. Speaking to reporters later after Treasury questions in the Commons, McDonnell declined to say whether he had sought to intervene to prevent the vote against Ryan. “I don’t want to go into private conversations that I’ve had,” he said.
There had been a “frank discussion” at the PLP meeting, McDonnell said, saying Corbyn had sought to reassure his MPs. It was acceptable for local parties to express unhappiness with their MPs as long as itwas done “in a way that we’d term comradely”.
Asked about a proposal by the Corbyn-supporting Momentum group to replace the existing system for reselecting MPs, known as the trigger ballot, with a method by which they would have to actively seek approval from local members, McDonnell said this would be debated at the party conference this month. He added: “It’s very rare to have a policy debate spill over into something that completely divides the constituency.” Such debates, and the efforts to tackle accusations, had been “frustrating” when the hope was to outline new policies.
McDonnell, who held talks at Goldman Sachs on Monday, said he hoped the party had turned a corner on antisemitism: “We’ve now, I think, cleared away the position so we can really get on with the policy debate.”
At a meeting of the parliamentary Labour party (PLP) on Monday evening, Jeremy Corbyn urged his colleagues to “turn our fire outwards”, but faced criticism when he declined to directly support Duffield, the MP unexpectedly elected on a landslide swing in the 2017 election. Duffield faced criticism from some local party members for attending a demonstration in March opposing antisemitism in Labour.
Asked about a proposal by the Corbyn-supporting Momentum group to replace the existing system for reselecting MPs, known as the trigger ballot, with a method by which they would have to actively seek approval from local members, McDonnell told Today this would be debated at the party conference this month.
“I prefer the existing system, the trigger ballot system,” McDonnell said. “Some MPs are saying that needs to be slightly reformed, and I can see there’s a need for reform, but I prefer the existing system. I actually think that’s what will hold as well.”“I prefer the existing system, the trigger ballot system,” McDonnell said. “Some MPs are saying that needs to be slightly reformed, and I can see there’s a need for reform, but I prefer the existing system. I actually think that’s what will hold as well.”
He added: “There’s nothing in this that is in any way different from what’s gone on in the past. MPs are always going to be held to account. We’ve now got a much larger membership – thank goodness they want to get really involved with the democratic debate of our party. And I welcome that.”He added: “There’s nothing in this that is in any way different from what’s gone on in the past. MPs are always going to be held to account. We’ve now got a much larger membership – thank goodness they want to get really involved with the democratic debate of our party. And I welcome that.”
The shadow chancellor’s speech on Tuesday at the TUC will focus on Labour plans to give gig economy workers the same employment rights as staff workers. “We’ve got to take a clear view now that if we want people treated fairly at work, they should have equal rights,” he said.The shadow chancellor’s speech on Tuesday at the TUC will focus on Labour plans to give gig economy workers the same employment rights as staff workers. “We’ve got to take a clear view now that if we want people treated fairly at work, they should have equal rights,” he said.
Asked if this could reduce the number of jobs on offer, McDonnell said: “This is the argument that’s put up by people who are opposed to any form of extension of rights. I think now we’re reaching levels of insecurity within our economy, about employment, that are almost like going back to the 1930s.”Asked if this could reduce the number of jobs on offer, McDonnell said: “This is the argument that’s put up by people who are opposed to any form of extension of rights. I think now we’re reaching levels of insecurity within our economy, about employment, that are almost like going back to the 1930s.”
In extracts of the speech released in advance, McDonnell was to criticise the government’s limited response to the report on casual work by Matthew Taylor, a former adviser to Tony Blair, which was published last year.In extracts of the speech released in advance, McDonnell was to criticise the government’s limited response to the report on casual work by Matthew Taylor, a former adviser to Tony Blair, which was published last year.
“The answers to the gig economy won’t be found in the pages of the government’s Taylor report or in the months of consultation that have followed,” he will say.“The answers to the gig economy won’t be found in the pages of the government’s Taylor report or in the months of consultation that have followed,” he will say.
“Because the report’s starting point is that flexibility must come at the price of insecurity. This is wrong. Just because you don’t work regular hours doesn’t mean you can afford not to work when you are sick.
“Just because you work several jobs doesn’t mean you can afford to lose one of them without warning. Just because you value the freedom of independence or the convenience of flexibility doesn’t mean you have to forgo basic rights.”
John McDonnellJohn McDonnell
Labour
TUCTUC
Trade unions
Jeremy CorbynJeremy Corbyn
Labour Gig economy
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