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Labour peers could hold Corbyn no-confidence vote over antisemitism | Labour peers could hold Corbyn no-confidence vote over antisemitism |
(32 minutes later) | |
Jeremy Corbyn faces a new front in internal dissent over his handling of antisemitism in the party, with Labour peers set to potentially hold a vote of no-confidence in the leader next week, it has emerged. | Jeremy Corbyn faces a new front in internal dissent over his handling of antisemitism in the party, with Labour peers set to potentially hold a vote of no-confidence in the leader next week, it has emerged. |
The plan is for Labour peers to hold an emergency meeting on Monday afternoon to consider the idea. If it is taken forward, the ballot would take place over Tuesday and Wednesday, with the result soon afterwards, it is understood. | The plan is for Labour peers to hold an emergency meeting on Monday afternoon to consider the idea. If it is taken forward, the ballot would take place over Tuesday and Wednesday, with the result soon afterwards, it is understood. |
If the no-confidence motion was passed it would have no formal effect, but would be a blow to the authority of Corbyn. | If the no-confidence motion was passed it would have no formal effect, but would be a blow to the authority of Corbyn. |
It remains to be seen how much support among Labour peers there would be to hold or pass such a vote. The plan for the emergency meeting has been put forward so far by one peer, it is understood. | It remains to be seen how much support among Labour peers there would be to hold or pass such a vote. The plan for the emergency meeting has been put forward so far by one peer, it is understood. |
A Labour source said it would be “both undemocratic and absurd for unelected peers with no mandate to seek to remove an elected leader who twice won the landslide support of Labour’s membership and led Labour to the biggest increase in the party’s vote since 1945”. | |
Earlier this week more than 60 took out an advertisement in the Guardian accusing Corbyn of having “failed the test of leadership” over his handling of antisemitism complaints within the party. | Earlier this week more than 60 took out an advertisement in the Guardian accusing Corbyn of having “failed the test of leadership” over his handling of antisemitism complaints within the party. |
The latest move follows the decision by Corbyn’s office to sack Dianne Hayter as a Brexit minister in the Lords after she accused Corbyn of having a “bunker mentality” which she compared to the final days of Hitler. | The latest move follows the decision by Corbyn’s office to sack Dianne Hayter as a Brexit minister in the Lords after she accused Corbyn of having a “bunker mentality” which she compared to the final days of Hitler. |
While a Labour spokesman described the comments as “deeply offensive”, Hayter, who is also Labour’s deputy leader in the Lords, said on Thursday that Corbyn’s office had both completely misunderstood what she said and had not contacted her to ask, or even to tell her she had been sacked. | |
Hayter told Sky News that the comments came in a meeting in which she referred to The March of Folly, a book by the US historian Barbara Tuchman, and the common fault of leaders and their advisers to screen out critical views, saying Corbyn’s team was guilty of this. | Hayter told Sky News that the comments came in a meeting in which she referred to The March of Folly, a book by the US historian Barbara Tuchman, and the common fault of leaders and their advisers to screen out critical views, saying Corbyn’s team was guilty of this. |
“If a leader is not getting the intelligence he needs, which is counter to what he believes, then actually the project can fail. So I was actually being quite supportive,” Hayter said. | “If a leader is not getting the intelligence he needs, which is counter to what he believes, then actually the project can fail. So I was actually being quite supportive,” Hayter said. |
Hayter added that during the meeting she referred to Downfall, the 2004 film detailing the final days of Hitler, as a possible example of this phenomenon. “So everyone said, ‘Ah, if you’re referring to the bunker and Hitler’s last days, that means you mean Jeremy Corbyn’s Hitler.’” | Hayter added that during the meeting she referred to Downfall, the 2004 film detailing the final days of Hitler, as a possible example of this phenomenon. “So everyone said, ‘Ah, if you’re referring to the bunker and Hitler’s last days, that means you mean Jeremy Corbyn’s Hitler.’” |
Asked what the objections of Corbyn’s office were, Hayter said: “That’s a very good question, because they never told me. I found out about it from the media, and they still haven’t been in contact with me.” | Asked what the objections of Corbyn’s office were, Hayter said: “That’s a very good question, because they never told me. I found out about it from the media, and they still haven’t been in contact with me.” |
She added: “I know I have been sacked because they’ve told Skwawkbox,” referring to the strongly Corbyn-backing website. | She added: “I know I have been sacked because they’ve told Skwawkbox,” referring to the strongly Corbyn-backing website. |
Hayter said the actions were “silly”. She said: “I’ve had 50 years in the party, I’ve been chair of the party and I’ve done pretty good work on Brexit.” | Hayter said the actions were “silly”. She said: “I’ve had 50 years in the party, I’ve been chair of the party and I’ve done pretty good work on Brexit.” |
She added: “But I’m not important to that. What’s important is that the Labour party has a problem, and until the leadership starts taking action on that – and only the leadership can – then this is going to niggle away and stop us doing the things we ought to do.” | She added: “But I’m not important to that. What’s important is that the Labour party has a problem, and until the leadership starts taking action on that – and only the leadership can – then this is going to niggle away and stop us doing the things we ought to do.” |
Earlier in the week Hayter was among four Labour peers, also including the party’s leader in the upper house, Angela Smith, who wrote to Corbyn offering to set up a panel to review the allegations of former party staffers made on the BBC’s Panorama about antisemitism in Labour. | |
In a reply two days later Corbyn said he would be happy to meet them “as soon as possible”. | |
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