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| Jeremy Corbyn apologises to Labour MPs for defeat 'for which I take responsibility' – as it happened | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments, including parliamentary Labour party meeting for first time since election | Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments, including parliamentary Labour party meeting for first time since election |
| That’s all from us for this evening. Thanks for reading and commenting. Here’s a summary of the day’s news: | That’s all from us for this evening. Thanks for reading and commenting. Here’s a summary of the day’s news: |
| Jeremy Corbyn apologised to his remaining MPs for Labour’s general election defeat. The party’s leader admitted personal responsibility as he faced the parliamentary Labour party on Tuesday evening. | Jeremy Corbyn apologised to his remaining MPs for Labour’s general election defeat. The party’s leader admitted personal responsibility as he faced the parliamentary Labour party on Tuesday evening. |
| Keir Starmer, indicated he was likely to run for the Labour leadership. The shadow Brexit secretary set out his stall in a wide-ranging interview with the Guardian on Tuesday. Barry Gardiner also declined to rule out standing for the deputy leadership. | Keir Starmer, indicated he was likely to run for the Labour leadership. The shadow Brexit secretary set out his stall in a wide-ranging interview with the Guardian on Tuesday. Barry Gardiner also declined to rule out standing for the deputy leadership. |
| The Conservative party announced a broad-brush review of discrimination after Boris Johnson broke his promise to hold an inquiry specifically into Tory Islamophobia. The party appointed a former equality and human rights commissioner to lead the review. | The Conservative party announced a broad-brush review of discrimination after Boris Johnson broke his promise to hold an inquiry specifically into Tory Islamophobia. The party appointed a former equality and human rights commissioner to lead the review. |
| Downing Street warned businesses to prepare for life outside EU’s customs regime “in all circumstances”. The spokesman also refused to comment on the fall in the pound on Tuesday morning, that followed the ruling out of a Brexit extension. You can see a more detailed summary of the lobby briefing with journalists here. | Downing Street warned businesses to prepare for life outside EU’s customs regime “in all circumstances”. The spokesman also refused to comment on the fall in the pound on Tuesday morning, that followed the ruling out of a Brexit extension. You can see a more detailed summary of the lobby briefing with journalists here. |
| Nicola Sturgeon indicated she would not drop her calls for a second Scottish independence referendum. After receiving short shrift from the prime minister, the SNP leader said the vast majority of Scotland had backed either pro-EU or pro-independence parties. She also called for cross-party support for the move. | Nicola Sturgeon indicated she would not drop her calls for a second Scottish independence referendum. After receiving short shrift from the prime minister, the SNP leader said the vast majority of Scotland had backed either pro-EU or pro-independence parties. She also called for cross-party support for the move. |
| Boris Johnson delivered his first speech to the Commons since the general election. Boris Johnson told MPs he thought this parliament a “vast improvement on its predecessor”. | Boris Johnson delivered his first speech to the Commons since the general election. Boris Johnson told MPs he thought this parliament a “vast improvement on its predecessor”. |
| And, if you’d like to read yet more, Zoe Williams and Heather Stewart have tonight’s main story: | And, if you’d like to read yet more, Zoe Williams and Heather Stewart have tonight’s main story: |
| Keir Starmer has set out his pitch for the Labour leadership with a call for his party not to lurch to the right as a result of last week’s devastating election result, my colleagues Zoe Williams and Heather Stewart write. | Keir Starmer has set out his pitch for the Labour leadership with a call for his party not to lurch to the right as a result of last week’s devastating election result, my colleagues Zoe Williams and Heather Stewart write. |
| While the leadership race has not yet formally been launched, the shadow Brexit secretary confirmed to the Guardian that, as widely expected in Westminster, he was “seriously considering” running to succeed Jeremy Corbyn. | While the leadership race has not yet formally been launched, the shadow Brexit secretary confirmed to the Guardian that, as widely expected in Westminster, he was “seriously considering” running to succeed Jeremy Corbyn. |
| In a wide-ranging interview, Starmer said Labour did not do enough to tackle the Conservatives’ central election pledge to ‘get Brexit done’ nor sufficiently deal with antisemitism, and urged his party to return to being a “broad church”. He insisted Labour could win the next general election; but only if it sticks to its values. | In a wide-ranging interview, Starmer said Labour did not do enough to tackle the Conservatives’ central election pledge to ‘get Brexit done’ nor sufficiently deal with antisemitism, and urged his party to return to being a “broad church”. He insisted Labour could win the next general election; but only if it sticks to its values. |
| There are conflicting reports about whether or not parliamentarians have been calling on Corbyn to quit immediately at this evening’s meeting. The Labour MP, Lloyd Russell-Moyle has said explicitly that there has been no such clamour. | There are conflicting reports about whether or not parliamentarians have been calling on Corbyn to quit immediately at this evening’s meeting. The Labour MP, Lloyd Russell-Moyle has said explicitly that there has been no such clamour. |
| But BBC Newsnight’s Nicholas Watt has this: | But BBC Newsnight’s Nicholas Watt has this: |
| And here’s a little more detail from the meeting: | And here’s a little more detail from the meeting: |
| The prime minister has spoken to his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau, who congratulated him on his general election win this evening. A No 10 spokeswoman has said: | The prime minister has spoken to his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau, who congratulated him on his general election win this evening. A No 10 spokeswoman has said: |
| Labour’s Rachel Reeves said she told the meeting the party must radically change and get a leader “that actually wants to win”. | Labour’s Rachel Reeves said she told the meeting the party must radically change and get a leader “that actually wants to win”. |
| Jess Phillips, viewed as a possible leadership candidate by some, has played down the ferocity of the PLP meeting, though she said it was largely critical of Corbyn. | Jess Phillips, viewed as a possible leadership candidate by some, has played down the ferocity of the PLP meeting, though she said it was largely critical of Corbyn. |
| She said she read a text from Melanie Onn, the former Labour MP who lost her Great Grimsby seat to the Tories, about “how she had been let down by the leadership and the frontbench and that nobody had bothered with Grimsby”. Phillips said: | She said she read a text from Melanie Onn, the former Labour MP who lost her Great Grimsby seat to the Tories, about “how she had been let down by the leadership and the frontbench and that nobody had bothered with Grimsby”. Phillips said: |
| However, her Labour colleague Dame Margaret Hodge said Corbyn faced a hostile reaction. She told reporters that “on the whole, it was fury, despair, miserable and I just felt that the top table had corporate amnesia”. | However, her Labour colleague Dame Margaret Hodge said Corbyn faced a hostile reaction. She told reporters that “on the whole, it was fury, despair, miserable and I just felt that the top table had corporate amnesia”. |
| Lloyd Russell-Moyle said Labour MPs’ criticism of Corbyn centred on his leadership, his Brexit position and his manifesto for lacking an “overarching narrative”. | Lloyd Russell-Moyle said Labour MPs’ criticism of Corbyn centred on his leadership, his Brexit position and his manifesto for lacking an “overarching narrative”. |
| Here’s a little more on Creagh’s comments about Jeremy Corbyn: She told Channel 4 News she had confronted him in Westminster because, in her view, he’d “enabled a hard Brexit” and “five years of austerity”. | Here’s a little more on Creagh’s comments about Jeremy Corbyn: She told Channel 4 News she had confronted him in Westminster because, in her view, he’d “enabled a hard Brexit” and “five years of austerity”. |
| Creagh blamed Corbyn for Labour’s losses, adding: “This was Jeremy’s manifesto [...] Jeremy’s NEC [Labour’s governing body].” She added that the views she’d heard expressed about his policies on the doorsteps could not be broadcast pre-watershed. And she said: | Creagh blamed Corbyn for Labour’s losses, adding: “This was Jeremy’s manifesto [...] Jeremy’s NEC [Labour’s governing body].” She added that the views she’d heard expressed about his policies on the doorsteps could not be broadcast pre-watershed. And she said: |
| Another Labour MP on his way out of the meeting says Corbyn’s leadership came up time and time again in the meeting. He said Margaret Beckett, who was acting leader after John Smith died, made a particularly noteworthy contribution, saying the leadership should not be worried about protecting its legacy when thinking about a new leader; what mattered was who would be best placed to win, she told the meeting. | Another Labour MP on his way out of the meeting says Corbyn’s leadership came up time and time again in the meeting. He said Margaret Beckett, who was acting leader after John Smith died, made a particularly noteworthy contribution, saying the leadership should not be worried about protecting its legacy when thinking about a new leader; what mattered was who would be best placed to win, she told the meeting. |
| The MP said several colleagues also said antisemitism had been a problem, and had to be addressed. | The MP said several colleagues also said antisemitism had been a problem, and had to be addressed. |
| He acknowledged that some MPs spoke out in support of Corbyn. But, referring to MPs like Claudia Webbe (see 7.15pm), he said people just elected in safe seats were not best placed to understand the party’s problems. | He acknowledged that some MPs spoke out in support of Corbyn. But, referring to MPs like Claudia Webbe (see 7.15pm), he said people just elected in safe seats were not best placed to understand the party’s problems. |
| That’s all from me for tonight. My colleague Kevin Rawlinson is taking over now. | That’s all from me for tonight. My colleague Kevin Rawlinson is taking over now. |
| “Well cheerful,” says an MP, ironically, commenting on the mood at PLP on the way out - but then she adds: “It’s no better or worse than it always is.” | “Well cheerful,” says an MP, ironically, commenting on the mood at PLP on the way out - but then she adds: “It’s no better or worse than it always is.” |
| Earlier one member of the PLP was complaining about the leader’s office not being in touch with MPs who lost their seats. See 6.53pm.Channel 4 News has had an interview with Mary Creagh, who has been making the same complaint. | Earlier one member of the PLP was complaining about the leader’s office not being in touch with MPs who lost their seats. See 6.53pm.Channel 4 News has had an interview with Mary Creagh, who has been making the same complaint. |
| Creagh lost her seat last week. | Creagh lost her seat last week. |
| Another MP mutters “madness, pure madness” as he walks past journalists after leaving the PLP meeting. | Another MP mutters “madness, pure madness” as he walks past journalists after leaving the PLP meeting. |
| On the way out one long-serving MP tells journalists that the meeting consisted of “dreary contributions from the leadership and absolutely no acknowledgment of what went wrong”. | On the way out one long-serving MP tells journalists that the meeting consisted of “dreary contributions from the leadership and absolutely no acknowledgment of what went wrong”. |
| More from Paul Waugh | More from Paul Waugh |
| Jeremy Corbyn’s comments about being sorry and taking responsibility for Labour’s defeat are significant because, when he spoke at his election count in the early hours of Friday morning, and when he gave a TV interview later in the day, he expressed little contrition over what had happened. | Jeremy Corbyn’s comments about being sorry and taking responsibility for Labour’s defeat are significant because, when he spoke at his election count in the early hours of Friday morning, and when he gave a TV interview later in the day, he expressed little contrition over what had happened. |
| But in an open letter in the Sunday Mirror at the weekend he did say he was sorry about the result. However, in a separate article for the Observer, he did not use the word “sorry” or “apologise”, and just said he regretted what had happened. | But in an open letter in the Sunday Mirror at the weekend he did say he was sorry about the result. However, in a separate article for the Observer, he did not use the word “sorry” or “apologise”, and just said he regretted what had happened. |
| These are from my colleague Kate Proctor. | These are from my colleague Kate Proctor. |
| I didn’t see the Labour peer Stewart Wood go in for the PLP meeting (it’s for peers as well as MPs), but here are his thoughts, in an article for HuffPost, on what Labour needs to do to recover. Wood worked as an adviser to Gordon Brown when he was PM, and then as an adviser to Ed Miliband. | I didn’t see the Labour peer Stewart Wood go in for the PLP meeting (it’s for peers as well as MPs), but here are his thoughts, in an article for HuffPost, on what Labour needs to do to recover. Wood worked as an adviser to Gordon Brown when he was PM, and then as an adviser to Ed Miliband. |
| The door opens as a peer leaves the room. While it’s open we can hear a woman (I did not recognise her voice) say: | The door opens as a peer leaves the room. While it’s open we can hear a woman (I did not recognise her voice) say: |
| We have heard quite a few complaints in recent days that Corbyn’s office has not been in touch with MPs who lost their seats. | We have heard quite a few complaints in recent days that Corbyn’s office has not been in touch with MPs who lost their seats. |
| When she finished she got a round of applause. | When she finished she got a round of applause. |