The Labour Thread

[Pliny Harris]

Don't even get me started on the slimy wanker Hilary Benn either, walks out meekily today in interviews, shaking anxiously as he plays the victim. "Big bad Jezza fired me.... and I didn't even do nothin' wrong, honest!". He's emblematic of the problem with Labour, people who have niggled away, poking and prodding, then acting like the victim when they finally push it too far and get told to fuck off.

I'm a Liberal Democrat, but just watching this behaviour (and that in the Tories too) just makes me angry and completely disillusioned about politics.

At least Nick Clegg acknowledged that he'd lived and died by the sword!

 

[Max]

I voted for Corbyn in the leadership election, having been a member of the party since 2010. He wasn't ideal, but I was horrified by the idea of the Labour Party attempting to be a credible opposition by emulating the ideas and language of the Conservative Party. I suspected the Corbyn experiment would either go Very Well, or be a Total Disaster. I did not think Cooper, Burnham or Kendall offered any viable chance of winning in 2020.

Obviously it has been a disaster, but I would have enjoyed being able to see Corbyn lead the Labour Party, rather than having to babysit a bunch of sore losers who are in denial that the Labour membership does not reflect their views, and have been consistently briefing against Corbyn from Day 1. The problem is there has been a lot that has been in Jeremy's control, and he still continues to miss open goals left, right and centre.

Regardless of why Jeremy's leadership isn't working - whether it is his fault or his parliamentary enemies - it is not working and this is not about to turn around. I wish this was happening after we knew who the next Prime Minister was going to be, because why would you not want to assess your opposite number before picking a leader to counter them?

The next leader cannot be of his wing of the party (just wasting time having the same arguments), so that rules out McDonnell, Trickett and Cat Smith. It also can't be, surely, anyone with huge Blairite baggage, or has recently failed in a leadership election, so that rules out Burnham, Cooper, Kendall, possibly both of the Eagles.

I hope it isn't Chuku Umunna since I find him ridiculous, and I know it's not his fault but it can't be Tristram Smith because you really can't paint Boris Johnson as out-of-touch if you're a Labour MP called Tristram.

My money is on either Lisa Nandy or Heidi Alexander, and I think Nandy would have a better chance with Labour members.

 

[Gashead]

The problem is, and always has been, that from day one the Blairites have wanted him out, they have blatantly ignored a HUGE mandate from the Labour party members. Think about it, you're disaffected, you want to see genuine change, you vote in a guy who espouses those views, fairly, democratically, not by a narrow margin but by a massive one and even then, even fucking then, career politician parasites spend every waking moment niggling at him, finding any excuse to try to get rid of him, constantly refusing to buckle down and work together to strengthen the party.

How could you have faith when that's what you get? Why even bother when they so blatantly don't give a crap what you think, they'll tear the party apart regardless because they want their toy back despite the fact neo-liberal Blairite Labour is 32 and should have left home by now. If they hate the direction so much, quit, all they've done from day one is piss on "democracy" and shown the voter base that it doesn't mean shit what they want if it doesn't correlate with their career projection.

They are quitting as we speak to be fair. May even form their own party FFS.

I get what you're saying, if the PLP had got behind him then we would be in a better position. Though Corbyn/Livingstone/others around Corbyn are not without blame, people are quite right to say he should have got better backing. I was frustrated by that for a long time.

HOWEVER....

What Momentum/the other members are suggesting is insane. Let's back a bloke who hasn't united the party, who has very poor approval ratings, who has a fairly uninspiring group behind him, who's shadow cabinet is dwindling by the hour - because he's shown he'll win an election. I can't see it.

I'd have loved for Corbyn to have been a success and become PM, but we're in serious danger of fucking the whole thing up. I think at some point pragmatism has to win over this perfect ideology. There are so many candidates without perceived baggage, who can appeal to the electorate, and also have fairly left-wing views, certainly left of centre. Not everyone is a 'Blairite'.

A Labour government is, in my view, better than a Tory one. You can't bring about change without power. That's the crux of it.

 

[Abertawe]

Fuck em all, Jez has the biggest mandate in the history of the Labour party. These disgusting set of snide cretins should be deselected, they're scum.

 

[Max]

Fuck em all, Jez has the biggest mandate in the history of the Labour party. These disgusting set of snide cretins should be deselected, they're scum.

Does it not concern you that Jeremy Corbyn is not capitalising on a government in chaos, and is not perceived as a credible future prime minister?

A lot of people that voted for Jeremy, myself included, can see that this isn't working.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

Does it not concern you that Jeremy Corbyn is not capitalising on a government in chaos, and is not perceived as a credible future prime minister?

A lot of people that voted for Jeremy, myself included, can see that this isn't working.

Despite this shit in-fighting and the referendum latest polls had Labour pulling level. If the PLP would get behind him no reason he can't win (or deselect the lot.if I had my way)

 

[Max]

Despite this shit in-fighting and the referendum latest polls had Labour pulling level. If the PLP would get behind him no reason he can't win (or deselect the lot.if I had my way)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_United_Kingdom_general_election

Labour have not held a consistent lead over the Conservatives in the opinion polls, or come anywhere close, since the election. This is a very unpopular government, and it should be easier to be performing better than this.

With the upcoming changes to boundaries and reducing of MPs from 650 to 600, and the near-total loss of Scotland, and the upcoming selection of a new prime minister, there may well be a general election within a year. Labour nearly pulling level in the polls at this point is just not good enough. They need to be a party that can galvanise people's dissatisfaction, and they, under Corbyn, are not delivering this.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

More chance under Corbyn than any of the Blairites and fellow travellers on offer IMO

 

[Abertawe]

Does it not concern you that Jeremy Corbyn is not capitalising on a government in chaos, and is not perceived as a credible future prime minister?

A lot of people that voted for Jeremy, myself included, can see that this isn't working.

We're in a state of flux. It's also pretty hard to capitalise when you've got a plethora of sharks taking bites out of you. If he pulls through this then the opportunity will be there to forge his ideals into a viable plan and hopefully set about righting the wrongs that his predecessor's have caused. The Scotland situation presents problems but that's hardly Corbyn's fault, any potential Labour leader would face the same issue. Scotland is dead in the water, SNP have that nailed down. They've nailed it down through progressive policies that Corbyn stands for, it's the policies of New Labour which has created the beast that is SNP.

 

[Abertawe]

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/a-vote-of-confidence-in-jeremy-corbyn-after-brexit

 

[Aber gas]

Just catching up on this thread. Firstly on Hilary Benn, a mewling weasel. A runt of a politician and a terrible excuse of a human being. He should be shamed and de-selected for being the war mongering 5th columnist that he undoubtedly is. His father was possibly the best person I've ever met but obviously the fruit fell far from the tree.
Secondly, whilst I understand my comrades frustrations any move to replace Corbyn would divorce the PLP from the Labour party. It would be a disaster and an absolute rejection of our parties values. If there is a decision to be made it has to come from Jeremy himself.

 

[Pliny Harris]

Despite this shit in-fighting and the referendum latest polls had Labour pulling level. If the PLP would get behind him no reason he can't win (or deselect the lot.if I had my way)

Correct. That so many in the PLP are still dragging their heels shows they'd rather leave their party in the wilderness than have a left-wing Labour rule. They have been so unwilling to make any compromise or unite, and have always been the first to swing punches.

If your boss has a special appointment for you, and you spend your time in that position calling him a wanker and trying to depose him, then according to the Vardy Law, you'll get banged. For thou hast chatted shit.

Not a grain of the goings on today and last night are Corbyn's problem. Not a jot of it has been inflicted by him.

Utter par from Diane Abbott this morning btw, no matter what fowk think of her. "It's a shame we had to fire Hilary, his father was a great, great man."

 

[The Paranoid Pineapple]

This has A LOT to do with Thursday's result. Jeremy Corbyn's half-hearted efforts towards the Remain campaign is a trifling irrelevance in comparison. The idea that a Labour Party led by a Blairite like David Miliband or Chuka Umunna (or lovely Stella) would have led to a drastically different result is risible. It's a complete misdiagnosis of the problem. On various key issues of national importance, Blairite Labour simply doesn’t represent the interests of millions of traditional Labour voters, especially in the North; and for all their earnest sounding guff about "listening", "learning lessons" and "reconnecting", they're still in abject denial about that.

Corbyn is probably on borrowed time now, but it's not his fault that Leave won the referendum. The blame actually belongs to the sort of wankers who are now trying to get rid of him.

Yes, this is spot on. I find it absolutely staggering that so many within the PLP don't understand this. Even when the Conservative party are at their most incompetent and divided, the Labour party still find a way to outdo them. It's maddening.


I don't even think the criticism of his performance in the Remain campaign is particularly warranted. One could quite reasonably argue that Corbyn's attitude towards the EU is far more in tune with the general population than the Europhile Labour MPs who want to oust him. His pitch - a cautious endorsement of ongoing membership - scarcely seemed unreasonable and it was hardly his fault that the media chose to focus on internal Tory divisions and their big beasts at the expense of other political players. The available evidence is interesting too - here's some polling from Lord Ashcroft in the wake of the referedum which suggests that 63% of Labour voters voted to remain. This compares quite favourably with the SNP (64%) and isn't even that far adrift of the Lib Dems (70%). I think this would probably be largely in line with my expectations.

 

[Max]

Just catching up on this thread. Firstly on Hilary Benn, a mewling weasel. A runt of a politician and a terrible excuse of a human being. He should be shamed and de-selected for being the war mongering 5th columnist that he undoubtedly is. His father was possibly the best person I've ever met but obviously the fruit fell far from the tree.
Secondly, whilst I understand my comrades frustrations any move to replace Corbyn would divorce the PLP from the Labour party. It would be a disaster and an absolute rejection of our parties values. If there is a decision to be made it has to come from Jeremy himself.

Hilary Benn has been a Labour Party member for 45 years. Why are you the arbiter of what the party's values are?

Also, do you support de-selection for all Labour MPs that voted for military action in Syria?

Jeremy is showing himself to be pretty divorced from reality. Much as I admire the man, he is not providing leadership, answers or direction.

 

[Habbinalan]

.........Secondly, whilst I understand my comrades frustrations any move to replace Corbyn would divorce the PLP from the Labour party. It would be a disaster and an absolute rejection of our parties values. If there is a decision to be made it has to come from Jeremy himself.

I agree.

If Corbyn is on the ballot he will probably win and I'm sure the MPs are aware of this. If he stays (and I can see the reasons why he might), the party will take the route that the members largely want and will have a clear (in my view unelectable) set of socialist principles and policies. Presumably a proportion of the MPs will move on or be moved on. Democracy triumphs again.

I'm not a member. My votes at the elections are irrelevant (apart from MEP) with FPTP, so I'll put up with it.

If he were to step down and support a better (electable) alternative, this mess might just be retrievable - but I'm sure we'll find another way of messing it up.

 

[Alty]

I voted for Corbyn in the leadership election, having been a member of the party since 2010. He wasn't ideal, but I was horrified by the idea of the Labour Party attempting to be a credible opposition by emulating the ideas and language of the Conservative Party. I suspected the Corbyn experiment would either go Very Well, or be a Total Disaster. I did not think Cooper, Burnham or Kendall offered any viable chance of winning in 2020.

Obviously it has been a disaster, but I would have enjoyed being able to see Corbyn lead the Labour Party, rather than having to babysit a bunch of sore losers who are in denial that the Labour membership does not reflect their views, and have been consistently briefing against Corbyn from Day 1. The problem is there has been a lot that has been in Jeremy's control, and he still continues to miss open goals left, right and centre.

Regardless of why Jeremy's leadership isn't working - whether it is his fault or his parliamentary enemies - it is not working and this is not about to turn around. I wish this was happening after we knew who the next Prime Minister was going to be, because why would you not want to assess your opposite number before picking a leader to counter them?

The next leader cannot be of his wing of the party (just wasting time having the same arguments), so that rules out McDonnell, Trickett and Cat Smith. It also can't be, surely, anyone with huge Blairite baggage, or has recently failed in a leadership election, so that rules out Burnham, Cooper, Kendall, possibly both of the Eagles.

I hope it isn't Chuku Umunna since I find him ridiculous, and I know it's not his fault but it can't be Tristram Smith because you really can't paint Boris Johnson as out-of-touch if you're a Labour MP called Tristram.

My money is on either Lisa Nandy or Heidi Alexander, and I think Nandy would have a better chance with Labour members.

Lisa Nandy? Are you joking??

God help us all if Labour go down that route.

 

[Max]

Lisa Nandy? Are you joking??

God help us all if Labour go down that route.

Six years an MP, from the left of the party, represents a Northern seat, female, young, popular with MPs, had a career before politics, 10-1 odds with the bookies as it stands. Doesn't come with the baggage of someone like John McDonnell, Tom Watson or David Miliband.

Please do explain your objection.

 

[Dave-Vale]

This really is absurd.

The Tory Party are in disarray over the referendum result and it would have been a perfect opportunity for Labour to set out their ideas/plans post-exit and for things moving towards 2020, instead the Blairite parasites that have plagued the party for 20+ years have come crawling out and stabbed Corbyn in the back.

It's pointless because if he's on the ballot he will certainly win.

Back me, or fuck off should be his message now.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

...
If Corbyn is on the ballot...

Just on this point, as I understand it given it's a leadership challenge he will be on the ballot and only any potential challenger will need to secure nominations, so unless they have someone magic waiting in the wings or more of the three quidders blame Corbyn for the referendum than I reckon do he's going to be re-elected, making the whole exercise even more pointless.

 

[Habbinalan]

Just on this point, as I understand it given it's a leadership challenge he will be on the ballot and only any potential challenger will need to secure nominations, so unless they have someone magic waiting in the wings or more of the three quidders blame Corbyn for the referendum than I reckon do he's going to be re-elected, making the whole exercise even more pointless.

I know that is what the Leader's Office is saying but it has been suggested that the NEC could decide that he has to have MP nominations. I don't think that's relevant. If he were kept off the ballot by machinations at that level there would (rightly) be outrage.

As I said, for a leadership election to benefit the party he would need to "step down and (ideally) support an alternative candidate."

It seems likely that the gulfs being brought into the open and the differences on policy direction are too wide for a uniting candidate, acceptable to those who support Corbyn, to emerge. In which case an election would achieve little.

By the way, I don't think their primary motivation is to blame him for the referendum result so much as consider his performance to be further evidence that he can't lead them in a successful election campaign if there's an early General Election.

 

[GodsGift]

"Core grous plus" supporter of Corbyn Karl Turner the next to resign.

But I just thought it was the Blairites?

 

[Aber gas]

Hilary Benn has been a Labour Party member for 45 years. Why are you the arbiter of what the party's values are?

Also, do you support de-selection for all Labour MPs that voted for military action in Syria?

Jeremy is showing himself to be pretty divorced from reality. Much as I admire the man, he is not providing leadership, answers or direction.

I'm not the sole arbiter of the Labour's values but I am a member so do get a say. To remove a leader against the wishes of the wider party does go against the democratic values of the Labour Party so saying that is fair enough no ?
I find it arrogant and extremely condescending for you to dismiss the views of the majority of the party because they don't chime with yours. If you have an argument about the leadership then make it but it would be wrong to ignore the will of the party and appoint someone on the basis that a certain section of the PLP think is better for us.
As for Benn, he's a snide. Behaving ever so " 'umble" whilst making a concerted effort to undermine any chance of effective opposition. Even his dew eyed speech on Syria was a distasteful, handwringing exercise in self justification so beloved of that kind of politician.

 

[Aber gas]

I agree.

If Corbyn is on the ballot he will probably win and I'm sure the MPs are aware of this. If he stays (and I can see the reasons why he might), the party will take the route that the members largely want and will have a clear (in my view unelectable) set of socialist principles and policies. Presumably a proportion of the MPs will move on or be moved on. Democracy triumphs again.

I'm not a member. My votes at the elections are irrelevant (apart from MEP) with FPTP, so I'll put up with it.

If he were to step down and support a better (electable) alternative, this mess might just be retrievable - but I'm sure we'll find another way of messing it up.

It might be the best thing now. I believe in Corbyn and what he's trying to do but the constant sniping by people in the Labour Party who think they know best means the project might be unsustainable long term. Might be best for Jeremy too, he's a stubborn guy but the constant abuse from people who should be giving him support must be wearing on him.

 

[Max]

I'm not the sole arbiter of the Labour's values but I am a member so do get a say. To remove a leader against the wishes of the wider party does go against the democratic values of the Labour Party so saying that is fair enough no ?
I find it arrogant and extremely condescending for you to dismiss the views of the majority of the party because they don't chime with yours. If you have an argument about the leadership then make it but it would be wrong to ignore the will of the party and appoint someone on the basis that a certain section of the PLP think is better for us.
As for Benn, he's a snide. Behaving ever so " 'umble" whilst making a concerted effort to undermine any chance of effective opposition. Even his dew eyed speech on Syria was a distasteful, handwringing exercise in self justification so beloved of that kind of politician.

Of course you get a say. As members, we both do. So does Hilary Benn. My point is that Labour has always held a load of different viewpoints and suddenly in the last year, people seem to have forgotten this and got very rigid about what 'Labour values' are.

I am genuinely sorry - I didn't mean to be condescending/arrogant. For what it's worth, I think many of my views are quite similar to Jeremy's, but as it stands only 16 MPs support Jeremy Corbyn. I think some sections of Corbyn's supporters can be quite arrogant, because they are refusing to acknowledge any criticism of him. It is not sustainable to have a leader that nobody in Westminster supports, because Corbyn's got to reach beyond people like me (and I assume you) who voted for him to be leader. Do you think Labour can win in 2020? I don't see us doing any better than 2015, and that's worrying.

I didn't support military intervention in Syria, but thought Benn's speech was as good an argument for the intervention as I had heard.

The Corbyn critics are trying to bring him down because they believe that's the only way to GET a credible opposition. Obviously some of them are purely careerist in nature, but not all, and it's not hard to criticise Corbyn at the moment (who, himself, has been involved in these kinds of plot in the past).

Are there any MPs other than Corbyn you'd like to see leading the party? Do you think it would be best if he fought the 2020 election?

 

[Captain Scumbag]

Why don't like you Chuka, Max?

 

[.V.]

Hilary Benn has been a Labour Party member for 45 years. Why are you the arbiter of what the party's values are?

Also, do you support de-selection for all Labour MPs that voted for military action in Syria?

Jeremy is showing himself to be pretty divorced from reality. Much as I admire the man, he is not providing leadership, answers or direction.

I like Corbyns politics, but his lukewarm support for remain and his failing to grasp the opportunity to show himself as a leader, is deeply worrying.

Right politics, wrong leader.

 

[Aber gas]

Of course you get a say. As members, we both do. So does Hilary Benn. My point is that Labour has always held a load of different viewpoints and suddenly in the last year, people seem to have forgotten this and got very rigid about what 'Labour values' are.

I am genuinely sorry - I didn't mean to be condescending/arrogant. For what it's worth, I think many of my views are quite similar to Jeremy's, but as it stands only 16 MPs support Jeremy Corbyn. I think some sections of Corbyn's supporters can be quite arrogant, because they are refusing to acknowledge any criticism of him. It is not sustainable to have a leader that nobody in Westminster supports, because Corbyn's got to reach beyond people like me (and I assume you) who voted for him to be leader. Do you think Labour can win in 2020? I don't see us doing any better than 2015, and that's worrying.

I didn't support military intervention in Syria, but thought Benn's speech was as good an argument for the intervention as I had heard.

The Corbyn critics are trying to bring him down because they believe that's the only way to GET a credible opposition. Obviously some of them are purely careerist in nature, but not all, and it's not hard to criticise Corbyn at the moment (who, himself, has been involved in these kinds of plot in the past).

Are there any MPs other than Corbyn you'd like to see leading the party? Do you think it would be best if he fought the 2020 election?

I think we could do significantly better at the next election with Corbyn. There is Imo a place for anti - austerity socialist party currently which is what frustrates, saddens and yeah angers me about the current situation. It seems to me that certain members of the PLP were personally offended by Jeremy's election and have done nothing but work against the Labour Party since then. It's weird and doesn't show them in a good light at all.
You point out ( correctly ) that having a PLP that doesn't support the leader is not sustainable but neither is having a PLP which is divorced from the wider party. Corbyn is not immune from critism and there have been occasions when I've become dissapointed by his performances ( knowing that he is a intelligent and powerful orator). However, some Labour MPs have been so rattled by the party's choice that they didn't even give it a chance. I have no time for them and honestly makes me reassess if I'm in the right party.
There are a few alternatives that I could and I believe the party could support but that's ofc dependant on the PLP not employing the same self serving, suicide tactics. Skinner comes to mind ( jks) ( maybe ). There is Angela Rayner, Peter Dowd , Jon trickett. There are others that might suit who aren't currently MPs . ( the other MILLIBAND ) .
You speak ( post) well about the situation Max and I apologise for the aggressive tone of my previous post. I'm frustrated with the PLP not fellow members.

 

[Max]

Why don't like you Chuka, Max?

It is just a personal aversion really. I disliked that he apparently didn't understand that wanting to be the leader would invite scrutiny of him. He stood down, and I think has crossed the line from criticising Corbyn to just relentlessly briefing against him. Additionally, I was told, as a Labour supporter, that he was a good candidate for leader, a rising young star etc, and I have always found him overly-rehearsed, unconvincing, and typifies the sort of safe, over-mannerismed politicians that people are so tired of. He is an English Marco Rubio, in other words.

 

[.V.]

I think we could do significantly better at the next election with Corbyn. There is Imo a place for anti - austerity socialist party currently which is what frustrates, saddens and yeah angers me about the current situation. It seems to me that certain members of the PLP were personally offended by Jeremy's election and have done nothing but work against the Labour Party since then. It's weird and doesn't show them in a good light at all.
You point out ( correctly ) that having a PLP that doesn't support the leader is not sustainable but neither is having a PLP which is divorced from the wider party. Corbyn is not immune from critism and there have been occasions when I've become dissapointed by his performances ( knowing that he is a intelligent and powerful orator). However, some Labour MPs have been so rattled by the party's choice that they didn't even give it a chance. I have no time for them and honestly makes me reassess if I'm in the right party.
There are a few alternatives that I could and I believe the party could support but that's ofc dependant on the PLP not employing the same self serving, suicide tactics. Skinner comes to mind ( jks) ( maybe ). There is Angela Rayner, Peter Dowd , Jon trickett. There are others that might suit who aren't currently MPs . ( the other MILLIBAND ) .
You speak ( post) well about the situation Max and I apologise for the aggressive tone of my previous post. I'm frustrated with the PLP not fellow members.

I agree that there is a place for a party with a different economic out look, but all the polling I've seen indicates Corbyn is not reaching the population with his message, or not convincing enough people to come on board.

Have there been any polls post Brexit?

 

[Max]

I think we could do significantly better at the next election with Corbyn. There is Imo a place for anti - austerity socialist party currently which is what frustrates, saddens and yeah angers me about the current situation. It seems to me that certain members of the PLP were personally offended by Jeremy's election and have done nothing but work against the Labour Party since then. It's weird and doesn't show them in a good light at all.
You point out ( correctly ) that having a PLP that doesn't support the leader is not sustainable but neither is having a PLP which is divorced from the wider party. Corbyn is not immune from critism and there have been occasions when I've become dissapointed by his performances ( knowing that he is a intelligent and powerful orator). However, some Labour MPs have been so rattled by the party's choice that they didn't even give it a chance. I have no time for them and honestly makes me reassess if I'm in the right party.
There are a few alternatives that I could and I believe the party could support but that's ofc dependant on the PLP not employing the same self serving, suicide tactics. Skinner comes to mind ( jks) ( maybe ). There is Angela Rayner, Peter Dowd , Jon trickett. There are others that might suit who aren't currently MPs . ( the other MILLIBAND ) .
You speak ( post) well about the situation Max and I apologise for the aggressive tone of my previous post. I'm frustrated with the PLP not fellow members.

I did definitely think we could do better than 2015 in 2020, with the Corbyn message around nationalising major industries, raising the minimum wage, taking the personality attacks out of politics and opposition to intervention in foreign wars. However with that, ultimately a lot of his ideas about NATO, Trident, Welfare etc are not that popular, and there's not really anywhere to hide when you're leader. For instance, I actually agree with him about Trident renewal being the wrong way to go, but he was very poor when quizzed on this, and should have had a much better response to the whole 'Would you push the button?' questions. I often think that his principles are very sound, but that he thinks having good principles means you're allowed a nearly-deliberately bad media relationship. For another example, I personally don't think it is important if someone wears a tidy suit, but if I think it is naive to pretend that nobody minds and you don't need to try to win over those who are undecided. As V said above, I think he's got mostly the right ideas, but as an individual he does not fill me with confidence.

I totally agree with you that some Labour MPs have been disgraceful about Corbyn and used him to further their own careers. John Mann springs to mind most obviously, but also, Simon Danczuk, John Woodcock and Mike Gapes have all just as bad, at times. What most angered me was the likes of Jess Smith, a new MP, criticising him for having only almost half of his shadow cabinet be women, when nearly all the prominent female MPs refused to serve in the shadow cabinet.

We're obviously both on the same side. I have been very angry about this and am now just sort of disappointed! I am hopeful that Labour can find a leader who sits somewhere between Corbyn and the other side of the party. There are plenty of names being bandied around. The irony is, I think, in being so adamant about removing him, several MPs are making themselves huge enemies of the membership.