CommonSpace columnist Yvonne Ridley says the behaviour of some Labour MPs attempting to oust leader Jeremy Corbyn is in direct opposition to the wishes of their own constituencies
IT SEEMS some of the English Labour MPs gunning for Jeremy Corbyn have shot themselves in the foot.
In particular, anti-Corbyn cheerleader Angela Eagle has been so busy wringing her hands in front of a sympathetic media, shedding tears on radio and talking about the difficult choices she's had to make while sticking the knife into the Labour leader's back that, she failed to ask her own constituency party what they thought.
It appears the people who voted the plotters into power are not worth consulting, such is their low regard for the views of ordinary people. In fact, the 10,000 who turned up in Parliament Square on Monday night were dismissed as SWP supporters!
It appears the people who voted the plotters into power are not worth consulting, such is their low regard for the views of ordinary people.
Had Eagle bothered to ask her constituency members for advice they would have told her that it was Corbyn they would back in a leadership race. Of course, this now begs the question: will she resign as it is clear she no longer has the confidence of her constituency?
Not only does she lack the support of her local Labour party, the chair and secretary of the Wallasey constituency wrote to and instructed their MP to oppose the recent motion of no confidence in Corbyn after meeting on Friday.
An email sent to Eagle reads: "Hello Angela, At the CLP AGM on Friday 24 June 2016, delegates asked me to write to you to ask you to reject the motion of no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn. The meeting was overwhelmingly behind Jeremy continuing as Labour leader. Your appearance on TV during the post-referendum programme was mentioned. "Your response in putting the question of his leadership aside to deal with the issues was welcomed. The idea that the Labour party would rather miss the chance to capitalise on the splits in the Tory party by in-fighting was not acceptable to members. On behalf of the constituency I would ask you to make a clear public statement of support for him. Regards, Kathy Miller and Kathy Runswick Secretary and Chair Wallasey CLP."
Now, to add to her woes, a petition calling for Eagle to resign has been launched after her vote of no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn. The Mersey MP, reported the Liverpool Echo newspaper, is one of those being tipped to take on the Labour leader, who lost a 172-40 vote of confidence in his leadership on Tuesday.
Now, to add to her woes, a petition calling for Angela Eagle to resign has been launched after her vote of no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn.
The Change.org petition launched on Tuesday received around 2,000 signatures in the first eight hours. It reads: "We wish Angela Eagle to resign as MP of Wallasey, as she does not represent our constituents views and our wishes. She should have supported Corbyn, not resigned. Keep Corbyn. Eagle Resign."
Meanwhile, the SNP's Alex Salmond has waded into the Westminster-based row, describing the mass resignation of senior Labour MPs a "disgusting, organised coup" against Corbyn.
The former first minister of Scotland said he had sympathy for Corbyn after two-thirds of his shadow cabinet quit and a raft of junior frontbenchers stepped down following last week’s Brexit vote.
Salmond said: "I find it depressing to see people that he appointed, most of whom the public have never heard of, stabbing him in the back. I find that is a debilitating sight, and personally I hope he sticks it out and is vindicated, because I’ve never seen such a disgusting, organised coup.
"On the hour, every hour, one of them resigns, and if they think the general public finds that impressive I think they’ve got another thing coming. I can’t help but have a good deal of sympathy for Jeremy Corbyn and some contempt for the tactics of those who he appointed, who now feel free to stab him in the back," he added, according to a report in a local Aberdeen newspaper.
As usual, Salmond has his finger on the pulse of popular politics. The working classes, especially in the north of England, will be repulsed by the activities of what they see as the political elite and dirty tricks by Blairites.
Surely the new, developing story is that many of the 172 rebels failed to consult their constituency parties about the coup designed to unseat Corbyn thereby trampling on the very democratic processes they pretend to uphold so dearly.
Sadly, once again the London-based media are choosing to ignore the turning tide against the Labour rebels, showing – as they did during the Labour leadership race last year – nothing but contempt for Corbyn who refuses to fit into the elitist mould set by the out-of-touch Westminster lobby.
While they might admire the actions of the plotters, most folk with a sense of fair play and decency will have found their actions cowardly, dishonourable and petty. The working classes are sick of being patronised and spoken down to by a bunch of privileged career politicians.
Corbyn might not sit comfortably with the Metropolitan elite who are indistinguishable from those sitting on the Tory benches, but he does have the common touch and the ability to reach out to ordinary people – he should do because he's been doing it for years.
Surely the new, developing story is that many of the 172 rebels failed to consult their constituency parties about the coup designed to unseat Corbyn thereby trampling on the very democratic processes they pretend to uphold so dearly.
Once again I am reminded why I chose to bail out of London and head north of the Border nearly five years ago. The sooner Scotland cuts itself loose from the toxic bilge that is Westminster the better.
Picture courtesy of Yvonne Ridley
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