Labour Splitters: Getting the Bland Back Together
A damp squib of a press conference displays a group struggling for charisma, coherence and identity
Kit Knightly
Can you name these people? Answers on a postcard please.
As of this morning, seven MPs have officially resigned the whip and quit the Labour Party. They are now “independent”, apparently. Their names, if you don’t know already: Chris Leslie, Chuka Umunna, Luciana Berger, Mike Gapes, Angela Smith…and the other two.
It doesn’t really matter, to quote David Lindsay on Twitter:
People you've never heard of leave party they were never really in. #LabourSplit
— David Lindsay (@davidaslindsay) February 18, 2019
And so our 7 brave little soldiers head off into the unknown. The Seven Samurai. Ronin, the Japanese might say. Warriors without masters, if you’re in the mood to be flatteringly poetic.
Chickens without heads if you’re being a little more honest.
It’s not gone terribly well so far.
For one thing, the announcement was NOT of the long-awaited [name-to-be-announced] party. There is no party. They have no policies except Brexit is bad and no ideology except Corbyn is worse. There is no leader. No manifesto. No direction.
They are the “independent group”, that is all. A not-at-all catchy name for a sordid collection of also-rans and never-weres. A line up that looks more like a staff photo for a struggling comprehensive than a political party. Or the roster of one of those dodgy personal injury law firms that are always advertising on daytime TV.
(Just imagine Mike Gapes walking at 45 degrees to the camera and asking “Have you or someone you know been injured in an accident at work?”)
They are the smattering of New Labour who don’t realise they got old, and aren’t so much moving away as being left behind. Refusing to flow with the current, and slumping heavily down to the riverbed, to be buried in silt and fossilised.
Who knows, in ten thousand years they might be worth something. Historical curiosities. Archaeologists, yet born, will be poring over old documents and asking “Yes yes…but who IS Chris Leslie…and what did he do?” without realising that everyone was asking that while he was alive too.
The strangest aspect of this is the lack of unity on their part. They are not a party, they are barely a group. They all seem to be leaving for different reasons. Mike Gapes likes war and wants more of it. Chuka wants other people to edit his Wikipedia page for him this time. Luciana Berger wants to do whatever she wants and scream “antisemite!” at anyone who tries to stop her. Angela Smith wants to stop Brexit and run a campaign on the line “Vote for Labour because we won’t win”.
This announcement, of course, has been expected for a while now. The “new centrist party” has been the subject of frenzied negotiation behind the scenes for weeks…now we know they decided on literally nothing and held a press conference anyway.
They aren’t so much a group of comrades storming out as a united front, but rather a bunch of near-strangers who all happen to be leaving the staff Christmas party at the same time and are forced to walk down to the car park together in stony silence.
Less the “Gang of Four”, more “The Seven People Who Sort of Know Each Other Well Enough to Exchange Polite Chat in a Lift But Only for Two or Three Floors and then it Gets Awkward”.
Labour, naturally, have been quick to declare that these MPs should now face by-elections. A gauntlet the seven of them have been startlingly reticent to pick up.
Angela Smith was on the BBC after the press conference, declaring she won’t be running in a by-election because she’d definitely win, before capping it all off with a good old-fashioned piece of British racism.
Angela parted with Labour over “antisemitism” and, as of right now, her new political party has more racism scandals than it has names.
There’s even talk of bringing John Woodcock into the “Independent Group”. A man who was suspended from the party of allegations of sexual misconduct, but then endeavoured to turn it into an epic “you can’t dump me if I dump you first”, and pretend he quit on a point of principle (he didn’t) instead of being fired for being creepy (he was). Since then he has not gone more than three or four consecutive minutes without criticising Jeremy Corbyn. It would probably be annoying if anyone was listening.
All in all, this is the most humiliating and pointless Labour press conference since the last time they made a futile political gesture to try to get rid of Corbyn.
From our outside perspective, we can at least formulate a rough draft of a manifesto for these people. Broadly speaking they are in favour of stopping Brexit, apartheid Israel, selling arms to Saudi Arabia, declaring war under a false pretense, privatising water and right-wing coups in Latin America. Some niche opinions there, but it’s a foundation at least.
One thing we can’t really help them with is a name. They need a new one, and soon. “The Independent Group” is dreadful. Shortening it to “TIG” doesn’t work either, because whatever else they are…they sure ain’t “it”.
Some people have been calling them “the seven dwarves”, a rather unfitting moniker when you think about it. After all, the seven dwarves worked as a team, had discernible personalities and most people know their names.
They are much more the “seven veils”: Disposable, transparent, and they go wherever the wind is blowing.
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The shocking news from Skwawkbox is that lifelong socialist and friend of the poor Ian Austin is going to leave the party that gave him a home when nobody else was daft enough to.
Added to the earlier rumour that Jess Phillips, the AOC of the West Midlands, is also thinking of withdrawing her support from the Labour Party, this suggests that everything is going just as expected. Now all it needs is for Max Mosley to release Tom Watson from his personal service contract we’d be up to 12 Judases.
Something that appears to have been missed with all these quitters is the fact that they all have no problem moving from one disquise to another – all paid for by the people – yet the people are not even considered when it comes to this act of betrayal and treachery. Apparently all of these quitters believe they know what their constituencies are without even referencing them. This is not democracy and is more evidence of the little care the politicians have for the nation. There’s no doubt their names will be forgotten in time but arrogance they display needs challenging, otherwise, once again they get away with it – they should all be forced to resign as MPs and this throughway in the constitution closed for good
Ah, but there’s no need for any bye elections or any of that democracy malarkey.
Berger, Gapes, Soubry and Co. know exactly what all their constituents want because they have spoken to some people and received letters from some of them. So they know everything already and know everybody fully agrees with them. None of the people who voted Labour wanted Jezza, they only wanted Berger or whoever. None of the people who voted Tory wanted Brexit.
Besides, having bye elections in a few constituencies would be very disruptive and unnecessary.
Having a nationwide second referendum, however, is not disruptive at all, and obviously necessary.
I think we should have a referendum every month until the year 2050. Just to be on the safe side, like 🙂
Well it’s quite likely there will need to be a 3rd Referundum if Remain won by anything less than say 5% which is of course most likely. The pressure for that will be very strong in the circumstances where many, many people – maybe 52%? – would see it as a crude gerrymandering of those determined to Remain at any cost. That will no doubt require some very direct democracy if it was resisted! But we should all be back where we are now, looking for an agreeed Deal, in a couple of years time! (Unless of course a 3rd Referundum reverts to Leave). Meanwhile…….
I think the idea is that the 2nd ref would be binding. So a win for remain would involve a party with leave in it’s manifesto winning the following election. This is one of the reasons Nigel has started his Brexit party.
The fact is, Brexit is not going anywhere with or without the “People’s vote”. These people are totally deluded.
A binding vote? No wonder Leavers see this as fraud. Happily it is delusional; imagine THIS Parliament voting a majority for a 2nd ref and unanimity over the question let alone making it binding – even on a 51% vote? It’s the old fashioned cloud cuckoo land.
It is worth wondering, as it were ‘aloud’, how to account for the studied insouciance with which official Labour marks these defections. The obvious thought is that Corbyn et al can think of no response beyond watching with dismay as one more headline is added to the long series, going back three years now, of concocted tales of anti-semitism and extremism. I am coming round to the idea that what we are actually witnessing is a turning point in the disappearance of the traditional media and the ‘political caste’-the half a million or so people that, since Burke, have been seen as those who really matter in the making of public opinion. Perhaps what Corbyn and his advisors realise is that while the timing of Jess Phillips’ and Ian Austin’s final “I can’t take it any more’ Press Conference may interest the MSM, and the BBC in particular, it doesn’t… Read more »
The (lack of) calibre amongst the defectors is telling. In not a single case is the trecherous MP anything more than a Blairite apologist happy to drone on about the horrors of antisemitism (and other identity politics bullshit) while being hopelessly equipped to tackle the structual forms of oppression that have led to social divisions and gross inequality characterising our current dystopia – to put the icing on the cake they are all pro-war, anti-Russian and in thrall to the corporate pupprtmasters who really control Britain. The obvious question is why did they join Labour in the first place (quick answer; because Blair was more of a neoliberal than the opposition) and secondly why has the Labour movement put up with them for so long (a harder question to answer) So if Labour are Arsenal then the defectors are a squad of Mesut Özils costing the club a fortune while… Read more »
Good old George Galloway telling it like it is to Sky News!
It’s a great shame he’s not still in Parliament with all the BS about anti semitism, Syria, Iran, Russia, Venezuela. He could be the sole voice of sanity in that place.
Cuts to the chase – Corbyn is not an antisemite, Bergers rage is confected, and the MSM are not, and never have been the servants of truth.
Galloway in.
It’s a fantastic clip. I sent it off to friends etc and was surprised to receive very enthusiastic responses from two people who a day earlier would have said Galloway is mad. The main reaction was to his description of Corbyn’s anti-racism. And I love his hats. Labour needs people like George to spell it out.
All 11 of these members of the newly formed Independent Group political party strongly believe in a ‘People’s Vote’ to overturn the referendum.
Imagine that in a democracy, 11 Members of Parliament sitting in the House of Commons representing a political party that nobody has ever voted for, which doesn’t even have anything that resembles a manifesto. They should be forced to adjourn from their duties immediately and be made to stand in by-elections.
Perhaps Berger or Soubry should just swear herself in as prime minister like their best mate Gweedo in Venezuela.
Who bothers with elections any more?
That’s sooooo last year!
Breaking News: A Netanhyahu aid convy is in Calais waiting for clearance to enter England!
“…aid convoy…”
I’m only disappointed that Jess Phillips wasn’t among them. What’s stopping her?
I’ve been told tat their new “party” is a registered business, that was set up 2 years ago. I’ve not been able to verify this.
Anyone know anything? .
Registered companies can be found on the Companies House website. I’ve looked for The Independent Group and have so far not found anything.
https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/
Registered in 2015 in Panama I read here. It means donations are secret. They aren’t registering as a ‘party’ so couldn’t take over from the SNP as second opposition. The main advantage to them is not having to disclose their financial backing. Interesting they complain about being asked about Israeli money but don’t deny it; they don’t have to, Panama won’t let their secrets out! One of them said yesterday they’d used their ‘own money’ but didn’t go into any details. Great stuff you ‘democrats’, perhaps they’ll open an office in Panama City?
Plenty of shekels from the Mossad Office.
They had a war chest of several million to “drive Corbyn out of public life.”
This follows a pattern with other Zionist Fronts, like “Tommy Robinson”, the EDL and Wilders’s outfit in Holland.
This bunch of clowns will be in and out of the Mossad Office like yoyos to pick up their money and get their instructions.
What was that about Russia interfering in other countries’ elections?
Sorry Paul, I thought I commented. Yes, there is meant to be a Panama connection but it being put down to some kind of Web Guard software to prevent spam or something peculiar like that.
I guess they’re pretty good at financial cybercrime in Panama! (It doesn’t sound very plausible though). Where is the money they’re crowd funding going? Who is in charge of vetting donations to fit Parliamentary regulations? As a private company rather than a political party do they really escape all responsibility? It opens such intriguing possibilities I guess it will soon be stamped on very hard.
The law needs to be changed, to force by-elections. At least Roy Jenkins stood in Hillhead (?) when gang of 4 quit.
Mind you, they kept Thatcher in for 10+ years by splitting the oppositon!
This lot won’t make it to the next General one!
Jenkins was setup by the outgoing Labour traitor who cordinated with Thatcher and the Tory chiefs. It is documented in Downing street papers.
It is a coordinated coup to deprive the country of a vote for parliamentry representation.
‘Asked why they voted with the government on a no-confidence motion just a few weeks ago, Soubry says: “The last thing this country wants or needs is a general election.”
Brilliant – now the Conservatives have jettisoned some deadwood!
All these deadbeats are deselecting themselves. Great!
Keep Calm And Carry On, Jezza.
What we are seeing is a protracted, lavishly funded, multi-layered, yet relatively crude and unsophisticated, Zionist instigated and Zionist orchestrated, but not exclusively Zionist, Smear Campaign, the openly expressed objective of which is “to drive Corbyn out of public life.” It is clear that the main elements in the Campaign are:- The Mossad Office at the Israeli Embassy. The Board of Deputies. The Zionist Friends of Israel. Other Zionist Organisations. The small Jewish Press, Jewish Chronicle etc. The Blairite Backstabbers in the PLP, particularly this Gang of Seven/ Eight, Watson, Benn, Ellman, Mann etc. The UK Spook Organisations, MI5/6. The MSM. The City. The Deep State. Right wing think tanks like the Atlantic Council, Chatham House etc. The Tory Party. There have been 3 main phases in this Smear Campaign. 1. “Jezza is a communist spy.” 2. “Jezza is a terrorist.” 3. “Jezza is anti semitic.” It is unlikely there… Read more »
and another one bites the ..hand that fed her: Joan Ryan Labour MP for Ealing and chair of the Labour friends of Israel has resigned: she couldn’t take the racism and the abuse and the lack of enthusiasm to send troops to Venezuela etc etc
That’s eight down and about 95 to go.
I detect a degree of overconfidence in some dismissals of the IG. Too much time listening to Labour members and left forums. How many in the electorate are still plugged into the celebrity politics whilst ignorant of the underlying issues?
The wreckers could drip this all the way to the GE and project Corbyn goes bye bye.
The price of appeasement?
After watching ‘The Israel Lobby’ documentary I was appalled by the behaviour of Joan Ryan, who I had never heard of before. If you have seen the documentary you will observe the pathological manner Ryan turned on a Labour member and called her out as an anti-Semite, when there were no grounds to do so. If it wasn’t for the undercover reporter they would have succeeded in smearing and defaming this woman and had her thrown out of the Labour Party. That is the inverted reality that Joan Ryan operates in. I, for one, am delighted that she has resigned from Labour.
Consider that this documentary would never be aired in our ‘brave and free’ country, despite evidence of espionage and interference in our internal affairs by a foreign power!
I just hope the so-called ‘Independent Group’ are forced to fight by-elections and they all lose their seats.
Watching The Lobby again, I can only surmise that the LFI stall at the conference supporting a two-State solution was set up to deliberately try and ensnare people to rack up the ‘anti-Semite’ tally – basically a sting operation.
As was perfectly clear in the video, Joan Ryan had a small number of statements to make regarding the solution – coexistence and peace – and beyond that could offer no meaningful details on how it would or could be brought about. She got very uncomfortable when challenged on the atomisation of Palestinian land and that’s when she began refusing to engage in further dialogue.
‘I just hope the so-called ‘Independent Group’ are forced to fight by-elections and they all lose their seats.’ – they will fight tooth and nail to avoid any sort of reckoning at the ballot box, you know it, and I know it.
Their position is inherently unappealing: a bit like watching an abscess being lanced then watching Blairite bile ooze out – I mean it’s hardly a vote winner, is it?
Ryan is chair of Labour: friends of Israel – I assume she will now have to step down since she is no longer, and in fact never was a Labour MP.
Tony’s legacy within the Labour movement is just as abhorant as his international reputation as war monger – but should anyone be surprised if an organisation with socialist roots is colonised by careerists and neocons?
Harry – well said. Particularly amusing was Amber Smith’s ‘funny tinge’ casual racist slur on live tv and the next day having to issue a snivelling apology!! And she wants to hold onto her seat?
At the end of the day all of these people won their local elections using the Labour name and Labour Party resources. Constituents have a right for a re-vote!
Did you know the Conservative code of conduct does not at any point mention the word “antisemitism” or spell out a definition of antisemitism, IHRA-approved or otherwise?
https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-conservative-party-rulebook-doesnt-mention-antisemitism?fbclid=IwAR0PM1WC62SH-LVBsbCXkreLDN2SFgbS9P4ObkQnJNA_IVZXFD0X3svnUy4
I assume this means a party infamous for cultivating powerful class links with the Nazis is now purged of miscreants and nowadays would not sink to the same depraved depths as Labour by sending the odd tweet that mentions Israel in unfavourable terms?
Yes, it seems May’s policy simply reflects the fact the tories do not posses a single MP who would ever stray over the antisemitism line even though this doesn’t stop them from tripping over themselves to support right wing parties in the EU wiho all have form when it comes to persecuting Jews.
https://www.change.org/p/theresa-may-mp-tory-links-to-antisemitism-in-eu-politics
They know what side their bread is buttered. Tories are always unfailingly loyal to their owners and donors.
Open letter to Luciana Berger from Shaun Lawson, posted yesterday in in Dorset Eye. I liked these two paragraphs in particular:
“I don’t think you joined Labour to change the world or achieve real social justice. I think you joined Labour because of personal ambition. That’s borne out by your being parachuted into a safe seat regarding which, at the time, you knew nothing.
“It’s also borne out by your extraordinarily weak record on challenging the Israeli government on more or less anything; and your desire to ignore the very real problems with several of the IHRA examples, and misrepresent Labour’s code of conduct.”
Another rabid Zionist bitch to keep Berger company.
Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer……….
They’re probably bribed CIA plants, or dull-witted patsies – not even bribed.
Let’s move on, shall we?
I’d like my government to know what an actual person consists of.
I know, I know… I aim high.
Right on cue:-
80 graves vandalised at a Jewish cemetery in France.
The Board of Deputies and the Mossad Office at the Israeli Embassy have probably just put in their bulk orders for spray cans.
Are you saying that the desecration of Jewish graves in France was done by Jews?
Are you saying you know they aren’t? False flag incidents have always been a possibility and when they coincide so neatly with political events it often seems more likely than not. Look at our history in NI for example – or any other conflict you care to name.
It has been in the past. There are proven cases of this. A few years ago, a lot of Jewish cemeteries in France were vandalised, with all the usual hysteria and political exploitation. The offender was eventually caught. A French Jewish man who said he had been doing it to increase support and sympathy for Israel, which had been doing its usual party piece of butchering thousands of people in Gaza at the time. He obviously wasn’t too concerned about any distress caused to bereaved families. About a year ago there were a series of 163 bomb threats to US synagogues. Trump was criticised for not condemning them strongly enough, and he was supposed to be in some way responsible. It turned out that all these calls were made by a Jewish man in Israel, who was prosecuted for the hoax calls – but these are still included in the… Read more »
Glad to see that Paul at least uses words like ‘seems’ ‘possibility, and ‘likely’ in his measured response. And even Mark adds that there MAY be some genuine incidents (occasionally)’. A good day.
The difficulty with spray painting Swastikas and the like is that it’s obviously so easily done – especially in cemeteries at night when there aren’t witnesses. Rarely are these outrages claimed by known groups. Damage is minimal but it often does the trick, winds up emotion.
Some of these are obvious hoaxes to serve Zionist narratives about rampant Nazis hiding behind every bush.
But any practical joker without any political motive (admittedly with a sick sense of humour) who just likes stirring up trouble, knows that for the price of a spray can, and a handful of crudely daubed swastikas, he can get the most powerful people in the country hyperventilating and running round in circles like headless chickens. This gives inadequate people a sense of power, like people who enjoy starting fires.
Yes, Swastika graffiti is Step 2 in Juvenile progress, after a cock and balls. All over the world!
Utterly outrageous comment by Jack Straw egged on by Eddie Mair on LBC – JC/Diane Abbott/Emily Thornberry are a threat to national security! Justifying his invasion of Afghanistan because of Taliban and AQ and glossing over his whole role in that illegal invasion and Iraq and lying by saying what else where they supposed to on 12th September 2001!!! He is also a anti-semite, racist, terrorist supporting, anti-israel … Fucking hillarious – the kitchen sink yesterday, today the stinking toilet bowl. This is mainstream news by Eddie Mair, ex BBC, pushing a full on anti Corbyn message. Talk of filth. No direct challenge by him and than repeats it! The narrative manipulation has gone into high gear, it’s turned the msm ‘journos’ into crackaddled whores showing their bits to all and sundry in the streets because they don’t know the difference between right and wrong. It is obviously the full… Read more »
Straw is a good example of everything obnoxious about Blair’s Government. Ask him about Rendition and his personal involvement and he makes a formal No Comment. Ask him if he’d like to earn thousands a day for a Chinese startup and he’s all over you.
“Straw is a good example of everything obnoxious.”
If we lived in half the country that Westminster makes out we do then a despicable liar like Jack Straw would be behind bars. Thornberry and Abbott are two of the lowest quality MP’s in the whole country and do Labour a massive disservice by being there.
Pathetic, isn’t it? I was listening to Five Live earlier and the presenter was berating a Labour MP for not resigning!
Even in the Guardian, not one political article goes by without some disparaging remark about Corbyn – a supposedly left-wing newspaper. And then they have the nerve to canvass for donations.
Meanwhile, they completely let May off the hook for her catalogue of lies, incompetence and venality, as the clock ticks down to the cliff edge, with still no clue from her what the arrangements will be after March 29th.
And what’s extreme about any of Corbyn’s policies? Nothing. The Tories and their client media are terrified of a Prime Minister working for the British people rather than lining the pockets of lackeys and following orders from foreign powerbrokers.
The Blairite, neoliberal, pro-war, establishment Guardian have been attacking Jeremy Corbyn for at least 3 years solid. They have set John Crace and Rafael Behr to launch another wave of attacks on Corbyn and an alternative Labour Party. “At Times Like These, Corbyn is His Own Worst Enemy” (Crace) https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/19/at-times-like-these-corbyn-is-his-own-worst-enemy “The choice is clear for Labour MPs. Stay with Corbyn or leave the party” (Behr) https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/19/corbyn-labour-party-broad-church It is crystal clear what they desire: A pair of barely indistinguishable political parties running the country. Naturally, they will attack the Conservatives but only back a Labour Party that resembles a Blairite vision. Any real alternative and they will simply attack, attack and attack. Exactly, what are extreme about Corbyn’s policies? Nothing, but they have struck fear into the elites and they aren’t wasting energy on launching a premature coup against him. Makes me sick and, the crazy thing is, I don’t even… Read more »
This comment summarises many of the views expressed over on the Crace article:
“…We need to mock their every , decision, action, and result.
This is no time for unity. No, not at all, laugh at them, enjoy their plight, job losses, all of it. And the best thing is they can’t blame us, we told them, and they didn’t listen.
As the mighty Stickmen with Rayguns said , “Some people deserve to suffer”
https://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/126074222
At the time of writing it had 32 recommends.
This is from someone who rejects solidarity, would be pleased when working class men and women lose their jobs – people are probably living a couple of pay checks from financial trouble. And it is people like this that claim Corbyn is ‘extreme’. What kind of political party could appease someone like this?
Truly frightening how dangerously rabid some of the comments are on there tonight.
“They have set John Crace and Rafael Behr to launch another wave of attacks on Corbyn…”
Forget Behr, he doesn’t even know how to spell his own names (c.f. Raphael Samuel and Stafford Beer). As for John Crace, he used to write good, if rather snide, jokes in his occasional and still-extant “Digested Read” column for the Guardian but it wasn’t until he became a very nasty little snide joke in and of his small-minded self that they moved his regular deposits into the main sewer.
“…not one political article goes by without some disparaging remark about Corbyn – a supposedly left-wing newspaper.” Please stop spreading such fake information. The [Manchester] Guardian is not and never was a “left wing newspaper”. Its history from its beginnings as a cotton traders’ racket protection rag until now has been one a genuinely left-wing Manchester-based rival of the 1830s described as that of a foul parasitic prostitute working on behalf of the worst type of dark, Satanic mill owner. Any similarity between the Guardian and a left-wing newspaper always was and still is an impeccably crafted, bourgeois rentier-rat hypocrisy deployed to contain and defuse any self-realization or self-assertion by the working class and confuse the saddest-sack layer of the Brit-Lib political-wuss class into parting with (a) its pennies at the newsstand and (b) the last shreds of its shame and social awareness on the subsequent train in to work.… Read more »
Well said this man!! Wish I had met you when I was 18/19 years old and you could have saved me years and years of trouble!!
For various apparent reasons, I would call them The Seven Degenerates And of course I have very good apparent reasons. Here they are not in order of importance: 1) The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. You could object that we are not living on planet Vulcan. But that won’t change one iota of its powerful truth. In that, The Seven Despicables are only interested in their own faring well. Damned be the plebs, the dumbed down masses. Their move is one of a fascist mind – forever believing to be better than anybody else, especially the masses they are so eager to deceive. 2) Money makes the world go around, the world go around… What an apt attempt in manifesting the importance of the few ruling over the many. The Clueless Seven are neither willing, nor capable to admit that the root for all misery… Read more »
How about “The Seven Psychopaths”.
Certainly not the seven pillars of wisdom.
Great style! And content. Time to get down and get dirty, even if Jeremy doesn’t (and shouldn’t feel he has to) approve of such impoliteness. But that aside: as Henry Bolte (I think), who was once a rough and tumble Premier (I think) of Victoria (I think)–I’ve got an unused spell-checker button, can I repurpose it as a fact-checker button?–once said, “If your opponent lives life in the gutter, the only place you can take him on is in the gutter.”
Fake’s 7; globalist, pro EU ,for open border immigration; NOT democratic.Chukka fukka & his band of quislings.Labour is well rid of you.Bliar will no doubt announce his new party very soon…
“Fake’s 7” is good. But only for those who remember tacky 70s sci-fi programmes.
Blake’s 7 is a tv classic! NOT tacky! The contemporary poltical landscape increasingly resembles the Orwellian federation…
Sorry del. I do remember B7 with fondness. It had a witty script. And of course sexy Servalan. But I’m guessing most of the folk here won’t know what it is.
The Gang Of Seven will go the same way as the Gang Of Four of the 70s. They did at least try to form a party and stand in elections till they came in tenth behind Screaming Lord Sutch, and realised that the game was up. (Lord Sutch, quite magnanimously in my view, offered to merge the Monster Raving Loony Party with the SDP.) This bunch of no hopers are motivated by the very real fear that Corbyn could actually win an election in the near future and form a government. May is a distinctly uncharismatic political hack, leading a deeply divided minority government that is only marginally less mutinous than the Blairite Backstabbers who make up 80% of the PLP. She is dependent on support from the Unionist Bigot Community, bribed with £1 billion of taxpayers’ money. The Brexit Fiasco is imminent and an election could come at any… Read more »
Labour won’t win the next election, 7MPs just left and there will be more. They’ll help get another Tory government, which is what this bunch really are.
But these and other MPs who leave will not be elected at the next election.
Labour will win a landslide victory, like Attlee in 1945.
With the B’liarite cancer excised, this is even more likely.
I can’t share you optimism. Take my local PPC, Fran Boait. The more you dig, the more it stinks. Think tank membership, large donations from a shady organisation, bullsh1t PR description, running for multiple parties and a parent in yet another…
I’m trying to think of the many, but this stinks!
As a rule of thumb,the globalist pod people in politics have a similar M.O. ; Look for links to “common purpose” & funding from Soros/Zionist companies
What’s your point If you agree they are really Tories? New candidates will represent Labour at the next election and they (neoliberal splitters) will either stand as independents or as part of a new party, or join an existing party.
That’s the plan. Whether it works out that way is another matter. Like Labour was going to be annihilated at the last election. Like Trump could never be elected. Like Brexit could never happen. Things that can’t happen have a way of happening.
As Tuli Kupferberg of The Fugs said: “Nobody who lived through the ’50s thought the ’60s could’ve existed. So there’s always hope.”
Peter Mandelson: “Why do you want to just walk away and pass the title deeds of this great party over to someone like Jeremy Corbyn? I don’t want to, I resent it, and I work every single day in some small way to bring forward the end of his tenure in office. “Something, however small it may be – an email, a phone call or a meeting I convene – every day I try to do something to save the Labour party from his leadership.” – Guardian 21 Feb 17 He began before the first leadership election by characterising Corbyn as: useless; no leader; unelectable; antisemitic; bully of moderates, and so on. This didn’t work with the party members, but had appreciable success with the general public. Later, he manipulated his Mandelson’s marionettes into co-ordinated waves of resignations from the shadow cabinet, again failing in his main aim. His biggest… Read more »
Blair and Mandelson have been hawking themselves around Brussels for months, inciting Verhofstadt and Juncker to be as intransigent as possible, in the hope of a 2nd referendum and sabotaging Brexit. Treasonous scum.
“Blair and Mandelson have been hawking themselves around Brussels for months, inciting Verhofstadt and Juncker to be as intransigent as possible…”
Well that would have been a 5-minute pushover. What did they do the rest of the time? Go shopping on the Avenue Louise?
Brilliant name for the breakaways, The Antisocialist Party…. or The Secret Seven. soon to be joined by Kinnock, Mandelson, Owen, Angela Eagle, Yvette Cooper, Hilary Benn, Tom Watson, Sunny Hundal, David Schreider, Mathew Stradler and Thangham Debonair.
Who as far as I can see, have worked tirelessly to bring Jeremy Corbyn down.
I can’t wait for all the parties to fracture completely. Then at the next election NO ONE ‘PARTY’ will have a majority, and there will have to be a coalition… which in effect will be the same as the Socialist Government of Russia. Where everyone takes part, and everyone has a say. ONE Government, no infighting and ‘Party Politics.’ Government for ALL the people and not the few.
Bring it on. The sooner the better!
My biggest regret of my short time as a Labour party member was picking Watson as deputy.
My (mistaken) belief was that he would be the Ying to Corbyns Yang.
Since thought about Thornberry, but she’s recently revealed herself a war monger harpy too…
Watson is wanker to Corbyn’s winker…
Where’s the money coming from?
These 7 people are essentially a PLC registered in Panama……..Who’s footing the bill?
Who is funding? – Adelson?
Tony Blair will be in the mix somewhere
The Blair Rich Project ?
BRILLIANT NAME Zig Zag, after all it will be him and his Banking cronies backing them.
Without a doubt.
He knows the Clintons you know.
Kit forgot to add to their list of great works that they are vehemently anti Russian/Putin and not that keen on China either unless they are buying stuff from the UK.
John Grace wrote a funny column in the Guardian likening them to a newly reformed band.
More like Spinal Tap – with the exception that Chukka was heard saying before commencements proceeded.
“Turn it down to three”
If the Labour London Mayor were to join Chuka, then the new party could have a very catchy name.
The Board of Deputies and Mossad Office war chest of several million.
Sainsbury and others.
It is clear, that these 7, like virtually all American politicians, put Israel first about the needs, wishes and wants of their own country and voters. The nonsensical ‘anti-semitism’ charge, aka ‘let Israel maim murder and expand at the expense of the native population of Palestinians’ is a cover.
Corbyn’s slogan for the many not the few won more votes than ever in the last rigged FPTP election, the slogan of the seven, chasing ‘Benjamins’, should read be sod the many, for the Israel jews.
As Miko Peled (Israeli General’s son) said in a recent talk “Israel is totally scared should Corbyn become PM because of his support fpr Palestine”.
So it is quite clear that Israel and their UK sayanim are behind the demonisation of Labour and Corbyn using among other things this tactic of labelling peope as antisemites. Unfortunately Labour has caved in to these sayanim.
I give you the thoughts of arch Corbyn hater, remain fanatic, flagger of other people’s comments and all round angry man AndyPandy1968 in the Guardian: “I like Tom Watson and he is right. However, it isn’t going to happen. I see at least 3 divides to Labour. Firstly those blindly loyal to Corbyn who have no time for anyone else and don’t care about anyone else and are excessively aggressive. Secondly, there seems to be this Labour brexit crowd who partly overlap with the Corbyn fans but not entirely. These folk are often (but not exclusively) from the North and are very hostile to anyone who isn’t. The last group is ‘the rest’, who the first two groups insult by calling them ‘Blairites’ even if they are not. Anyone not a Corbynite or a brexiter must therefore be a ‘Blairite’! Each of these groups are so entitled they think they… Read more »
Well I never! A self cleaning party that picks up and bins it’s own dog shit.
Labour needs to purge itself of all the progressive Blairite Neoliberals and Neocons and expose them for what they actually are. Far right imperialist Nazis hiding in plain sight of the ‘Left’. There is no better indication of this then how the progressives have warmly welcomed ‘Woke’ Bill Kristol.
Agreed. However, trouble in Parliament is down to mathematics of seats and votes. Theresa May is finding it hard enough dealing with the ERG because of her numbers of MPs on whose votes she can rely. If May purged her party of fringe loonies her problems would be a lot greater. Depending on the DUP adds jokers to her pack. One strength of the Tories is how they stick together like glue. Mathematical laws apply to Jeremy Corbyn. If the Labour Party purges all its off-agenda sitting MPs the numbers become even trickier, and there is no chance of them getting into No.10 for at least another Parliament. Let Chuka go and find out how cold it is on his own. To state the obvious: the anti-semitic strand is all about keeping Jeremy Corbyn out of No.10 at all costs because Netanyahu’s Israel and its policy towards Palestinians depends on… Read more »
Couple of things spring to mind.
1) Michael Rosen’s name for their new party.
Dead Centre.
2) Was a child when it happened last time, this stinks of SDP (Polly Toynbee was one of the splitters Gruniad fans). It makes me think that the cartel is scared that change may actually happen.
(Slightly off topic, Labour being a broad church is guff, isn’t it…it allows “actors” access to sensitive parts, which in turn makes Labour victories all the more difficult).
A giant yawn splits the Cosmos. These seven would never be in Parliament without having worn the badge of representing the Labour Party and signing up to the manifesto. Without that badge and that commitment few but family and friends would had voted for them. Let there be by-elections as soon as possible. If any gets back into Parliament on their policies – welcome! If their luck does not turn up we are well rid of them.
One thing Brexit has done for me is that there are several voices I cannot bear to hear because of the whiny hectoring self-aggrandising superiority they communicate. Rees-Mogg, Johnson, Cameron, May, Williamson and Umunna. The burden of omniscience is too great for them, and look what a fine mess they have dropped us into.
Come on Britain what is really in the country’s best interest, a Labour party trying to rediscover its socialists roots or a roster of dodgy personal injury lawyers?
I mean given millions are surviving on foodbanks, or money borrowed from loan sharks despite exhorbitant interest rates it can’t be that hard to decide, can it?
The alternative seems to be a one party state much like the US colonised by cryptofascists, militarists, corrupt business men or seedy apologist for the banking system – no doubt Chuka, and Luciana would fit in perfectly..
The ship might be taking on water, but it hasn’t hit an iceberg like the SS (is that a pun?) Tory.
Captain Corbyn is a rough weather sailor and the Lighthouse of Truth is showing him the way.
The nobodies – enter stage right. As a fitting challenge to Minority Gov UK. Like the Zombies vs The Headless Chickens?
But then again according to the MSM if a party, president or what ever commands resounding public support they must be a Hitler or a Fascist dictatorship who don’t enjoy the West’s freedoms and values…Ahem…
Tutisicecream: the West’s freedom and values? You mean like targeting countries that don’t belong to the ‘international rules based community’? You mean like bombing, invading, droning, overthrowing foreign Govts, assassinating people, supporting freedom loving moderate headchoppers in Syria and elsewhere? Those values Tutis?
Exactly Gezzah. I was also thinking of Value = Price + Quality. If that was the measure of Capitalist Neo-Liberal Sock Puppet politicians around the world people like the Gelet Jaunes with Microman they would be sacking the shop wholesale.
Tutisicecream: Cheers T. And in this…. Brave New World – everything always comes down to $$$. Buy and sell. Make a buck. Go shopping for more stuff. Sell yourself for another week, month, year, of your life. Thats if you’re able to sell yourself in the first place. Sigh…..
I think you are missing Tutisicecream’s irony
Finally – In The Sea of Holes Jeremy Hillary Boob has now got company – John Lennon will be pleased.
Labour MPs also told the Guardian they believe there will be another wave of defections if their party leadership does not move towards a second referendum on Brexit and commit to taking more steps to root out antisemitism from the party.
Finally I can grasp what this is about. Second referendum? What about a third and final one?
Antisemitism? Yes, after reading Off Guardian I know it is rife in the UK’s “Left” apart from elements in the Tories: just read BTL. Israel is dragged into ANY subject, and always negative. For such a small minority (15 million on Planetary scale) to attract THAT much bilge is unnatural. There is only one mini Jewish state around, while there are dozens of Christian or Islamic states littering the face of the Earth some of them big or even huge.
Definition: antisemite (noun) any individual or group who/which dishonestly conflates criticism of the policies of the right wing fanatics ruling Israel with an ethinicity or religion.
Have your criticism of Israel please, I have some too. But if that is not proportional to the injustice going on in the whole ME and further something if fundamentally wrong. I don’t see any non stop hammering on Irak, Yemen, Egypt, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Nigeria, Libya, North Korea, Tibet or Xinjiang. Europe does see a immigrant stream from many of these nations, non to be blamed on Israel.
Ah the old Tibet conundrum is that where the Dalai Lama wants to force his flock to self immolate and die so he can rule over the natives again and abuse boys (a common occurrence within Tibetan Buddhism)what did Yemen Iraq etc do to us that should draw our ire as opposed to the 15 million who control the world via America
Hasbara Talking Point No.1.
You are only allowed to criticise Israel if you have first criticised Iraq, Yemen, Egypt, and 100 other countries, and then only on the strictly limited terms agreed in advance by the Board of Deputies, AIPAC, and the Mossad Office at the embassy.
Anything else is “anti Semitism.”
What a pathetic defence of genocide. Are all these countries guilty of Genocide? The stream of immigrants come mainly from countries such a Syria, Iraq and Libya where conflicts were started on the orders of Israel.
Moreover none of these countries claim to be European countries when Israel is in its land stolen by European Jews in the Middle East and takes lots of funding from the EU while not being a member.
Thanks for proving my point!
not one of those countries (exept maybe Libya, as far as I know) has broken a single binding UN resolution. Israel has broken over 100. You’re talking absolute bollocks.
And, we’re allowed to criticise any of those countries (which I certainly do) without fear of being called anti-semitic (i’m jewish and have been called it many times) And, we’ve also bombed five of those countries back to the stone-age, so what’s your point??
You’re digging bigger and bigger holes every time you speak
Example from elsewhere : “As Yemeni Fishermen Risk Their Lives to Feed Their Nation, Saudis Use Them for Target Practice” https://www.mintpressnews.com/as-yemen-fishermen-risk-their-lives-to-feed-their-nation-saudi-arabia-use-them-for-target-practice/255162/
Similar to Gaza fishermen fired on by Israeli navy.
The IDF fire on demonstrators on the other side of a border using explosives with the intent of killing and maiming as one genocide tactic.
Cambridge Dictionary definition: “anti-semitic’ : having or showing a strong dislike of Jewish people”
It’s so much easier for me to prove Jewish malevolence than it is for you to prove otherwise. Maybe the Jews shouldn’t be so underhanded and they wouldn’t be noticed. Just a thought hasbara rodent
It is quite legitimate to focus criticism on the only openly and blatantly racist state on the planet, a bloodthirsty genocidal terrorist regime that has incited and schemed for most of the wars of recent times, with millions of dead, and which is now openly agitating for the dumb muscle stooge goyim to fight yet another, bigger war on its behalf, this time against Iran. The complete Zionist stranglehold over the politics, media and finance of the US and its satellites is such that this agitation and incitement may well be successful.
There will be no peace on earth until these monsters are finally brought under some kind of control.
“We are here (Warsaw) to further the cause of war with Iran.” Netanyahu.
The Israelis have long been active in Venezuela as the country must be punished for kicking out the Israeli ambassador in 2009 because of the brutal Operation Cast Lead against Gaza.
I am anti-Israeli genocide as are lots of Jews and not antisemite.
The rich sayanim are scattered around the world.
Vince Cable hasn’t been this stoked since he was No. 10’s deputy doormat.
This is just the beginning. These people are the least important. what they have in common is that they are all on the verge of being deselected. Their Constituencies have either rejected them or were close to doing so. The next lot to go-and there will be several more- will try to take their local parties with them. For decades there have been local parties which are virtually closed to new members, local cliques with control over local government patronage and all manner of rackets-T Dan Smith type parties. In Wales they are called the Taffia, I believe. Labour has to have a strategy to deal with this rolling assault on the media. Nothing could do the party more good, or win it more support than to see these discredited, corrupt semi tories leave. In essence those involved in this auto-purge are enemies of the country, they want to give… Read more »
It was I recollect Hugh Benyon who put it best. They are managers of discontent.
You were doing well, Bevin, until you fell into the climate hole: the whole thing is a fraud.
All is revealed, science & politics, in climatologist Dr. Tim Ball’s little gem of a 2016 book:
Human Caused Global Warming, The Biggest Deception In History.
He names those pushing the fraud: Bankster Rockefellers & their multi-billionaire cronies like George Soros & their bent scientists & politicians collaborators.
Dr. Tim has survived the court cases these 1%s tried to bury him under. He reveals their motives also.
Only 121 pages, his book is a must-read.
http://www.drtimball.ca
John Doran.
Any rational and honest examination of the developing environmental crisis would, naturally, include the full and equal participation of all schools of thought and points of view.
Nobody would welcome proof that there is no problem with ‘climate change’ than I. No doubt most of those who see it as a problem agree-if there is no such thing as global warming we would be happy to acknowledge it.
The root problem is that, in a class based society, governed by the appetites of imperialism, honest debate and full discussion is almost impossible. The intellectual climate is hopelessly polluted by the misrepresentation and concealement purchased by vested interests. If Dr Tim has been silenced by capitalism he will no doubt be interested in its replacement by some sort of rational socially based system which will allow all voices to be heard and all solutions to be examined.
Dr. Tim Ball has NOT been silenced, bevin: his website is live; his books are a revelation; he has triumphed against Andrew Weaver in his first court case; he is well on his way to victory in his second, against the climate fraudstar Michael Mann, who tried to wipe from history The Medieval Warm Period & the Little Ice Age, 900 years of established history.
Dr. Tim is a frequent & respected poster on http://www.wattsupwiththat.com
a huge discussion forum on climate & science etc matters.
Crowdfunding & friends have kept Dr. Tim afloat: he soldiers on.
John Doran.
bevin, while I am the last to deny that we have environmental problems to solve, these are largely of extractive mining origin.
I completely deny that man-made CO2 is a climate driver or a warming pollutant: this is (well promoted) lunacy.
There has been no substantial global warming for ~30 years.
http://www.climatedepot.com/2018/10/17/analysis-global-warming-pause-extendsbecoming-clear-un-ipcc-grossly-overstated-projected-warming/
I noticed on the right hand side the Mann vs Steyn court case. This is the Mann I ref’d earlier.
John Doran.
John, I am putting together a table called: Is Global Warming Real? Pro vs Contra. My provisional result is, the Pros have it. Pro: a Professional, someone who has mastered an art; eg, a professional tennis player or climate scientist. (Pro pugilists used to be called, Professor; as in Cashel Byron’s Profession). I think the pro climatologists’ measurements are sound; air temperatures are rising, the arctic tundra is releasing methane, icecaps are melting, sea levels are rising, Pacific atolls are being submerged. The only unknown seems to be the time course: assuming that mankind keeps on burning carbon so that air temperatures keep on rising, how long to catastrophe? Will there only be a series of minor catastrophes — hurricanes, floods, droughts, forest fires and famine — or will there be mass extinction of species, the grand finale of the Anthropocene Era? By the way, pro scientists are not interested… Read more »
PS actual measurements over the past 100 years show waves of temp going up and down, but more up than down, about half a degree (between 0.4 to 0.8C) higher than a century ago. The question is: how significant is it? Not being a pro, I have no idea. But many pros seem to be quite alarmed at the prospect of an increasing degradation of the global environment, not only by air pollution, deforestation and water contamination as before but by this gradual increase in air temperature.
Vexarb, you are right: climate change is real, & constant. “For about 4.5 billion years” as Buzz Aldrin correctly said. The climate is always changing. The only constant in climate is change. The real questions are: 1) Is CO2 a climate driver, or is it just plant food, with a negligible climate effect. 2) Is man’s contribution to Earth’s CO2 a significant portion. From my reading over the last few years, CO2 is NOT a main climate driver, & NOT a main part of the greenhouse effect. Water, H2O, invisible as vapour, or visible as clouds is 95%+ of the greenhouse effect. The fraud factory UN IPCC ignores water. Its Charter directs it to concentrate only on man-made causes of climate change, or global warming, as the fraud was originally called before warming stopped. CO2 is less than 4% of the greenhouse effect, which is quite widely theorised to hold… Read more »
“…how long to catastrophe?”
Don’t blink.
Alternatively, which catastrophe?
Rob, take your pick from my list: “will there be only an expanding series of relatively minor catastrophes — hurricanes, floods, droughts, forest fires and famine — or will there be mass extinction of species, the grand finale of the Anthropocene Era? “
The insignificant seven?
Great work.
Masterful writing. And spot on, too. Thanks for giving me a good laugh before retiring to bed. Say what you like about the state of UK ‘democracy’, but it’s hard to beat as a spectator sport.
It’s a desperate last throw of the dice for the Remainers and it’s hard to see how it can possibly assist their proclaimed ambition, on the contrary it makes a PV much less likely but increases the chances of a hard Brexit by depriving Labour of seven crucial votes either by way of abstentions or voting against Corbyn. It’s so obviously crazy the focus turns on their real ambition; getting rid of Corbyn. Watson spelt it out.
They left the worst poison still inside Labour, to kill it dead. That is Watson, Austin, Mann, Smeeth et al-the Israel First, Last and Always Quislings.
Do all of them share Smith’s opinion that part of the problem is Labour’s Foreign Policy over Iraq, Syria and Venezuela.
Sorry, ‘Russia, Syria and Venezula’. They don’t like to mention Palestine although that’s the core objection.
Clearly a group of MPs with no principles – probably seven of the most notable for this – out of the odd 600.
Not really following the political circus in this country much but could the motives and means be some ‘sophisticated state actors’.meddling in our ‘democracy’? Some of the foreign policy views and support for mass murder in the Middle East by these people might suggest so – and this lot are not sophisticated or independent to do anything on their own..
TIG ? they are asking for it to have ~ger added to that to turn them into comical cartoon buffoons.
They should make it sound modern by adjusting it to something like New Independent Gang.
Nobody could possibly take the piss out of that.
What? Too tinged??