Owen Smith: More meaningless burblings from the small man of Labour

Last Updated: July 14, 2016By
Owen Smith (centre) and Anna Turley, Labour MP for Redcar, speaking to apprentices in Middlesbrough [Image: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images].

Owen Smith (centre) and Anna Turley, Labour MP for Redcar, speaking to apprentices in Middlesbrough [Image: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images].

Another referendum, Owen Smith? Really?

The people of the UK are probably a little tired of constantly being asked for their opinion – especially since career politicians like this creature only ever act on them if the results suit their own purposes.

And even though the Tories are dithering on Brexit, it seems likely all the arrangements will have been made long before Mr Smith – or whoever wins the Labour leadership – gets near having the opportunity to do anything about it.

His offer is pointless and silly. Perhaps we should judge him accordingly.

And Mr Smith says Jeremy Corbyn is “selfish” for refusing to give up the Labour leadership to a right-winger who doesn’t share the same values as the party membership.

Can you believe that doublespeak? He wants you to think Mr Corbyn is “selfish” for steadfastly standing up for what the majority of the Labour Party want.

Isn’t it far more selfish to try to impose the minority view of 170 people on the hundreds of thousands of members who prefer Mr Corbyn’s way?

He reckons he wasn’t part of the so-called ‘Chicken Coup’, but that’s easy to say when none of the ringleaders are brave enough to admit their part in it.

We do know he was among those who resigned from the shadow cabinet on the same day as the rest of them, and his supporters include Heidi Alexander, whom John McDonnell seems to have suspected of sabotaging Labour’s health policy (see previous articles).

And fellow Labour MP John Mann has tweeted that he was approached to support a leadership bid by Mr Smith six months ago, which suggests the challenger has been more than a little economical with the truth.

Compare that with Jeremy Corbyn, who has been straight with us from day one.

We don’t want another liar leading the Labour Party.

Owen Smith has set out his stall for the Labour leadership by saying he would offer the public a second referendum to ratify any Brexit deal Britain strikes with the EU.

In an interview with the Guardian, the Pontypridd MP accused Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, of acting selfishly and warned that his party was “teetering on the brink of being destroyed”.

Smith, whose entry into the race for party leader threatens to derail the hopes of Angela Eagle, who first triggered the contest, said it was clear people wanted both access to the single market and controls on immigration.

But, he added, the public wanted to know what deal would be struck, adding: “And then we should give them another chance. That does mean a second referendum or a general election when the terms are clear. The Labour government should be committing to that.”

Source: Owen Smith to offer referendum on Brexit deal if elected Labour leader | Politics | The Guardian

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6 Comments

  1. David Woods July 14, 2016 at 1:10 pm - Reply

    He is fairly accurate though, the Blairite version of the Labour Party is teetering on the brink of destruction!
    The members and ‘followers’ of this failed coup seriously do need to be deselected as (labour) MP’s as their actions HAVE damaged the Labour Party in the eyes of the electorate far more than Jeremy Corbyn has ever done and their continued refusal to accept a democratically elected leader shows they have nothing but contempt for democracy!

    They NEED to be gone and sooner rather than later!

    • roybeiley July 14, 2016 at 3:02 pm - Reply

      Isnt it the case though that if the so called coup MP’s are deselected, they remain as Independent MP”s until the next General Election. So what is the point of deselection? They would give the Labour Opposition fewer MP’s to vote against the Tories if they decided to either support the Tories or Abstain. So it would not be Checkmate only Check until next GE (in 2020 still?)

      • Mike Sivier July 15, 2016 at 10:43 am - Reply

        They would remain as Labour MPs, but Labour would not adopt them as candidates in the following election and they would have none of the party’s resources to help them if they wanted to be elected again.

        As it is, it seems unlikely that the ‘coup’ MPs will vote Corbyn’s way in all matters, but they won’t actively oppose him in all of them.

  2. mohandeer July 14, 2016 at 1:53 pm - Reply

    Mike. Given the attempts by the Right supporting NEC, can you get this out:-Despite these attempts from the right, there are a number of ways that party members denied a vote – or those who simply support Labour and Jeremy Corbyn and wish to vote – can do so. One clear option for the unwaged (i.e those most likely to be unable to afford the party’s ludicrous £25 fee) appears to be signing up to Unite Community for 50p a week, then opting-in to the political fund.
    http://www.unitetheunion.org/growing-our-union/joinunite/
    Although I am already a Labour Party member from prior to Jan 2016, Momentum have informed us that we will likely have to re-join and probably have to pay £25. This is a deliberate attempt by the right wing to rig the vote against JC, so members and supporters of JC need to know their options. I also belong to the TUC as an affiliate to help support the efforts of thie Trade Unions globally, so I think Unison will also be offering a similar deal.

    • Mike Sivier July 14, 2016 at 8:50 pm - Reply

      No, the union affiliation route was closed today.

  3. jeffrey davies July 14, 2016 at 2:11 pm - Reply

    no honour among theives and backstabbers hay jeff3

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