Labour plotters: McDonnell may have softened his stance – but we know who you are

John McDonnell with demonstrators supporting striking Picturehouse workers in London on Saturday [Image: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Barcroft Im/Wiktor Szymanowicz/Barcroft].

It seems Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell is softening his approach to critics of Jeremy Corbyn, in the aftermath of the (alleged) Copeland by-election defeat.

Mr McDonnell has adopted a more conciliatory tone since he wrote an article – just published by Labour Briefing – attacking other Labour members as “covert coup plotters” trying to “undermine support” for Jeremy Corbyn.

But that doesn’t mean the so-called plotters can expect Labour members to let them off.

McDonnell’s article is right to criticise those who, “having learned the lesson of the last coup attempt – that a direct attack on Jeremy and his policies will provoke a backlash from many party members” … “are this time round pursuing a covert strategy”.

It should be clear to anybody with eyes to see, ears to hear and a brain to think that people like Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson, who admitted he works constantly to remove Jeremy Corbyn from the Labour leadership, are trying to erode his support base among Labour members and voters.

Mr McDonnell was right when he wrote, “Undermining support for Jeremy from Labour voters is important to the plotters because their objective is to ensure Jeremy trails in the polls and can’t win elections. In this way they can destroy morale among party members and their confidence in him.”

He wrote: “The coup plotters are willing to sacrifice the Party at elections just to topple Jeremy and prevent a socialist leading the Party. It is more important to them that they regain control of the Party than it is to win elections.” This Writer has made the same observations.

So, while Mr McDonnell’s move towards reconciliation may be welcome, it seems prudent to remind high-profile Labour MPs and grandees:

We know who you are.

Every one of you who opens his or her mouth or takes to a word processor to undermine Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leadership, or the party’s current policy position will have those actions recorded, and they may be used in evidence when the appropriate time comes.

The United Kingdom is standing on a knife-edge, due to the actions of a horrific right-wing Conservative Government and you have done nothing to oppose this nightmare because you are too busy playing at petty party politics.

You are a disgrace to your country and you will be judged.

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10 thoughts on “Labour plotters: McDonnell may have softened his stance – but we know who you are

  1. Thomas Walker

    We all know what appeasement brings,more humiliation for Jeremy,and the New membership,we need to draw a line in the sand,and as we hear so much about taking back control,that’s what we should do.JC4PM

  2. Jeffrey Davies

    Trouble is pussyfooting around these little tories will onl posbourn the enevitable rid us of these greedie people for once and forall

  3. Paul

    After Labour loses the 2020 election, Mike, do you reckon Jezza will stay on and have another go in 2025? Provided the Labour membership encourage him?

    1. Mike Sivier Post author

      You are making a false assumption.
      Labour isn’t going to lose the 2020 election. We’ll kick out the useless grumblers, present a united front and kick out the Tories.
      By the way, you do realise that YOU are one of the useless grumblers, don’t you?

      1. Paul

        I call it as I see it. What kind of opposition can strike fear into a government when they lose seats they held previously for 80 years midterm in a parliament? I desperately want to see the Tories gone and am absolutely 100% sure that the Labour party under Corbyn won’t do it. Worse, my best bet is that Labour will have even fewer MP post-2020 than it has now, especially after the constituency boundary changes go through an the House of Commons slimmed down.

        Jeremy Corbyn is a professional protester NOT a leader.

        CORBYN IS NEVER GOING TO BE PRIME MINISTER.

        I’m making a note of the URL to this page so that I can refer you to this prediction after the worst happens during May 2020. I just can’t understand how you can carry on kidding yourself, as if politics is like religion and if we all unite and have enough faith some kind of miracle will happen to save us. At the very least I had hoped that the Labour party might end up in a position to deny the Tories a majority but am convinced that not even this will be possible now.

      2. Mike Sivier Post author

        YOU appear to be a professional protester – against Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party you claim to support.
        If you – and those like you – were to stop undermining and start supporting, who knows what we could all achieve together?

  4. Christine Cullen

    I would have thought anything from the mouths of Blair and Mandelson would be a turn off for any decent Labour member. Blair’s recent foray into encouraging us to “rise up,” didn’t get very far did it?
    When are the Blairites going to learn that even if one of their own band of merry men/women were to replace Corbyn, whoever it was would still be in for the same press and media vitriol that Corbyn, and Ed Miliband had to put up with?
    Turning on each other is not the answer. Getting behind the leader is; and it will make him more credible in the eyes of the electorate. As the likes of Nuttall fade into well deserved oblivion, and the Tories prove to do even more damage, there is not a reason why the Labour Party should not get back into power.

  5. Kevin Harnan

    this coup has always been their [get real] right after corbyns victory last time it started ,,as for watson last sunday on preston disgrace …even preston stated he was approached by labour mps who where dissatisfied [snakes] but as usual no names ,,,

Comments are closed.