Have Owen Smith and Charlie Falconer forgotten they are in a democratic party?
Owen Smith, the shadow work and pensions secretary, is one of two Labour MPs to hint at resigning from the frontbench over Trident plans [Image: Rex Shutterstock].
Perhaps Owen Smith and Charlie Falconer have forgotten, but if they look at the back of their Labour Party membership cards, they’ll see that they belong to a democratic socialist party. That means the will of the majority must prevail.
Falconer knows perfectly well that his buddy Tony Blair ended the practice of policy-making at the Labour Party Conference; under New Labour, policy was decided in Blairite-dominated committees and conference was for showpiece speeches.
In talking down John McDonnell’s reference to a new “consultative process”, he is deriding a return to a democracy that will allow all party members to have their say.
That’s too bad. It’s coming, whether he wants it or not.
Labour divisions have burst into the open once again as two shadow ministers hinted that they would resign if Jeremy Corbyn succeeded in dropping Labour’s support for renewing the Trident nuclear weapons programme.
Owen Smith, the shadow work and pensions secretary, said it would be difficult for him to remain in the shadow cabinet if the party supported a policy of unilateral nuclear disarmament. Lord Falconer of Thoroton, the shadow justice secretary, said he was a strong supporter of Trident.
And in a further sign that the leadership is struggling to impose its authority after the reshuffle, a third member of the shadow cabinet dismissed claims by John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, that nuclear policy could be changed through a new process.
Source: Labour divisions reopen over plans to drop support for Trident | Politics | The Guardian
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
As far as Im concerned, they can go. If they cant behave in a respectful manner then do we want or need them in the Labour Party? I dont think so. There are plenty of loyal MPs who could take their place. The Labour Party and the country will be better off without them stirring up s**t all the time.
Untill that day there no blair babies left
they are all coming out of the woodwork slowly.
how many more to resign before the labour party returns to the workers from whence it came.