If Angela Eagle is still thinking of challenging Jeremy Corbyn, she should read this

Last Updated: July 7, 2016By
Angela Eagle: The Eagle is stranded.

Angela Eagle: The Eagle is stranded.

It seems some of the Labour mutineers are still clinging to some hope that they could mount a successful challenge against Jeremy Corbyn.

For their benefit, This Blog is posting part of a letter to Angela Eagle which makes the position crystal clear.

Dear Angela

I live in a small deprived working class town in an area where 72% of people voted to leave the EU.

At the turn of the millenium it had a strong Labour presence running the town council and a number of councillors on the district council and had narrowly failed to take the safe Tory Westminster seat.

By the middle of the decade the party had been wiped out totally and a few years ago was replaced by UKIP as the party for working class voters. Many of those UKIP voters hate Cameron and the Tories but would not turn to Labour again at the last general election, instead they voted UKIP.

Over the past 9 months the membership of the local party has more than doubled, some new, some returning.

We were just beginning to connect with local voters again when along comes this ridiculous, unconstitutional, undemocratic coup. There was no lack of confidence in Jeremy until you lot of plotters started creating yet another lie.

If you think that Labour will be more electable without Jeremy Corbyn you have about as much nous as a duck that makes its home in the desert.

When people attending the local foodbank, where I used to volunteer, tell me they felt betrayed by Labour nor would vote for them again, that is the Labour Party that you were part of, take notice.

That is why we could not win the last 2 elections.

Getting rid of Corbyn is no magic wand in fact just the opposite.

You, Cooper, Hilary Benn and others are all part of the New Labour that decimated the Labour party amongst deprived working class people.

No leader could overcome the legacy you left this party in just 9 months. It is time you stopped going on national media talking about you being able to solve the problems in the Labour Party.

It is like trying to put out a fire with petrol. The ordinary working class voters rejected you and your policies at the last 3 general elections and in the EU referendum. Stop behaving like a Tory and blaming someone else for your failings.

If you want to make Labour electable at the next election it is time for all MPs to get behind the leader and campaign for anti-austerity, anti-neoliberal polices.

It won’t be easy, but it is impossible with a traitorous PLP in the party’s midst.

It is time to rid this party of the malevolent shadow of Mandelson, Campbell and Blair if we want to be relevant to the future of this country.

Regards
Sue Dockett
Member NE Cambs CLP

Source: An open letter to Angela Eagle – NEWTEKWORLDNEWS

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40 Comments

  1. Rusty July 7, 2016 at 1:53 pm - Reply

    What we are all thinking

  2. Matthew S. Dent July 7, 2016 at 2:07 pm - Reply

    “The ordinary working class voters rejected you and your policies at the last 3 general elections and in the EU referendum.”

    Labour won the 2005 general election.

    • Mike Sivier July 7, 2016 at 3:40 pm - Reply

      Yes indeed. Well done for picking up on a typo.

    • stevecheneysindieopinions4u July 8, 2016 at 4:16 pm - Reply

      Matthew, the comment says that working class voters rejected Labour in the last 3 elections, not that Labour lost. Labour got through 2005 by the skin of their teeth – and on the promise that Blair would step down, because there was a real impetus to punish him.

      (I remember this well as it was the year I didn’t get my postal vote so I was a bit grouchy.)

      I would have to see much more detailed stats than I suspect can be found, but my guess is that Labour got through in 2005 off the back of middle class centre-right votes, rather than working class ones.

  3. Phil Woodford July 7, 2016 at 2:09 pm - Reply

    I thought the ‘chicken’ coup had failed, Mike, and that your blog had categorically proved this or something. Now it seems you’re worried Jez’s job is on the line again lol.

    • Mike Sivier July 7, 2016 at 3:41 pm - Reply

      I’m not worried at all.

  4. tim July 7, 2016 at 2:45 pm - Reply

    This letter engolfe millions of peopple saying and thinking exactly the same feeling. well done Sue!

  5. jeffrey davies July 7, 2016 at 2:49 pm - Reply

    trouble is they just sulk on the back benches waiting a chance to stab him once more in the back has for olive branches they shown they cant be trusted and need deselection thrown out on their heads jeff3

  6. Dez July 7, 2016 at 2:50 pm - Reply

    Got it in One. Wish the MPs would wake up and stop being led by right wing dark powers and start acting for the rank ‘n file for which they were elected. The right wingers have suceeded in disrupting any strong attack by Labour while they are in a weak position. Just find it sad they have such a gullible lot acting for Labour just wish they sod off to the Cons and Blairs leftovers.

    • Merv July 12, 2016 at 5:49 pm - Reply

      What right wingers?….. I thought labour was a specialist/communist movement?

  7. Beryl Probert July 7, 2016 at 3:17 pm - Reply

    Sue Docket – what an encouraging letter from you. I think the Blairites have met their comeuppance and they are on the way out. I have read that the Labour party membership has increased by 100,0000 in the last 2 days. That says it all to me. Keep fighting Sue for all our sakes and THANK YOU.

    • Mike Sivier July 7, 2016 at 3:38 pm - Reply

      100,000 in a week, I think it actually was. Still incredibly impressive!

  8. citizenbrianBrian July 7, 2016 at 3:39 pm - Reply

    I’m afraid Mr Corbyn will not win you an election, a vast percentage of the population voted against uncontrolled immigration, started by Blair and Straw, On a recent video interview Jeremy said he supported free movement, which he had to say as a remainer but some around me jumped “he said what? he shouldn’t have sad that”.

    • Mike Sivier July 7, 2016 at 3:46 pm - Reply

      That just indicates you don’t really understand the issues with regard to immigration.
      Blair and Straw, for example, never started “uncontrolled immigration”. In fact, immigration to the UK has never been “uncontrolled”.
      The free movement rule applied to the EU, and will still apply here after we are out of it (it seems).

      • citizenbrian July 7, 2016 at 7:55 pm - Reply

        The book Broken Vows: Tony Blair – The Tragedy of Power and the view in my industry say they did and two million came. A lot of them are in my industry and are being fully exploited and my wages are less than I earn’t 28 years ago, in the same trade. I can’t blame the replacements as they where invited. The rule is EU based indeed, Blair and Straw implemented it, business, the Goverment and Local Councils exploted it. It is said Mr Straw reportedly asked the then-prime minister: “Isn’t immigration the sort of issue which can blow up in our face?” Blair simply replied: “Immigration won’t be an issue. Immigration is good for Britain.” He never mentioned who for, it certainly hasn’t been anyone in my industry on the tools.

        • Mike Sivier July 8, 2016 at 12:41 pm - Reply

          I’m not particularly bothered about what the author of any individual book thinks.
          We do not currently have – and never have had – uncontrolled immigration.

  9. webackcorbyn July 7, 2016 at 3:41 pm - Reply

    Fantastic letter These simple, self-apparent truths need so much to be heard and seen in this time of fictional reporting. There are similar portraits of Corbyn supporters, in their own words, to be found at webackcorbyn.wordpress.com

  10. Ian July 7, 2016 at 4:42 pm - Reply

    Excellent letter, sums up eloquently everything I have been feeling about this coup and the future for Labour. Blairism is dead, the working classes will never vote for a Tory Party B again and this is where a huge amount of Corbyn’s supporters are coming from, he represents true Labour values. Blairites cannot see that it’s Darwin time for the party – adapt or fail.

  11. peej1952 July 7, 2016 at 5:24 pm - Reply

    albeit I believe you were much to lenient on Eagle, also the rest of the treacherous shadow cabinet who resigned every single one of them should be deselected or expelled from Jeremy John and the People’s Party none of the 174 nor the PLP should survive this deliberate act to re- install new labour Banish the Cowards they are Liars Cheats Bullies and they are no more Labour than the Tory Party is and I want all media outlets to stop using Labour to describe these Political Elite Blairites They are and always will be the worst lying set of Politicians in History New Labour Tories through and through.
    The sooner we rid our party of them the better

  12. peej1952 July 7, 2016 at 5:34 pm - Reply

    Well done Sue Dockett an excellent well put over piece and you are bang on words along the same lines went missing for some reason

  13. David Woods July 7, 2016 at 6:05 pm - Reply

    Obviously a Corbyn plot to harry her from standing! ?
    Sorry I shouldn’t joke ‘they’re’ desperate enough to get up and run with it!

  14. Working Class man July 7, 2016 at 7:02 pm - Reply

    The Blairite MP’s in the PLP all need deselecting, they will never be loyal to Jeremy Corbyn or to the direction that the Party is now going. Why, because the majority were parachuted into safe Labour seats, mostly against the wishes of the local party….by Blair and his star chamber so that he could be surrounded by New Labour (old SDP) sycophants that would worship on the altar of Neoliberalism,the Corporate beast and self interest. A wise man once said to me….if the media pour scorn on a Labour or Trade Union man/woman they are the people that have your best interest at heart. The ones that they praise have your exploitation and their own best interest at heart.

  15. Larry July 7, 2016 at 8:48 pm - Reply

    Well done Mike Sivier for standing up so fiercely and aggressively for Jeremy Corbyn. If there is any justice in the world the new leader will find your efforts extremely helpful insofar as destroying the other main competing party goes and gaining and retaining political power far into the future are concerned.

    The new leader should appreciate your efforts whoever she turns out to be.

    Teresa May or Andrea Levenson.

    Thank you for all you have done.

    • Mike Sivier July 8, 2016 at 12:37 pm - Reply

      What a silly piece of anti-Corbyn agitation.

  16. Ian Hunter July 7, 2016 at 8:52 pm - Reply

    Get behind Jeremy Corbyn?That’s the last place I’d want them,perfectly positioned to stab him in the back again.
    I’m no fan of Ken Livingstone but I agree that Labour should offer the local parties the chance to deselect those dishonourable members and let them stand as independents or whatever other party they (obviously) support and see who wins!

  17. Paul Syson July 8, 2016 at 10:58 am - Reply

    I swear these mutineers are actually Tory infiltrators otherwise they must have such a warped view of Labour values and what the party stands for to appear as such, thank god the people are coming back to support a man who already has the biggest ever mandate to make it even bigger the members are the party NOT the PLP

    • tim July 8, 2016 at 12:18 pm - Reply

      Thoose who are still trying to keep the failled coup are only for themselves and not working for the people supposing helping and listening.
      These MPs will go where their wealth is protected, they are politic careers, they do not respect democracy, they are there for filling their pockets and give us the words we want to hear but no actions.

    • peej1952 July 8, 2016 at 1:12 pm - Reply

      Well put

  18. John July 8, 2016 at 6:39 pm - Reply

    BREAKING NEWS: There is apparently going to be a meeting on Sunday at the Grand Hotel, Brighton with Len McCluskey, and all the Unions by the sounds of it, and including John McDonnell. JC won’t be present though. Oh, and Tom Waton will be there. All to negotiate a peace deal.
    If nothing comes of it, then Eagle WILL be challenging Corbyn!!! Yawn……. Zzzz……….

    • Mike Sivier July 9, 2016 at 2:09 pm - Reply

      Apparently it has all fallen through anyway and there will be a challenge.
      John?
      Wake up, John!

      • John July 9, 2016 at 2:43 pm - Reply

        If it doesn’t make you laugh, it puts you to sleep I reckon. This coup thing is really getting beyond a joke now! I fancy some chicken though!
        Thanks for the wake up call :)

  19. garylongden July 9, 2016 at 6:11 am - Reply

    Your rallying call of getting behind Corbyn ignores the fact that he is not succeeding in his job.
    Eighty percent of the PLP have no confidence in him, and his job is to lead them. That is his failure.
    He had no previous executive experience. Therefore he had no team of PLP fixers, enforcers, and persuaders. Consequently his Praetorian Guard is outside the PLP, alienating them even more.
    His covert active, and overt passive, Remain campaign has hurt Labour voters for many years to come. His failure to let AJ have access to the Labour data base explicit evidence of his duplicity.
    The guiding force behind Corbyn is Seamus “Tankie” Milne, a man whose politics are further left than Momentum’s.
    If the vote goes to the members, Corbyn will be elected again- to do a job he cannot do again. Pure farce.

    • Mike Sivier July 9, 2016 at 2:07 pm - Reply

      How is Mr Corbyn not succeeding in his job? By winning all those by-elections? By beating the Tories in the local elections? By mobilising more Labour supporters for ‘Remain’ than any other party leader did among their own supporters? By forcing U-turn after U-turn from the Conservative Government? By defeating the conspiracy against him?
      Sure, 170+ MPs voted against him. We’re told many were persuaded, cajoled or bullied into supporting that vote, so it will be interesting to see how many continue to support action against him. Meanwhile we know 250,000 members voted for him in the leadership election last year, and it is estimated that around 80,000 of the 128,000 who joined in the last 11 days also support him. So, of half a million members, we have 330,000 who support him. That’s an increase in the proportion that supported him originally. The unions support him.
      Everybody starts off with no previous executive experience. What’s your point?
      As I said, he was the most successful party leader in the EU referendum campaign. Were you aware that Alan Johnson was supposed to be leading that campaign for Labour. Johnson was invisible throughout, only emerging to attack Corbyn after the result. Now that is a failure!
      Your reference to people being far left is risible. Corbyn is a man of the centre-left and so are his team. You should study politics to understand a bit more about the political spectrum, and spend less time staring through the Overton Window.
      Corbyn is doing fine. Sadly some people seem desperate to talk him down.
      Whyever could that be?

      • Shaz July 9, 2016 at 7:14 pm - Reply

        Indeed! well said! All this “no confidence in him” bs is getting boring now!

    • Mike Hartley July 9, 2016 at 10:36 pm - Reply

      To do a job he cannot do again?
      So he did it in the first place? If he did it in the first place, I suspect Ladbrokes might make him odds on to do it in the second place.

      • peej1952 July 11, 2016 at 7:52 am - Reply

        Hi Jeremy is doing a great job just look at the right wing and media the attempt they are making to overthrow a Democratically Elected Political Leader BBC being the worst offender. Eagle crocodile tears and all whimpers she wants to save the Labour Party, no she does not her and the 173 others want to save the “New Labour Party” these people are not Labour they have Rebelled against us the Grass Roots Rank and File Membeship “WE ARE LABOUR” they are about to find this out. I would be really concerned if the right wing media the BBC SKY NEWS and the PLP etc were praising Jeremy this would initiate to me we had another Right Wing Puppet Leader but Jeremy is no ones Puppet. All the New Labour Rebels accusations and claims of incompetence and being a weak Leader are in actual fact slanderous. If JC was Incompetent he surely would not have been a member of a mostly corrupt HOC FOR the years he has in actual fact what these NL MPs are saying is every single person who has Voted for JC over half a Century are indeed INCOMPETENT. If their underhanded Treachery prevails and they unconstitutionally remove JC from office who do they think is going to vote for them it is the 174 that are unelectable not JC as for being Weak well Jeremy has withstood the most Hatefilled concentrated barrage of Abuse and Bullying by MPs who purport to be Labour ably abetted by the sun the express the mail the telegraph the guardian the mirror the times the BBC SKY NEWS the simple fact of the matter is Jeremy Corbyn far from being Weak is A MAN OF SUBSTANCE AND HONOUR and A STRONG LEADER. I will wind up by stating the bleeding obvious the 174 New Labour MPs who are attempting to destroy JC and the Labour Movement must Never Succeed ” THEY ARE MURDOCHS LACKIES”and in the HIP POCKET OF THE BANKS BIG BUSINESS and anyone else who will fill their DEEP POCKETS ie NUCLEAR ARMS DEALERS “Allegedly” good word that ain’t it just.

  20. David Gardner July 10, 2016 at 10:44 am - Reply

    I have never read such nonsense. The idea that people were rallying to Labour before the shadow ministerial resignations in NE Cambs is laughable, and clearly evidenced by the 72% Leave Vote. Was Sue’s CLP out on every doorstep?, did they run a full polling day operation to get out the Labour remain vote and persuade waverers? We won Fenland DC in 1995 precisely because the Labour Party appealed to a wider base, to people’s sense of hope and ambition as well as fairness. We lost support then due to some local splits (nothing to do with he national party) and the slow drift away from Labour after 2001 – that was our high water mark over NE Cambs gaining 35% of the vote, more than 1997. Of course, Blair made mistakes post-Iraq and the national party’s pursuit of a ruthless wing seat targeted strategy meant many areas were sadly neglected, but the idea that NE Cambs will rally to a hard left tune is for the birds, quite honestly. As a progressive party, we have a duty to promote practical policies and solutions as well as to project a positive vision. Just opposing may highlight injustices, win some friends and make us feel good but it will not get wide support in the ballot box come a general election. Without power, which means embracing a wider coalition of progressive support, we are not going to make a difference to those relying on foodbanks and the millions of others who feel left behind.

    • Mike Sivier July 10, 2016 at 11:47 pm - Reply

      You mentioned appealing to a wider base.
      Has it not occurred to you that Labour has lost its appeal to that wider base, because the neoliberals concentrated far too heavily on the middle classes and people who would normally vote Conservative – thereby disenfranchising Labour’s former natural constituency?
      Nobody has suggested a “hard left tune” for Labour – certainly not Jeremy Corbyn, who is a man of the centre left.
      And nobody has suggested turning Labour into a protest party. These are fabrications that have been spun to deceive you.

  21. John Spenccer-Davis July 10, 2016 at 1:04 pm - Reply

    Angela Eagle has announced that she will run for the Labour Party leadership beginning Monday 11th July.

    https://www.change.org/p/labour-party-electorate-tell-two-faced-angela-eagle-to-withdraw-from-the-election

    If you are eligible to vote in the leadership contest, please will you consider reading, signing and publicising my petition publicly requesting her to withdraw.

  22. Judith Gunn July 11, 2016 at 9:42 am - Reply

    There is a divide here but it is more complex than Corbyn versus New Labour or Blairites. I did not want the war, I am appalled by the poverty, by the increasing divide between rich and poor. I am middle class and have always voted for higher taxes, in the expectation of support for education, health, infrastructure and benefits, but I also voted Remain which is why I feel utterly let down by the Labour Party in all its forms both during the campaign and now, when we need serious opposition.

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