Is this the first salvo in the new Labour coup?
John Howarth: Blaming Mr Corbyn for his own mistakes?
John Howarth seems to be a man with a grievance.
He’s a Labour MEP for South East England – although not for much longer, if the fears he expresses in an email publicised by Skwawkbox are realised.
In it, he attacks the Labour leadership for failing to run a ‘Remain’-supporting campaign with the promise of a public vote.
This is in the European Parliament elections – for MEPs who cannot affect whether a public vote happens in the UK, remember.
The Party has brought on itself an electoral humiliation at a time when the Conservative Party is woefully divided and manifestly incompetent in Government,
he wrote.
An open goal has been missed.
This is all hours before any European Parliament election results are known.
Would it not be more accurate to say that Labour had a perfectly reasonable policy platform, based on issues that are relevant in the EU at the moment – but MEPs like Mr Howarth ignored this in order to focus on a matter that they cannot affect at all?
“Labour has lost a great opportunity and, over the past year, a great many members,” Mr Howarth wrote – ignoring information from that party’s general secretary that the party has continued to grow.
If it has lost support from casual voters, this may be attributed – as Skwawkbox points out – to the lost of Leave-supporting voters, not those who wanted to remain in the EU.
What a muddled mess.
The simple fact is that, when the Tories were in complete disarray, Labour representatives like Mr Howarth took it upon themselves, unilaterally, to break with the party line, go their own way, and wreck their own chance.
Now he wants to blame Jeremy Corbyn for his own mistakes.
That’s not good enough. But expect to see much more of it before the night is over.
Source: Coup breaks cover as expected as anti-Corbyn MEP flings Euro blame early | The SKWAWKBOX
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Received this vitro filled email earlier and commented to my partner oh here we go again another coup attempt here we go again! I bet it’s the hallmarks of Watson plan with others as usual. The Euro Election is a sideshow sorry it’s means nothing, Most people We have spoken to here in the campaigns recently here in Sussex. I just want this mess over and done now.
It’s going to be a disaster I believe and cost the country dear. maybe then people will wake up and kick these evil party out! I worry the next five years are going to be very hard on the poorest in society no matter if we get Labour in because of the mess the country is in now, it will take along time to fix!
Wonderful to witness so-called Labour party members doing their utmost to wreck the bond Jeremy Corbyn formed with Labour party members which created the biggest swing to Labour I have ever seen. But, like many so called labour members, they are trying to make it to the house of lords, where they can relax and let their money-grubbing ideals take over fully. If they don’t want to represent the core voters then they should not be in Labour!!
I’m in a Remain area in the SW and Labour supporters here have voted for the Greens and LibDems, pushing Labour into 5th place so their MEP has lost her seat. The LibDems have gained 2 seats and the Greens have kept their single seat. The Brexit Party have 3 seats and the Tories & UKIP lost both of their seats.
I feel that Labour should have better informed their members about this not being a referendum but about the balance in the EU Parliament. More Socialist MEPs in the EU parliament would be very good for all of us, especially if we do eventually remain. Should the European Socialists do well, they could change the direction of the EU, but fewer Labour MPs will weaken them.
I can’t say I was enthused by Labour’s campaign. Obviously I’m not in the party at the moment and couldn’t influence anything. But I would also suggest that the mainstream media were determined to push the Leave/Remain conflict, at the expense of all sanity.
I couldn’t agree more, which is why I made my comment about this not being viewed as a proxy referendum, or precursor to a General Election. One of the £iberal Democratic ladies is already drawing unsubstantiated conclusions, which will only muddy the waters further, in my opinion.
Why is it that media always make local and other elections about things which they are not and certain politicians do nothing to set them, or the electorate straight? I find it deeply frustrating. ‘Tis the same with the idea of so-called tactical voting. It only works, if you know who other people are going to vote. Vote for whom you want, for whose policies and vision agree with yours.
The trouble is that the people appear not to want compromise. You can’t please all of the people. Whichever way £abour favoured, it would lose votes. Another thing to remember is that E.U. citizens can vote in these elections so, we can’t view these elections as an actual proxy referendum, nor can view view them as a precursor to a General Election.
Many EU citizens could NOT vote in these elections, due to failings by central and local government. They are planning to sue. Watch this space.
Aye, I read that. Shameful! Many politicians are already drawing conclusions for which there simply is not evidence. Where does Alastair Campbell get off voting £iberal Democrat and crowing about it?
Interesting observation; you appear to have written your reply to my comment, which was written an hour later! Have you mastered time travel and not told anybody?
If only!
I don’t know how I managed that, other than that a clock somewhere hasn’t shifted to British Summer Time yet?
If you have, it could be the solution to all of our problems but use it wisely!
This is balderdash. Corbyn is the one who went against Labour policy and its own membership. Howarth was faithful to it and the 80% of Labour Party members that want to Remain, which is why he was voted in, whilst the vote share in Corbyn’s own constituency dived for Labour. The Labour Party didn’t vote to be ambiguous.
He is also right about Labour losing members hand over fist.
You can keep telling yourself encouraging tales as reality flies past you or you can face facts, really do the job of being the Party that lifts people out of poverty by first being electable, not just ‘squarking’ from the sidelines, and back Remain, join your brothers and sisters across the water on the European Continent to stop the march of Corporate power over our lives.
How do you make out that Mr Corbyn has gone against Labour policy and the membership, when he has been quoting Labour policy, chapter and verse?
How do you make out that Labour is losing members “hand over fist”? Evidence, please!
How about, instead of quoting convenient lies, you face the facts?