Was Keir Starmer told to threaten Labour socialists over Russia-Ukraine by a former TORY MP?
Keir Starmer: Tory puppet?
You may remember that Keir Starmer ordered members of the Labour Party’s Socialist Campaign Group of MPs to withdraw their names from a Stop the War Coalition statement on the Russia-Ukraine crisis that criticised Nato – in the late afternoon of February 24.
It seems that, while the decision to threaten them with the loss of the Labour whip was his, the idea came from former Conservative MP David Gauke – as former Labour MP Chris Williamson has highlighted:
Just seen this tweet from Tory MP David Gauke. It seems Sir Keir Starmer is even closer to the Tories than I realised and is taking instructions directly from the Conservative Party.@UKLabour is finished, there really is no basis to be a member or to vote for this party. https://t.co/ZxhwIpKw4e
— Chris Williamson (@DerbyChrisW) February 27, 2022
Check the time on it: 3.51pm. Around an hour and a half later, right-wing columnist Dan Hodges tweeted to say that the Labour whips had done exactly as Gauke had suggested:
Understand the Labour chief whip has written to those Labour MPs who signed the Stop The War letter on the Ukraine, instructing them to withdraw their names.
— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) February 24, 2022
Confirmation came from LabourList an hour after that:
11 Labour MPs pull their signatures from a Stop the War statement criticising NATO after being urged to do so by the chief whip: https://t.co/1HLN5xYOCB
— LabourList (@LabourList) February 24, 2022
So it seems Mr Williamson is right and Labour leader Keir Starmer takes orders from Tories. This could devastate Labour’s credibility with voters.
Gauke has tried to distance himself from the revelation – and insulted Mr Williamson in the process by saying Labour was becoming respectable again. The response is scathing:
My apologies David, I meant to say 'former' Tory MP.
However, I'm not sure an endorsement by a prominent Conservative will persuade many erstwhile and current Labour supporters about @UKLabour's "respectability".
— Chris Williamson (@DerbyChrisW) February 27, 2022
We are days away from a by-election in Erdington, Birmingham, where Labour has struggled to attract campaigners while the left-wing candidate, Dave Nellist, has enjoyed huge support on the streets.
How will this damning revelation affect public opinion and – more importantly – the vote?
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