Labour MPs call for Corbyn to go
11 shadow ministers storm out – now deputy leader’s set to tell socialist to go
THE British Labour Party’s deputy leader was set to knife Jeremy Corbyn last night after 11 members of the shadow cabinet quit over what was seen as his disastrous leadership in the referendum campaign.
Sources believed Tom Watson would tell Mr Corbyn to walk for the sake of the party when the two men hold crisis talks today to discuss EU referendum fallout.
In an ominous statement last night, Mr Watson did not back Mr Corbyn, and hit out at his ‘deeply disappointing’ decision to sack shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn.
Mr Benn’s exit in the small hours yesterday came after Mr Corbyn got wind of his efforts to canvas support for a coup. It prompted a mass walkout from the shadow cabinet, with ten other senior figures quitting – and warning that Mr Corbyn was not up to the job.
Labour MPs have been enraged by Mr Corbyn’s leadership during the campaign, which saw voters across the party’s heartlands back Brexit in defiance of the party line. Phil Wilson, chairman of the Labour In group of MPs, accused Mr Corbyn of ‘sabotaging’ the party’s campaign to keep Britain in the EU.
‘Corbyn should resign with immediate effect,’ he said. ‘The responsibility of being leader of the Labour Party is beyond his capabilities.’
More frontbenchers are expected to quit today to make it clear to Mr Corbyn he cannot continue to lead the party.
The socialist Labour leader is also facing a vote of no confidence by scores of his own MPs. They meet to discuss the move tonight, with up to 200 expected to back the motion in a secret ballot that could be held as early as tomorrow.
Mr Corbyn and his dwindling band of allies remained defiant last night as they attempted to find replacements for the frontbenchers who have walked out. A spokesman said he ‘won’t be resigning’.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell insisted Mr Corbyn had no intention of quitting. He warned MPs they had no right to defy the huge mandate Mr Corbyn secured in last year’s leadership election. He added: ‘Support the leader we elected nine months ago. Full stop. Accept the mandate.’
Len McCluskey, boss of the militant Unite union, which bankrolls Labour, also weighed in behind Mr Corbyn, saying he had his ‘100% support’.
In a threatening statement, he warned that MPs speaking out against the leader could face deselection.
‘Corbyn should go immediately’
He said: ‘Those MPs who have missed no opportunity to tweet and brief against the party’s elected leader over the last ten months will find that their disloyalty finds no favour with party members.’
But in a statement yesterday, Mr Watson suggested Mr Corbyn is incapable of leading Labour to victory. He said: ‘I was deeply disappointed to see Hilary Benn sacked in the early hours of this morning and equally saddened that so many talented, able and hard-working colleagues felt they had to leave the shadow cabinet.
‘The nation needs an effective opposition, particularly as the current leadership of the country is so lamentable. The Labour Party must be ready to form a government.’
Mr Watson said he would hold talks with Mr Corbyn today to ‘discuss the way forward’. Labour sources say Mr Watson is hoping to persuade grandees to install him as caretaker leader without a contest if Mr Corbyn is ousted. But several other senior figures are now weighing up their chances.
Mr Benn said yesterday that there was ‘widespread concern’ among Labour MPs and in the shadow cabinet about Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. ‘In particular, there is no confidence in our ability to win the next election, which may come much sooner than expected, if Jeremy continues as leader,’ he said.
The removal of Mr Benn sparked an unprecedented walkout from Labour’s top team. First to go was shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander followed by the shadow young persons minister Gloria de Piero. They were followed throughout the day by shadow education secretary Lucy Powell, shadow environment secretary Kerry McCarthy, shadow transport secretary Lilian Greenwood, shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray, shadow Northern Ireland secretary Vernon Coaker, shadow justice secretary Lord Falconer, shadow Treasury chief secretary Seema Malhotra, shadow attorney general Karl Turner and shadow Commons leader Chris Bryant.
In her resignation letter, Ms de Piero, one of Mr Watson’s closest allies, told Mr Corbyn: ‘I do not believe you can deliver that victory at a general election.’
Meanwhile, Ms Powell warned that the party was facing an ‘existential threat’ and said she had no confidence in Mr
Corbyn’s ability. Ms Alexander told Mr Corbyn: ‘As much as I respect you as a man of principle, I do not believe you have the capacity to shape the answers our country is demanding.’ Mr Murray, Labour’s only MP in Scotland, added: ‘I think Jeremy Corbyn has to look at himself seriously in the mirror and see if he sees himself walking down Downing Street as being Prime Minister.’
Other top figures were thought to be considering their positions last night.
Labour anger over Mr Corbyn’s performance grew yesterday when leaked documents showed that Mr Corbyn, a lifelong Eurosceptic, had refused requests to take part in cross-party events and had cut pro-EU passages from speeches. Last night a spokesman for Mr Corbyn said the leader had ‘no intention’ of resigning.