Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search
 

Ken Burch

(50,254 posts)
Wed Jun 29, 2016, 08:48 PM Jun 2016

Here's what the Labour coup has to offer, and it would plunge the party into electoral oblivion

http://www.thecanary.co/2016/06/29/heres-what-the-labour-coup-has-to-offer-and-it-would-plunge-the-party-into-electoral-oblivion/

The media is touting the potential candidates to challenge Jeremy Corbyn in a leadership contest, and it’s not looking good for the coup crew. According to various outlets, the two most likely candidates are war cheerleaders Angela Eagle and Tom Watson, who are about as inspiring as a dry lunch.

If Labour carried on with a leader like these two it would be consigned to electoral oblivion. Just think about their campaign slogans:

‘Anti-anti-austerity’
‘Bomb first, plan later’
‘Forget the NHS, let’s renew Trident’
‘Protect war criminals, not workers’

Both Watson and Eagle voted for the Iraq war, to bomb Syria last December, to renew Trident and to protect Tony Blair from being tried for war crimes. It appears the coup crew have thought this through as well as their latest military misadventure. Like with the bombing campaign in Syria, they have no clear endgame.

All of the MPs who have resigned to topple Corbyn abstained on the 2015 welfare bill, which allowed the Tories to make a further £12bn of ideological cuts to public services.

Labour tried anti-immigration mugs and austerity-lite last election and that went down about as well as a fart in an elevator, as Labour voters moved to the Green party, the SNP or away from party politics altogether. Pandering to anti-immigrant sentiment rather than challenging the real issue of austerity only vindicates UKIP and Tory rhetoric. Whereas, Corbyn supporters rightly point out that he challenges both parties by explaining that crumbling public institutions are the fault of spending cuts, not foreigners. He said:

"This isn’t the fault of migrants – it’s a failure of Government."
3 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Here's what the Labour coup has to offer, and it would plunge the party into electoral oblivion (Original Post) Ken Burch Jun 2016 OP
More... Ken Burch Jun 2016 #1
Last I looked, Eagle was polling around 1% Denzil_DC Jun 2016 #2
From Black Triangle Denzil_DC Jun 2016 #3
 

Ken Burch

(50,254 posts)
1. More...
Wed Jun 29, 2016, 08:52 PM
Jun 2016

http://www.thecanary.co/2016/06/29/heres-what-the-labour-coup-has-to-offer-and-it-would-plunge-the-party-into-electoral-oblivion/

For many, Jeremy Corbyn is the antidote to the poisonous polished political establishment. A man in politics, not a politician. The antithesis to the cosy Westminster bubble – where there is fiery debate within the limited confines of neoliberalism. Where the question is how much spending to cut, not how much to invest. The majority of the parliamentary Labour coup crew, the Conservative party, the Liberal Democrats and UKIP are happy to prop up this economic orthodoxy that led to the 2008 financial crash, a massive fall in living standards and further polarised income inequality. UKIP paint themselves as outsiders, but they just harness anti-establishment sentiment to ease their way further into the bubble. The difference is, Corbyn wants to pop it.

And that’s the very reason for the coup. Whose side are the plotters on? The rebellion is backed by David Cameron – the leader of the Conservative party.

There is a wave of anti-establishment sentiment manifesting itself in Brexit, UKIP, the Green party, the SNP and Corbyn’s huge support base. Neither Watson nor Eagle can ride it because they are seen as more of the same – politicians maintaining the military-industrial complex and neoliberal economic orthodoxy. Guardians of the status-quo.

Being a real opposition is the path to victory, not being so indistinguishable from the Tories that people accidentally vote Labour in the next general election.

Denzil_DC

(7,188 posts)
2. Last I looked, Eagle was polling around 1%
Wed Jun 29, 2016, 09:06 PM
Jun 2016

That'll probably climb as "rebels" clamber aboard, but I imagine she's just an icebreaker to get the contest kickstarted.

Anyway, she has a hinterland:



Feel free to post that .jpg in response to any of the astounding number of US DUers who seem to be incredibly familiar with the minutiae of UK politics all of a sudden and think this is about Corbyn "underperforming" in the referendum.

Denzil_DC

(7,188 posts)
3. From Black Triangle
Wed Jun 29, 2016, 11:00 PM
Jun 2016
REVEALED: Benn and Eagle secretly briefed Laura Kuenssberg while plotting against Corbyn for the last nine months

It now emerges that Hilary Benn and Angela Eagle have been secretly briefing against Jeremy Corbyn for the last 9 months.

They have constantly fed information to Laura Kuenssberg and the Murdoch press about pending coups and dissatisfaction in the Parliamentary Party. Apparently, they were planning to move against him on several occasions and ‘chickened out’.

The debate on the RAF bombing intervention on Syria on the 2.12.15 was to be the preliminary opportunity for Benn to strike by speaking out against the Labour line (which he did to much Tory applause). This was to be followed up by a no confidence motion after the loss of the Oldham by-election which was confidently predicted by the Murdoch press. The plot fell apart when the Oldham by-election was won by Labour, with UKIP in second place and the Tories beaten into third.

Their next attempt was when Shadow Foreign Minister, Stephen Doughty, resigned on air during the BBC’s Daily Politics programme on 7.1.16, just before Prime Ministers Questions. Kuenssberg had been briefed by the plotters beforehand and she had fed this information to David Cameron who announced it during PM’s Questions to the surprise of the Labour benches. This plot to usurp Jeremy also fell apart.

http://blacktrianglecampaign.org/2016/06/29/revealed-benn-and-eagle-secretly-briefed-laura-kuenssberg-while-plotting-against-corbyn-for-the-last-nine-months/
Latest Discussions»Region Forums»United Kingdom»Here's what the Labour co...