End this internal party feuding

The call in the Ilford Recorder’s leader for effective opposition to the government from the Labour Party is long overdue.

The behaviour of the 176 Labour MPs in launching a coup against the leader, virtually as the result of the EU referendum was being announced, was reckless and irresponsible. It has done a huge amount of damage to the Party in sending out the message to the public that they are not fit to govern.

Since then there has been the leadership election, which Jeremy Corbyn looks set to win. However, many of the 176 – including I imagine Wes Streeting and Mike Gapes – have made it clear that they will not accept a second mandate from the membership for Mr Corbyn. This is a very strange take on democracy, namely we will only abide by the result of an election if the outcome is the one that we want – it smacks rather more of the fake exercises engineered by dictators to legitamise their own rule.

If Mr Corbyn wins, there can be little doubt that both Gapes and Streeting should consider their positions. Both have openly called for Corbyn to stand down, with Gapes using the pages of the Recorder to openly praise the Prime Minister whilst describing “another poor display by Jeremy Corbyn.”

Following the result of the leadership election, the Labour Party has to come together and get behind the leader. Then an effective opposition can at last be mounted. Those who seek to continue internal feuding in the Labour Party may be deselected by their local parties, if not they will undoubtedly be turfed out by the electorate come the next general election. What is for sure is that the present shambles cannot go on.

published Ilford Recorder - 18/8/2016