Hartlepool Labour members feel ‘betrayed’ by MPs’ Corbyn revolt

I knew that standing against Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour leadership would prompt a backlash.

Mr Smith said yesterday it would be “better” for there to be only one of them taking forward their campaign in order to avoid splitting the support of anti-Corbyn Labour members. I’m guessing it didn’t involve abuse, misogyny, homophobia, anti-Semitism and the opportunity to picket Labour events…

The vast majority of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) is engaged in a battle to replace Mr Corbyn after most of his shadow cabinet resigned and 172 MPs backed a no confidence motion in the party leader following the European Union referendum.

Speaking on Sunday’s Andrew Marr Show, Mr Smith, when asked if he would raise taxes on the richest in society, said: “I think we need to completely overhaul our tax system, so yes”.

And setting out his plans to guarantee enshrine in law a parliamentary veto over decisions to go to war, Mr Smith said: “We’ve got to put flesh on the bones of those slogans, and in my view it is time for the Labour Party to recommit ourselves to a proper, ethical foreign policy”.

And he tried to position himself as left of Eagle, saying she was “supported by a lot of people who are further right on the spectrum of the Labour party than I am”.

There is some optimism amongst Jeremy Corbyn’s critics that this attempt will work.

Meanwhile, a senior MP supporting Smith claimed there was an overwhelming consensus that only one candidate should emerge, and warned that now supportive MPs would not give Eagle their nomination if she did not swiftly recognise the situation.

He said: “I think that would be very tempting for the Labour Party as we are a party that believes in being in the EU”.

The party is reportedly being headed by Stephen Kinnock, son of former leader Neil, and is codenamed Continuity Labour. “If we can get back to that without some of the nuance and timidity we have seen in the Labour Party, the managerialism that has held us back from being radical in the past, then we can have a new Labour offer to the country that people would realise is properly Labour but fit for the 21st century”. “There are two other talented candidates seeking nominations”.

He added: “We need to negotiate right now, I don’t think we should accept that we’re on a definite path out”. While it is unclear what impact that will have on Corbyn, bookmakers seem to think the whole situation is increasingly good for Smith – though it seems Angela Eagle now has no chance at the leadership.

It appeared unlikely that Mr Corbyn would have achieved this, but the Labour National Executive Committee voted to include him regardless, by virtue of him being the incumbent. The news comes as a two-day window opens for people to be able to register as Labour members for £25 ($46) and cast a vote.

“I’ve made it absolutely clear that I will listen to what our membership says but I will be supporting our democratically elected leader of our party and getting on with the job of holding this government to account”.