This Once Great Movement Of Ours

[TheTide]

That no good, troublemaking Corbynista.

https://twitter.com/PolitlcsUK/status/1724808399299457408?s=20

[JimJamUK]

It’s amazing how many politician seem willing to sacrifice their careers over the exact wording of an amendment that will be defeated and even if passed would have no impact on either our government or importantly either of the governments currently at war 1000s of miles away.

[Coldstream]

If they think virtue signalling over a ceasefire that we don’t have the power to enforce (even if the Tories did back it) is more important than the work they could do for people in this country if they became a minister then frankly the party, & country, is better off without them.

[Pericles]

If they think virtue signalling over a ceasefire that we don’t have the power to enforce (even if the Tories did back it) is more important than the work they could do for people in this country if they became a minister then frankly the party, & country, is better off without them.

Plus, it has been noted that the Corbynite left of the party have self-purged themselves with resignations like this, which gives even more dominance to the Blairite clique.

[Coldstream]

If they think virtue signalling over a ceasefire that we don’t have the power to enforce (even if the Tories did back it) is more important than the work they could do for people in this country if they became a minister then frankly the party, & country, is better off without them.

Plus, it has been noted that the Corbynite left of the party have self-purged themselves with resignations like this, which gives even more dominance to the Blairite clique.

Which isn’t good, but anyone who’d throw away their career for this pointless vanity isn’t fit to be a minister.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I suspect that the thinking in some cases (not all) will be that they will be back soon enough, especially as the PLP is so small at present. Whether this would be a safe assumption or not is a different matter.

[Coldstream]

I suspect that the thinking in some cases (not all) will be that they will be back soon enough, especially as the PLP is so small at present. Whether this would be a safe assumption or not is a different matter.

There’s not time for another reshuffle (discounting whatever holes need filling this week) before the GE - and if we win there will be plenty of more talented MP’s in the new intake.

[Torrain]

56 Labour rebels - Jess Philips the most high-profile.

https://votes.parliament.uk/votes/commons/division/1666#notrecorded

My only tentative prediction about the gap-filling tomorrow is that Gerald Jones gets shuffled out of the junior shadow minister role at the Scotland Office, into one of the new vacancies,  and Michael Shanks gets offered the spot instead.

[IceAgeComing]

Junior Minister roles get fiddled with all the time and they’ll reshuffle them all when they win the election in any case so I don’t think it’s a big issue.

I think there’s an argument that losing a prominent right winger on this is weirdly beneficial: because they can credibly argue that it isn’t about a left vs right thing and it means that someone I suspect they want to bring back is one of the main people in the media on this. Not ideal obviously but better than a factional civil war.

[JimJamUK]

I think there’s an argument that losing a prominent right winger on this is weirdly beneficial: because they can credibly argue that it isn’t about a left vs right thing and it means that someone I suspect they want to bring back is one of the main people in the media on this. Not ideal obviously but better than a factional civil war.

Phillips is often quite left wing on actual policy and has previous form on foreign policy (she represents a constituency with a big Muslim population).

[MaxQue]

It’s amazing how many politician seem willing to sacrifice their careers over the exact wording of an amendment that will be defeated and even if passed would have no impact on either our government or importantly either of the governments currently at war 1000s of miles away.

Indeed, it is amazing to see Starmer endanger party unity over the exact wording of an amendment rather than allow a free vote.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

(she represents a constituency with a big Muslim population).

Larger than when first elected, which wasn't even that long ago of course: a lot of upwardly mobile (Mirpuri) Pakistanis have moved into Yardley and Stechford over the past decade. Boundary changes mean that at the next election it will lose Garretts Green and push into Small Heath, with obvious demographic implications.

But, yes, her actual political views have never really been where people tend to assume they must be.

[afleitch]

It’s amazing how many politician seem willing to sacrifice their careers over the exact wording of an amendment that will be defeated and even if passed would have no impact on either our government or importantly either of the governments currently at war 1000s of miles away.

Indeed, it is amazing to see Starmer endanger party unity over the exact wording of an amendment rather than allow a free vote.

It's Schrödinger's amendment. It's at once a 'pointless divisive SNP amendment' that means nothing. But yet also really important in whipping the parliamentary party to abstain.

[morgieb]

Is there a legitimate chance someone tries to pass a VoNC against Starmer over this? It would potentially be suicidal, but I can see a number of the Corbynites thinking that there are no other options.

[MaxQue]

Is there a legitimate chance someone tries to pass a VoNC against Starmer over this? It would potentially be suicidal, but I can see a number of the Corbynites thinking that there are no other options.

That's not how UK Labour works, but I can't imagine this is strenghtening Starmer on the long-run. It depends how long the people he sacked hold grudges.

[Coldstream]

It’s amazing how many politician seem willing to sacrifice their careers over the exact wording of an amendment that will be defeated and even if passed would have no impact on either our government or importantly either of the governments currently at war 1000s of miles away.

Indeed, it is amazing to see Starmer endanger party unity over the exact wording of an amendment rather than allow a free vote.

It's Schrödinger's amendment. It's at once a 'pointless divisive SNP amendment' that means nothing. But yet also really important in whipping the parliamentary party to abstain.

It was pointless to whip for it, but equally pointless to defy the whip for it.

[Blair]

It should have been a free vote; especially as it’s also made life difficult for a number of MPs who didn’t vote for the ceasefire.

[CumbrianLefty]

It should have been a free vote; especially as it’s also made life difficult for a number of MPs who didn’t vote for the ceasefire.

But the Westminster commentariat whose support Starmer has always rated* would have slaughtered him for that - another thing about said bubble is that it is fervently, blindly pro-Israel.

(*this has been maybe *the* one constant feature of his leadership since he started, even as other things have changed - and given his overall success with this strategy, he likely considers bumps in the road like this as a price worth paying overall)

[Blair]

Does this thread being quiet suggest all is well with THIGMOO?

The new frontbench replacements have been announced- no huge surprises other than Steve McCabe who iirc has never held a frontbench role other than a spell in Browns whips office.

He’s that part of labour that is hard to define and has been one of LFI’s point people within the PLP

[Filuwaúrdjan]

McCabe is a very old school right-winger: trade union, social policy (specifically social work) and local government background.

[Coldstream]

McCabe is an archetype you get across the Labour Party at different levels, statist, public sector, cares about community and likes representing people/standing up for them but lacks the kind of personal ambition of, say, a Streeting.

[CityofSinners]

After all the drama during the Corbyn years, the Starmer ''drama'' just doesn't hit the same.
Which is a good thing for their electoral performances but boring for us.

[CumbrianLefty]

Not like Corbyn isn't, in itself, boring. Quite a lot of interesting stuff has happened in SKS's 3 years.

[TheTide]

This isn't going to go down well in certain quarters. He also praises Attlee, but only the headlines tend to be read these days.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67604830

[morgieb]

The praise is also relatively mild IMO, but yeah it's not the sort of thing I would say.