Wed 17 Jul 2019, 11:28 AM | Posted by editor
LETTER from Mark Langabeer, Newton Abbot CLP, personal capacity
Huge amounts of publicity have been given to the claims that Corbyn and Labour are anti-Semitic and Panorama’s programme interviewed a number of former staff members who claimed that the Leader’s office had interfered with investigations by independent dispute panels.
Ironically, when a panel lifted the suspension of Chris Williamson, there was a petition from those that support such claims, demanding that Corbyn should intervene in overturning the panel’s decision. It was also a bit rich to hear the claim of Iain McNicol that there was a culture of bullying. As the former General Secretary of Labour, he suspended thousands of members on the flimsiest of pretexts. It was all part of a failed attempt to prevent Corbyn’s election as leader. These smears about Corbyn and Labour being anti-Semitic, in my opinion, will also fail.
In fact, if the reaction of my local party is anything to go by, these smears have strengthened support for Corbyn. At a recent all party members meeting, a motion demanding Tom Watson’s resignation had overwhelming support. The mood of Labour activists is clear, get behind our leader or get out.
What’s of far greater importance, is the likely outcome of the Tory Leadership contest. Dispatches, channel 4’s documentary programme, reported that a YouGov survey of 872 Tory members, revealed that 58% believed in the return of the death penalty, 56% regard Islam is a threat to our way of life and 46% thought that climate change has been exaggerated. 54% also think that Trump would be a good Prime Minister. The programme pointed out that 160,000 Tory members (and that’s debatable) will decide who Britain’s next PM is. Over half are over 65 and largely male and white. Hardly representative of the UK as a whole.
It’s no surprise that Boris Johnson is the front runner and likely winner. His claim that Britain will leave the EU by October, come what may, goes down well with this reactionary bunch. There’s never been a greater need ( not in my life time),for a general election and Labour Government committed to a Socialist Programme.
