Half of Labour shadow cabinet set to resign after Hilary Benn sacked
Source: The Guardian
More than half of the Labour shadow cabinet is expected to stand down on Sunday in a major coup against Jeremy Corbyn, triggered by the result of the EU referendum and the leaders decision to sack Hilary Benn.
Loyal members of shadow cabinet told the Guardian they were writing their resignation letters after Heidi Alexander, the shadow health secretary, stepped down on Sunday morning.
A Labour source said Alexanders decision to resign in the wake on Benns dismissal would prove hugely significant, because unlike the shadow foreign secretary she was a more loyal and pragmatic member of the Corbyn team.
She is seen as a moderate, practical and pragmatic voice, they said. Hilary always had a problem with Jeremy. Now that Heidis gone, most of the shadow cabinet will step down. He cant just replace those positions because other frontbench ministers wont step up to the roles.
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/26/hilary-benn-revolt-jeremy-corbyn
Also covered at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36632956
Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)These idiots don't understand the fact that, if Corbyn is dumped, no one who replaces him will ever be considered the legitimate leader of the party.
None of the young people who flocked to Jeremy's banner will stay in the party or work for it if this is done.
And no one the anti-Cornbynites impose as leader after a coup will stand for anything or fight for anyone. The coup plotters will only accept a cynical, passionless hack who totally opposes any restoration of internal party democracy.
This cannot lead to anything anyone but billionaires would cheer for.
It can't help workers. It can't help the poor.
It will guarantee that Labour never recovers in Scotland(and also that Scotland will leave, which will guarantee a permanent Tory majority, since Labour can never carry England again under any possible leader...even a reactionary like Liz Kendall or Rachel Reeves.
They would never do the sensible thing and put John McDonnell in the job.
TubbersUK
(1,439 posts)LeftishBrit
(41,209 posts)I don't approve of what the shadow cabinet is doing. Fiddling while Rome (or at least the Treaty of Rome?) burns; fighting each other instead of the Tories. But it's not as simple as a desire to restore Blairism.
This whole Brexit stuff is causing meltdown in both the Labour and the Tory parties. The LibDems had melted down already.
As I was saying way before Brexit: maybe the only way of preserving the UK, and moving forwards, would be to persuade Nicola Sturgeon to become Prime Minister of the whole UK. Won't happen, though!
Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)to restore internal party democracy.
It would be intolerable to go back to the era of the party itself being run by an unaccountable elite, with ordinary members being kept voiceless.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,355 posts)That's "shadow minister for young people and voter registration", shadow defence secretary, and shadow Scottish secretary (and sole Labour Scottish MP, of course). It's Sky News saying Murray has resigned: http://news.sky.com/story/1717728/live-labour-at-war-as-leadership-coup-begins
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2016/jun/26/brexit-live-jeremy-corbyn-sacks-hilary-benn-tory-leadership
Update: BBC now says Murray has definitely resigned, has quotes from him: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-36570120
muriel_volestrangler
(101,355 posts)http://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2016/jun/26/brexit-live-jeremy-corbyn-sacks-hilary-benn-tory-leadership?page=with:block-576fc441e4b030d83eb4a738#block-576fc441e4b030d83eb4a738
Andy Burnham (shadow home secretary, standing for mayor of Manchester) says he's staying:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-36570120
Vernon Coaker, the shadow Northern Ireland secretary, has said he is considering his position: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2016/jun/26/brexit-live-jeremy-corbyn-sacks-hilary-benn-tory-leadership?page=with:block-576fc23ae4b030d83eb4a733#block-576fc23ae4b030d83eb4a733
muriel_volestrangler
(101,355 posts)muriel_volestrangler
(101,355 posts)quakerboy
(13,920 posts)Whinging.
It will be interesting to see what Corbyn does. I suspect I'd be a fan of him managing to fill the positions with non "frontbench ministers". Its seemed to me from the outside that the whole of the labor party was in need of a pretty thorough rebuilt for a while now.
OnDoutside
(19,969 posts)going to do lasting damage to the Labour Party.
The Leave vote has now re-opened the case for a new Scottish Independence Referendum. That will now be highly likely to happen since 62% of Scots voted to Remain in the EU. The SNP had signalled they would demand this after the last Independence Referendum.
If they do get their independence, then it will lock in Tory majorities in Westminster for generations.
Not only were his policies going to make Labour unelectable, but losing a huge part of Labour support in Scotland will cripple Labour.
Denzil_DC
(7,255 posts)And on a couple of those occasions, barely by one MP, so please stop spreading that misinformation. Labour already has to win in the rest of the UK in order to hold power.
This media-inspired opportunistic push has little to do with the referendum result, it's just the latest convenient trigger for the Blairite wing and the PLP, which has been plotting this since Corbyn got elected, and an already weak shadow cabinet (the reaction to most of these resignations in the UK would be "Who?" is being sucked along with it.
The same Blairites were willing Labour to perform badly in the local elections and by-elections earlier in the year. If it had, they'd have made their move then.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,355 posts)totodeinhere
(13,058 posts)major reasons why the Brexit vote passed. He failed to convince many Labour voters in northern England to oppose Brexit. And as a result we see the UK facing its biggest political crisis since the lead up to WWII. Both major political parties are in turmoil and nobody knows exactly where this will lead.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,355 posts)AntiBank
(1,339 posts)Turner becomes the 10th member of Corbyns shadow cabinet to resign, following the sacking of Hilary Benn.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,355 posts)The statement:
We need to come together to heal the divisions exposed by the vote. We have to respect the decision that has been made, hold the government to democratic account over its response, and ensure that working people dont pay the price of exit.
Neither wing of the Tory government has an exit plan. Labour will now ensure that our reform agenda is at the heart of the negotiations that lie ahead. That includes the freedom to shape our economy for the future and the necessity of protecting social and employment rights.
One clear message from last Thursdays vote is that millions of people feel shut out of a political and economic system that has let them down and scarred our country with grotesque levels of inequality.
I was elected by hundreds of thousands of Labour Party members and supporters with an overwhelming mandate for a different kind of politics.
I regret there have been resignations today from my shadow cabinet. But I am not going to betray the trust of those who voted for me or the millions of supporters across the country who need Labour to represent them.
Those who want to change Labours leadership will have to stand in a democratic election, in which I will be a candidate.
Over the next 24 hours, I will reshape my shadow cabinet and announce a new leadership team to take forward Labours campaign for a fairer Britain - and to get the best deal with Europe for our people.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2016/jun/26/brexit-live-jeremy-corbyn-sacks-hilary-benn-tory-leadership?page=with:block-577040d8e4b0f43038109f35#block-577040d8e4b0f43038109f35