Hard-Left’s tactics

SIR – It is clear that Jeremy Corbyn is determined to remain hard-Left, although 80-90 per cent of Labour MPs are in strong disagreement.

Mr Corbyn’s unlikely ascent to opposition leader was accomplished through classic Trotskyist tactics, and the new Labour leadership, whatever it says to the contrary, is likely to use all available tools to replace moderate Labour MPs with Left-wingers, as was attempted in the Eighties.

The coming boundary changes and the penetration of local Labour Party structures by Leftists will give Mr Corbyn and his acolytes ample opportunity to displace incumbent moderate Labour MPs over time. These moderates know this and, if they want to save their necks – and MPs generally do – they have limited time in which to break away from Mr Corbyn’s Labour to create a new party.

The longer they wait, the more difficult it will become to pull this off, as Mr Corbyn becomes more established and their own positions become increasingly vulnerable.

Moderate Labour MPs should move swiftly to create a new party, with or without the rump of the Liberal Democrats. Given their numbers, the new party would automatically retake the opposition front bench and consign Mr Corbyn and allies to the back benches where they belong.

Gregory Shenkman

London W8