Canapes and cringe as Kez meets Jez at Labour party soiree
SPECIAL REPORT
BY PAUL HUTCHEON
JEREMY Corbyn and Kezia Dugdale put aside their differences on Friday by attending a low-key event to honour their party’s founder. However, although they both met the diary commitment to speak about Keir Hardie, the two leaders sat apart at the top table. Dugdale has been a critic of Corbyn’s stewardship of the UK party and is backing Owen Smith in the current leadership contest. After it emerged that an overwhelming majority of Labour MPs wanted Corbyn to stand down, Dugdale said: “If he’s lost the faith of 80 per cent of his colleagues then he can’t do his job, he’s therefore not competent to do his job.” However, Corbyn has also aimed political arrows in the direction of the Scottish Labour leader.
In a 1,300-word manifesto aimed at Labour members in Scotland, he failed to mention Dugdale once by name. An ally in his London operation also warned recently that she should should be put “out in the wilderness” for her Corbyn stance. However, despite the war of words, the two leaders were the special guests at the Miners’ Welfare club in Blantyre two nights ago.
Although billed as a Hardie “memorial dinner”, where tables were priced at £250, the proceeds were for Labour to fight next year’s local government elections in North and South Lanarkshire. It is understood relations between the pair were cordial and they agreed to have a picture taken together.
Corbyn also made passing reference to Dugdale in his speech and the event went without incident. Neither the Scottish party nor Corbyn’s media team issued a press release to publicise the event. A Scottish Labour source said the event was in Dugdale’s diary before the leadership contest had been called.
Another party insider said the event “symbolised” the problem of how Dugdale should handle Corbyn if, as expected, he beats Smith comfortably: “Does she keep criticising him, or does she accept he will lead Labour into the General Election and keep a dignified silence?”
Meanwhile, Corbyn has admitted making mistakes in his first year as leader and offered rebel MPs the chance to rejoin his frontbench if they agree with his anti-austerity policies.
The left-winger acknowledged flaws in his communication style but insisted any MPs wishing to return to the fold would need to support “the general direction of the economy and policy”. He is expected to be crowned as Labour leader again at a special conference next Saturday.