Labour big guns launch fightback over plans to purge moderate MPs
JEREMY CORBYN was facing a concerted fightback from Labour moderates last night over hard-Left plots to purge his critics from the Commons.
Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer broke ranks to tell Mr Corbyn to order his allies to ditch plans to deselect Labour MPs who criticised him.
In an interview for this week’s The House Magazine, the leading Labour moderate also rebuked new party chairman and key Corbyn supporter Ian Lavery for suggesting Labour was now ‘too broad a church’. Sir Keir was backed by ex-Cabinet Minister Yvette Cooper, who also insisted Labour must be a ‘broadbased party’.
She also condemned as ‘unacceptable’ attacks on Liverpool Labour MP Luciana Berger, who last week faced calls from local Left-wing party activists to apologise for criticising Mr Corbyn. Ms Cooper said it was ‘utterly shameful’ the attacks came while Ms Berger was on maternity leave. The two Labour figures spoke out amid fears all Labour MPs could face mandatory reselection – with the threat of being removed as candidates if they criticised the party leader. Last week, hardLeft Momentum activists loyal to Mr Corbyn were accused of drawing up a deselection list of 49 Labour MPs – including senior figure Chuka Umunna.
Mr Corbyn’s spokesman has said he ‘hasn’t taken a position’ on mandatory reselections.
But Mr Lavery last week sparked fears of an imminent purge of moderates, suggesting MPs did not have a ‘divine right’ to their jobs. However, Sir Keir said: ‘I don’t support mandatory reselection – that’s the very strong view of very many people in the party.’
Jeremy Corbyn’s speech to the Durham Miners’ Gala was interrupted yesterday when a woman climbed on to the stage and tried to speak to him. The Labour leader’s security team struggled to control her until Mr Corbyn promised to talk to her after his speech.