Stalin apologist is Corbyn’s new aide

THE hard-Left takeover of Labour accelerated last night as Jeremy Corbyn appointed former communist Andrew Murray as his consultant. Meanwhile Momentum founder Jon Lansman is seeking to win the key role of party general secretary.

Mr Murray, who has defended Stalin and North Korea, has joined the Labour leader’s office part time.

He is chief of staff to Unite boss ‘Red Len’ McCluskey and is an old friend of Seumas Milne, Mr Corbyn’s far-Left chief spokesman. Mr Murray used to work for the Morning Star newspaper and was a member of the British Communist Party for 40 years.

He quit in 2016 to join Labour when Mr Corbyn was unexpectedly elected leader.

He will work for Mr Corbyn for one and a half days a week, according to The Guardian. He will oversee the appointment process for senior members of staff and advise on party strategy. Unite, Labour’s biggest donor, will continue to pay Mr Murray’s salary. The arrangement has been reported to the Electoral Commission, the party said.

But one shadow cabinet member said: ‘It’s a puzzle what he’s doing there.’

Mr Lansman, who started the pro-Corbyn Momentum grassroots group, is understood to have applied for the general secretary’s job after moderate Iain McNicol unexpectedly stepped down last week amid reports of clashes with the leader’s team.

Mr Lansman, a longtime Corbyn ally, won a seat on the party’s ruling National Executive Committee last month. A source told the Huffington Post: ‘It’s true, Jon will go for the general secretary vacancy. He’s been urged to do so by lots of people. And he will have strong support.’

However, Mr Lansman has not confirmed the claims. The NEC will choose Mr McNichol’s successor by March 20. His departure has angered moderate Labour MPs, who fear the new general secretary will be a Left-winger.

The appointment of Mr Murray, previously chairman of the Stop the War Coalition, will enrage them still further.

He has defended the Russian tyrant Stalin, suggesting his rule, during which millions died in purges and famines, was better than living in the West. And he has written an article expressing ‘solidarity’ with Communist North Korea. A Labour spokesman insisted it was ‘normal practice for trades union staff to be seconded to MPs’ offices – there’s nothing unusual about it’. Unite said it ‘makes no apology’ for supporting and helping Mr Corbyn. Corbyn’s white flag – Pages 14 and 15