Rebels dancing to the Tory tune
THE BIG ISSUE
George Osborne’s new rules to force governments to spend less than they get in tax in “normal times” was passed, withh 21 Labour MPs abstaining. You slate the rebels for not backing Jeremy Corbyn…
JUST what is wrong with these right-wing Labour MPs? They didn’t attack the Tory election campaign mantra that Labour couldn’t be trusted with the economy when the figures were there to disprove it, and now they abstain from the vote on George Osborne’s new spending rules.
No Opposition party should have its hands tied by the worst and craftiest Chancellor in a generation. Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell are right to oppose the Charter for Fiscal Responsibility.
Labour MPs should support their leader and, more importantly, support the people who voted for a Labour government. It’s their duty and that’s why people voted for them – not for them to dance to the Tory tune. Malcolm Hodgson Cramlington, Northumberland
# John McDonnell is an honest man who cares passionately about the issues this country is facing.
He said he changed his mind over supporting the Chancellor’s Charter for Fiscal Responsibility after meeting sacked steelworkers in Redcar and hearing their plight. This, to my mind, is a good reason. Those 21 Labour MPs who went against Mr McDonnell and abstained need to decide which side of the fence they are sitting on. S Anderson Swanley, Kent
# Shame on all the Labour MPs who abstained from the vote on George Osborne’s spending rules, which will attack the welfare system, putting the vulnerable and needy at risk. These MPs need to decide whether to support Corbyn or go off and form another party. The “Tory Appeasers’
Party” has a good ring to it. Bert Prescott, Huyton, Liverpool
# John McDonnell’s decision to oppose Osborne’s new spending rules is a very rational policy.
Most economic experts will tell you that trying to run an economy at a budget surplus is a near impossible pipe dream – and even if it is achieved it would probably do more harm than good to the economy. I say go Corbyn and McDonnell! This was the right move and a good step taken in exposing austerity for the nonsense that it is. Ian Caddie via Facebook
# If the Labour Party carries on in-fighting, not only will they lose the next election to the Tories, they will positively hand it to them.
Labour MPs must unite and do the job they were elected to do. They should remember working people are relying on them and we want to see a Labour government in 2020. Hubert Powers Market Warsop, Notts
# Reader Arthur Poole said Jeremy Corbyn is leading his party to defeat in the next election (Letters, Oct 13). Well, remember that his opponents in the Labour Party were defeated in the leadership election.
We desperately need new ideas and he has them. So give Jezza a chance. Ivor Goddard Christchurch, Dorset
# What a shambles the Labour Party has become. Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell are living in cloud cuckoo land if they think the public will ever trust the pair of them to run the British economy. How do they think they will pay for all these wonderful services they are going to provide? If they have their way the deficit will never be paid off. C Pretty P’borough.