Hard Left takeover
Labour MPs in uproar as reshuffle descends into chaos
JEREMY Corbyn was heckled by his own MPs last night after he capped a chaotic shadow cabinet reshuffle by suggesting he may not wear a red poppy when he represents Labour at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.
The hard-left Labour leader was tackled over the issue at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party last night, when MPs demanded assurances over his stance on defence and Europe.
Mr Corbyn, chairman of the Stop the War Coalition, twice refused to say whether he would wear the white poppy of the pacifist movement in preference to the traditional red one.
One horrified Labour MP said: ‘Decent, patriotic people up and down the country will be appalled if the leader of the opposition turns up at the Cenotaph wearing a white poppy.
‘They will not understand it – they will think he is on a different planet. It is deeply offensive to our armed forces, who have given their lives for the democracy and freedoms he enjoys.’
A former shadow minister said: ‘It will be seen as deeply insulting – it shows he doesn’t understand the first thing about our armed forces.’
Asked whether he would wear a red poppy, Mr Corbyn told MPs: ‘ I don’t know what is going to happen this year.’ Challenged on the issue again, he said: ‘People wear white poppies because of their deep opposition to war.’
But, faced with a Labour mutiny on his second day in charge, Mr Corbyn appeared to be backtracking last night. A Labour spokesman claimed Mr Corbyn would now just wear a red poppy.
Former Labour home secretary Charles Clarke led criticism of Mr Corbyn’s selection of ‘hard line’ Left-winger John McDonnell as shadow chancellor
He said: ‘What Labour MPs will do is start working themselves, really without the involvement of John McDonnell, in trying to develop the kind of economic alternative that is necessary for Labour to get the confidence of the country.’
Mr Corbyn struggled to put the finishing touches to his cabinet,
Former frontbencher Caroline Flint joined leadership contend- ers Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall in refusing to serve, as did shadow chancellor Chris Leslie, shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves, shadow communities secretary Emma Reynolds and shadow foreign office minister Dan Jarvis. This forced Mr Corbyn to appoint MPs he did not even know to top posts.
Ed Miliband’s former chief of staff Lucy Powell was appointed as shadow education secretary, despite admitting she had never met Mr Corbyn.
Asked if Mr Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell could convince voters where the previous leader failed, she said: ‘Not on everything, no, not at all.’
Chris Bryant turned down the defence post because of concerns about Mr Corbyn’s stance on Russia. He eventually accepted a post as shadow Commons leader, but warned: ‘Let’s be very honest. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.’
Maria Eagle eventually accepted the shadow defence secretary role despite warning the new leader that she disagrees with his demand for Britain to unilaterally scrap the nuclear deterrent.
Mr Corbyn then appointed vegan opponent of livestock farming Kerry McCarthy as shadow secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs.
One shadow minister described the recruitment process as ‘chaotic’, adding: ‘They don’t seem to have any idea what roles they want people to play.’
Mr Corbyn was greeted by silence from his own MPs when he made his first appearance in the Commons chamber, and received only polite applause when he arrived for his first meeting of the PLP a few hours later.
‘It’s going to be a bumpy ride’