The desperation of smears by right-wing Labour figures reached a new low tonight. Labour lost a council seat in Coulby Newham, a well-to-do Middlesbrough ward that borders on another even more wealthy part of town and one that has always had a substantial Tory vote.
Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Labour MP since 2010, Tom Blenkinsop is one of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s most entrenched opponents – and tonight he lost no time at all in trying to pin the blame for the loss on Corbyn:
Here’s the thing – Coulby Newham is in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland. Blenkinsop’s own constituency.
This writer has met Tom Blenkinsop on a number of occasions – mostly on the terrace at Westminster, but elsewhere too. You would be quite hard-pressed to find a more arrogant, less personable or engaging human being – even among blairite MPs.
Leaving aside any questions of the biased media coverage that the people of Coulby Newham might see or hear, having an MP who’s not only so unpleasant but who also never wastes an opportunity to talk down his party’s electability might have a lot more to do with a loss in a well-off area.
Labour’s defeated candidate, Annalise Higgins, to judge by her Twitter feed, is a very nice woman. But that same Twitter feed contains not one mention of the Labour leader – nor, for that matter, of the Labour Party.
Given the complete absence of Corbyn from her discourse, it’s highly unlikely that he played a significant role in her defeat – and certainly nothing like as significant as the impact of having an awful MP who’s held in contempt even by the majority of his local Labour members.
But a closer look at Blenkinsop’s tweets this evening suggests that he himself knows full well where the real blame lies for the Coulby Newham loss – he gives the impression of someone lashing out and determined to put the blame somewhere, anywhere else than on his own shoulders.
Blenkinsop also pours scorn on the ‘Local Campaign Forum’ – the Labour organisation responsible for planning campaigns – or, more precisely, on its ‘director’. And he did so, apparently without shame or self-awareness, to the whole local Labour party:
Blenkinsop has form that makes Coulby Newham look like a triumph. If tonight’s result saw Labour lose one councillor, Blenkinsop managed – in just one week – to lose eleven. His machinations and personal ‘qualities’, combined with those of his neighbouring MP Anna ‘arsehole Len’ Turley, resulted in the resignation of 11 local councillors in 2015.
Sorry, Tom, but a lost seat in your own back yard is your responsibility. Blame Corbyn, blame the LCF, blame whatever you like – it won’t change the fact. Blaming Corbyn for Coulby Newham is as transparently hypocritical as it would be to blame him for Brexit when you couldn’t persuade your own voters to vote remain.
Oops – you did that too, by backing the ridiculous ‘chicken coup’ of resignations after the referendum result. It seems if you want to find the fundamental reason for the loss in Coulby Newham, you should look a lot closer to home than Islington.
Like in a mirror.
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Unfortunately, TB is my MP, and a sorry state it is. He has refused to attend ANY local party meetings (maybe he knows the majority are pro JC) and now since we are in an election run-up to the regional mayoral elections, Labour North have decided that we should have no meetings at all, not CLP, not Branch, NOTHING. Isn’t this the time we should be having meeting to co-ordinate campaigning etc. ???
The right wing of the Labour Party has controlled the party machinery for decades. Therefore they cannot hide from their own record, or try to point fingers at others for their losses.
Before Jeremy Corbyn became leader of the party they had lost Labour 5 million votes, they lost the last two General Elections, they lost Labour Scotland and were in the process of losing Wales.
These people are proven and consistent losers. It comes as no surprise that these losers seek to blame others for their own unelectability.
Since Jeremy was elected leader, the Labour Party has won every mayoral election including London, has increased its share of the vote nationally in the local elections by 4%, has won 6 parliamentary by-elections, four of those in a row and three of them with increased majorities.
In addition, Jeremy Corbyn has defeated the right wing of the party in two leadership contests, with increasing majorities on increased turnouts.
That is why they hate Corbyn, it is because he is a winner and they are losers. Their spite is motivated by envy of his electoral success and they are doing everything in their power to prevent further success, even if it means losing Labour the next election.
The right wing of the Labour Party is exactly the same as the corporatist Democrats in the DNC. They are happy to lose elections as long as they keep control over their respective parties.
And yet they lecture others on electability. These saboteurs are utterly absurd hypocrites.
The first ever Conservative elected in there area
*the
Yes. Blenkinsop is crap, isn’t he?
Yea the new local councillor….
I’m getting increasingly fed up of the narrative that local elections are solely won or lost based on the actions of a party nationally.
I live in Shambeth, we don’t have local elections till next year but I can tell you people are already organising and considering standing as independents in direct opposition to the Local Progress Party and nothing to do with Corbyn. It’s about homes, libraries, potholes and children’s services its about the fact that you couldn’t get as far away from Labour principles if you tried.
A by-election last year saw them win a seat by 36 votes and the spin with which they poured on this er victory was as laughable as their bookish gyms.
People voted because they are shit not because Corbyn is but those right whingers will never spend even a millisecond on self reflection just trot out it was Corbyn wot done it for us…. 😕
tom blocker blenkinsop is everything that is wrong with career politicians ,the guy blocked everyone who was pro corbyn , he is the john mcternan of politicians who was been in the job 2 minutes .,
his wiki page
Blenkinsop worked as a constituency researcher for Ashok Kumar, from 2002 until 2008, when he became a full-time regional official for the Community Trade Union, until his election to parliament.[4]
He stood as a candidate for the 2010 general election after the sudden death of Kumar, taking the seat with a 1,677 majority.[5]
He was appointed to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee 2010-2012, the Standards and Privileges Committee 2010-2011, and the Treasury Select Committee July 2011 – Nov 2011. He was a Labour Party whip 2011-2015.[
he is digging his own grave with such a small minority .
Hopefully, his CLP will realise Blenkinslop’s unelectability and #ClickAndDeselect him before the next general election.
Desperate
The thing that always strikes me is how unpleasant so many of these people are… I suppose you’d have to be, in order to pull the sort of tricks that we’re seeing. Sorry if that sounds naive but for me kindness and empathy are the core at the very heart of socialism.
Reblogged this on Britain Isn't Eating.
What utter crap. Corbyn is losing you these votes, as in Copeland, as in Middlesbrough. Carry on sticking your head in the sand. When you’re reduced to fewer than 200 seats in 2020, no doubt it will still be everyone’s fault but Corbyn’s.
WHS what utter crap your comment is , go away and educate yourself re the factors around Copeland , how do you explain away the win in Stoke , not to mention all the facts presented by “Internal Affairs” comments above . Once again it folks like you trying to make it all about personality and not policies . So what exactly of the 10 pledges don’t you agree with then ?
pic.twitter.com/03HjYgG9tV
Reblogged this on perfectlyfadeddelusions.
I am Corbyn supporter and Labour Party Member in Blenkinsop constituency. At the moment there is a lot of infighting in the Middlesbrough Council. Between Labour & Independents. With accusations of bullying and fraud. For accurate info into this John Mcpartland can help. Also I feel that Labour Door steppers here in Blenkinsops area are anti Corbyn and this could be having a detrimental affect.
Coulby Newham isn’t ‘well-to-do’. That’s a lie.
No, the lie is you being Richard Burgon.
is this not the man who told a constituent to vote tory to get shut of corbyn …I channelled this man for a response and he blocked me of his Facebook page …