Former Labour front-bencher Chuka Umunna has been doing the media rounds this morning with some ‘indiscreet’ comments about the impact of last week’s General Election that have outraged many Labour supporters for what they perceive to be an attempt to undermine Jeremy Corbyn’s success in increasing Labour’s vote in ‘leave’ constituencies as well as in those that voted to remain.
Talking to Nick Ferrari, Umunna told LBC:
The Prime Minister called the election to get a mandate to pursue an extreme Brexit. She doesn’t have that.
Secondly, she ramped up the rhetoric about the prospects of perhaps no deal being better than a deal. And it’s clear that if they are to carry on with this arrangement with the DUP, that will be completely impossible. One of the big things for the DUP is for a soft border with the Republic. That will require a deal.
And thirdly, I cannot see how they will be able to get through, not just the deal, but the legislation to implement our withdrawal from the European Union through the House of Commons without a degree of crossparty support.
This changes absolutely everything and I’m delighted about that.
My worry was that a job-destroying Brexit that turns us in to the sweatshop of Europe would be an awful thing for my constituents. We’re now in a much better position to resist that.
These comments could be viewed as a subtle attempt to undermine the confidence of Brexit supporters in Labour’s commitment to see the process through. Readers should judge for themselves whether that is the case, but a very senior Labour source told the SKWAWKBOX:
Chukka told LBC that he would be happy to serve in the Shadow Cabinet under Jeremy, but when he said that he’d already been told his services are not needed. He’s not happy he’s been knocked back.
Readers will make their own judgment about the motives for Mr Umunna’s media comments and whether his rejection by Labour’s leadership team is a good thing.
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