Theresa May survived a serious threat this evening when an amendment to the government’s trade bill was defeated by 307 votes to 301. The amendment, tabled by Tory remainers livid at May’s humiliating capitulation yesterday to her ‘Brextremist’ back-benchers, would have forced the government to default to membership of the EU’s customs union if it proved unable to negotiate a better agreement with the EU.
May was able to win the vote because four Labour MPs broke ranks to vote against the amendment. According to Labour sources this evening, those MPs were John Mann, Graham Stringer, Kate Hoey and Frank Field.
A Labour source told the SKWAWKBOX:
If [May] had lost that vote, her extreme-Brexit faction would have been out for her scalp. In a week of absolute chaos for the Tories, those four votes just saved Theresa May – and quite possibly her government.
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They have no excuses in my opinion, the uncertainty of Hard Brexit vs the certainty of this Tory Government and it’s vile policies unleashed on our country. These four treacherous bastards should be booted out.
I see that Hoey is to face a censure motion at her CLP over this according to the Guardian , PERHAPS THOSE OTHER MPS CLPS COULD DO THE SAME ???
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Bastards.
Presumably Stephen Kinnock, Chuka Umunna et al will be blaming Corbyn…
Even worse… these 4 labour MPs have helped May avoid calling a general election (which was apparently the threat the Tory Whips were making).
Jeremy Corbyn doesn’t have the power to expel them, but should withdraw the Labour whip. I think it would be wise too to ensure that the running of the CLPs in their constituencies is wholly compliant with the Labour rule book, given the tendency of right wingers to use anti-democratic means to exclude the left.
” would have forced the government to default to membership of the EU’s customs union if it proved unable to negotiate a better agreement with the EU.”
Glad they stopped it. The EU negotiators would have immediately stopped negotiating. It was tantamount to staying in…..right-wing “centrist” Blairite heaven.
In 2008 Frank Field said that Margaret Thatcher “is certainly a hero. I still see Mrs T from time to time – I always call her ‘Mrs T’, when I talk to her.”
Filed always was a maverick on the edge of the Labour Party and I suspect does not and never will consider himself as Labour , just wish the coward had the guts to stand as an independant up against a honest Labour candidate .
The other 3 are not worth wasting the time to comment further on , just remove the whip NOW ,it will really make an example to the others .
Who knows it may even force their hand into starting the much vaunted ” Centerist” party . Better get the “boil ” lanced now and the pus removed so we know where we stand .
I’ve often wondered how Field has managed to hold his Birkenhead seat for so long, given his views, esp on Thatcher. Or are they just not that bright up there?
Perhaps The Toffee can throw some light on this…
When I contemplate Hoey and Field I am reminded that Oswald Mosley was a member of the Labour Party.
Need 620 Pro-Corbyn left wing democratic socialist Parlamentary candidates. Took 20 years for Neo-Liberalism to capture the Tories then New Labour then the EC.
A Second Referendum call by Labour would destroy Labour but whilst leaving the EC and accepting the result a customs union would have been sensible I think although Government may have had to pay collectively to the EC so individual businesses could trade for free.
The tragedy of the Brexit debate is that some (even some on the Left) seem to think of an EC that WAS (social democratic) rather than an EC that IS (Neo-Liberalism) and accepting the single market and the four freedom of goods, services, people and capital would mean lying prostrate at the feet of Neo-Liberal Capital when perhaps all countries need to get back to democratically control labour supply (job offers needed) and capital supply (as it was for countries before Neo-Liberalism).
Then bring back migration adjustment funds for councils (abolished by the Tories and Lib Dems) and trade unionise migrant workers to stop unscrupulous employers undercutting wages and build community solidarity plus build fresh left wing democratic socialist international relationships and cooperation. Solidarity!
The usual suspects. They bring the LP into disrepute: traitors to our cause.
So what is being done about suspending them from the Labour caucus and the deselecting them. If we want a socialist Government these traitors have to go!
I thought John Mann was effectively suspended from the Labour Party. If so, doesn’t that mean he’s independent until reinstalled?
4 Traitors ! Not Socialists at all. Their actions saved the Tory party, prevented a vote of no confidence, stopped a GE being called ,stopping Jeremy becoming PM of a Labour government.
Well done you four !!
I hope you’re very proud of yourselves.
You should be utterly ashamed, you failed your Party.
I hope you’re very proud of yourselves.
That’s the problem, they probably are feeling quite pleased with themselves. Not one of them supports JC.
Expel Frank Field, Kate Hoey, John Mann, & Graham Stringer from the Labour party for protecting the Tory Govt of Theresa May from a Vote of No Confidence https://www.change.org/p/jeremy-corbyn-mp-expel-frank-field-kate-hoey-john-mann-graham-stringer-from-the-labour-party
Signed.
I can’t get worked up about this. Leaving the EU is neither right nor left.
If staying in the customs union means accepting CETA or a future TTIP, how does that help anyone?
Point isn’t the detail of the amendment – it’s the squandering of an opportunity to remove a PM and possibly bring down the malign govt
You want to deselect an MP? What about Margaret Hodge?
Definately! The anti-semitism smear is up and running yet again! Anyone see this morning’s The Wright Stuff on Channel 5? Terrible.
Iain fucking Dale (proud owner of ALL Cliff Richard’s albums!), Shazia Mirza and Anne Diamond all piling in though not interested in WHY Labour hasn’t signed up to that definition on anti-semitism.
And has anyone noticed how the smearers can never say the word properly? It’s not anti-Simetism, it’s anti-Semitism – fucking morons!
what aw ful people we would be better off without them
Also pretty pissed off when I hear Peter Dowd, who is our no 2 Treasury Shadow Minister effectively give John Mann a clean bill of health when quizzed abut him on the BBC2 Daily Politics programme this morning, (just before PMQ’s).
Not really an endorsement, more a, carry on and you’ll be gone Mann!
Peter Dowd was right, in stating that Mann could say what he wants, because each time he utters a word is a step closer to him being deselected, so we on the left can get on with Governance and true Socialism.
The centre right and their constant bleating about how BLUE they are are the reason we lost the last GE!
As that old saying goes “Give him enough rope and he’ll hang himself”!
I do feel that this reply is symptomatic of trying to find some way – any way – of avoiding having to accept the fact that a prominent frontbencher gave comfort to Mann hours after he’d stabbed he Labour Party in the back on a vote (in the name of our front bench) that coud have felled the Government.