Yesterday, as the attacks on Jeremy Corbyn’s video message to the Jewish community was cynically attacked, the SKWAWKBOX warned that the response removed any reasonable doubt that a new coup had begun:
The response of the Labour right and the Establishment media to today’s announcement that no further action would be taken against Barking MP Margaret Hodge for her abuse of the Labour leader has put the matter beyond any doubt.
The move to drop the charges against Hodge, which the right have been calling for and which came in response to Hodge expressing regret to Chief Whip Nick Brown for her behaviour – she has since denied it – was immediately used merely as a stepping stone to the next attack, in the form of a wave of nonsensical allegations that Corbyn had dropped the charge because he was afraid she would take him to court and ‘prove his antisemitism’.
Jeremy Corbyn, as Labour leader, does not control disciplinary proceedings.
But it is a coup of cowardice – because it appears more likely to be aimed at damaging Corbyn’s support and creating excuses for a break-away party than to actually try to topple the party’s leader outright.
The Express belatedly got the message, clearly briefed by the right – and published a front page claiming twelve or so MPs have been ‘plotting to oust’ Corbyn:
The details of the article – if accurate – indicate that the real end-game is more cowardly than a straightforward attempt to replace the Labour leader.
The Express claims that those being touted to challenge Corbyn for the leadership include a number of known opponents:
Among the subjects discussed have been plans to regain the leadership and form a new party…
If there were a leadership election the favourites to take on the left are Home Affairs select committee chairwoman Yvette Cooper, leading Remainers Chuka Umunna and Chris Leslie, and Mr Kinnock, the son of the former leader Lord Kinnock.
None of those named would stand the remotest chance of victory and only the delusional could think otherwise.
So if the Express’ intel is accurate, this looks more like an attempt to inflict maximum damage on Labour and its leader – before moving to form the new party that the SKWAWKBOX told its readers a month ago was planned imminently.
Even the number of MPs involved – twelve – is the lower end of the ‘twelve to twenty’ that another right-wing Labour MP had told constituents were on board with the plan.
Corbyn’s enemies are cowardly and know they cannot beat him in a straight fight. So a months-long campaign of attrition was escalated and is now being brought to a peak.
Those who support him cannot afford to indulge in frustration at today’s decision about Margaret Hodge or to waver in their determination to see the left ‘project’ through to its culmination in a Corbyn-led Labour government.
That prize is as within reach as it ever was and Corbyn’s detractors are now scraping every barrel-bottom in existence to mount one last, desperate – cowardly – attempt to damage him.
Hold firm. No Pasaran.
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