Corbyn opponents score another spectacular own-goal
Comment
Centrists outraged at Labour’s decision to enforce its rules by expelling Blairite spin-doctor Alastair Campbell yesterday are announcing en masse their support for other parties on social media, under an #ExpelMeToo hashtag:
By doing so, they are ‘auto-excluding’ themselves from membership of the party under Labour’s rules and the only question is how quickly Labour’s administrative teams can get round to making it official.
Never knowingly on the right side of an issue, Tom Watson immediately grasped the wrong end of the stick and waved it in the media:
Labour had already made it clear that Campbell was not being expelled merely for having voted LibDem in last week’s EU elections, but for proudly broadcasting the fact on national media – which he knew would result in his expulsion:
The hashtag-driven quitters’ message have clearly ‘declar[ed] support for another candidate or party’ – and their message has got through, as a tweet by Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) ‘disputes panel’ chair Claudia Webbe demonstrated:
Hostile media today – as predictably as Tom Watson going to them with a straw-man interpretation of what the rules actually say – claiming that Campell’s expulsion under the actual rules was a mistake by Labour.
But Labour members and supporters on social media are hugely enjoying the phenomenon of obstructive centrists kicking themselves out of the party, with tweets making fun of grandstanding and sometimes fake quitters far outnumbering those by the quitters themselves:
As James Holah observes above, those who were actually members of the party and are auto-excluding with their tweets – who have overwhelmingly been members constantly opposing Jeremy Corbyn and his vision for a genuinely left Labour Party – have scored an enormous own-goal.
Expulsion under the ‘support for other parties’ rule typically lasts for five years and takes effect immediately. Since Corbyn’s opponents within the parliamentary Labour party have been building up to another ill-judged leadership challenge, considerable numbers of the people who might have voted for an anti-Corbyn candidate are making themselves ineligible to do so for the foreseeable future.
In the 2015 and 2016 leadership contests, left-wing members were rightly outraged by the thousands of suspensions imposed on them by the then-right-wing Labour machine under Iain McNicol, in failed attempts to prevent Corbyn’s success.
But Corbyn’s opponents, outstandingly, are barring themselves from any future contest – strengthening his position.
It’s a level of self-own that touches genius.
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It’s a pity they can’t expel RH and SteveH, but they’re members of the LibDems, not Labour.
And they give us their time – if nothing else – so generously. If only they’d give us the benefit of their towering intellect. I suppose they save that for their inspiring leader, Vince proTory.
Just keep taking the tablets and fantasizing, Lundenial. It’s easier than reality.
So this is the master ‘strategy’ of the Lexiteers? To have the darkened room, it’s little painted-in corner and its echoes all to yourselves by the time we get to a GE and Labour support has dwindled even further.
It must actually be a real Lexiteer triumph for the ‘ultra’ Remain predictions to have had been proved entirely right, to have the brilliant outcome of pissing off those voters so that they didn’t spoil the entertainment of the Fringe.
But hey! What’s to worry about? We’ve had a good ritual shout at Watson and Cambell … and … whoever … and that’s made us feel better without actually having to get out of bed … or think.
Then we went out shouting ‘troll’ or ‘LibDem’ at anyone who told us we were looking a bit daft … Wow! What a day! What a campaign!
Methinks he doth protest too much … truth obviously hitting him where it hurts.
heenan73 29/05/2019 at 3:06 pm
Your posts have revealed that your understanding of ‘the truth’ is at best tenuous. How about doing something really novel (for you anyway) and provide some actual evidence to support your ‘assertions’.
Oh dear, rh has been rattled.
https://media.immediate.co.uk/volatile/sites/3/2017/08/103527.gif?quality=90&lb=620,413&background=white
None of your ‘lexiteers’ claimed it was a ‘strategy’ of theirs, did they?
You’re making things up – again. That’ll be because your remainer mates – of far more importance than you’ll ever be – have grassed themselves up and are gonna have to bite the bullet as a result. They’re ruining your game and you don’t like it, do you, dicky?
None of us ‘lexiteers’ needed say a dicky-bird; the divvies shot their own bolts.
And STILL you’ll defend them… Ho-hum.
Just a couple of straight questions :
– What the f. are you burbling about?
– What are you on? (Just so we know what to avoid)
So much detached incoherence in such a short space is, indeed an achievement. Never in the field of human bullshit …
no, no, dicky – What are YOU ‘burbling’ about, suggesting it was left wing leavers who must’ve plotted for these gobshites to form their own (political) suicide pact?
You called it a ‘master strategy’ so let’s hear more about it, then?
If only Skwawkbox had a rule about “No serial Troll posts just intended to cause disruption to a Left-oriented discussion forum – akin to white noise, allowed ” , the tiny set of Trolls around RH , Jack T and Steve H would be banned . Then we could have useful, adult discussions – rather than have every thread made a mockery by their inane “white noise” nonsense.
Great news though about the manic auto-expulsion meme ripping through the Labour Right ranks !
“the tiny set of Trolls around RH , Jack T and Steve H would be banned”
The Great Ha’Penny stretches out his right arm and combs his toothbrush moustache, and pontificates – imagining a balcony and cheering crowds.
I guess there is a rationale – shrink the audience, and there’s less danger of the foot soldiers falling about laughing in the re-make of ‘The Life of Brian’.
‘useful, adult discussions’ ?? – mmm … that would be a new departure for the great advocate of ‘socialist theory’ – who often seems to equate it with rattle-throwing.
Meanwhile serious progressive politics tanks.
32 (33 including this one) out of 38 comments posted thus far relate to RH/SteveH/Joe-K click bait arguments, rather than the content of SB’s article. Classic diversionary tactic, and a very successful one for that matter, as devised by the current right-wing Netanyahu Israeli government propaganda team. The tactic is to slip in agents in left-leaning social network and internet discussion groups that are deemed to be anti current policies of right-wing Israeli government or sympathetic to the Palestinian cause to monitor the discussions and if necessary, create diversionary arguments that will cause confusion and tension among the members and eventually render the group’s discussions ineffective.
The only question is whether it’s coincidence, or they are indeed sleeper agents. The clumsiness of their arguments makes me rule out the latter, but nevertheless, it achieves the same end.
Stewart960130 – Are you really that paranoid and out of touch with reality and Labour, or just taking the piss out of the jpenny fan club?
We should be sending them #comeontofuckyouto# just pick any number of the useless c%%ts and try and give them a nudge or a good shove it you like in the right direction.
They’re really not very bright, are they?
https://media0.giphy.com/media/3o6Mbtdd7dhvbvugg0/giphy.gif
A #youtoo hashtag out to be made for the rest of the undesireables.
But you have to give them credit for owning up. It’ll save Jenny Formby a load of grief if they continue to expel themselves! 😂
It’s a sad refection on the three of you that the best you 3 little Brexiteers could come up with is a load of abuse and lies.
But then, Steve H, they model themselves on Farage and Johnson, so it seems. What do we expect ?????? They run a rule book of 2 rules: “Rule 1 : I am always right, Rule 2: if it turns out that I am not right, I automatically revert to Rule 2”.
heenan73 is a remain supporter who is also open to argument and logic.
lundiel 29/05/2019 at 2:23 pm
That is a very charitable interpretation.
No Steve, it’s a fact.
But you hate them, don’t you?
heenan73 29/05/2019 at 3:12 pm · ·
No Steve, it’s a fact.
Why am I not surprised that you are unable to tell the difference between ‘fact’ and ‘opinion’
And compromise…
Steve H in response to Heenan73
@
“Why am I not surprised that you are unable to tell the difference between ‘fact’ and ‘opinion’”
Steve not wishing to party to your ding dong battle with many on here , perhaps you might consider that you yourself put great store in taking the results of Opinion Polls and then stating the extrapolation as fact.
Sorry comrade but that IMO smaks of just a tad of hypocrisy ..
Just wish we’d all stop beating the shit out of each other and beat the shit out of the RW PLP who prefer a Tory Govt to a Corbyn one ( that applies t both sides of the Brexit divide argument )
rob 29/05/2019 at 7:09 pm
Hi Rob – What you describe is an easy trap to fall into but I do try to counter this by for instance stating that the polls or academic studies indicate that the majority of labour voters want to stay in the EU. I try to be careful with my wording but obviously on the odd occasion I may forget
I very rarely refer to something as being a fact except by stating something along the lines that it’s a fact that all the available evidence has produced similar and consistent results about whatever.
I think it is significant that not one person has put forward any evidence to contradict the results of any polls or surveys that I have quoted.
Oh, my post was in relation to the divs in the OP.
However, you’re welcome to include yourself AND your ‘friends’ if you wish.
Paranoid, much, steve?
Who’s lied – and about what, whngeing arse?
Pointless anyone asking you anything; you’ll just either evade the question or given a totally irrelevant answer, maybe it’ll be how you & your remainer friends eradicated nazism, this time?
Or more likely it’ll be that I must be lying simply because I read your tripe…
I presumed RH and Steve were working from some former mill building in Scotland – and getting paid for it.
A long standing friend, comrade and former MP Clare Short had this to say: “If you’re in the Brownies and you say I don’t think people should join the Brownies, you’ll probably be thrown out of the Brownies.”
This from a convinced member??
The Labour leadership chickened out of disciplinary proceedings against Barking Margaret and they’ve also thrown plenty of decent Labour members under the bus when ordered to by the anti-Corbyn lobby.
I hope they have a bit more backbone on this issue, or they’ll be slapping all the people who got ejected during the leadership election in the face – it will look as if there’s one rule for ordinary members and another rule for Campbell’s mates.
Simple choice expel them all now or face a unquenchable backlash from the membership over the many good comrades expelled/suspended by that little shit McNicol .As for Twatsons comment in the Indy rag , effing hypocrite doesn’t even begin to describe him.
Stand firm NEC apply the rules without favour and equally to all OR you don,t have a party worth belonging to .a
They’ve also managed to pee off Labour MEPs and those that failed to be elected/re-elected. Talk about an own goal.
I am Spartacus?
Didn’t he and his supporters end up hanging from crosses on the Via Appia?
I see Tom Watson is talking about an amnesty. He seems to realise that rules is rules, but not that an amnesty would presumably have to be also for all the others unfairly excluded in the past.
To all you Righteous Faithful Followers who don’t seem to have a mind of your own, and appear bound to agree with Jeremy regardless, what would you do, hypothetically, if there was a leadership challenge, and Jeremy Corbyn didn’t win?
……………mmmmmmm who else is there?…………..mmmmmmm
I doubt we’d follow your example of scurrying off to the Greens, then popping back here to troll.
But should there be a leadership challenge (from whom?), the chances of Corbyn not winning are close to zero.
Is that what you’d call hypothetical trolling, Joe?
Heenan73, I have voted for Jeremy Corbyn in all leadership polls, but I won’t now. I notice you didn’t answer my question.
I have voted for Jeremy Corbyn in all leadership polls, but I won’t now.
Given you’re not a member anymore Joe, I should think you wouldn’t, neither.
The Toffee (597) 29/05/2019 at 3:23 pm
Given you’re not a member anymore Joe, I should think you wouldn’t, neither.
You’re not a member and you’re too lazy to get off his arse to vote. Who cares what you think you are never going to have any influence.
Who cares what you think you are never going to have any influence.
Unlike you, I don’t delude myself that I have ANY influence.
https://skwawkbox.org/2019/05/23/protest-votes-could-gift-eu-commission-presidency-to-hard-right-and-damage-climate-change-efforts/#comment-106708
Just remember – my vote’s worth every bit as much as yours.
And 17million is – and always will be – more than 16million 🙂
The Toffee (597) 29/05/2019 at 5:17 pm · ·
Unlike you, I don’t delude myself that I have ANY influence.”
The link you provided shows my surprise at you attributing me with influence
“Just remember – my vote’s worth every bit as much as yours.”
Only if you use it and you won’t have any vote in any internal Labour Party elections or polls unless you join the party or an affiliated union.
“And 17million is – and always will be – more than 16million 🙂”
That was then, this is now. We’ll see what the electorate has to say about that when we have a CV. On average it only takes a change of heart by <1000 leave voters per constituency to reverse the 2016 referendum result.
SteveH 29/05/2019 at 6:14 pm · ·
”The link you provided shows my surprise at you attributing me with influence”
ME? Attributing YOU with ‘influence’
The link shows NO such thing, lad. Try again.
——————————————————–
‘Only if you use it”
I did – and voted the same way as 17million others. I had no need to vote in a pointless exercise.
——————————————————–
”and you won’t have any vote in any internal Labour Party elections or polls unless you join the party or an affiliated union.”
Yeah, and?
——————————————————–
”That was then, this is now. We’ll see what the electorate has to say about that when we have a CV. ”
I thought last week’s vote was your pointer? What was the turnut compared to the referendum?
You have to overturn the result. Boter apathy suggests you won’t get either a turnout the same as the ref, nor a majority in your favour. Even if you DO it’s highly unlikely you’ll get an 8% swing to even up the scores.
Dream on, lad.
The Toffee (597) 29/05/2019 at 7:09 pm
My apologies I mixed you up with lundiel. However that doesn’t change the point I was making that I was expressing surprise (and taking the piss) at being attributed with having an influence.
I’m puzzled by how you calculated a swing of 8% would be required to overturn the referendum result.
The difference is that I’m not afraid of losing a CV, whilst you are.
Remember on average it only takes <1000 votes per constituency to reverse that 'decisive' 4% difference.
”My apologies I mixed you up with lundiel.”
So instead of mixing up questions with more questions instead of answers, or 1948 with 2016, you’ve changed tack and now confuse people with other people?!
Still won’t wash. Gotta d better than that, I’m afraid.
———————————————————————-
I’m puzzled by how you calculated a swing of 8% would be required to overturn the referendum result.
*Rolls eyes and tuts*
52%L vs 48%R , going about-face (48%L vs 52%R) is an 8% swing.
——————————-
”The difference is that I’m not afraid of losing a CV, whilst you are.”
STILL flogging that dead horse, you bestialist?
Nobody’s ‘afraid’. They’re pissed off, as the turnout last week provided further evidence of. But then again eu elections – bar the ref – have never enjoyed a decent turnout (referendum-sized) as far as I’m aware.
As I understand it, a confirmatory vote (CV) will be to accept or reject a deal the govt might or might not reach with the eu. There will NOT be (nor should there be) a remain option. I don’t see anything on any party literature saying they will dishonour the original result; and you’re STILL to provide evidence to the contrary.
EVIDENCE – NOT OPINION.
The Toffee (597) 29/05/2019 at 8:55 pm
*Rolls eyes and tuts*
52%L vs 48%R , going about-face (48%L vs 52%R) is an 8% swing.
Do you have a problem with basic arithmetic.
Remain: 16,141,241 (48.1%)
Leave: 17,410,742 (51.9%)
So a 2% swing is all that would be required to overturn the result
————————
I don’t see anything on any party literature saying they will dishonour the original result; and you’re STILL to provide evidence to the contrary.
EVIDENCE – NOT OPINION.
Neither do I which comes as no surprise to me because I have never ever claimed there was.
——————————-
As for the rest of it, on the evidence above you consistently demonstrate an inability to understand even the most basic things so why should we be surprised when you continue to make a fool of yourself.
The Toffee (597) 29/05/2019 at 8:55 pm
Previously I hadn’t bothered to calculate the results for myself and I had just accepted the oft quoted 48/52 4% margin figures and I hadn’t bothered to work it out for myself.
When I did I was intrigued to find out that the margin wasn’t even 4% points but was in reality it is ONLY 3.78% points.
”Do you have a problem with basic arithmetic.”
I’ll happily concede that one; I was working along the same lines as goal difference in football…But you don’t know about that, probably because you never go out of your bubble. Explains your hardline ‘remain’ stance I suppose….
3.78% eh? Go get yer gold star off teacher for that one then.
I’m sure that extra .22% is yet another of the leavers’ outright, outrageous lies, eh?
Pffft!
PS. Do you have a problem with punctuation?
”Neither do I which comes as no surprise to me because I have never ever claimed there was.”
No, you’ve actually questioned (and denied outright) the legitimacy of official Labour party literature tht flies in the face of your OPINION.
https://labour.org.uk/issues/labours-plan-brexit/
”Labour respects the result of the referendum, and Britain is leaving the EU. ”
So, show me evidence of 2nd ref as POLICY?
So, why are you on this forum posting drivel?
Sorry Joe, I don’t feel the need to play troll games set up by Green party supporters. And, if you were really interested (don’t worry, we all know you weren’t), my reply more than answered your question, it could have actually taught you something.
Now shove off and play Green games with Greenies (no offence to them; they mean well).
It’s FAF and reminds of that game where little fury creatures pop-up randomly out of their hole and get bashed on the head with mallet.
Whack-a-mole, isn’t it? 😃
That’s it, yeah.
You mean to tell me that that green stuff nigella has on her toast is animal cruelty?
Think I’ll have Soylent Green instead; seems more ethical
The Toffee, you’ve obviously missed other posts I’ve made. If you leave the Labour party, you can renew within 6 months. I propose to do that, otherwise I wouldn’t have written what I did; and if I find myself in a similar position where I can’t vote Labour at any future elections, I propose to do the same.
But you can’t. You’ve gone the Alistair route; voting for another party, trolling about it, and stating (more than once) that you’d do it again.
You have automatically denied yourself membership.
Assuming that’s your real name, you are well and truly stuffed.
So shove off. I thank you.
Chapter 2, clause 1.4.b
And as Skwawkie explained:
“Expulsion under the ‘support for other parties’ rule typically lasts for five years and takes effect immediately. ”
Maybe you should have read the post you’re trolling?
That’s Campbell-level arrogance, to proudly state you’re going to try to circumvent party rules in 6 months time.
I expect that’ll be reported to the party and Joe will find himself on a watch-list.
They’re such good value, these bourgeois liberals, aren’t they? Forever hoisting themselves by their own vainglorious petard! 😂😂😂
What an idiotic group of self entitled twats. Good riddnce.
Domino effect,
but even I could not have predicted Alistair throwing himself backwards and taking out his own troops,
Fuckwittery at its finest, could almost win this years Darwin award
You win today Doug
👏👏👏
Heenan, I wasn’t a member when I voted for the Greens, so I am allowed to rejoin. I knew exactly what I was doing. Quote me a rule book which says different. PS You didn’t answer my hypothetical question; you just think you did.
– the NEC adopts the IHRC definitions and acceeds to fake ‘antisemism’ accusations, expelling good members from the Party
– Labour support tanks even when the Tories are in a state of total chaos.
– Labour performs badly in *two* successive elections.
– Labour voters from 2017 desert the Party in droves in 2019
– Labour wins no EU seats in Scotland
– The Israel lobby manages to inveigle the EHRC into investigating ‘antisemitism’ in the Party.
– Labour policy on Brexit is rated by the public as the most confused of all major parties.
… and the postings on Sqwawkbox get exercised by … what?
Just an ordinary long-serving Labour member observing.
Tim from, you’re talking rubbish. Let me plainly repeat. I stopped my membership in February 2019. I voted Green in the EU Elections on May 23 2019. I have broken no rules. I am able to renew my membership with Labour wheneverI want. Which bit don’t you understand? No need to apologise for not knowing what you’re talking about.
Joe K , why bother re-joining in 6 months , just what do you think you as 1 member are going to change . You left cos of the issues you had )( if I remember from your leaving comment ) with Corbyn and party , and to some extent trying to blame the commenters on here , one of which is you .
Corbyn will, I am sure still be here in 6 months time , he’ll still be leader and I will still support him because I know what he wants to achieve is good for me and “the Many ” or don’t you want that 1 million council houses built , a fully funded NHS, an end to austerity , a closing of the inequality gap etc etc .
It’s quite amazing that, with Labour haemorrhaging support, the concern on this blog is entirely focused on getting rid of more. Playground pseudo-left politics encapsulated.
Brilliant! F.ing brilliant!
”the concern on this blog is entirely focused on getting rid of more. ”
Think you’ll find the consensus is we’re all enjoying watching the utter beauts remove themselves entirely free of any influence or inducement. They’re no great loss.
It’s something I won’t get bored of.
You seem rather frustrated, dicky. Has Mrs dicky got the anti-chew furniture paint out again? Think it’d be wise for her to do so 🙂
Come on RH you’re, not stupid, I wouldn’t say it’s amazing, but an entirely predictable reaction to the RW idiots in the PLP and their colleagues who by their very actions and statements are ensuring that very “support” haemorrhages and continues to do so.
It’s all part of their plan to stop Corbyn , and return Labour to their Centrist do nothing Neolib policies so enacted under their “poster boy ” Blair , this I am sure you already know .
However to do nothing in the face of this provocation and growing threat by appeasement is a recipe for disaster .
I’d hazard a good guess that those concerned , should we get into power , will do all they can to scupper Corbyn’s polices and plans , so IMO they would be no loss.Should they become Independents in their constituencies then no doubt Labour will run candidates against them and beat ’em ( vis the CUK party CHukka Upper etc in due course )
Save it, rob. you may as well try & guess what cats dream about.
Any normal person will pay heed to the tried & trusted adage: ‘Never look a gift horse….’
Sorry, rob – I only just picked up up your post.
“idiots in the PLP and their colleagues who by their very actions and statements are ensuring that very “support” haemorrhages ”
The point I’m making is that the antics of the usual right wing usual suspects have little impact in creating this collapse of support – even if they quite like the thought of it undermining Corbyn’s credibility.
Talking to people who switched – or were tempted to switch – to other parties, it is clear that they were influenced simply by the Party’s position (or lack of) on Brexit.
Mostly, they will have varying views in detail, but are broadly supportive of Corbyn and uninfluenced by the propaganda that he has been subjected to. Any doubts or reservations they have are simply about the handling of Brexit. Frictions within the PLP are not an issue to them. Eyes tend to glaze over when such issues are raised – they just want to identify with a cause that opposes the Tories.