Response to loss on full-remain motion provokes angry reaction before being deleted
Labour MP Clive Lewis has provoked an outraged reaction from many Labour supporters by a Twitter thread – published in response to remainers’ heavy loss today in a conference vote on the party’s Brexit position.
Attempting to put a positive gloss on the result, Lewis spoke of ‘the limitations of the current project’ – and then slipped into the language of the right with a Watson-esque use of the ‘cult’ description that has so often been deployed to smear the Labour left:
The reaction to the comment was a mix of anger and deep disappointment that an MP regarded as on the left would resort to such constructs:
There were reports that Lewis later deleted the post, based on a tweet by the ‘Tweets MPs Delete’ Twitter account:
However, it appears to still be online. Clive Lewis has been contacted for comment.
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The same Clive Lewis that earlier in his speech, John McDonnell singled out for praise !
What on earth is going on ?
Divisve Individuals in our Party, seem hell bent on destroying any prospects we have of winning a GE !!
When the likes of those repeated saboteurs of Jeremy’s leadership, and totally uncritical supporters of the entirely neoliberal enforcement machine of the EU, like Clive Lewis, and Kier Starmer , start throwing around terms like ‘progressive socialist internationalism ‘ – about the EU, FFS ! – which so recently crushed the Greek economy to bail out the French and German banks, conspired with NATO to install an openly Nazi militia supported neoliberal government in the Ukraine, and operates Single market rules that prohibit ANY comprehensive independent Left economic policy by a member government, particularly, re-nationalisation – you just know the ‘cynical bullshit detector alarm’ is going off big-time ? Clive Lewis is an ‘internationalist socialist’ to the same degree that Cherie Blair was (she often made this ludicrous claim too . Tony himself was not so keen to use that ‘S’ word ).
Anyone who doesn’t understand the huge interventionist impact of EU budgetary rules on the ability of a member government to pursue progressive policies should read this article – which explains that Scotland, if independent, has such a large public sector (with its still comparatively excellent Scottish NHS) that with its resulting Budget deficit it simply wouldn’t be allowed to join the EU as a separate state – until it took an axe to its public sector , including things Scots rightly boast about , like student grants and free education, and social care ! Yet still most Scots seem to want to remain in the EU at all costs – because the SNP simply doesn’t admit this would be the disastrous cost of doing so.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2016/08/25/scotlands-budget-deficit-the-largest-in-europe-couldnt-join-the-eu-if-it-wanted-to/
I agree with your first paragraph. I’m not getting into EU arguments re Scotland which I know nothing about so am neutral on your second paragraph.
“Clive Lewis is an ‘internationalist socialist’ to the same degree that Cherie Blair was (she often made this ludicrous claim too .”
I’m wondering if Lewis is one of these ‘de-colonial’ ‘progressive internationalists? This is opposed to plain old anti- colonial and anti-imperial which they aren’t anti at all.
I see some of the ‘woke’ crowd are merging Socialism with ‘liberal’. Many of them are also these ‘de-colonialists’.
It really seems to be true these days, you can identify as anything you want but have to fight for an education, home, job, decent wage, decent health and public services, non punitive, easy access social security net etc. etc. etc.
John McDonnell also said that Margaret Hodge was his ‘friend’.
Social Media communication vehicles are bad enough, as are emails.
But Twitter is a loaded gun, ready to be drawn at a moments notice (24/7) and fired, without any thought, hesitation or consideration of the consequences !
I am so disappointed in Clive Lewis. If he doesn’t like us or thinks supporting our leader makes us a cult he can shut the door on the way out.
Smartboy…we’ve managed to identify the wreckers and those with overriding leadership ambitions during the party conference.We still dont know the name of the chairperson of the NEC who saved Tom Watson?
The NEC chair is Wendy Nickles. She also chaired conference but the decision to hold a review rather than seek to abolish the deputy leader post would not have been hers – it would have been the decision of the NEC or a subcommittee of it. I noticed on the televised debates in parliament he was sitting between Jeremy and John McDonnell so I assume he has heeded the warning and is at last going to carry out one of the requirements of his post – supporting the leader. However with Watson you never know so we’ll have to see.
So many MP’s totally unable to detect trends yet apparently believe themselves capable of setting them.
They need to expand their social(ist) circles and stop listening to acolytes and yes-men bigging them up.
Half a century ago I read of a tribe (Suni?) among whom leadership was considered such a chore that members would do almost anything to get out of it.
Anyone see Greta Thunberg looking at Trunt’s fat back like she was about to climb up it and snap his fat fucking neck?
I like her✊
David I think the conference has been a great eye opener and a test of who supports the membership and the leadership I have not been suprised at all that some of the snakes have exposed themselves and it explained a lot why Watson has never been challenged within the PLP .
!.Leadership ambitions are the overiding compulsion for some of the mps and Watson’s a useful idiot for a battering ram?
What a shame members are now going to have to hold their nose to vote and campaign for Clive in Norwich.
Four wrong assumptions in one sentence from this Labour right-winger. The EU is not democratic, is not internationalist, is not progressive and is not socialist.
Costas Lapavitsas tells from experience what happens when governments try to pursue “progressivism” within its neoliberal supranational construct:
https://www.thefullbrexit.com/moving-towards-socialism
What does Clive call the activists that campaign for him? On a positive note it’s great seeing so many Labour remainers coming out in support. We’re finally seeing who the real ‘cult’ is.
Very disappointing from Clive. At one point, he looked like he could be destined for great things, but he became too arrogant too quickly, and blew it. He simply isn’t ready for prime time yet.
He’s not wrong though when this now all blows up in Corbyn and the tooting popular front’s faces, if we’re not careful Twatson or one of his ilk are going to ride a wave of I told you so’s into the leadership.
” if we’re not careful Twatson or one of his ilk are going to ride a wave of I told you so’s into the leadership.”
Not only have you broke your own irony meter, you’ve also demolished your hypocrisy one as well.
‘Twas YOU wanted watson’s full remain and lost (I’m going to say ”tee-hee, you lost again” because I don’t like you).
That would’ve seen the extreme right gain more sympathy about the disenfranchisement of everyone what voted leave and would be subsequently ignored and perhaps even see some of the loons resort to violence on the streets.
But when I warn of that, it ‘breaks your irony meter’.
Either accept your multiple defeats, or do one and join the yeller toerags.
Clive is a pretty decent human being but I would argue is a bit politically niave and clearly poorly read with his lack of analysis on the Neo-Liberal capitalist EC.
Clive just read the excellent piece by the brilliant Wolfgang Streekt in the latest New Left Review in fact take out a subscription.
A young pro motion 13 delegate said she spoke to young people and they were going to the Greens re Brexit but what some members seem to forget that Labour is a political party and you CAN try to politicise people to Left ideas.
Watched the debate and great contributions from pro-JC delegates and one woman in wheelchair was particularly excellent and said practically what I would have done.
If motion 13 had been carried a Labour Govt would have negotiated a Better Brexit then campaigned against it, reminds you of Nye Bevan and sending Jeremy naked into the EC Conference chamber.
So motion 14 passing in the circumstances is a good victory for the Left and JC.
Solidarity!
I’m a pest I know Bazza, but can you fix us up with a link to that article?
Here’s the linkto the latest edition which is subscription.
https://newleftreview.org/
Oh, link to edition wont copy paste. It’s edition 118 July/August 2019
I assume the article Bazza is referring to is titled ‘Farewell to Social Europe’.
I don’t subscribe so cannot help.
Scrub my last comment paulo. The link seems to work properly now and I clicked on the Streeck article and it opened, so is freely available.
It is no good me being in a rush, I make a muddle.
The article opens to a title, I assume is the same, ‘Progressive Regression’ and only a taster is freely available.
Apologies for the garble and mix up.
Hope someone get’s a laugh out of my blunders anyway.
Many thanks for taking the trouble Maria. Bevin and Christopher Fox have now both posted links!
I’m as surprised as I am disappointed in Clive. I hope he’s not the next Chuka.
He has always had issues about Brexit and in fact resigned from the shadow cabinet over it. Therefore I am not surprised that he feels the way he does. However I am bitterly disappointed about the way he has reacted and frankly we can do without his twitter temper tantrums at this time . If he thinks its Ok to undermine the leader and insult the Conference delegates and the memberships over Brexit or any other matter he is sadly mistaken it would be better for us all if he resigned without further ado.
Forget the predictable posturing.
Just thinking in wider terms : If people like Clive Lewis don’t stay with the Party – (a) What does that say? and (b) Do you fancy being a member of a shrunken irrelevance? (Again)
Can someone kindly ask Clive Lewis to take his hand off my bottom
I was disappointed in Clive Lewis when I learnt that he dismisses all Leave voters as being racist … sad. He has a youthful energy that could have been better spent in supporting the leadership.
“I was disappointed in Clive Lewis when I learnt that he dismisses all Leave voters as being racist … sad. ”
What is really sad is many of us have become desensitised to such slurs which have come from many on the so called left over the past 4 years. I just note but wont forget LP MPs and ‘left’ wing commentators that have resorted to the same or similar slurs.
I voted leave, does that mean I have to hate black people now?
Aidey Aitchdee,
I don’t understand your comment in response to mine. I was pointing out that many leavers have had to, in effect, grow thick skins and brush off the tsunami of slurs that has been thrown at us for years now. Such slurs have had to come to mean little to us. I don’t know how else to describe what I mean but I certainly did not mean return in kind or react the way you are suggesting.
It was merely my reaction to Clive Lewis’s comment about leavers being racist. So obviously as a leaver I am racist so therefore I shall have to learn how to act as a racist does. Not pulling you apart at all.
Apologies, I completely misunderstood your comment.
I was a fan of Clive, not part of a cult you understand, he was destined to be a leading light in the Party but seems to have a self destruct aspect to his personality and actions, I just want to add, I support Corbyn, Cult? no, I just trust him to put forward socialist policies more than I would other MPs, I believe he isn’t in it for himself unlike many others, I trust him, and I do think Labour would be lost without him.
On reflection I have just paraphrased Clive’s tweet, where do we go post Corbyn?
Lewis is turning into a dangerous liability. Likea little kids tantrum when he can’t get what he wants