NEC members who followed instructions fear scapegoating as LOTO seeks way out from storm of its own making
Senior Labour Party sources say that the opposition leader’s office (LOTO) is in a panic after Jeremy Corbyn’s lawyers have written to LOTO demanding copies of all correspondence relating to Corbyn’s reinstatement and the subsequent re-withdrawal of the party whip – and that individual members of the NEC are furious that they feel they are going to be scapegoated for the arrangements leading that led to Corbyn’s reinstatement in the first place.
Both the fear and the anger around the development centre on alleged arrangements between LOTO and an affiliated union – not Unite – to ensure that Corbyn’s suspension ended earlier this week, followed by a panicked u-turn by the leadership after right-wing organisations kicked up a storm.
NEC members now believe that LOTO, following the u-turn and withdrawal of the parliamentary whip from Corbyn because of political pressure, is going to try to escape the consequences of an obvious breach of the EHRC’s ban on political interference in disciplinaries by painting the NEC as antisemitic and leaving them to carry the cab for events.
Corbyn’s lawyers apparently believe that communications among key figures in these arrangements will reveal this political interference and exonerate – again – their client.
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