#124

Awesome. How do you feel about the Opposition going into a policy vote without any kind of position on the issue?

This situation is blowing up because a small scale plan that’s been on the cards for months - the reformation of the Labour Tribune and the use of the policy groups to float ideas from the backbenches - has been given the perfect launch pad by Leadership not having even an initial position on this issue. The backbenchers are now able to try and whip MPs to support their report, because they actually have one, without it being dissent. I imagine they’re deciding whether to ballot based on whether they can get a healthy majority, and this is exactly like the vote of no confidence: rank and file MPs are being asked to decide between the plotters who have a plan and the Leadership who don’t.

Fine to be pissed about the internal politics of this situation but don’t blame every MP who signs up to a coherent position rather than waiting for a leader who has failed to impose himself on the issue and will probably be characterised as dithering whilst trying to decide who to appease, the environmental lobby or the unions. Because he always allows himself to be characterised by others.

#125

Do you not think that the leadership might be able to, and might have been able to, form policies and positions were it not for them having to spend/waste an entire summer dealing with plotting and fighting a leadership battle?

If Smith had won there’d be no policies either.

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#126

It’s not that there’s no policy, it’s that Corbyn and McDonnell don’t agree with it. Their own Shadow Minister for Transport commented on the record that the “imperative was overwhelming” for more capacity and that “there would have to be overwhelming evidence that the Airport Commission’s report and conclusions were fundamentally flawed for parliament to depart from it”. And this is a loyalist whose retained his place in Shadow Cabinet, not an agitator.

At this point the backbench Transport committee and the Shadow Cabinet Secretary responsible are in agreement, and the backbenchers are providing Labour with a formal report that could be the basis for policy. The Unions are publicly calling for it. This could be an unpalatable but easy win or an opportunity to throw his weight around and try and establish his position as Leader, but Corbyn is doing none of these. He’s not doing anything. His only comment that I can find on the subject is to admit in public that he probably can’t whip his MPs against. And that’s true, but if his MPs whip themselves on the issue whilst he does nothing, that might be worse.