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Labour MPs

(133 Posts)
durhamjen Mon 28-Sep-15 22:19:45

Anyone else think that Labour MPs who do not support Corbyn ought to go back to their constituencies and put themselves up for reselection?
When they were elected, it was when Miliband was expected to be PM.
Corbyn was just a backbencher, who did what he did over the last 32 years with the support of the majority of his constituents.

Corbyn needs to know he can trust people.

Gracesgran Mon 28-Sep-15 22:33:09

I don't think so at this point Jen. They were properly elected and they do represent the whole of their constituency. I think there is a CLP review procedure of some sort - every 18 months or something like that - not really sure.

durhamjen Mon 28-Sep-15 22:47:40

I know some of them were talking about the Corbynista having a purge, so Corbyn said no he wouldn't. Do they not owe him some loyalty for that?
They should at least go back to their constituencies and find out what they want. So much has changed since the election.
They should be fighting Tories, not Corbyn.

janeainsworth Mon 28-Sep-15 23:08:00

Many MPs enjoy personal popularity in their own constituencies and people vote for them even if they don't wholeheartedly support that party's policies.
If local Labour parties deselect well-liked moderate MPs and replace them with hardline left wingers they could find they have shot themselves in the foot.

durhamjen Mon 28-Sep-15 23:16:35

They do not have to deselect them, just let them know if they want them to support Corbyn more. I know my MP has not been back in the constituency yet to find out what we want - although she has said that she will support him, even though she wanted Burnham to win.
At the moment there is so much backbiting it allows the papers to attack all the time.

janeainsworth Mon 28-Sep-15 23:19:09

confused you suggested in your OP they should put themselves up for reselection.

rosequartz Mon 28-Sep-15 23:24:13

confused surely Corbyn himself was in the position you describe before he was elected leader, the maverick on the back benches?
Could he be trusted by Blair, Brown, Miliband?
What are Party Whips for?
What would politics be like without a few rebels?
Or do MPs always have to toe the party line on everything?
Who would fund this?

Gracesgran Mon 28-Sep-15 23:31:25

Mmm. I think if this is to be a party where all views are welcome for debate this would be the wrong thing to do. I do just wish they would debate rather than taking their bats home though.

Anniebach Mon 28-Sep-15 23:36:31

Corbyn has been in the house for years, he must have seen every trick in the book played out. A clever move by John McDonnell today, publicly asking those who had walked away to come back and help the party win , this leaves those who walked away look as if they are letting the party down.

I rung party head office last week and said Cooper,Hunt and Co were betraying the party and treating party members as if they were stupid and so best ignored

Anniebach Mon 28-Sep-15 23:38:04

Rosequartz, yes Corbyn could be trusted by previous leaders, they knew where he stood

POGS Tue 29-Sep-15 00:44:15

Well yes if you believe that all MP's should back the Leader of the Labour Party and have no independent views of their own.

The point is that principle would apply whether the Leader was Blair, Brown , Miliband or Corbyn, SURELY! It's either a 'principle' or not.!

Where would the idea in the OP fit with Corbyn and McDonnell who were happy to not back the Leader of the Labour Party time and time again themselves? Wouldn't that be a case of hypocrisy .

The word 'democracy' has been banded about as a 'brand' for Labour under Corbyns leadership yet the idea proposed in the OP would hardly be democracy in action, more like 'do as I say, or leave the party'. How is that remotely democratic?

Actually I don't think there has been a more dictatorial, threatening abuse of democracy so openly shown by suggesting Labour MP's who were elected by their constituents have to 'put themselves up for reselection' .

The narcassism behind that if it was a dictat is astounding.

thatbags Tue 29-Sep-15 06:47:53

Corbyn as a backbencher wasn't a great supporter of the Labour leadership, from what I've heard. Why would he expect others not to behave the same way as he did?

thatbags Tue 29-Sep-15 06:59:33

Your OP is really quite amusing, dj.

Grannyknot Tue 29-Sep-15 07:31:51

bags your post if 6:47 is spot on.

Whatever is going to play out now in the Labour Party, will do so in time, it ain't going to be sorted in the next half hour.

whitewave Tue 29-Sep-15 07:53:01

What is different this time around is that JC has been elected by an overwhelming majority of the Labour Party. Now given that they are supporters of democracy, then those MPs criticising JC should have at the absolute minimum accept the result and take part in the future debates over Labour Policy, but always bearing in mind the mandate given to JC.

Anya Tue 29-Sep-15 08:10:03

And then what? Hold a bi-election?

Anya Tue 29-Sep-15 08:11:23

By-election

TerriBull Tue 29-Sep-15 08:13:21

A stint in the gulags possibly for dissenters! Is this what the left means by progressive politics, just wondering!

Gracesgran Tue 29-Sep-15 08:21:03

It's probably possible for it to be a "bi" election Anya grin

Gracesgran Tue 29-Sep-15 08:34:44

The more I think about it the more I feel that those who like what Corbyn stands for mustn't treat it like a religion. Going back to the "if you are not my friend you are my enemy" seems so far from what he has been saying.

Those who feel this is really wrong for the party surely need time to find a way forward for them. We live, as has been said, in interesting times, and I think people must be given a chance to find out what this means to them.

whitewave Tue 29-Sep-15 09:16:37

In 18 months time all Labour MPs are up for reselection - rules. Also the boundary changes will see a lot of MPs loosing their jobs

Gracesgran Tue 29-Sep-15 09:25:50

That's what I thought whitewave and in 18 months time it will be reasonable to ask them to put up or shut up.

tiggypiro Tue 29-Sep-15 09:36:24

Hardly an overwhelming majority of the Labour Party whitewave. There were 554,272 members eligible to vote, 422,871 did so and Corbyn won with 251,417 votes. Therefore less than half of the eligible members voted for him to be their leader.

rosesarered Tue 29-Sep-15 09:36:43

Am ( almost) speechless at the content of the OP!
Democracy in action?

Anniebach Tue 29-Sep-15 09:51:41

I like much of what Corbyn stands for but don't treat it as a religion , what angers me is the blairites still relying on spin . Why do they need a chance to to find out what party members are asking for? They could try listening , they could give this courtesy to members not tell us we need a heart transplant etc. Many are fed up of spin, the party has always openly disagreed on some policies , then we got Blair and secrecy, policies settled by a few and given to the party, everyone on message .

So many young delegates spoke yesterday which was great. I don't think Corbyn will win over the blue parts of England but we need to remember the thousands who didn't vote at the election and many said - why bother they are all the same.