Covering the upcoming Syria vote is proving to be a challenge for hacks at the Guardian. Steerpike understands that the paper is having a difficult time deciding its editorial line on the issue which is currently undermining Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. Meanwhile, the little fact that Corbyn’s head of comms Seumas Milne — the Guardian columnist and associate editor — is on leave from the paper only complicates matters further.
Now the New Statesman‘s George Eaton reports that the Guardian are even having issues when it comes to their insider briefings. Today’s shadow cabinet meeting over the party’s plan on Syria hit a bum note when seven minutes into the meeting, a number of attendees received an update from the Guardian on their phones informing them of the outcome of the meeting before it had occurred. The article said that a free vote would be held but that Labour party policy would be to oppose military action.
Shadow cabinet members were angered when intended conclusion of meeting was pre-briefed to the Guardian (without Corbyn's knowledge).
— George Eaton (@georgeeaton) November 30, 2015
Shadow cabinet ministers reacted angrily to the news and went on to force Corbyn to backdown on making it party policy to oppose military action — meaning the Guardian had to change their line.
So which brain at Labour HQ decided to leak the outcome to the Guardian before the shadow cabinet were even consulted? With Corbyn said to have been unaware of the briefing, it must have been someone (i) well-informed enough to have known Corbyn’s plan, (ii) who has strong ties to the Guardian, (iii) inexperienced enough to not realise that the stunt would backfire. Answers on a postcard please.
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