Jeremy Corbyn has had enough of his shadow cabinet publicly opposing him. According to today’s Guardian, the Labour leader has given his frontbench team a dressing down over speaking out against him — in light of comments by the shadow defence secretary Maria Eagle on Trident last weekend:
‘According to several party sources, Corbyn made it clear that disputes must not be carried out so publicly in future, as he addressed his weekly shadow cabinet meeting.
‘The Labour leader also reminded his colleagues that media statements must be cleared through his office and asserted that there must be stronger collective responsibility. It is understood Eagle’s remarks appearing to back the stance of Gen Sir Nicholas Houghton went down particularly badly with the leader’s office.’
This is ironic for several reasons. Firstly, Corbyn swept into power on a platform of transparent and public debate. Whenever journalists argue these disagreements might have a damaging effect on the party’s image, the Cybercorbynites are eager to say this constitutes the healthy debate Labour needs — until the leader says otherwise it seems.
Secondly, Corbyn was the most rebellious Labour MP from 1997 to 2010, so it’s galling for him to enforce discipline. Many shadow cabinet members will be annoyed at being told to step in line by one of the party’s most notorious rebels. One MP present at the meeting has told the Times the room was incredulous at ‘being lectured on these terms by the most undisciplined Labour MP for 30 years’.
There is more proof that the ‘New Politics’ is beginning to flounder: Corbyn is set to join the Privy Council today — becoming the Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP. After he missed the last Privy Council meeting, reportedly going hiking in Scotland instead, there has been speculation about whether he would join but it seems Corbyn has managed to overcome his lifelong republican views. Whether he goes as far as to kneel down and kiss the Queen’s hand remains to be seen. Just shy of his two month anniversary of being elected leader, those who hoped Corbyn would do things differently might soon begin to wonder what has happened to the New Politics.
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