During their four years running the Labour party, most of the protagonists in the Corbyn project became well-known faces to the British public. There was the hapless Richard Burgon and the sinister John McDonnell; the flailing Diane Abbott and the unctuous Barry Gardiner. Even backroom boys like the gum-chewing spin doctor Seumas Milne briefly became minor celebrities, thanks to celebrated cameos in appearances like the 2016 Vice documentary.
But one figure who remained largely unknown to the world outside Westminster was Corbyn’s spokesman James Schneider, the co-founder of Momentum. Schneider spent three and a half thankless years at the Corbynista coalface, being sent out to face the media firing squad at daily lobby briefings. It was Schneider who, with a straight face, had to defend claims about the septuagenarian socialist – such as the one in which Corbyn was doing multiple seven kilometre runs a week to prepare for office.
After the humiliation of the 2019 defeat and the subsequent election of Keir Starmer, Schneider was just one of the Corbyn cult ejected from the Leader of the Opposition’s office. Like Milne, his fellow Old Wykehamist, the former spinner retreated to write his memoirs – alongside juggling a comms post at NGO Progressive International where he works to replicate his storming political triumphs around the globe. As if the developing world hadn’t suffered enough…
And now, following a lengthy break in the Caribbean, Schneider has sallied forth with his upcoming tome. The former public schoolboy has this week released a photo of himself (natch) grinning broadly along with a plug for the ‘action plan for the British left’ titled ‘Our Bloc: How We Win.’ Finally, the secrets will be revealed!
Mr S does hope that the Machiavelli of Mustique has space in his book for the Corbyn-era highlights reel, featuring chapters on moments like ‘Wreathgate,’ the Chakrabarti Inquiry, the Salisbury poisonings and the second referendum debacle. Presumably CCHQ will be toasting Schneider this Christmas time for all his work for the party – Tory not Labour, obviously – and raising their glasses to ‘our man in Havana.’
Still, while the Corbyn project lies in rubbles, at least one of Schneider’s initiatives remains in good health. For Steerpike hears word that Momentum is planning a ‘major relaunch’ in 2022, with the leftie mob this week signalling its intent to continue being a thorn in Starmer’s side in the new year. The group has told supporters it will ‘continue our legal work supporting unfairly suspended Labour members’, which given Momentum had more than £600,000 in the bank at the last count, should also take a hefty chunk out of Labour’s own funds.
More costly court battles and internecine warfare? So much for peace on earth and goodwill to all men.
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