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Corbyn’s ‘political enemies’ within the Labour party: a who’s who

Jeremy Corbyn’s reaction this week to the poisoning of a former Russian double agent on British soil has re-opened old wounds within the Labour party. The Labour leader’s apparent refusal to condemn Moscow involvement was made worse when his spokesman Seumas Milne appeared to cast doubt on the analysis by British intelligence agencies – suggesting that ‘there’s a history in relation to WMD and intelligence which is problematic to put it mildly’. Since then, key Corbyn ally Chris Williamson has branded Labour MPs who back Theresa May’s stance on Russia – rather than Corbyn’s – as ‘political enemies’.

So who’s saying what and which MPs are considering a break with Corbyn? Some think stopping Brexit is the defining issue, so while they disagree with his tone on Russia they’d not consider breaking away. Others are seeing Corbyn’s position as the latest sign of his distortion of the Labour Party and its multilateralist tradition – raising doubts about whether they could prop up his government.

Here’s a who’s who of Corbyn’s ‘political enemies’ within his own party.

Code red: MPs directly critical of Corbyn

John Woodcock

Woodcock is the only Labour MP to state publicly that, if re-elected, he would not support Corbyn as Prime Minister. (Other MPs said this on the doorsteps, but don’t admit it). He returned to this theme in the House of Commons on Monday:

‘It would put our national security at risk if we were led by anyone who did not understand the gravity of the threat that Russia poses to our nation’.

He has since submitted an EDM [Early Day Motion] with Labour colleagues making clear ‘we unequivocally accept Russia’s culpability in the Salisbury attack and support UK govt action’. To sign a motion written by Woodcock, an avowed enemy of the Corbyn leadership, is a step that would make Labour MPs target for deselection by Momentum.

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