Derek Hatton turns on Corbyn

Oh dear. Although Jeremy Corbyn faces plenty of opposition on the right of his party, up until now he has managed to keep those on the left of Labour on side. But his decision to issue three-line-whip on MPs to vote in favour of Article 50 means that this could all be about to change.

Derek Hatton, the ‘socialist firebrand’ who joined Labour with the Trotskyist group Militant (before being expelled), has been one of Corbyn’s most vocal supporters. However, in a column for the Liverpool Echo, he has turned on the Labour leader — expressing doubts over his future:

‘I can’t believe Corbyn is arguing for Labour MPs to vote with the most reactionary and xenophobic Tory government we’ve seen for a long time.

This shows a real lack of leadership on his part and does now make me have serious doubts about him.

I didn’t think I’d ever say that!’

The left begins to eat itself…