John McDonnell has accused me of telling an untruth. Yes, I know, worse things have happened. But still. His accusation refers to the closure of the Redcar SSI steel plant.
@bbcquestiontime Untruth from Rod Liddle. I visited Redcar on Monday after Labour Conference when plant's future was still being discussed
Mr McDonnell claimed that a visit to the area, where he met with tearful workers, prompted him to do a u-turn on supporting the Conservative plan to balance to budget. I said on Question Time last week and again in The Sunday Times this Sunday that this was utter cant. A charge I will cheerfully repeat now. It is utter cant, McDonnell. The shadow chancellor made his commitment to abide by Osborne’s budget surplus proposal at the Labour conference on 28 September – it had been reported in advance by most papers.
That was fully ten days after SSI had announced it was ceasing steel production at the plant. And eleven days after local Labour MPs had raised the issue in the House of Commons, insisting that the government ‘did not give a fig’ for steel-making on Teesside. No, indeed. And nor did John McDonnell. Clear, John?
Incidentally – and I know most of you won’t agree – I would have nationalised the plant. £100m. Wait to see how much we spend clearing up after it.
It seems that all is not well with the once-mighty Tory ground game. After a thumping set of election defeats last month, a worrying new trend has developed for the Conservatives. They are not only losing more wards in council by-elections; they now seem unable to field candidates, even in seats still represented at Westminster
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