Op-Ed: Thursday evening Jeremy Corbyn began the reshuffle of his shadow cabinet. The Spectator opts for "Submission not unity’: Labour MPs react to Corbyn’s reshuffle" and notably shares tweets from three of the worst Corbyn dissenters Tom Blenkinsop, Jess Phillips and Jamie Reed. Reed opts for sarcasm and we as all know it is the lowest form of wit. What would Billy Connolly say? "More to be pitied than scolded" maybe. Jo Smith who was appointed secretary of state for Wales said however "Well if you look at the appointments he made yesterday, I didn’t support Jeremy in the leadership election, neither did Nia Griffith, neither did Kier Starmer and I don’t think Sarah Champion did either, so he has made appointments to his shadow cabinet from the opposing part of the leadership campaign." We reported the reshuffle as it stood Thursday "Jeremy Corbyn Shadow Caninet reshuffle 2016" and the latest changes Friday will follow. Jeremy Corbyn was again damned whatever he did by some in the PLP and beyond. But we have wasted enough time with coups, plots, hissy-fits, unnecessary interal elections and silly spats this year. It is time to organise and prepare for any upcoming election nationally and or locally. The spin and hype is Jeremy Corbyn is unelectable but don't be fooled-where there is a will there is a way and the first step is getting a good team in place to fight the Tory government and support the party leader. Jon Ashworth has accepted the role of shadow cabinet health minister. The Daily Mirror reports "Jonathan Ashworth has confirmed he is the new Shadow Health Secretary - but declined to say what will happen to his job on Labour’s ruling NEC. "Jeremy Corbyn’s asked me to take up the role of Shadow Health Secretary,” he tells the BBC. “It’s an honour to take up such an important role in the Labour party. I think the NHS is in crisis under the Tories.“I’m a member of the National Executive and it’s a post I take very seriously.” Asked if he’s lost his NEC seat, he says: “They’re decisions for the leader and the shadow cabinet and I’m not going to get into that today if that’s okay.” There had already been speculation that Mr Corbyn would appoint Ashworth in order to remove him from the NEC and tip the balance of power back in his favour. There are however dffering reports as to how easy that could be. If the existing Labour Party rule book is followed expect a bit of a tussle. Shadow Lord President of the Council and Labour’s National Campaigns Co-ordinator Jon Trickett returns to the role he was given in June replacing. Friday evening the Independent has the full completed shadow cabinet list:
Claudine Cole is sticking with Corbyn in the party leadership and here is why:
The leadership contest is not only about two people and their abilities. The result of this contest will ultimately decide who rules our party. The PLP or the membership. Over the years a large section of the PLP have manoeuvred and plotted to silence the membership and secure themselves a position of ultimate power within the party. All accountability has been stripped away and they have disregarded their CLPs wishes and instructions. This has now come to a head with the question of statutory reselection of MPs being suggested. Those with their noses in the trough and a poor voting record went into a panic. They knew that if they faced reselection they would be sacked. This is why some MPs and former Shadow Cabinet resigned. To save their place on the gravy train. To ensure that we would be the good little mushrooms that they wanted us to be, kept in the dark and fed on bullshit. We have seen some atrocious behaviour from the coup leaders over the past few weeks. In their desperate attempt to hold onto to their lavish lifestyles they have ignored instructions from their CLPs; slandered and bullied Jeremy and his supporters while crying that they were being bullied; banned 130000 members from taking part in the vote then spent thousands of pounds that those members had paid into the party to uphold the decision. This is not democracy it is dictatorship. Anyone thinking of voting for Owen Smith should think very carefully and do some research into Smith, a man who worked for a pharmaceutical giant who got into parliament to try to change the way that the NHS bought its drugs. They should look long and hard at his voting record and abstentions. While living a life of luxury he abstained on the welfare bill that pushed millions more people into poverty. They should look at how fast he changes his policies to suit who is listening and they should ask, CAN I TRUST HIM? A vote for Owen Smith is a vote to return the party to the undemocratic tail wagging the dog party where the MPs do what they want and the members have no say. A vote for Jeremy Corbyn will see the party restored to the membership with a million members willing to work for real change in our communities. [Images from Derby rally August 16] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-leadership-jeremy-corbyn-owen-smith-poll-a7194051.html |
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