Oldham By-Election: Where's Corbyn?

[Jo Sharp]

With only 5 days to go before the vote for a successor to the late Michael Meacher MP, Labour seems to be heading for a massive slap in the face from real voters with polls suggesting Meacher's general election majority of over 14,000 votes likely to be slashed to around 2,000.

Given the claims of Momentum that Corbyn enjoys huge grass roots support, one would expect to see the Party's outstanding new leader deployed to boost the campaign and secure victory. But Corbyn has only been seen there once.

Party workers are reporting that Corbyn is "toxic" amongst their natural supporters, with doors being slammed in their faces and leaflets thrown back at them. Insiders have been quoted as saying that defeat is a possiblity with only the strong local candidate giving them a chance of a small majority; and that Corbyn is being kept away for fear of causing further damage to the campaign.

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2015/11/could-labour-lose-oldham-election

"If we had any other candidate, we'd have been in enormous trouble," one shadow minister concluded

It looks as though the first real test of Corbyn's popularity is going to expose the claim that he enjoys wide-spread support across the country as just another big lie; and be an embarrassing disaster for Labour. With rumours that more than 100 Labour MPs will defy Corbyn on the Syria vote, also on Thursday, could it be that next week will see the Party in open revolt?

 

[Brian]

Seems you can't keep up.

 

[TheDecameron]

I am deeply touched by Jo's concern for the prospects of the Labour Party in Oldham.

 

[Philim]

I thought he was only popular with Tories who paid their £3 to vote him in.

 

[sq225917]

I love the idea that there's a huge rift and that shadow cabinet ministers should resign for wanting to vote according to their conscious on bombing syria. When all along Corbyn has said he wouldn't enforce the whip and expects people to vote as they feel is right, just as he always did. He stated his viewpoint, job done.

It's not even a storm in a teacup. It's preposterous media sand bagging supported for a few MPs who'd rather Corbyn didn't exist.

 

[Joe Hutch]

I love the idea that there's a huge rift and that shadow cabinet ministers should resign for wanting to vote according to their conscious on bombing syria. When all along Corbyn has said he wouldn't enforce the whip and expects people to vote as they feel is right, just as he always did. He stated his viewpoint, job done.

Has he said that, clearly and publicly? I'm not doubting it, just I don't remember having read it anywhere. Certainly if he has said so, then the fuss is indeed overdone.

 

[TheDecameron]

So many vested interests upset, so much petulance from the entitled ones. Maybe eventually they'll listen to the public instead of themselves. I'm loving it.

 

[Sue Pertwee-Tyr]

Has he said that, clearly and publicly? I'm not doubting it, just I don't remember having read it anywhere. Certainly if he has said so, then the fuss is indeed overdone.

If he has, then I rather doubt that The New Statesman would report it.

These Parliamentary Labour Party types, and apparatchiks would do well to notice that, in a democracy, you go with the majority. Which spoke, not long ago at all, decisively in favour of Corbyn. If you don't like it, suck it up or take your toys elsewhere, just stop activating to undermine the will of your grassroots membership.

 

[Joe Hutch]

John McDonnell backs free vote on bombing Syria:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34950778

MPs should be able to follow their "own judgement" on possible air strikes over Syria, the shadow chancellor has said.

About a possible Commons vote to decide the issue, John McDonnell said: "There are some issues like going to war that should be above party politics."

 

[TheDecameron]

I'd like to ask the PLP what did they learn from their overnight extinction in Scotland? What did Burnham, Cooper and the others learn from the election of a total outsider to leadership of the party over them?

 

[Sue Pertwee-Tyr]

Indeed, and in the absence of anything obvious, what gives them the idea that they are right?

 

[Philim]

John McDonnell backs free vote on bombing Syria:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34950778

MPs should be able to follow their "own judgement" on possible air strikes over Syria, the shadow chancellor has said.

About a possible Commons vote to decide the issue, John McDonnell said: "There are some issues like going to war that should be above party politics."

+1...

 

[pure sound]

Is Jo as concerned by stories of bullying in the youth wing of the Conservative party? Will Cameron insist that Lord Feldman & Grant Shapps both resign?

 

[Jo Sharp]

I love the idea that there's a huge rift and that shadow cabinet ministers should resign for wanting to vote according to their conscious on bombing syria. When all along Corbyn has said he wouldn't enforce the whip and expects people to vote as they feel is right, just as he always did. He stated his viewpoint, job done.

It's not even a storm in a teacup. It's preposterous media sand bagging supported for a few MPs who'd rather Corbyn didn't exist.

Syria is on a separate thread. i'm interested in why the party leader is being kept away from Oldham, given that he is such a hugely popular leader.

 

[Jo Sharp]

Is Jo as concerned by stories of bullying in the youth wing of the Conservative party? Will Cameron insist that Lord Feldman & Grant Shapps both resign?

Nice attempt at thread crap/ diversion. You can discuss that elsewhere.

 

[Jo Sharp]

I'd like to ask the PLP what did they learn from their overnight extinction in Scotland? What did Burnham, Cooper and the others learn from the election of a total outsider to leadership of the party over them?

That the Unions and hard left mobilised supporters to vote their man into office?
But it seems that their choice is not reflected in traditional Labour voting constituencies such as Oldham.

 

[gassor]

I love the idea that there's a huge rift and that shadow cabinet ministers should resign for wanting to vote according to their conscious on bombing syria. When all along Corbyn has said he wouldn't enforce the whip and expects people to vote as they feel is right, just as he always did. He stated his viewpoint, job done.

Corbyn has not said he would allow a free vote.

He wants the PLP to vote against air strikes that's why he called a meeting after the H of C heard Cameron's argue for them.

Some of Mr Corbyn’s team still hope they can persuade enough Labour MPs to back their position opposing air strikes over the weekend before a second meeting of the Shadow Cabinet on 30 November.

But others believe he will have no choice but to offer Labour MPs a free vote on the issue when a vote is called by the Government.

“This will end up as a free vote,” said one, while another said they thought the mood was turning against David Cameron and in particular his claim that British air strikes would be backed up by 70,000 Syrian opposition fighters. The Independent.

 

[pure sound]

Nice attempt at thread crap/ diversion. You can discuss that elsewhere.

Hmm. Uncomfortable for you

With regard to Corbyn, I imagine he has weightier matters to deal with this weekend than the by-election in Oldham next thursday.

 

[gassor]

Hmm. Uncomfortable for you

With regard to Corbyn, I imagine he has weightier matters to deal with this weekend than the by-election in Oldham next thursday.

I imagine he will get up to Oldham before Thursday, but as it will be seen as a test of how the public see his leadership surely he has to give it considerable attention.

The Labour Party, if the left pundits are correct, will expect to increase it's majority in Oldham as an indication that Jeremy has caught the imagination of the electorate, wouldn't you agree?

 

[pure sound]

Apart perhaps from the residents of Oldham, I doubt that it's of great significance as far as most are concerned tbh.

Have the 'left pundits' (who they?) really predicted an increase in the very healthy majority Michael Meacher built up? After all he was a very popular & successful local MP.

Where were those predictions published? I'd have thought that given the migration issues iover the summer, recent events in Paris & the current war/bombing discussions, that UKIP will have quite a significant influence on the outcome of this by election