TRUE MESSAGE OF MOSBOROUGH

The Labour Right are, for some reason, celebrating the loss of Mosborough to the Libdems and are using it to prove their case that Jeremy Corbyn is unelectable.  The mass rallies they say are not a reflection of public opinion as if the people who turn up for them are a separate species from outside the towns and communities where the rallies are held.  They can't possibly be locals inspired by a man who offers a brighter future for all, they are obviously part of a global Trotskyist plot.

I have no doubt whatsoever that had Julie Grocutt stood alongside Jeremy at the recent Sheffield rally she would have romped to victory.  Those complaining that Jeremy was being berated on the doorstep did not help their cause by berating the Labour Leader themselves. Disloyalty is not an admirable trait and campaigning to oust the elected leader is not an honourable cause. The organisers of Cllr Grocutt's campaign now complain that Jeremy and his supporters didn't help them.  Jeremy's camp say help was offered but declined.

I tend to think however, that Jeremy is past the stage of supporting colleagues who make no secret of the fact that they will continue to disrupt and block the mandate given to him by the party members.  And who could blame him?  It will be impossible to implement the changes we need without the support of the councillors and the PLP.  Mosborough sends a signal across the bow of those rebel Labour MPs - they have now been given a glimpse of their future.   They will almost certainly lose their seats if their agenda is to destroy the elected leader and the mandate the members voted for. 

If Labour is to win in 2020, Jeremy will have no option but to change the dynamic of the PLP, so that it better reflects the wishes of the party members. Some of the plotters will be completely unelectable, especially those who have discredited themselves by acting like precious little Lord and Lady Fauntleroys who need to be protected from the public.  They are representatives of the public, avoiding them isn't really an option for a politician.  Jeremy can't order people to like them, their popularity is in their own hands.  For example, I expect when Angela Rayner steps up to the podium at the Labour Party Conference, and I hope she will, there can be no doubt she will get a standing ovation. She has stepped up to the plate and explained exactly what the reintroduction of Grammar schools will mean to ordinary people.  While the plotters gather figures for the number of times they have been insulted/abused/ name called on twitter, Angela is challenging the Tories and fighting for equality in education.   

Those Labour MPs focussing on the criticism and abuse they receive on social media are not getting on with the jobs they are paid for - placing their hurt feelings above the very real needs of their constituents is contemptible.  I cannot believe that so much time and faux outrage is being wasted on such pathetic games of semantics, what kind of cossetted world do these politicians live in? 

Since I began writing the above, I have read an article in the Telegraph that claims a group of senior Labour MPs are compiling terms under which they would return and serve under Jeremy's leadership.  Terms that would give the plotters the power to ensure no far Left leader could ever hold office again, PLP elections to the Shadow Cabinet and a pledge from Jeremy that none of the plotters will be punished with reselection. 

It is laughable because in the first instance they are the ones who have been defeated, ergo their right to dictate terms of settlement have been seriously diminished.  Why on earth would Jeremy hand them the means to oust him via another (easier) route, having fought tooth to win the leadership not once, but twice!  Many have already hinted that Jeremy will be challenged every year, ensuring that the Labour party will be in permanent opposition with Jeremy as leader.  Effectively, they will hand victory to the Tories rather than support the leader chosen by the members and the Unions.  They do this knowing that society's most vulnerable will continue to suffer the most under Tory rule. 

As compassionate as Jeremy is, he has no option but to take a stand against his enemies in the party.  If he doesn't they will continue to purge his supporters, feed negative stories to the press and vote against him.  They don't seem to have any intention whatsoever of supporting Jeremy in parliament or in the media and the Labour voters know this.  People are flocking to the Labour Party because they like Jeremy Corbyn and the principles he stands for and like the people of Mosborough, they won't vote for MPs who are trying to get rid of him.