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Jeremy Corbyn Criticised Over New Year’s Message

Jeremy Corbyn, the Leader of the Opposition, has been criticised for a New Year’s message which some felt didn’t mention the poor performance of the Labour Party at the 2019 General Election. Corbyn did though use the speech to call on members to form a resistance to help protect the NHS and public services.

Corbyn said:

“2019 has been quite the year for our country and for our Labour movement. And now we are not just entering a new year, but a new decade. And the period ahead could not be more important. It will be crucial if we are to stop irreversible damage being caused by the climate crisis and the particular effects it has on people in the global south. If we are to stop the pain plaguing our country, food banks, poverty and people struggling to get by. If we are to protect our precious NHS.”

Phil Wilson, the Labour MP who lost his seat at the General Election, posted on Twitter:

“No @jeremycorbyn, you are not part of the resistance to Boris Johnson you are one of enablers of Boris Johnson.”

Neil Coyle, the Labour MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, posted on Twitter:

“Labour isn’t a rent-a-mob protest party, or a ‘resistance’ but a potential Party of Government when led well. Corbyn’s team/message sank us to pre-war levels of representation. More poverty, homelessness & higher foodbank use will be the result. Join Labour to help us move on!”

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Tom Watson Admits to Voting Against Corbyn in 2016 Leadership Election

Tom Watson, the former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party who resigned before the General Election, has spoken to the Guardian newspaper about his decision. Watson said that he voted for Owen Smith during the 2016 Labour leadership and he also said that “brutality and hostility is real” in the party.

Watson criticised the move at the 2019 Labour party conference to abolish his position:

“I don’t think you could pre-empt such political idiocy and collective self-harm.”

Watson said for the first time that he voted for Owen Smith and not Jeremy Corbyn during the 2016 Labour leadership contest, adding:

“I thought, as soon as the leader loses the confidence of the parliamentary party it’s almost impossible to see how you can form a government. I thought Jeremy should have resigned, and he nearly did.”

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Clive Lewis Announces Labour Leadership Bid

Clive Lewis, the Labour MP for Norwich South, has announced that he will be a candidate for the party’s leadership following the resignation of Jeremy Corbyn. Lewis, who is on the party’s left, said that members would be given more power to select candidates and policies.

Writing in the Guardian, Lewis said:

“In a divided party, there is always a danger that factions will overcome facts; or, with a compromise candidate, that triangulation will trump truth. I want to break this cycle: to use the leadership campaign as an opportunity for us all to learn from each other, and to help our party grow. That’s the first reason I’m standing: for a chance to tell the truth. With our party on the edge of a precipice, now is the time to dispel our fears and face up to reality.”

He also rejected the record of New Labour and the party’s period in Government, saying:

“The truth is that while making a clear break with the New Labour era in terms of policy and personnel, the party was never able to communicate this to voters in our heartlands. When trying to persuade them of our radicalism and sincerity, we often had the legacy of the 2000s thrown back in our faces. Persuading voters that we understand the sources of their long-held resentment and frustration, of their disappointment in how Labour has conducted itself since the 1990s, will be the first step towards winning back their trust.”

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John McDonnell Stands Down from Shadow Cabinet

John McDonnell, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, has resigned and confirmed that he doesn’t intend to rejoin it under a new leader. Labour suffered their worst loss since 1935 and Jeremy Corbyn, the leader, confirmed that he’d stand down in the new year.

McDonnell said in an interview with the BBC:

“I won’t be part of the shadow cabinet. I’ve done my bit. We need to move on at that stage, with that new leader, and I think we will be in a position to learn lessons, listening to people and constructing a broad coalition right the way across the country.”

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Former Labour MP Anna Turley Criticises Corbyn’s Leadership

Anna Turley, the Labour MP who lost her Redcar seat the 2019 General Election, has launched a strong criticism of Jeremy Corbyn, the out-going Labour leader. Writing in the Independent, the former MP said that the Labour leadership had “ignored warnings”.

Turley added:

“The message on the doorstep in this election was clear: the party was out of touch, the leader was weak, and we weren’t a credible party of government. Our manifesto was not affordable, our party had become nasty.

Yet the narrative rehashed ferociously by the social media cheerleaders and dozy frontbenchers is that it was Brexit wot won it. But for every time Brexit was raised on the doorsteps, the leadership was raised four more – even by those sticking with us. There was visceral anger from lifelong Labour voters who felt they couldn’t vote for the party they had supported all their lives because of “that man at the top”. They had sent us this message loud and clear in 2017; I was told frequently by my constituents to “go back down to London and get rid of him”.”

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Conservative Party Sweep to Victory as Labour Suffer Historic Defeat

Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, has led the Conservative Party to a comfortable victory at the General Election. Labour suffered an historic defeat, whilst the SNP made significant gains in Scotland.

The Conservatives won 364 seats, Labour 203 seats, the SNP 48 seats, the Liberal Democrats 11 seats, the DUP 8 seats, Sinn Fein 7 seats and Plaid Cymru 4 seats.

Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, confirmed he wouldn’t lead the party into another General Election and Jo Swinson, the Liberal Democrats, also stood down after losing her seat to the SNP.

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Jonathan Ashworth Apologises Over Comments on Jeremy Corbyn

Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health, has apologised to Jeremy Corbyn, the Leader of the Labour Party, following leaked comments about him. Ashworth had been talking to a friend, Greig Baker, but was unaware that his comments were being taped.

Answering a question on whether Corbyn was a security risk, Ashworth said:

“I don’t know, on the security stuff, I worked in No 10, I think the machine will pretty quickly move to safeguard security, I mean the civil service machine. But it’s not going to happen. I cannot see it happening.”

Corbyn said that the recording was simply “bit of banter between two old friends” and said that he still had full confidence in Ashworth.

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Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn Fail to Agree on Brexit Strategy

Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, met with Jeremy Corbyn, the Leader of the Opposition, today in a bid to resolve a future timetabling strategy for Brexit. Johnson, who had pledged that the UK would leave the European Union on 31 October 2019, however failed to reach an agreement on how to progress the current political deadlock.

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Boris Johnson Refuses to Resign Over Causing Constitutional Crisis

Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, has said that he will not be resigning following his unlawful request to prorogue Parliament, which has triggered a constitutional crisis. The Prime Minister is expected to return to the UK early in an attempt to repair the damage to the Government’s reputation.

Speaking in New York, the Prime Minister said:

“Obviously this is a verdict that we will respect and we respect the judicial process. I have to say that I strongly disagree with what the justices have found.”

Jeremy Corbyn, the Leader of the Opposition, said in a statement:

“A Labour government would want to be held to account. We wouldn’t bypass democracy. And I invite Boris Johnson, in the historic words, to consider his position.”

Jo Swinson, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said on Twitter:

“The Prime Minister must resign to make way for an emergency Government that can stop a No Deal Brexit. The @LibDems will keep fighting for People’s Vote and to stop Brexit altogether.”

Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, said in a statement:

“It is unthinkable given the rules of democracy and accountability that has been found to have acted unlawfully and is subject of that kind of judgement delivered today would stay in office.”

Mark Drakeford, the Welsh First Minister, said in a statement:

“The Prime Minister has been found to have acted unlawfully and in a way deliberately designed to subvert our democracy. How does anybody in that position think that they can carry on?”

Liz Saville Roberts, the leader of Plaid Cymru at Westminster, said in a statement:

“Boris Johnson has already driven a bulldozer through the constitution, so no longer are ideas like impeachment far-fetched. I will tell other opposition party leaders, we need to be ready to impeach Boris Johnson if he breaks the law.”

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Monarch Grants Request to Suspend Parliament

HM Queen Elizabeth II has accepted the request of Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, to prorogue Parliament, despite opposition to the plans from the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Liberal Democrats.