Yvette Cooper was grilled on Zarah Sultana’s permanent departure from Labour to start a new party with Corbyn as well as the new appetite in the PLP for rebellion: “I think she’s always taken a very different view to most people in the government on a lot of different things and that’s for her to do so.” Provisional data shows a Corbyn party with the independents would poll at around 10 points – taking up to half of them from Labour. Quite an anniversary present for Starmer…
As for rebellions and U-turns Cooper said government wasn’t “smooth“:
“And look, the prime minister’s reflected on this this process and we know government is not smooth. You know, I’ve been in government before under last Labor government before 2010, been in opposition and been in government again. Of course, there are times in government when things aren’t smooth and when you have to do a lot more work to get things right.”
Some Labour MPs looking at their local electoral arithmetic might find themselves tempted to do a Sultana before the next election. Pincers on Labour now…
Sarah Pochin at Reform Scotland’s manifesto launch event: “I really wanted to come on in a Reform tartan burka, but apparently I wasn’t allowed… One day let’s do one of these events not live-streamed. We’ll do all the naughty stuff…”