It may feel like a lifetime ago, but Labour’s summer conference was overshadowed this year by the resignation of Corbyn’s policy chief, Andrew Fisher. At the time it was reported in part, but finally, you can read the full scathing and damning letter here. Pay attention to the bit about a “lack of professionalism, competence and human decency”…
The principal harasser of Jacob Rees-Mogg’s family and children outside his home yesterday was Ian Bone of an organisation called Class War. He has considerable links to Corbyn’s Labour Party.
Shadow Cabinet ministers John McDonnell and Richard Burgon joined with Class War on a protest just last week in SW1, where they brandished the very same banner that they took to Rees-Mogg’s family home. The UVW union proudly featured it all in a promotional video.
There’s more… Bone boasted that Corbyn’s new chief adviser, Andrew Fisher, is a Class War supporter, who lives just around the corner from Bone himself.
And the Guardian published a cosy article in 2006 profiling Ian Bone and publicising his new book entitled ‘Bash the Rich’. And here he socialising with the Labour Party leader’s brother Piers Corbyn. Solidarity…
You get back from the pub and… pic.twitter.com/Imvy7C8ugd
— Media Guido (@MediaGuido) May 10, 2017
Leaking the manifesto, a sacred political document, would normally be seen as treachery. Something tells Guido that someone, somewhere thought it be in their interests to leak it. Guido got his copy of the manifesto late last night, he would have had it out an hour or two earlier if he hadn’t been in the pub. It was a scan of a document marked “DRAFT CONFIDENTIAL”. It has marks from a copier or a scanner and wasn’t an original digital file in original word document or PDF format.
So Cui Bono?
- Moderates in Labour HQ leaked it to undermine Corbyn.
- A Corbynista (Andrew Fisher) leaked it to get the full manifesto – undiluted by the sell outs at the NEC Clause V meeting – out there in front of the membership with the hope of building support for the left-wing agenda.
- Some speculate that The Telegraph got it originally and called the Labour leader’s office for comment, in a classic attempt to get some favourable top-spin they then counter-leaked it to The Mirror to spike The Telegraph’s exclusive.
- MI5 / Mossad / the Russians / the Tories got it. Expect to see that run on The Canary.
It could of course have been a cock-up, the classic document left on a copier scenario…
Vice News have been granted access to film a behind-the-scenes documentary with Jeremy Corbyn and his team. What could possibly go wrong?
Here are the top lines:
- Corbyn says the BBC is biased against him: “There is not one story on any election anywhere in the UK that the BBC will not spin into a problem for me. It’s obsessive beyond belief. They are obsessed with trying to damage the Labour Party.”
- In a phone call with Seumas Milne, Corbyn accuses Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland of “utterly disgusting subliminal nastiness” for writing about anti-Semitism: “He’s not a good guy at all. He seems kind of obsessed with me.”
- Dopey aide Gavin Sibthorpe says of Labour plotters: “If they want to get rid of him the best thing would be to wait and let Jeremy fail on his own. I don’t think he will, but fail in his own time.”
- Corbyn’s team wanted him to mention IDS’ resignation in his response to Cameron in the Commons, but he overruled them.
- Corbyn’s despised aide Andrew Fisher opines: “George Eaton is the worst judge of anything.”
- Seumas Milne overshares that a member of Corbyn’s team regularly leaks his PMQs prep: “It’s very annoying. It only happens about a third of the time but whenever there’s a leak it gives them an advantage.”
Well done to whichever bright spark thought this would be a good idea for Jezza…
Corbyn aide Andrew Fisher, the crackpot who wrote abusive tweets about Labour MPs and backed a rival party, has been let off with a warning by the party’s NEC and had his suspension lifted, reports PA. Worth noting that Corbyn supporters have a majority on the NEC. Are Danczuk, Reeves, Flint et al going to take that?
UPDATE: Damning statement from Caroline Flint and Siobhan McDonagh:
“We are disappointed that the Labour Party has decided not to proceed with a full disciplinary inquiry by the NCC into Andrew Fisher, and instead issue a slap on the wrist. The Chair of this investigation has been subjected to huge pressure, and this has compromised the independence and integrity of Labour’s disciplinary process. It is unacceptable for members to support other parties, delight in Labour MPs losing their seats or to engage in cyber-bullying. Others have been excluded from our party for less than the activities of Mr Fisher. It would appear that there is one rule for members and one rule for those who work for the Party Leader.”
He has been suspended pending a report by the party’s NEC. Guido understands a Labour MP wrote to General Secretary Iain McNicol earlier this week asking for Fisher to be investigated See all Guido’s stories on Fisher here…
UPDATE: Statement from Caroline Flint MP and Siobhain McDonagh MP:
“We are pleased that without fear or favour the Labour Party is enforcing its rules. These rules must apply equally to all members whether they deliver leaflets, are elected representatives or are staff in the Leader’s office. On behalf of those hard working members who were offended by Mr Fisher’s activities which included supporting a candidate against Labour in May, it is only right that the General Secretary has initiated an enquiry.”
