John McTernan, Tony Blair’s former adviser, has warned the Labour Party that they should fear PM Truss. Writing for UnHerd, John McTernan makes a number of solid points about Liz, warning Sir Keir’s party to come down from their revelry in Boris’s defenestration and recognise they’re about to enter some very choppy political waters. “If Labour think Liz Truss will be a walkover, they should think again. When the dust clears, they will be facing a formidable opponent”…
Aside from the fact Truss will be the Tories’ third female PM to Labour’s big fat nought, among Liz’s qualities he highlights are the fact that she’s changed her mind over Brexit and the LibDems, which he believes humanises her with the electorate, and the fact this political journey makes her “a powerful communicator”:
“Liz Truss knows why voters find progressive policies attractive, which can strengthen the persuasive power of her arguments for people to change their views. And her speaking style is clear and simple. The listener readily understands what she thinks and believes”
On her policies, McTernan points out that while many on the left will disagree with many – if not all – of Truss’s proposed policy fixes, they’ll prove difficult to argue against. Grammar schools, cutting the Green Tax Levy, cutting taxes for the cost of living, are easy one-liners and have appeal. Arguments against them require detailed sociological and economic explanations. “And, as the old political saying goes, “when you’re explaining, you’re losing.”
The Truss offer, both in style and substance, is continuity of the spirit of Boris and Brexit, without the perceived baggage of Partygate and other scandals. Unsurprisingly McTernan believes Starmer can win by learning from New Labour, attacking the government while not nit-picking, and offering a vision of hope. “Otherwise, Keir Starmer risks being just one more man, in a long line of men, who have underestimated Liz Truss at their peril.”
A Guy News special report from last night’s rally against Jeremy Corbyn in Parliament Square. Thousands of protesters gathered to demonstrate, with verbal clashes between Jewish groups, Labour moderates and a small but vociferous counter-protest convened by Corbynistas. An unprecedented protest of Jewish groups against a leader of a mainstream political party…
Arch-Blairite John McTernan, February 2016: “The idiots in Momentum will destroy themselves before they destroy Labour… It’s war. Well it was always a war, really… Trying to sneak enemies of the Labour Party in through the back door as Momentum plan is the surest way to find out that the “the broad mainstream of Labour Party grassroots” do not welcome collusion with their electoral enemies. It is indeed a golden rule of politics – never underestimate the stupidity of your opponents.”
Top Corbynista John McTernan, August 2017: “Momentum is within the Labour Party, it’s made up of members of the Labour Party… there’s lots of energy amongst Momentum members… They’re adding something, some richness to the Labour Party that’s not in any other political party in Britain or even in Europe at the moment so it’s a very interesting initiative… I’m a member of Momentum myself, I joined it because of the energy around that movement.”
Watch to the end for a killer plot twist.pic.twitter.com/LlcK1o6oBS
— Alex Nunns (@alexnunns) August 12, 2017
“The struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother…”
Corbyn fan girl and Guardian writer Zoe Williams was out batting for the Labour leader today when she dropped this nugget explaining how “countries make money“:
“Of course there is a money tree, it’s called the Bank of England. That’s how countries make money.”
John McTernan’s face is priceless…
From Panglossian cheerleader to doomsayer in the space of two months, Labour spinner John McTernan had some choice words after last night’s poll:
“The moronic MPs who nominated Jeremy Corbyn to ‘have a debate’ need their heads felt. They should be ashamed of themselves. They’re morons.”
That list of ‘morons’ who nominated Corbyn in full:
Diane Abbott
Rushanara Ali
Margaret Beckett
Richard Burgon
Dawn Butler
Ronnie Campbell
Sarah Champion
Jeremy Corbyn
Jo Cox
Neil Coyle
Jon Cruddas
Clive Efford
Frank Field
Louise Haigh
Kelvin Hopkins
Rupa Huq
Imran Hussain
Huw Irranca-Davies
Sadiq Khan
David Lammy
Clive Lewis
Rebecca Long-Bailey
Gordon Marsden
John McDonnell
Michael Meacher
Grahame Morris
Chi Onwurah
Kate Osamor
Tulip Siddiq
Dennis Skinner
Cat Smith
Andrew Smith
Gareth Thomas
Emily Thornberry
Jon Trickett
Catherine West
The likes of Sadiq, Lammy, Cruddas and Emily Thornberry will be sweating…
The scalping of Jim Murphy and the capitulation of Scottish Labour are a cruel addendum to the long and illustrious CV of Labour spinner John McTernan. Such other career achievements of the party’s panglossian media cheerleader should not be overlooked.
- Special Advisor to Harriet Harman at DSS. Harman was sacked.
- Helped run Frank Dobson’s Mayoral Campaign. Dobson lost.
- Special Advisor to Scottish First Minister Henry McLeish. McLeish had to resign over an expenses “muddle”.
- Helped run Labour’s Scottish Parliament Campaign in 2007. Labour were beaten in Scotland for the first time in 50 years.
- Chief of Communications for Julia Gillard. She was ousted by her own party.
- Chief of Staff to Jim Murphy. Labour lost all their seats in Scotland, including Murphy’s, bar one.
McTernan is spending his free time retweeting kind words about Liz Kendall. Don’t let him Liz!
