Len McCluskey taking the LOTO lines on Marr, he isn’t even unequivocal over whether he’d back Remain over No Deal. Corbyn’s inner circle just want Brexit to go through, without having to take responsibility themselves…

When pressed by @Peston if ‘Remain’ should be on the ballot paper, @LenMcCluskey says that staying in would not be the best option for our nation. #Peston pic.twitter.com/rV4sAuxjsN

— Peston (@itvpeston) February 13, 2019

Len McCluskey has come out with the most robust line yet from someone close to the Labour leader against a second referendum, telling Peston that trying to “deflect away” from the result of the 2016 referendum “would threaten the whole democratic fabric on which we operate”.

Meanwhile John McDonnell was busy doing the opposite and talking up the possibility of a second referendum last night, when he wasn’t attacking Churchill. A deliberate two-pronged strategy from Corbyn’s inner circle or signs of genuine splits emerging?

The left’s head honchos have never been adverse to a good party and this New Year was no exception with Unite boss Len McCluskey and Seumas Milne celebrating in style at the luxury Loch Fyne Hotel & Spa in Inveraray for a cool £429 a head. Len donned his not-very-proletarian black tie for the celebrations, Seumas looked more avant garde in a black turtleneck and chinos:

It wasn’t just a trip for the boys, Corbyn’s chief of staff Karie Murphy was also there to enjoy the Hogmanay celebrations on the shores of Loch Fyne. Close friends Len and Karie were spied holding hands on the way out of the bar and Guido’s kilt-wearing co-conspirator reports that the pair shared a room together. No doubt having late night policy discussions.

Len and Seumas were also spotted at what was billed as the “Chef’s Gala New Year’s Eve Dinner”. 

UPDATE: The “blonde” sat opposite Seumas is apparently Samantha Hemsley, partner at Thompson’s and Unite assistant general-secretary Howard Beckett’s long term relationship.

UPDATE II: Samantha Hemsley has contacted us to make clear she did not attend the event as Seumas Milne’s guest.

“I can confirm I am not in a long term ‘relationship’ with Howard Beckett. He is a close friend.”

A previous version of this story misidentified her picture. Apologies for the confusion.

Len McCluskey on a second referendum…

“We’ve had a People’s Vote, they voted to leave.”

Multiple Labour fringe events are to be addressed by the union boss who suggested the Labour anti-Semitism row was ‘created’ by Israel.

“Now I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but I’ll tell you what – one of the best forms of trying to hide from the atrocities that you are committing is to go on the offensive and to actually create a story that does not exist for people on this platform, the trade union movement or, I have to say, for the leader of the Labour Party.”

Mark Serwotka, General Secretary of the PCS Union, who publicly insinuated anti-semitism is “a story that does not exist” in the Labour Party, will be speaking at:

• Labour and Palestine’s ‘Speaking Up for Palestine’ alongside Len McCluskey and Richard Burgon.
• CLASS’s ‘Review Of The Year’ alongside Owen Jones and Clive Lewis.
• Public and Commercial Services Union’s ‘Social Security Under a Labour Government – What Would Need To Change’, alongside John McDonnell.

Labour are normalising people who deny that their anti-semitism problem exists. This shouldn’t be considered normal…

Just when you would have thought that the left would be trying to rebuild bridges with the Jewish community, Unite have responded to a member’s legitimate concerns about anti-semitism by threatening to sue the Jewish complainant, David Levene. Unite officially are warning “be advised that legal advice is now being sought in relation to this public accusation levelled at our general secretary”. If Unite’s Andrew Murray really goes down this route they are crazy…