Corbyn faces a Blarite coup.

 I have a great deal of sympathy for Jeremy Corbyn faced with discontent among his Cabinet and Frontbench he had either to have a reshuffle or lok weak

I am sure that people will be asking Stephen  who after Cardiff South and Penarth Labour MP Stephen Doughty has quit the Labour frontbench in the wake of Jeremy Corbyn’s reshuffle.

Mr Doughty was a shadow foreign minister and this morning he expressed his concern about the sacking of Pat McFadden from the Europe portfolio.


He announced his resignation on the BBC's Daily Politics programme.

He said:
 

 “Our party has always been a broad church, and despite my principled differences with Jeremy over many issues of defence, foreign policy and national security, I agreed to serve on his front bench because of the mandate he was given, his assurances that honesty and difference were welcomed, and due to the many areas we agreed wholeheartedly on such as fighting the vicious Tory trade union bill – which I was proud to lead our work on – cuts to tax credits and tackling climate change.

It s rather odd for a party which Doughty calls a Broad church has Members of Parliament  who seem to largely consist of the sort of people who describe themselves  as being "Moderate Central Left" but to this Blog seems to consist of Red Tories

 Mr Doughty continued,

 

“I was therefore dismayed that two of our most able and experienced colleagues have been sacked for speaking out in the straight talking and honest way that I believe the public expect and want from their representatives - let alone when it comes to matters of national security.
“I agree entirely with the words Pat McFadden used in denouncing terrorism and the false narrative that the West is to blame, and so I believe the only honourable thing for me to do, when a fellow team member has been singled out for punishment for speaking with honesty and principle on this critical issue, is to leave the front bench.

Much has been made of the  fact that Corbyn was a constant rebel on the Labour backbenches but that's just it . He was not a Cabinet member or on the frontbench  where the doctrine of collective responsibility has held sway.

To have a lone Backbencher criticising the leadership is one thing having members of your Shadow Cabinet do so is a different Kettle of Fish

Mr Doughty continued,

“Jeremy and his team will continue to enjoy my full support from the back-benches in taking on this uncaring and brutal Tory government - but we need to urgently recognise and re-affirm as a Labour Party that the national security and defence of our country in such a volatile world, is a red line and a matter that should and must transcend party politics, let alone the internal machinations of our own party or personal score-settling.”

It seems to me that there is a coordinated to undermine Jeremy Corbyn by the majority of his own MPs  defence and national security loks like an easy target to depose Corbyn and for al his posturing of loyalty Doughty seems to be part of it.

Newport MP  Paul Flynn who lets remember nominate nominated Liz Kendall for party leader  accused the Cardiff South and Penarth MP of being part of a revolt of 'Revolt of Unreformed Blairites' using 'wild and divisive language'.

He later deleted the Tweet, but it was archived by the Twitter-deletions tracking website Politwoops, and was copied by the Cardiff MP himself.

The full message read:

 "Steve 'Who?' Doughty resigns as part of Revolt of Unreformed Blairites uses wild divisive language. One Leader. One Party. One Enemy."
He later added, in a Tweet that remains online: "Corbyn-Victory Deniers in uber-rant. Poor losers in denial on JC's victory. Celebrate departure of lightweights. Better Replacements coming."

I have nothing but contempt for  MPs who like Sheep who followed the diktats  of Tony Blair  and followed him in  his moves takening Labour to the centre right .

But it i clear despite Jeremy Corbyn's landslide Victory over a few months ago. It seems for many if not the majority of Labour MPs  the views of the Labour Membership counts for nothing and the Labour leader looks like he has no choice in that he either finds himself being undermined by his Cabinet and frontbench spokespersons, Colleagues or try and find support by promoting what maybe only a handful of backbenchers who might support him and not wielding the knife.