Westminstenders: Constitutional History

[RedToothBrush]

The Supreme Court case continues
(ruling possible Friday but likely Monday)

The new NI proposal is bollocks and Johnson didn't get why until it was discussed in Europe.

There was a press conference in Luxembourg which looks good for Johnson.

Johnsons approval ratings are up.

And we are making no obvious progress to anything but no deal...

Dave Prentis @ daveprentis
Our sole focus at Labour Conference this week should be on taking the fight to Boris Johnson. What we need at this time is unity and a focus on winning the upcoming election. Anything else is a betrayal of UNISON members and working people everywhere who are relying on us.

Beth Rigby@bethrigby
Boss of UK’s largest union now publicly urging Corbyn et al to pull back from Watson ‘drive by shooting’

Mod course they know an election's coming.

That's precisely why now.

They're banking on that being enough to keep MPs (& a lot of members) biddable.

The cynicism is extreme.

And I'm just disgusted at the whole pantomime of Corbyn leaving the meeting early - so that, if this goes badly, it can be said he had 'clean hands'.

FFS.

I think they're fucked either way now. Tainted by it even fucking being contemplated.

I'd just come round to bloody tactical voting for them if necessary. Jesus wept.

You could not make this shit up, could you?

Cross post, flouncy. What a fucking nightmare. Like it wasn't already bad enough.

Though, I will say that given all that's gone on, there may be some very surprising results at a GE!

Robert Peston@peston
.@tom_watson has been told he cannot dial in to the NEC meeting to hear his own defenestration as it happens. Family friendly Labour?

Dan Hodges @DPJHodges
I'm actually starting to think I might join Momentum. If you don't want to see Jeremy Corbyn in No.10, they're clearly the best vehicle for stopping him.

How do we know this hasn't happened?!

I’m also furious about Tom Watson. I see absolutely no point in being a member of a party (and I’ve been a member for 30 years) if backroom moves can oust someone voted for by the membership. I will probably resign from the party.
I’m disgusted enough by the Labour Students move. I like Labour being a broad church. My own MP would likely side with Watson. TBH although she’s great I can see me only voting Labour tactically in the future and joining Plaid Cymru.

Paul Brand @paulbranditv
Labour MPs now appear hopeful that Jeremy Corbyn will intervene to pull the motion. But we don’t have any direction from his side about this.

And even in that eventuality, one MP adds “that still leaves most of us thinking, 'what's next?!' Or who will they come for...”

o you mean the number of tories that joined labour to vote Corbyn in

If members have so much power over the leader and MP selection, you have to wonder who the members actually are.....

Yes.

This is all about

*possible GNU
*GE loss & Corbyn resignation
*possible Corbyn resignation

• waning of Corbyn popularity with members & securing foothold within Party to last after high-water Mark has passed.

And that's why it's so utterly appalling.

Because, on the other side, we have a GE and No Deal Brexit. Both reasons not to do this.

They will devastate the lives of those who are most vulnerable in society.

But no: enduring the succession is all-important.

By the way, I just want to pay respects to RedToothBrush for her collation of reports on this.

I spent last night reading, in increasing dismay.

I didn't have the patience to collate and post.

It was a mighty feat.

Well done, Red. 💐

Robert Peston@peston
A senior momentum source tells me that @jonlansman coup against Tom Watson was his personal decision and action. “This was not a decision made by Momentum’s elected governing body” says source. “It was a decision made by Jon Lansman”. Signicant. @PeoplesMomentum @tom_watson

Margaret Hodge @margarethodge
Abolishing Labour’s student wing because it disagrees with you, debating rule changes on fighting antisemitism on the sabbath, backroom deals to create a PLP in their image & now attempting to scrap the deputy leadership. This really is a new and shameful low for the Hard Left.

Labour Party & members need to extract their heads from up there own arses and stop thinking of the enemy as Tom Watson and Tony Blair.

McCluskey and Lansman are old, egomaniac, white men. Not elected by the Labour Party.

Labour members whine on about right wing press bias, which is undoubtedly the case in this country, and then hand them this story at this time!!!

Going back to the AirBnb - did anyone else see that they are being used to make drugs in the news this week? It seems hard enough for our police force to crack down on this - presumably with the help of data from EU. I'm not sure how AirBnb is addressing this and suspect it will be on the owner to vet their clients, but it does raise the issue that if the client is from EU...? Or am I missing something?

Lansman was the one behind abolishing Labour Students too. Given he runs momentum, it's effective competitor (even though its not technically Labour affiliated) that's an issue.

There is a massive conflict of interest here and there does now seem to be an issue with power here - especially if momentum are now saying that Lansman potentially abused his power with this Watson vote by acting unilaterally and without their approval.

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair says the move to abolish the post of deputy leader would be "undemocratic, damaging and politically dangerous" and "to suggest it at this time shows a quite extraordinary level of destructive sectarianism"

Shocked to say, but I agree with Tony Blair.

Party above country. Disgusting.

That Lansman 'acted on his own' is of course complete bollocks that a child of 11 wouldn't accept.

However, it may be the sign of LOTO rowing back from this shot show.

Jewish Labour Movement @jewishlabour
The Jewish Labour Movement’s statement on the Labour Party’s proposed rule changes on antisemitism to be debated on Shabbat at Labour Party Conference.

Miriam Mirwitch @mrwtch
It’s shocking that NEC rule changes on antisemitism weren’t discussed with our oldest affiliate, @JewishLabour.

It’s disgraceful that this rule change will be debated at #Lab19 on the Sabbath.

Yet again Jewish voices are being ignored. Our movement must be better than this.

Jonny Will Chambers @jonwillchambers
You won’t hear anything about it because of the Tom Watson fiasco. But lurking underneath today’s NEC is also some pretty glaringly obvious institutional antisemitism. And yet, if Corbyn intervenes on the Deputy Leader everyone will just turn a blind eye.

Fucking Momentum.

A private company, not even affiliated to the Labour Party.

Theoretically all about the grassroots but has effectively stopped Labour grassroots organising against Brexit.

I actually feel sorry for a lot of members. I think they have no idea that some of the best people in the organisation have had their political careers and objectives hampered by the shenanigans going on around LOTO.

Robert Peston@peston
From another influential Labour source about coup against Watson: “hopefully sorted by Jeremy this morning. Not what Jeremy wanted at all”. @jeremycorbyn

It would be nice to see Corbyns lips move on this, wouldn't it?

Is this how he'd run the country? Though Chinese whispers and Trial Balloons?

It would be nice to see Corbyns lips move on this, wouldn't it?

Is this how he'd run the country? Though Chinese whispers and Trial Balloons? (Red)

And that, right there, is why this is so damaging.

And just crazy.

I think we'd begin to turn a corner with perceptions of Corbyn as a Leader. He was actually looking good.

And this? This just reminds people of what they worry about.

I'm just 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️.