Shadow cabinet ‘diehards’ hit back at ‘bully’ Corbyn

Jeremy Corbyn’s words on BBC Radio 2 have hit a very raw nerve with Labour MPs minded to support military action in Syria.

He called them “diehards” – not a huge linguistic leap from “reactionaries” – and (they feel) warned them menacingly of repercussions.

Mr Corbyn said: “I’m saying to every MP; you make up your own mind, there’s no hiding place behind a whipping arrangement or not, your decision on behalf of your constituents whether or not we should commit British troops into yet another war in the Middle East, with no endgame in sight…”

That phrase, “no hiding place”, won Mr Corbyn this response from one of the shadow cabinet members he appointed to his team 11 weeks ago: “So much for the new, kinder politics … This only further exposes the leadership in their determination to undermine, intimidate and bully good Labour colleagues.”

Another frontbencher said of the leader’s behaviour: “It’s Stalinist, his version of open debate is do as you’re told or get threatened.”

Those voting against the Corbyn line say they’ve lost quite a lot of MPs in the last few days, particularly new MPs.

MPs backing the government worry that their numbers are reducing with every day and could be well below the 60 to 70 they thought they had yesterday (a core 50 are definitely committed, one “diehard” said, a long way behind the near 100 thought possible 10 days ago).

One Labour MP is claiming he heard a senior Corbyn aide make an ageist remark when Margaret Beckett criticised the leadership at last night’s Parliamentary Labour Party meeting.

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