Smear a day: Labour Listage mark two and we smell at least one rat

Wednesday Jeremy Corbyn had a pretty good day so perhaps that was the reason for a downpour on his parade post PMQs?

Even some in the PLP who oppose Corbyn were pleased with his performance at the weekly Westminster farce that is PMQs and the last televised hustings scheduled for Sky TV Wednesday night could have been the icing on the cake but was it?

Ahead of the debate between Corbyn and challenger Owen Smith a list of MPs who have verbally attacked Corbyn supporters on social media was somehow leaked and it raked up old divisions. The timing was appalling which surely raises questions about who released it and why.

​Online buddy Sandra Paynter has shared the names on the list which are:
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Owen Smith
Jess Phillips
John Woodcock
Tristram Hunt
Tom Watson
Ian Austin
Neil Coyle
Ben Bradshaw
Frank Field
Anna Turley
Jamie Reed
Karl Turner
Stephen Kinnock
Tom Blenkinsop.

HANDOUT VIA GETTY IMAGES

To be fair a number of party members and supporters are currently excluded from taking part in the leadership election following accusations and allegations which in some cases are fake or simply nonsensical.

So "What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander" or in this case what is good for we little people is good for the PLP!

However in reality that is not the case.

The 'list' is being used in the smear a day campaign against Corbyn and his supporters.

The often anti-Corbyn Labour List online, yes another LIST, has this Thursday "http://labourlist.org/2016/09/corbyns-team-sparks-plp-anger-over-disunity-list/

It is a brief post so we have reproduced it is full and urge you to read it thoroughly. It is vague but divisive.

Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign team has prompted anger among the PLP by issuing a list of 14 MPs who it says have attacked the leaders and his allies.

The dossier was sent out by a junior member of staff, it was claimed last night.
The motivation behind the list was clouded during last night’s leadership debate on Sky News, however, when Corbyn seemed to defend publication of the names as simply an attempt to highlight their criticism of him which is already in the public domain.

The list includes deputy leader Tom Watson, who called Corbyn-supporting group Momentum a “rabble”, Jess Phillips, who told shadow minister Diane Abbott to “f*** off”, John Woodcock, who described Corbyn as a “f*** disaster”, and Tristram Hunt who said Labour is “in the s**t”.

At the debate last night, Corbyn’s challenger for the leadership, Owen Smith, said it was a “de-selection list”.

“You talk about trying to unite the party, but I find that quite hard to reconcile with something your campaign did just this evening, which was to publish a list, a deselection list if you like, of … MPs including the deputy leader of our party, Tom Watson, who your campaign think transgressed against you in criticising you. That isn’t unifying. That is deeply divisive,” he said.

Corbyn said that de-selection was not being considered and demanded Smith to focus on policy issues.
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“There was information put out there, which is statements made by colleagues on the record and is all out there in the public domain,” Corbyn said.

It is thought the Corbyn campaign has apologised to Watson.

With phrases such as "it was claimed last night" and "it is thought" in the Labour List report added to Mr Smith's use of the list during the hustings rather than concentrating on real issues it has a whiff of a rat in there.

But if the current NEC with Iain McNicol in charge are trawling social media accounts in order to remove Mr Corbyn supporters from the party for using words such as red tory, Blairite and scum what is so wrong with monitoring Labour MPs bringing the party into disrepute with vile tweets on social media and reports in the mainstream media?

Labour Party members and supporters have been told they must not be abusive on social media and face suspension from the party if they do not comply.

The Big Brother style named Compliance Unit has been in overdrive removing people for silly reasons so as we said what is good for we the little people is good for the PLP.

In March a silly Labour list ended up in David Cameron's hands and some of us looked toward John Woodcock MP as a possible culprit!

So who released the list and why is important although this should be a non-story.

In my opinion the fact that Owen Smith opted to use it during the final hustings proves he is not the unity candidate he claims.

There are only days left to vote but Wednesday many people who were still waiting for ballot papers to arrive were finally smiling.

The massive delay has been blamed on many things including administrative problems but we wonder was it more to do with timing, that list and that Sky hustings?

[And if it was a deselection list it would surely include at least a few other names]

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