#1:
BREAKING: CAMERON/CORBYN CONFLICT THREATENS TO SINK GOVERNMENT
· 4 May 2016
· From the section UK Politics
The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister almost came to blows in a heated Cabinet meeting, according to sources.
The catalyst was Deputy PM Corbyn’s anger at Liberal backbenchers implying that Justice Secretary Sadiq Khan is sympathetic to the United Indian Republic. Corbyn reportedly demanded that the Prime Minister reign his MPs in, calling it “racist scaremongering to out-Commonwealth the Commonwealthers”.
David Cameron responded by accusing his deputy of trying to “strangle” the economy “in order to provoke a revolution nobody wants” and made reference to anti-Catholic sentiment within Labour.
All non-essential communication between Liberal and Labour ministers has reportedly ceased.
More on this story as it develops.
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Analysis: James Roberts, BBC Political editor
The Liberals and Labour have been in a tense alliance since the general election and their leaders have always reflected this. What makes the coalition precarious is that neither one of them was the ‘correct’ choice of leader for a large minority of their MPs. To seem too ‘soft’ could doom them.
If not for the crises of Indian and Baltic belligerence, the ongoing Second Great Depression, and a declining Commonwealth – and, for them, the possibility of a new Commonwealth Free Trade Party government – neither would have agreed to the coalition. Both have had to compromise on dear principles for the national interest, with Cameron agreeing to Labour welfare reforms and Corbyn reluctantly agreeing to back Britain’s application to the Middle Europe Economic Zone.
So angry clashes behind the scenes will be common.
However, this one may be more vicious than most.
Sadiq Khan has already been the focus of alleged ‘dogwhistle’ campaigns by the Commonwealthers and more overt claims of being a “fifth column”, as the National Front called him. Recent polls found a quarter of Britons do indeed feel the Justice Secretary would be too friendly towards the Indian junta. A number of Liberals, most famously Zac Goldsmith, have been accused of leaning too much into this, and other Commonwealther stances, to protect Liberal councils in tomorrow’s local elections.
Labour has openly called such “dirty politics” a threat to Britain’s democracy. This is an issue Corbyn feels unable to compromise on.
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#2:
'CORBYN'S COMRADES' RALLY FOR LABOUR
- 5 hours ago
- From the section UK Politics
If the Labour government passes its first big test, it will have Jeremy Corbyn to thank from it.
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government was seen as an unlikely minister – a lifelong and radical backbencher, to the left of Ed Miliband. He was initially disparaged as an obvious sop to the Labour left following the election, when Labour won a minority government in a confidence-and-supply deal with the SNP. Corbyn was not seen as particularly charismatic or notable.
Instead, he has become a lightning rod for activists, particularly young ones, and the face of Labour’s reversal of austerity. This has annoyed a number of people within the Department of Work and Pensions but for whatever reasons, Corbyn has attracted more attention than Rachel Reeves.
He’s also avoided any serious scandal unlike his fellow ‘sop’ Simon Danczuk, the former Justice Secretary.
Corbyn was not officially part of Labour’s election campaign. However, insiders admit he has been informally involved and local parties have invoked Corbyn to get young activists onto the streets. For his constituency of Islington, he took time out of his ministerial duties to personally meet and direct activists for the London Assembly and council votes.
This has come under fire from the Conservatives. Boris Johnson has memorably asked during PM’s Questions “if Jeremy has registered his second job”. There have been media sources in Corbyn’s department that are indeed disgruntled that he’s taken time to assist with the voting. One told the BBC that “there is no direction”.
However, Miliband has to defend him for the duration. Labour is in a fragile state and needs to see off a predicted Conservative surge to prove that, even as it had to agree to campaign on SNP terms in Scotland, it is still a viable force. Miliband’s own job is at stake. A few key council victories, as well as Sadiq Khan becoming Mayor of London and the Welsh Assembly remaining in Labour’s hands, would give him much-needed breathing room. Corbyn is vital in keeping the ‘youth vote’ and further left voters on Labour’s side, and in keeping the activists on the street.
Ironically, Corbyn is not just one of Miliband’s top hopes for this – he’s also a key threat. Corbyn, Khan, and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper as the three people seen as most likely to replace Miliband if it came to it. (All three of them have a strained relationship with each other but officially this is down to ideological differences.)
And as certain people love to point out, Communities and Local Government was the job held by Miliband’s brother and rival for party leader.
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