Edit
For those who don't study history
The bombing of Syria isn't just about peace and war in the middle east, for some its shamefully about the same issues in the Labour Party.
- Not only are the national security questions to be considered but it is clear that many are elevating the current balance of forces in today's Labour Party and tomorrow's to a a level of priority that becomes sectarian. The priority must be to do the right thing for Britain and the Middle East, but if we are going to consider the Labour Party, it's future and how it makes policy, Len McClusky nails these and the substantive issues in this article in HuffPo. I would like to summarise or quote from this article, but it's hard to pick a highlight, I recommend that you should read it yourself, it's not long
- Labour Cannot Risk Being Tarred as a Party of Illegal and Irrational War Once AgainThis week Labour MPs are likely to have to cast what will be one of the most important parliamentary votes of their career when the Prime Minister brings his proposal for Britain to join the bombing of Syria to the Commons. It will be vital for two reasons.
- Some argue that asking the membership and the Labour's NEC what they think, is a threat to MP's, others think it's the fulfilment of Corbyn's promises to conduct politics in a more open fashion.
- Against pragmatism: the undermining of Jeremy CorbynThis weekend, something important happened. As a Labour Party member, I received an email from the party leader asking for my views on whether the UK should join in the bombing of ISIL in Syria. It was a leader, elected with a huge mandate, putting into practice what he promised during his election campaign -...
- Jeremy Corbyn seeks grassroots Labour support for stance against bombing SyriaJeremy Corbyn is expected to seek the direct backing of grassroots Labour members and the party's ruling body as he tries to persuade his MPs not to support David Cameron's case for bombing Islamic State in Syria.
- The LP asks its membership what it thinks,
- Say you're with us >>The Labour Party and its elected representatives may contact you using the information you have provided.
- Jeremy Corbyn's reply to the Prime Minister's statement, basically you need to answer 7 questions.
- Statement on SyriaJeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the Labour Party, responding to the Prime Minister's statement on Syria: "I would like to thank the Prime Minister for providing an advance copy of his remarks. After the despicable and horrific attacks in Paris a fortnight ago the whole House will, I'm sure, agree that our first priority must be the security of Britain and the safety of the British people.
- This is a bit odd from the indefatigable, Jon Lansman, again, probably written in a hurry. It raises the issue of reselection and trigger ballots. It recognises that the Left have not pushed this to the brink, but he suggests that the right are using the issue of bombing Syria as a lever to oust Corbyn which must be resisted using the corollary of Corbyn's mandate. The threat is that the PLP needs to listen to the membership and convince them of their case, or else we'll find someone that will. There's no short list of people who would do the job.
- Time for the Labour Left to debate reselection of MPsFor the past three months, the very word ' reselection ' has been unmentionable in Labour left circles, for fear that even talking about it would represent an unwarranted provocation of the Labour right. But as the events of the last 48 hours clearly underline, it's time to break the taboo.
- And in this article contrasts Conference policy with the machinations of the Shadow Cabinet
- Labour's shadow cabinet must not split the party over going to warThe shadow cabinet yesterday discussed David Cameron's plan to go to war in Syria. A majority of its members favour backing airstrikes in spite of the four conditions laid down by Labour's conference only two months ago not being met.
- Sarah Anne Harris report's on the McCluskey blog, focusing on the PLP's plotting.
- MPs 'Playing With Fire' If They Use Syria To Try To Oust Corbyn, Warns McCluskeyLabour MPs who use the issue of intervention in Syria to try to oust Jeremy Corbyn are "playing with fire", Len McCluskey has warned. In an exclusive blog for HuffPost UK, the Unite secretary general blasted Labour MPs for trying to use the debate to force Corbyn out.
- And this from the BBC, despite it's lurid headline, looks at the way in which Labour's MPs are held accountable to the Party.
- Deselection fear hangs over Corbyn's critics - BBC News"Cut out the personal abuse," Jeremy Corbyn told the Labour Party conference in September. As with so many of the leader's pronouncements, this is being honoured by some of his supporters more in the breach. So bad have things got that the NEC, Labour's ruling body, is to draw up social media guidelines to discourage abusive posts.
- I look at the substantive issues in this blog, which xref's the Story I made while thinking about it.
- Bombing SyriaSo Parliament is to debate if it should authorise the government to use the RAF to bomb ISIS in Syria. What we must keep in our mind is that we i.e. the British state must only act under the rule of law.
- Written on the 29th & 30th November, published on the 1st December, after the Shadow Cabinet decided on a free vote for Labour MPs