Monday, January 18, 2016
Corbyn finally loses the plot over Trident
Jeremy Corbyn's latest idea to build the Trident submarines without the warheads has rightly attracted derision from across the political spectrum.
He has managed to get himself into this hole because he is trying to keep the Trade Unions happy by protecting defence jobs whilst at the same time keeping to his unilateralist principles. Instead he just looks silly.
The Times records one Labour MP's reaction: Jamie Reed, Labour MP for Copeland, mocked the proposal, tweeting: “Here’s your new car, Sir . . . ‘Hang on . . .’ Yes? ‘It’s got wheels . . .’ Sir? ‘I didn’t want wheels.’ But . . . ‘No wheels’.”
Whilst, David Gauke, the Conservative financial secretary to the Treasury, said: “To summarise Labour’s proposed Trident policy: in favour of spending £bns on defence jobs as long as it doesn’t contribute to our defence.”
The Tabloids have been less kind. All-in-all it looks like we are heading for another free vote for the Labour Parliamentary Party on Trident, in which key figures directly contradict a leadership that is trying to be all things to all men.
This is a far cry from the principled campaign that got Jeremy Corbyn elected as Labour leader in the first place. If only he was not so reliant on the Trade Unions for funding.
He has managed to get himself into this hole because he is trying to keep the Trade Unions happy by protecting defence jobs whilst at the same time keeping to his unilateralist principles. Instead he just looks silly.
The Times records one Labour MP's reaction: Jamie Reed, Labour MP for Copeland, mocked the proposal, tweeting: “Here’s your new car, Sir . . . ‘Hang on . . .’ Yes? ‘It’s got wheels . . .’ Sir? ‘I didn’t want wheels.’ But . . . ‘No wheels’.”
Whilst, David Gauke, the Conservative financial secretary to the Treasury, said: “To summarise Labour’s proposed Trident policy: in favour of spending £bns on defence jobs as long as it doesn’t contribute to our defence.”
The Tabloids have been less kind. All-in-all it looks like we are heading for another free vote for the Labour Parliamentary Party on Trident, in which key figures directly contradict a leadership that is trying to be all things to all men.
This is a far cry from the principled campaign that got Jeremy Corbyn elected as Labour leader in the first place. If only he was not so reliant on the Trade Unions for funding.
