Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Labour MPs’ next choice: which leadership coup to back

If Jeremy Corbyn wins, expect much pondering of Tony Benn’s last question: ‘How do I get rid of you?’

issue 22 August 2015

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[/audioplayer]Jeremy Corbyn’s close friend Tony Benn had five questions he always asked of those in power: ‘What power have you got? Where did you get it from? In whose interests do you exercise it? To whom are you accountable? And how do we get rid of you?’ Labour’s leadership election has a month left to run, but most of those involved think Corbyn will triumph. So they’ve already started working out how they’ll get rid of him.

John McTernan, a former Blair adviser, recommends deposing him immediately. As he said on The Spectator’s podcast: ‘I can’t see any case for letting him have two minutes in office, let alone two years, because of the damage that will be done.’ Most think an immediate coup unfeasible, but some would still like an urgent inquiry into the way the different types of leadership contest voters — 300,000 members, 121,000 ‘registered supporters’ and 190,000 trades union-affiliated supporters — voted in the general election.

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