Why Jeremy Corbyn is absolutely right not to resign as Labour leader

Jeremy Corbyn is absolutely right not to resign as Leader of the Labour Party. Those calling for his resignation – including those members of the Parliamentary Labour Party who supported the vote of no confidence against him – betray an astonishing misunderstanding of what the project called ‘The Labour Party’ is all about. Here’s the history lesson they all need to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest.

The project now called ‘The Labour Party’ owes its origin to a conference called in London in 1899 to discuss the palpable erosion of trade-union rights as a result of a succession of legal judgments. Out of that conference something called ‘The Labour Representation Committee’ was established (it changed its name to ‘The Labour Party’ in 1906). The purpose of the Labour Representation Committee (LRC) was to sponsor MPs who, once elected to Westminster, would be expected to promote and support legislation to reverse the cumulative effect of these legal judgments.