Mr Watson said: “I never, ever, ever want to be leader of the Labour Party. If there are threats from people outside the party then the procedure is not to moan to the media, it is to go to the NEC”. Instead, the disciplined ranks of the anti-bombing SNP looked good and even statesmanlike in the cockpit of Westminster, while the Labour Party looked a mess; worse, like the SNP during last year’s referendum campaign, the pro-Corbyn elements of the Labour Party are now being smeared by association with a few online loudmouths who have apparently been sending rude texts and emails to Blairite MPs, threatening them with deselection.
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This continuous trolling risks destroying the fabric of polite debate we’ve become used to and those on the left, not just Corbyn and co, need to take responsibility for what is happening – and certainly not encourage it.
“Rather than splits, a much more favourable alternative might be for the Labour Party to have a leader elected by MPs and a leader in the country elected by the entire membership”, said Mr Field in a letter to The Independent.
Mr McDonnell responded: “What Jeremy demonstrated yesterday is an overwhelming majority in every section of the party – amongst the members, on the National Executive Committee and amongst members of the Parliamentary Labour Party and the shadow cabinet – he had a majority in every part of the party”.
Mr Livingstone has described Mr Benn’s contribution as a “brilliant speech”, but told Sky News that it lacked long-term vision.
The Bermondsey and Old Southwark MP added that Mr Corbyn should “distance himself” from Momentum “very strongly”. The fact that they were all completely confused and flabbergasted that their leader was allowing them a sense of free will to vote sums up the issues within the party.
Asked about the threats made to MPs, Mr Wrack said abuse on social media was “unacceptable”, but commonplace.
He predicted that the bombing would make victims of “innocent people many if not most of whom would like to see Saddam Hussein removed” adding “what fools we are to live in a generation in which war is a computer game for our children”.
RAF Tornadoes took just a couple of hours after the Commons vote to attack the Isis-occupied oilfields of Syria, following in the bomb craters of United States warplanes.
He warned Labour against putting off new members whose enthusiasm was needed to fight the next wave of elections.
“It’s not very workable that, but you can see what he means”.
“Momentum is not a threat to MPs who voted for bombing”.
Mr Corbyn travelled to Oldham to celebrate the result with the victorious Labour candidate – local council leader Jim McMahon – who held the seat with a majority of more than 10,000 over Ukip.
The Socialist Party published the wording of a model resolution which they suggested Labour members could use to demand the removal of their constituency MP.
He also condemned the abuse directed at Labour MPs who backed military action.
And it came, naturally enough, as particularly sweet music to the ears of Tory MPs, in that it not only highlighted the current savage divisions within the Labour Party, but was delivered by the son of that great standard-bearer of the anti-war British left, the late Tony Benn.
Blair accepted, as Margaret Thatcher did before him, that the U.S. was the leader of the so-called “free world”, submitting totally to that leadership.
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Asked about Momentum’s role in the Labour movement, Mr Watson said he was not unduly concerned about its activities.
