MPs confront Corbyn over sacking of chief whip Rosie Winterton
The Labour leader gives a "garbled" response when MPs ask him why he sacked Rosie Winterton at a PLP meeting.
Tuesday 11 October 2016 07:08, UK
Jeremy Corbyn's first meeting with Labour MPs since his re-election as leader was dominated by questions over why he sacked the party's chief whip.
There were also challenges over the party's poor poll ratings and its stance on the war in Syria.
It was another show of party disunity, with one senior Labour figure describing Mr Corbyn's response to questions as "garbled" and another former shadow cabinet minister calling it "the usual patronising crap".
The Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) meeting came days after long-standing chief whip Rosie Winterton was replaced by Nick Brown, who served under Gordon Brown in the same role.
The meeting began with cheers for Ms Winterton from MPs but a more muted response to Mr Brown.
Sky sources say the gathering, which is held in private, was dominated by tributes to Ms Winterton.
When the party leader offered his own praise on her "effective and strong" performance in the role he was heckled with the question: "Why did you sack her, then?"
Afterwards, a Labour source defended the decision, saying it was an attempt to "reset" the relationship between the leader and his MPs.
He said: "It is clear there needs to be a resetting of the relationship with the PLP and the way it operates. After a year, in Jeremy's point of view, it is necessary for the parliamentary operation to be reset in a way that reflects his mandate."
Mr Corbyn also faced hostile questions about the latest ICM poll that gave the Conservatives a 17-point lead over Labour.
Barry Sheerman MP reportedly warned that "people in here are going to lose their seats".
But a Labour source blamed the MPs' rebellion, saying: "The effect of the events of the last few months have been significant.
"We were level-pegging in the May elections; we were one point ahead of the Tories. Obviously when there were very public divisions, as took place this summer, that has an impact on public opinion."
It was clear that many MPs who voted no-confidence in their leader following the Brexit result are still struggling to unify behind Mr Corbyn.
Some expressed despondency that he appeared to say during the meeting that Russia had "apparently" bombed civilians in Aleppo in Syria.
But a Labour source speaking to journalists afterwards said: "Evidence is often very murky but he (Mr Corbyn) said, not only tonight, but at other times, that the evidence appears to show that Russia was involved in that bombing - if not Russia, the Syrian Air Force - and all the evidence around it appears to show that it was a war crime.
"I think he is addressing real evidence rather than rhetoric."