By Stuart Mcgee

Tim Roache in 2015 and seen here on the right on March 15, 44 BC

This week the opening salvo were fired in the establishment/fifth column campaign to justify the next attempt at a coup to depose Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour party.

With the Tory party in complete disarray and split down the middle over the question of the referendum on Britain’s continuing membership of the EU, things look bleak for the ruling elite and their political first eleven, the Tory party. With the scandal over election expenses developing apace, despite the media blackout on this issue, it is clear that the possibility of a snap election being called before the end of the year is a reality.

From the point of view of the ruling elite, the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour party, and what that represented couldn’t have come at a worse time. He is the figurehead that symbolizes the growing anti-austerity movement. At the very time when circumstances dictate the need for a stable second eleven, for the ruling one per cent, capable of taking the reins of government, they see the old new labour/progress clique, that have been in control of the Labour party for so long, disintegrating before their eyes.

There have been at least two attempts in the last year, by the establishment and their fifth column in the Labour movement, to mount a coup to depose Jeremy. Against the background of a perpetually hostile mainstream media seeking to destabilize Jeremy at every twist and turn, the first took place around the issue of the Tory government’s decision to toady up to the US by extending RAF bombing to Syria. Sixty six labour MP’s voted with the government and against their own party, the Labour party, to support this largely symbolic gesture. Hilary Benn’s disgraceful treachery and his duplicitous speech in the House of Commons was lauded by the establishment media as a statesman like masterpiece. Unfortunately for them the knockout blow could not be landed because of the excellent bye election result in Oldham and Royston the following day that saw Labour increase its share of the vote. It completely ruined their script which was going to be that a Jeremy Corbyn led Labour party couldn’t win elections.

This however was a one off bye election and it might have saved the day for him on this occasion but the establishment and their fifth column were determined to get it right next time.

Fast forward to the May elections for the Scottish parliament, Welsh Assembly, Mayoral and council elections.

Against the background of the establishment and their fifth column hyping up expectations to ridiculous levels to allow them to then claim Labour had done really badly under Jeremy, the actual results, although patchy in some areas, were far better than the disaster that they were predicting and hoping for.

Despite the most disgraceful and transparent bogus anti semetism smear campaign/witchhunt which saw loyal labour members suspended on the most spurious grounds, in an attempt to smear Jeremy, Labours vote held up. Despite a clearly orchestrated campaign of destabilization, by the establishment and the fifth column, in the run up to the elections Labour did far better than the coup plotters expected.

Hence the second serious attempt to manufacture circumstances in which a coup could take place had been foiled by favourable election results.

The transparency of the tactics used against Jeremy and his supporters had an entirely counterproductive effect for the old new labour/progress clique who had colluded with the establishment in the most disgraceful way to undermine Labours electoral chances.

Ian McNicol straight talking in 2015 but turning a blind eye on 21 October 1805.

The General Secretary of the Labour party, Ian McNicol turning a blind eye, whilst the hired hands of his threateningly named compliance unit suspended loyal Labour supporters and activists on the most ridiculous charges. At the same time MP’s like John Mann were merely warned for his thug like threatening behaviour attacking Ken Livingstone, (who is pensioner age), coincidently of course, in front of the television cameras, a week or so before the elections took place. Everyone who cares to look can really see who is bringing the Labour party into disrepute. Scratch just beneath the surface and it is clear who is responsible for the totally unjustified suspensions, and what department the well paid full time labour party officials work for, not to mention who was ultimately responsible for allowing this to happen. The General Secretary Mr Ian McNicol.

In the current political circumstance those not aware of the ruthless determination of the Blairites to topple Jeremy might be tempted to argue that we need to draw a line under this internal feuding. After all the electorate won’t want to back a party that is seen as divided. The fifth column will be encouraging such naivety and inexperience, it will be seen as a gift by them to buy time in preparation for the third, final and most determined coup attempt.

In reality common sense and principles have nothing to do with a politics that is based primarily and in many cases exclusively on the pursuit of vested self-interest. This is the case for the ruling elite who squirrel their ill-gotten gains through property theft and tax avoidance in offshore havens, their political representatives in the Tory party and the wannabes of their fifth column in the Labour movement.

The conundrum for those in both wings of the labour movement, the industrial and the political, seeking to topple Jeremy is that their transparent backstabbing antics, particularly, to date, of these elements in the parliamentary Labour party, so far has only served to increase support for Jeremy and they know that they would be crushed in any election under the current rules governing the election of the leader of the Labour party.

That is where everyone in the labour movement is entitled to vote and the candidate with the most votes is declared the winner.

A point that some readers might consider patronising and flippant but a point that could become increasingly significant as events develop.

The current voting arrangements at the Labour party conference gives the majority of votes to the trade unions, a portion of votes to the parliamentary labour party, a portion to the constituency Labour parties and a proportion to the affiliated organisations like the Coop and the Fabian society.

It is entirely feasible that a situation could be manufactured or exaggerated to legitimize the submission of an emergency resolution that could include, or lead to a vote of no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn.

It is equally feasible under the current rules a vote on such a resolution could garner enough support to succeed. Especially if unions like Unison, the GMB and Unite got behind such a treacherous move.

It is clear that the full time bureaucracy of these three unions did not want to throw their weight behind Jeremy in the leadership election last year, clearly preferring other candidates. It was the membership, (and it is ultimately the membership that is the union) that forced the likes of Len McCluskey, the General Secretary of Unite and Dave Prentice and the General Secretary of Unison to support Jeremy.

It is also clear that if a vote to unseat Jeremy could be pushed through the conference his replacement with the deputy Tom Watson, could take place without an election, which, from their perspective would solve the problem.

Would they be able to get away with it? In their minds that will be determined on how effectively they can undermine him in the run up to the conference.

The initial attack got underway last week when the GMB General Secretary, Tim Roache – who was elected with the backing of two point for per cent of the GMB’s membership in an election that produced a turnout of four point five per cent and is still the subject of litigation with a GMB member claiming that there was an abuse of the rules to prevent rank and file candidates seeking nomination, deemed it appropriate to lecture Jeremy Corbyn. Allegedly in relation to Jeremy’s failure to address the issue of immigration in the context of the in/out referendum debate. Tim explained how it should be done and to be fair made some valid points about how clamping down on the exploitation of migrant labour should be a prime objective of Labour. However to go on to claim that he was Jeremy’s supporter while at the same time accusing him of being ‘mealy mouthed’ and throwing into the mix that Jeremy should whip Labour MP’s to support the renewal of Trident, quite frankly, gives the game away a bit. With friends like this Jeremy is going to end up with a knife in the back just like another famous JC in history.

It is highly likely that the issue that they will blow up as a backdrop to another coup attempt, whether it is at conference or a parliamentary coup later down the line will be Trident. They will portray him as a nice chap but utopian and a threat to national security. There will of course be the wails of un-electability and all of the foul and backstabbing manoeuvres we have had the dubious pleasure of witnessing since Jeremy Corbyn’s candidature was announced.

However just to complete the sequence of events that highlights the collusion of the establishment and the fifth column, whether individuals like Tim Roache are sharp enough to be aware of it or not, as if by clockwork that other champion of democracy and balanced reporting Laura Keunsburg, used Tim Roaches intervention (which as if by magic appeared as the lead article in The Guardian) to attack Jeremy Corbyn at a press gathering where he had delivered a speech on Europe.

Just to complete the establishment/fifth column assault on Jeremy that day the British Conservative Broadcasting Corporation had a bye line running permanently on its News 24 misinformation service saying “union leader attacks Corbyn”.

Most of the left who have been informed of this potential danger so far have refused to take the matter seriously.

With a couple of notable exceptions, the responses have ranged from those who are genuinely busy but who will look seriously at the issue in the next fortnight. To those who genuinely cannot see the coup plotters gaining enough support. Especially if unions like Unite remain loyal to Jeremy. To those not even bothering to respond to the information they have been given. To those who have actively run away from the issue claiming there is nothing they can do.

It could be that there is not a coup attempt at conference and enough of the parliamentary Labour party and our well-heeled bureaucrats in the trade unions see that the best chance of continuing to be a beneficiary of the goose that lays the golden egg, is to profess loyalty to the leadership and not get involved in such a dangerous game.

However to not even assess the potential for such an eventuality seriously is bordering on neglect and is reprehensible, clearly indicating the need for the younger generation to step into the breach that appears to be opening up.

For those ancient Marxists who do believe that this issue is at least worthy of serious study and comment, this article, while far from perfect, is an attempt to initiate debate on the issue. (Genuine left social democrats and real anarchists welcome to)

Please inform us of any comments and suggestions you have and please make every effort to inform as many others as possible of the potential dangers that exist.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/01/jeremy-corbyn-pro-immigration-case-eu-referendum-gmb-union-tim-roache