McDonnell explodes at Starmer for being influenced by Mandelson - Labour war erupts

Former Shadow Chancellor and Corbyn loyalist John McDonnell lambasted Sir Keir Starmer for allowing Labour to be too influenced by Peter Mandelson. In a furious tirade on BBC Andrew Marr show earlier Mr McDonnell unleashed a volley of criticism at Sir Keir following Labour's disastrous election results. He demanded "commitment to solidarity" and urged Starmer to bin Mandelson's advice.

The former Shadow Chancellor said: “He (Starmer) did say he would build on the policy framework we set out and he hasn’t!

“You can’t send candidates naked into the field like that without any policy."

McDonnell went on to justify why he was sharing advice with Sir Keir following the catastrophic Labour results at the local elections.

The Corbyn loyalist said: “I don’t get into who’s best in any position or anything like that... but I’m here to play this role as elder statesmen and I am playing this role!”

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McDonnell went on to share some advice with Starmer saying: “I just give these words of advice for Keir.

“I think at the moment Keir and his advisors like Peter Mandelson and others.

“They’re straining that concept and commitment to solidarity within the party!"

And in a fiery conclusion McDonnell hit out: “And in that way unnecessarily dividing the party!”

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Yesterday Corbyn loyalist Clive Smith, Labour MP for Norwich South told BBC News he was furious with the local election results.

He said: "I can’t predict the future but what I can say is there has been a long term trend that has been happening, not just in 2019, not just in 2017, it goes back further than that.

He stressed: “It’s been happening for decades.”

Mr Lewis then went into the details of how he believes the Conservative Party have gradually gained ground in British politics and how Labour fell behind.

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The Labour MP explained: “But ultimately post 2008 the Tory party has been the first in this post-neoliberal consensus period to reorganise itself and capitalise on the changes to demographics and the voting system that we have."

And in an extraordinary admission, Mr Lewis said: “And they are smashing us basically!”

Labour incurred a devastating loss on Friday as the Tories took the former Labour stronghold seat of Hartlepool, the Conservatives won Leave-supporting North East constituency for the first time since it was created almost 50 years ago.