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Tuesday, 5 August 2025

Rachel Reeves's Pitiful Attack on Corbyn

Being the object of Rachel Reeves's criticism is like getting gummed by a toothless sheep. Nevertheless, her "scathing" broadside against Jeremy Corbyn interests because, in a few sentences, she encapsulates the outlook and politics of the Labour right.

Speaking at the Edinburgh Fringe and asked about her opinion on Corbyn's emerging new left party, the Chancellor said "Jeremy Corbyn has had two chances to be prime minister and I think the country gave their verdict, most recently in 2019 when Labour had its worst result since 1935 ... He tried to destroy my party and he can now go set up his own party ... The country has rejected him twice. The bloke’s got a big ego. He can have another go but I think the country will have the same verdict.”

It's always funny when the likes of Reeves bring up the "worst result" line. Because, as we know, this nadir in Labour's recent parliamentary fortunes still secured more public support than Keir's Starmer's super spectacular victory. It was only the collapse of the Tories and the Reform surge that gave the 2024 election the first-glance appearance of a Labour triumph. She knows this too, and so do all the journalists who've praised Starmer's pragmatism and genuflected to Morgan McSweeney's hyped up genius. It's almost as if there's a conspiracy of silence that refuses to ask questions or acknowledge the problems with the election result.

That Reeves should accuse Corbyn of nearly destroying the Labour Party sounds a bit like projection too. Always a politician who has to get other people to do the organising for her, Reeves kept her head down during the Corbyn years. But she was party to the destructive behaviour that ensured a left-led Labour never got a clear run at the Tories. And, in the summer of 2016, she was on the side of the isolated parliamentary party that not only tried to topple Corbyn, but threatened to split the party with its tacit endorsement of the court case seeking to bar Corbyn from running again. And that's just for starters.

Since assuming office, Reeves has showcased a singular lack of judgement. Coming for the winter fuel allowance, then attacking disabled people, and sapping small businesses through her increase of employer National Insurance contributions, she more than any other front bencher is arguably responsible for the collapse in Labour's polling. Yes, even more than the Prime Minister.

Lastly, Reeves alights upon Corbyn's ego. The Labour right have convinced themselves that he is a preening narcissist, probably because they can't imagine that someone might be motivated to do something about poverty because they're against poverty, as opposed to it looking good for the TV cameras. And this to come from a woman who has better things to do than write her own books, and is so conscious of her place in the history books as the first female chancellor that she can't stop boasting about it, seldom do we see a clearer example of an accusation being a confession.

As you may have noticed, what was absent from her remarks was politics. Reeves can't offer a political critique of a new left party because, for her, there are no politics outside of tailing the Bank of England, doffing her cap to the bosses that might give her a nice post-politics job, and having cosy chats with establishment stenographers. She typifies the Labour right entirely. In recent days, rather than stand up to Nigel Farage's division-stoking "Lawless Britain" tour and the efforts of sundry far right groups to stir up a repeat of last year's racist riots, we see Angela Eagle affirming that those protesting outside of refugee hostels have genuine concerns. And then we had Peter Kyle and Jess Phillips likening Reform's opposition to the Online Safety Act as "enabling modern day Jimmy Saviles". When you look at who was the chief crown prosecutor at the time, I'm guessing they haven't thought about the consequences of dwelling on this.

The Labour right do not have the ability or the nous to take on their opponents to their left and their right, because they got to the top by lying, chicanery, and bureaucratic manoeuvring. That was enough to win them the Labour Party and, from there, an election through fortuitous circumstances. But as Reeves's lobbing of duds at the left have shown, none of them have a clue about how to defend their position. And it's this that will do for them in the end.

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13 comments:

  1. Unfortunately it's also what will do for the Labour Party and potentially millions in the country, unless the Labour Party finds the spine to do for them first.

    It's only too easy to imagine these creatures pitting all their resources against Corbyn/Sultana and rebels on their left, saving barely any with which to oppose the far right. Probably because to them, the far right isn't a threat at all - it's an opportunity; a bogeyman which can be wielded to give them the best shot that they are going to have (miniscule though it is) at staying in power. And if, as will happen with near certainty, that gamble doesn't pay off - instead ceding power to the far right - it's not THEM who will feel the sharp end.

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  2. Excellent analysis.

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  3. You've really hit the nail on the head with this one. Vile, vile right wing Labour typified by the droning Reeves. Let us hope the British electorate drubs them into an SDP-esque rump next time around.

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  4. "and so do all the *churnalists* who've praised Starmer's pragmatism and genuflected to Morgan McSweeney's hyped up genius."

    Fixed for you!

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  5. Not sure what else we expect a 'grown up' to say. It was either tell us that she was recanting and admitting that Changed Labour would achievve litte or hold the line that Corbyn is the devil incarnate.
    In the meantime Reform is pulling together an alliance of politically aware groups with a sense of (negative) agency around the mobilising political ideas of stopping boats/protecting our children/oppose zero emissions/etc. and hearing them reassured that what they are doing is right by Cooper, Badenoch and various other 'serious' politiicians.
    It wasn't suppose to be like this! Starmer et al must have thought that all that was needed was competence and professionalism to stabilise the economy, boost productivity, build 1.5 million houses, see off the Russians, get a great set of trade deals, solve the prison crisis, clear the NHS waiting lists and so on. But it turns out to be a bit difficult and all the best laid plans are having little effect.
    At the moment they are neither a party of government or a party of protest but an increasingly paniced collection of individuals wondering what to do next.

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  6. Labour have become so out of touch.

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  7. Your analysis is spot on. Good read. Thanks.

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  8. They just are not very good.

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  9. It's very "war is peace, slavery is freedom" stuff from them, isn't it?

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  10. You said it. Nothing grandiose just not very good . Economic plan or indeed policy .

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  11. The Conservatives and Labour have created the space for the others. I thought Labour would have had more ambition for the country. The drive to bring down inequality. A 10 year economic strategy to include a wealth tax etc. alas... Their message in power has been very poor.

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  12. Yep kind of rubbish - where is the PLAN. Don't blame other people when you are in power. PLEASE.

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  13. Always a worthwhile analysis- thanks for another good read.

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