"There's A Word For Someone Who'd Rather Have A Tory Government Than A Labour Governmen

You will no doubt be aware of an article written by John Woodcock for The Mail, in which he makes certain claims about Jeremy Corbyn. He says "No amount of name calling will deter me from keeping Jeremy Corbyn out of Downing Street"

For clarity, the story is here.

So hold on, let’s get this clear. John Woodcock, who left the Labour party after being suspended while under investigation over allegations of sexual harassment, is complaining about “abuse”?

Sorry – it is John Woodcock who has abused the trust of the people of Barrow. He should stand down immediately as the town’s MP.

Last week, given the opportunity to vote down a Tory government that’s attacked our health service, our wages and our trade union rights, Woodcock said he’d rather Theresa May stay in office than allow Jeremy Corbyn to be prime minister.

There’s a word for somebody who would rather have a Tory government than a Labour government: the word is “Tory”. And that’s effectively what Woodcock has become. There are many Tory voters in Barrow, and I respect their views, but the town voted Labour and we want a Labour MP, not a Tory stooge.

Woodcock excuse was that Jeremy Corbyn might put the Dreadnought programme at risk – despite clear policy adopted by the entire Labour party, and backed by Jeremy Corbyn, that we will build all four boats and keep the nuclear deterrent.

Woodcock claims that the Dreadnought programme will be at risk because the prime minister has “unparalleled personal control over the deployment” of the nuclear deterrent.

This is not true.

The Prime Minister has control over whether to fire the weapons. The policy of “continuous at-sea deterrence” (CASD) goes on independently of any decision to fire. That is what determines how the submarines are deployed. Jeremy Corbyn is committed to CASD. Supporting it is Labour policy.

As for the weapons, they are deployed according to a policy set out before parliament – the Strategic Defence and Security Review – which in 2015 reduced the number of missiles and warheads per boat.

For both the weapons and the submarines it is parliament that sets out the overall deployment policy and the Royal Navy that implements it. Jeremy Corbyn has repeatedly said nuclear deployment decisions would be government decisions, not personal ones.

So the idea that Corbyn would scrap the Dreadnoughts because he has a strong inclination against firing the weapons is a self-serving lie.

As a prospective Labour PPC I can assure the people of Barrow that: - Labour would build all four Dreadnought submarines - It would restore the £10bn cut by the Tories from defence - It would boost Britain’s defence industries with a new industrial strategy - And the skills and infrastructure needed to regenerate industry across Cumbria and the North West would be generated by investing £250 billion into the UK’s economy.

Labour is a broad church with room for many competing views. There were MPs with strong criticisms of Jeremy Corbyn who last week voted to bring down the Tory government because – unlike Woodcock – they are putting the interests of working class people first.

Sadly, Woodcock’s decision to isolate himself in parliament is now starting to impact on this town. To fight our corner we need am MP with influence, not one who is sacrificing his influence with inflammatory gestures against his colleagues.

Who will local industries consult if they need matters raising in parliament? Not Johnny No Mates.

As the Brexit shambles continues, there will be more votes of confidence. Every one of them brings closer the day when Woodcock’s non-job in parliament ends.

That’s why he’s slandering Labour again: this is not about Jeremy, it’s all about John.