John McDonnell calls for Labour unity in week of budget

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/mar/06/john-mcdonnell-labour-unity-budget-philip-hammond

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John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, issued a call for unity to Labour MPs in the week of the budget, saying there should be contrition all round – including from himself – over infighting that has dogged the party in recent months.

At the party’s weekly meeting of parliamentarians, he said disunityonly helped the Conservative party, as he offered meetings with any MPor peer who wants to join him for a cup of tea.

On Sunday, McDonnell told BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show there were a “number of people” within the party who had been “stirring” before last month’sbyelections in Copeland and Stoke Central.

McDonnell also claimed last week the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn,was facing a “soft coup” and an “exceptionally well-resourced darkarts operation” against the Labour leadership from some elementswithin the party. His office later played down the comments which were written in the wake of Tony Blair’s intervention in the Brexit debate directly beforetwo crucial byelections in Stoke, which was held, and Copeland, whichwas lost to the Tories.

Peter Mandelson, the Labour peer and former cabinet minister, also claimed around the same time that he was working “every single day” to bring Corbyn’s leadership to an end.

McDonnell extended an olive branch at the meeting after praising MPsfrom all wings of the party for their work on preparing for the budgetand listed the party’s priorities for holding Philip Hammond toaccount over the public finances.

At the budget speech on Wednesday, Labour is planning to criticise thegovernment for neglecting to tackle low pay, and failing to giveadequate funding to the NHS and social care, while allowing taxgiveaways for the super-rich and corporations.

The party has been under pressure in recent weeks over its poorpolling against the Conservatives, and the loss of Copeland in Cumbriafor the first time since the seat was created in 1982.

Two leading MPs, Clive Lewis and Rebecca Long-Bailey, hit out onSunday at rumours that they were being lined up as possible leftwing successorsto Corbyn if the polling fails to improve within a year.

Lewis, who stood down from the shadow cabinet over his views on Brexit, said he was wholly supportive of Corbyn, while Long-Bailey rejected reports linking her with the leadership, calling them fake news.