SCOTTISH Labour’s European election campaign is in meltdown after a majority of the party’s MPs north of the border blasted a draft leaflet that failed to mention a second Brexit referendum.
Leaked WhatsApp messages show Paul Sweeney describing the leaflet as “bull****”, while colleagues Ged Killen and Martin Whitfield both blasted it as a “disaster”.
Whitfield added that “we need a rethink or Labour will be dead in Scotland”, while Killen claimed that the “party is in crisis in Scotland”.
In the same exchange, Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray said he was getting dozens of emails from constituents saying they are no longer voting Labour.
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Corbyn and his allies support a soft version of Brexit, but many of the party’s MPs and members are staunchly pro-Remain and want to stay in the European Union by way of another referendum.
Opposition to Corbyn’s stance is evident in Scotland, where over 60% of voters backed Remain in 2016. Many senior figures in Scottish Labour want him to adopt a robust anti-Brexit stance.
Tensions flared up again last week over Labour’s draft leaflet for the upcoming European elections.
Remainers were outraged after one version appeared to show Labour backing an EU exit and not mentioning a second referendum. MEP candidates and parliamentarians across the UK were not said to have been consulted on the contents.
After one of the leaflets was posted in a WhatsApp group that includes Scottish Labour MPs, Sweeney, who is Corbyn’s Shadow Minister for Scotland, wrote:
“If it’s like this then it’s a bad misjudgement and I’m having nothing to do with it.”
The Glasgow North East MP, who supports a second referendum, added: “Let’s hope the NEC [Labour’s governing body] kill this bulls*** line.”
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Murray, a staunch critic of Corbyn, informed the same group:
“I can’t believe the party are going to put a leaflet out to every household in my constituency and we haven’t even been given the common courtesy of seeing it. We are not allowed to spend anything ourselves so we are just to suck this up and watch our support fall off a cliff.”
He added: “I think I’ll start posting the dozens of emails I’m getting every day from constituents who are no longer voting labour (and we have ID to show they have for some time).
“Given there are only 7 MPs and 1 sitting MEP it wouldn’t have taken any time at all to have consulted on the content.”
Sweeney added: “Would be better off putting nothing out. I would only use that as targeted mail to ID’d Leave voters.”
Killen, who represents Rutherglen and Hamilton West, wrote: “I agree, the leaflet is a disaster and I can’t endorse it. The party is in crisis in Scotland and I think we need an urgent plan to address this.”
He added: “SNP were on the way out this time two years ago and we have given them a new lease of life.”
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Martin Whitfield, the MP for East Lothian, wrote: “Agree with Paul Ged and Ian. The leaflet is a disaster and the polling [there was bad polling for Labour yesterday] is yet more of a wake up call.”
He continued: “We need a rethink or labour will be dead in Scotland. Real possibility that we could have no elected reps outside of Scottish parliament.”
It is also understood there is disquiet about Corbyn’s face being on the draft leaflet for Scotland, rather than Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard.
A source said Corbyn’s office had resisted attempts at changing the draft. The NEC is set to make a final decision this week.
A Scottish Labour spokesperson declined to comment.
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