Thread by @tony_nog

1) Let's talk about a new, straight forward kind of politics
Let's look back at what Corbyn has done, and more importantly not done, over the past few weeks on #Brexit & a #PeoplesVote
Sneak peak: it definitely wasn't "for the many"

2) Firstly, it was an open secret that Corbyn & all other party leaders knew that a Vote of No Confidence was *never, ever* going to succeed.

Every Tory MP would vote for May (as they did) and the DUP was never going to vote for "United Ireland" Corbyn
Whole thing was a farce

3) so all the talk, by multiple Labour Front benchers on "timing" & "not playing games" when it came to the VoNC was either a deliberate lie or gullibility.

The timing made no difference because the chances of May losing it were vanishingly small

4) it was also an open secret however that Corbyn doesn't want a #PeoplesVote (unlike his members) and that "calling for a GE" was one of his few lines of defence against supporting this.

Everyone knew this, everyone knew Corbyn was hiding behind (not) calling a VoNC

5) the result has been a very dark & dodgy showing from the Labour leadership and a sustained attempt by the other progressive parties to remove that shield in order to force Corbyn to follow his own party policy.

6) Firstly the other parties stated they would support any VoNC from Labour
Then when May pulled her vote they demanded that Corbyn play the no confidence card and when he wouldn't they tried to play it themselves to shame Corbyn into acting

Remember, everyone knew it would fail

7) The Labour outriders kept shouting "timing, we'll call the VoNC when it can succeed" knowing full well it would never succeed.

Finally, today Corbyn ran out of runway. May has suffered a terrible defeat, there was no better time

And, of course, the VoNC failed, as was known

8) then Corbyn tried one final trick - he would keep calling VoNCs indefinitely, thus still avoiding the call for a #PeoplesVote

The progressive parties spiked this, and said they wouldn't play Corbyn's game. He'd been forced to throw away his shield

https://twitter.com/trevdick/status/1085650604423143426?s=20

9) now, this won't be the last stunt the Corbyn team pulls, I'm sure there'll be new #PeoplesVote avoidance tactics played over the next few days.

But just consider this - the other progressive parties have had to expend energy to force Corbyn to follow his own party policy

10) Whether Corbyn is avoiding a #PeoplesVote because he's a brexiter, lacking in backbone, worried about Leave voters or whatever it is, it certainly isn't "for the many" or for the members, its for some inward looking or selfish reason.

He personally does not want it

11) and then you have to ask yourself 3 questions:
How many times in British politics have the smaller opposition parties had to work together to force the leader of the main opposition to do his job, oppose the government & execute party policy?

13) What does it say about the mess that Labour leadership has put itself in when it's in thrall to a pretty dim, insular figure with little transparency who is being outwitted and dragged along by other party leaders?

14) what will this do for Labour in any inevitable coalition & cooperation efforts in the future? Corbyn has trashed the Labour brand. The other party leaders see him for what he is & how he is lacking

Multiple players have played a VoNC game where the target was actually Corbyn

15) at the most crucial time in British politics in living memory progressive forces have had to waste energy on forcing the leader of the biggest progressive group out of his deliberate inaction & fence sitting.

I've never seen anything like it.
End/

PS) Doubtless there'll be defenders saying "a GE is more important", "a #PeoplesVote isn't the right way" etc.

Doesn't matter - Corbyn & the Labour leadership have essentially conspired to dodge party directives on a PV, and have played a cynical political game at the worst time