Join Q&A with John Rentoul on Labour’s civil war, Andy Burnham and a government at odds with itself
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WWelcome to a special Ask Me Anything session with me, John Rentoul, chief political commentator Independent.
Scroll down to see my questions and answers. Don’t forget to hit the “load more” button to read the full Q&A.
I haven’t seen Labor attack itself like this since the 1970s. A party with a majority and a prime minister still in the early days of his government has somehow managed to be constantly at war with itself.
The immediate trigger was the Andy Burnham controversy and, in particular, the decision by 50 Labor MPs to sign a letter demanding Keir Starmer reverse his decision to block Burnham’s return to the House of Commons.
It was a protest that would never succeed, but it revealed something much more serious about the state of the Labor Party in parliament.
Why is Labor struggling so badly to control its own MPs? Why does a government with a majority almost as large as Tony Blair’s seem constantly on the verge of another rebellion or another U-turn?
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And why are so many Labor MPs more interested in fighting each other than governing or challenging Nigel Farage?
This isn’t just about a by-election or a thwarted leadership rival. It is about the most rebellious parliamentary Labor Party in history, a leadership that was repeatedly forced to retreat, and a government that avoided defeat in the House of Commons only by backing down before a vote was taken.
In this Ask Me Anything live Q&A, I’ll answer your questions about why Keir Starmer has such a hard time enforcing discipline, whether Labor has become ungovernable and what this latest bout of infighting says about the party’s chances in office.
If you have a question, submit it now and join me live for our Ask Me Anything Q&A. Friday 30 January 14:00 GMT under.
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