Anonymous Labour MPs. Seriously. You need to Put Up or Shut Up

As we’ve reported already this morning, the newspaper headlines make grim reading for Labour today. In every paper there are briefings and anonymous whispers from unnamed MPs and Shadow Ministers, all very willing to stick the knife in, but none with the guts to come out and state publicly that they think Miliband should go. Perhaps the most damaging piece of the weekend from the point of view is in the Observer, who claim that at least 20 Shadow Ministers are “on the brink”, “ready to strike” and other similarly florid terms. Yet the piece seems to be a second hand retelling, coming from more anonymous “senior” (they’re always senior aren’t they?) MPs.

The Labour Party stands this morning essentially where we’ve stood for a number of days now. The rebels are anonymous, the briefings are in the shadows. “Death by a thousand cuts” appears to be the disastrous weapon of choice. Which brings us back to the LabourList Editorial we posted on Friday. We don’t normally publish joint editorial pieces – but at LabourList our editorial team all agreed that these anonymous Labour MPs need to “Put Up or Shut Up”.

And so today, we want to send that message out again loud and clear – and if you agree, we’d like you to sign our editorial too – and tell those Labour MPs briefing the papers to Put Up or Shut Up – which you can do here.

For those who missed it on Friday – here’s what we wrote:

We still think Ed Miliband is the right person to lead the Labour Party – and that there’s no widespread desire for a leadership contest in the PLP, amongst activists and party members or in the wider Labour family.

But we have a clear message for the anonymous rebels on Labour’s benches – if you feel differently, you have a very clear choice ahead of you:

Put Up – If you think Ed Miliband should step down as leader, then have the basic decency to say it publicly, rather than skulking in the shadows. Announce that you want a leadership contest and call for Miliband to step down. If you think that’s the best decision for the party, then have the guts to say so. And while we’re on, simply griping that Miliband needs to do better without offering anyone as an alternative is profoundly damaging not just to Miliband, but to candidates in key seats and the millions of people who need a Labour government.

Shut Up – if you don’t want to voice your discontent publicly, that’s fine. You won’t be the first person to take part in a campaign and fall in behind a leader who no longer has your support – and trust me, you won’t be the last. But if you haven’t got what it takes to challenge Miliband with your name attached, don’t do it at all. Join the rest of us who accept politics is imperfect and that we won’t always get what we want, and work for a Labour government regardless.

Death by a thousand cuts – this is probably the worst option of the three, and thus isn’t an option that’s sustainable at all. Unfortunately, it’s the one that our would be rebels have adopted so far. It involves a sustained campaign of briefing, sniping and anonymous attacks. It risks a repeat of 2010 – a Labour leader under attack from their own side who arrives at the election bloodied and traduced. Labour members – not least those who read LabourList each day – will not forgive those who behave in this cowardly fashion once again.

Of course there are legitimate concerns about Labour’s policy platform and issues with the coherence and clarity of the party’s vision for Britain. Many of them have been voiced on this site, and will continue to be as long as they exist.

But when it comes to the question of party leadership, the dividing line is a simple one. Put up and say your piece. Or shut up and fight for Miliband to be Prime Minister. The third road – the road we’re on so far – is only travelled by the disreputable, whose behaviour won’t be forgiven if it helps David Cameron and the Tories back to power next year.

Signed:

Mark Ferguson, Editor

Emma Burnell, Contributing Editor

Stefan Stern, Contributing Editor

Maya Goodfellow, Staff Writer

Conor Pope, Staff Writer

You can sign our editorial by clicking here.