Distrust of Labour on economy is existential threat, says Red Shift
Paper co-authored by shadow health secretary underlines difficulties facing Jeremy Corbyn with MPs in his administration so at odds with his ideology
Voter distrust of Labour's use of taxpayers' money is an existential threat to the party, and members who deny it by claiming the public are against austerity are flying in the face of evidence, according to a pamphlet co-authored by Heidi Alexander, the new shadow health secretary.
Liam Byrne, MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill, and Shabana Mahmood, the former shadow Treasury chief secretary who has refused to serve in Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet, also contributed to the pamphlet. Probably the starkest document yet to emerge from Labour's election rubble, it underlines how hard it will be for Corbyn to send out a cohesive message when MPs, including those in his administration, are fundamentally opposed to his ideology.
Related: Labour housing policy 'must be credible' to win back Tory voters
Related: Can Corbynomics guru Richard Murphy fix Britain?
Continue reading...