Who are they?

Photograph: PA

I recognise the much leaner former Lord Chancellor, 'Charlie' Falconer (top right), ex-Anglican priest and gay activist Chris Bryant (3rd down) for banging on and on about gay people being the same as everyone else but deserving special privileges, and, to his left, Stephen Kinnock mainly for being Stephen Kinnock. The MP above Bryant looks familiar but I can not put a name to the face.

Years ago many of my contemporaries knew most if not all members of the Cabinet and their Shadow ministers. As an elderly friend often reminds me, that is when we had statesmen in government. That does not necessarily imply anything about their relative competence but one thing does. That is to know when their time is up.

Jeremy Corbyn is the surprise 'Leader' of the Labour party who is stuck in the past. He and his supporters see this as a breath of fresh air, a new kind of politics! Few had heard of him until an electoral wheeze backfired and horrified Labour MPs realised what they had done in broadening the field for the sake of appearances.

On Monday the Guardian reported: "Jeremy Corbyn is preparing himself for a leadership contest following a fresh wave of resignations, with 15 members of the shadow cabinet walking out and calling for him to step down from the helm of the party...A source close to Corbyn said the number of resignations was destabilising but ultimately irrelevant unless someone triggered a leadership election. 'In many ways, the shadow cabinet is now stronger. There is no shortage of good people who want to do these jobs. The only way to try to replace Jeremy is to stand against him in a democratic contest,' he said, adding that was now 'likely to happen'."

A report this morning indicates that "more than 40 Labour MPs on Corbyn's front bench and in his shadow ministerial team" have quit.

Ignoring all appeals from fellow MPs who have pointed to his lack of leadership skills and what they regard as his dismal performance or even 'sabotage' in the EU Remain campaign, Corbyn says he will stand again in a leadership election claiming support from the rank and file of the Labour Party. As he faces a No Confidence vote has he thought to ask himself, where were his 'loyal supporters' when he was supposed to be galvanising support for the Remain campaign?

Does it matter one jot if Momentum successfully retains Corbyn as leader if he does not command the confidence of the country? Of course not. Power often involves compromise. It was a hard lesson for Labour to learn but now apparently forgotten again. If they fluff it again they will have only themselves to blame.

Corbyn must make way for someone who is able to lead the Labour party as an effective Opposition and possibly into Government. 

Update [28.06.2016]

Jeremy Corbyn has lost a confidence vote by 172 votes to 40 with 4 abstentions.

Brexit: Facts Not Fear

A video by Toby Young Associate Editor of The Spectator.

Fear strengthens the resolve of the British people so listening to endless dire warnings against leaving the EU from the Prime Minister, Uncle Tom Cobley and all, it is not surprising that there is panic in the 'Remain' camp as Brexit voters show increasing determination not to be browbeaten into submission by guesswork.

The threat by George Osborne of a mini budget as a Brexit punishment has caused even more problems for the Remainers with 57 of his own colleagues threatening to rebel and rising.

The Remain side's concentration on the economy is understandable because the forecasts are based on what has been fed in whereas Brexit voters prefer facts to fear.

Toby Young explains how the British people were deceived in 1975 when we were give a guarantee that no law could be imposed upon us without the consent of our elected representatives. We now slavishly legislate based on laws thought up by unelected European bureaucrats.

Sovereignty and immigration are foremost in the minds of Brexit voters in wanting UK independence restored so that we can vote out our law makers if they make a mess of things.

Toby's video explains how we will be even worse off if we remain after David Cameron's failed negotiations. As for immigration most of us simply have to look around us to see the effects of mass uncontrolled immigration. It can only get worse if we remain.