UPDATE 20:05 A few more emails have now been leaked to leaked to LabourList, who have also reproduced our first batch.
UPDATE 23:50 Amazing to see some of these on Newsnight of all places!
The following email appeared on LobbyDog at 16:24:
Dear Geoff
I can only imagine you have taken leave of your senses. God knows what harm you have caused with your indulgence. I am sure your view is not shared by the majority of the PLP or ordinary party members who you arrogantly assume should have no say in this process. I am sure there will be no appetite for your proposed distraction and it will disappear as quickly as your credibility.
Yours fraternally
John Heppell
A whole bunch more of that thread has now been leaked to Scrapbook:
Steve Pound:
In my opinion the forming of a circular firing squad is never a good idea. You don’t just shoot yourself in the foot you wound the Party – and,more importantly, those who depend on Labour.
Steve Pound MP
Andy Love:
John [Heppell],
I share your anger and frustration at the indulgence of our two colleagues and the distraction that it has caused. Whatever their motivation it is difficult to believe that they had the interests of the Labour Party uppermost in their minds. Now that we are into the New Year we should be fighting the Tories and not ourselves.
Diane Abbott:
Dear Geoff
I do not always agree with John Heppell. But I, also, can only assume that you have taken leave of your senses.
Barbara Follett:
As someone who has known and worked closely with you both for over two decades, I am more disappointed than I can say by this unwise and totally uncalled for e-mail. I am also at a loss to know how people of your obvious intelligence, experience and achievement could possibly view it as helpful.
It fuels the speculation and uncertainty you purport to want to end and, worst of all, it betrays the very causes you have spent your lives fighting for. I do not know what led you to do this but I do know that in sending this e-mail you have lost my respect.
We have been promised more by our source. Follow @psbook for updates.
8 Comments
I think Stephen Pound’s got it spot on there.
I think Steve Pound has got a bit confused there to be honest. How are you going to shoot yourself in the foot in a circular firing squad?!
I’m torn between my excitement over Labour’s autocannibalism, and my joy at seeing Geoff Hoon’s rough treatment at the hands of his colleagues. The man was a disgrace as defence secretary.
Excellent scoop. Will be interesting to see who else is sticking the knife in!
Ha quite, I meant in terms of the people who depend on Labour. As for the circular firing squad.. I’m thinking we should give the shadow cabinet some toys that shoot out sucker things to test out his theory.
I’m depending on Labour losing the next GE. Otherwise UK plc goes bust and more young men and women lose their lives in meaningless wars that Brown voted for but, as Chancellor and then (unelected) PM, refused to adequately resource. Blood. On. Hands.
Love Pound’s comment.
JimJam, UK PLC would have gone bust if we didn’t prop up Northern Rock. To have any effect, you can only choose between us or the people who would have let British capitalism collapse.
Whether you like it or not, that’s true.
Nice to see Labour MPs choosing the dole over employment.
The fact remains , plot or not as soon as the elections over Brown WILL be replaced by either Balls, Mandelson or another slithering snake. Another unelected egostistic cretin.
Grassroots Labour party members and trade unionists really need to seize back control of their party and remond the tail who the dog is that wags it. Either by canceling membership making sure your union dues and political levvies do not go to Labour.
The party is no longer the party of the working man, it lost that title a long time back.
31 Trackbacks
++ EXCLUSIVE: LABOUR MPS ROUND ON PLOTTERS IN EMAIL EXCHANGE –> http://bit.ly/6VZwP4 ++
RT @psbook: EXCLUSIVE: Labour MPs round on Hoon and Hewitt in plot email exchange http://bit.ly/5zC3NY
RT @psbook: ++ EXCLUSIVE: LABOUR MPS ROUND ON PLOTTERS IN EMAIL EXCHANGE –> http://bit.ly/6VZwP4 ++
RT @psbook ++ EXCLUSIVE: LABOUR MPS ROUND ON PLOTTERS IN EMAIL EXCHANGE –> http://bit.ly/6VZwP4 ++
RT @psbook: ++ EXCLUSIVE: LABOUR MPS ROUND ON PLOTTERS IN EMAIL EXCHANGE –> http://bit.ly/6VZwP4 ++
++ EXCLUSIVE: LABOUR MPS ROUND ON PLOTTERS IN EMAIL EXCHANGE –> http://bit.ly/6VZwP4 ++
RT @psbook: ++ EXCLUSIVE: LABOUR MPS ROUND ON PLOTTERS IN EMAIL EXCHANGE –> http://bit.ly/6VZwP4 ++ < o.O Plot. thickens.
RT @psbook: ++ EXCLUSIVE: LABOUR MPS ROUND ON PLOTTERS IN EMAIL EXCHANGE –> http://bit.ly/6VZwP4 ++
@mirandasky @SkyNewsBoulton @SkyNewsPolitics @BBCLauraK EXCLUSIVE Anti-plot email exchange here –> http://bit.ly/6VZwP4
RT @labourmatters: RT @psbook ++ EXCLUSIVE: LABOUR MPS ROUND ON PLOTTERS IN EMAIL EXCHANGE –> http://bit.ly/6VZwP4 ++
RT @msgracefh 'Dear Geoff. Fuck off' Excellent http://bit.ly/6VZwP4
RT @psbook: EXCLUSIVE: Labour MPs round on Hoon and Hewitt in plot email exchange http://bit.ly/6VZwP4
Good to see RT @labourmatters: RT @psbook ++ EXCLUSIVE: LABOUR MPS ROUND ON PLOTTERS IN EMAIL EXCHANGE –> http://bit.ly/6VZwP4 ++
@sjbaker fortunately the plot has been given short shrift by most of the PLP http://bit.ly/5f8AgL
RT @psbook: ++ EXCLUSIVE: LABOUR MPS ROUND ON PLOTTERS IN EMAIL EXCHANGE –> http://bit.ly/6VZwP4 ++
RT @msgracefh 'Dear Geoff. Fuck off' Excellent http://bit.ly/6VZwP4
#labour #goonandblewitt
RT @psbook: ++ EXCLUSIVE: LABOUR MPS ROUND ON PLOTTERS IN EMAIL EXCHANGE –> http://bit.ly/6VZwP4 ++
RT @LabourList: RT @psbook: ++ EXCLUSIVE: LABOUR MPS ROUND ON PLOTTERS IN EMAIL EXCHANGE –> http://bit.ly/6VZwP4 ++
RT @psbook ++ EXCLUSIVE: LABOUR MPS ROUND ON PLOTTERS IN EMAIL EXCHANGE –> http://bit.ly/6VZwP4 ++
RT @leongreen: RT @psbook ++ EXCLUSIVE: LABOUR MPS ROUND ON PLOTTERS IN EMAIL EXCHANGE –> http://bit.ly/6VZwP4 ++
RT @CathElliott: RT @leongreen: RT @psbook ++ EXCLUSIVE: LABOUR MPS ROUND ON PLOTTERS IN EMAIL EXCHANGE –> http://bit.ly/6VZwP4 ++
[...] over to Politcal Scrapbook. They have e-mails in response to the plotting of Hoon and Hewitt. More to follow so keep an eye on [...]
http://bit.ly/6VZwP4 Circular firing squad shoots itself in the foot.
RT @CathElliott: RT @psbook ++ EXCLUSIVE: LABOUR MPS ROUND ON PLOTTERS IN EMAIL EXCHANGE http://bit.ly/6VZwP4
RT: @libcon: RT @CathElliott: RT @psbook ++ EXCLUSIVE: LABOUR MPS ROUND ON PLOTTERS IN EMAIL EXCHANGE http://bit.ly/6VZwP4
EXCLUSIVE: Labour MPs round on Hoon and Hewitt in plot email …: A whole bunch more of that thread has been leake… http://bit.ly/6TfQsF
[...] public that billboards are aimed at will have never heard of. This illuminating post here from Political Scrapbook demonstrates the resentment by other Labour MPs against this pair. In it Diane Abbott, a one-time [...]
[...] possibly express my feelings about Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt any more clearly than their fellow Labour MPs have. Or better yet, as always, John Prescott. (Also good stuff on the other [...]
[...] negative reaction across the only medium politicians could check quickly: blogs and Twitter. Political Scrapbook and then LabourList publishing those emails sealed the narrative and it was over. A sign of things [...]
[...] Charles Clarke, Frank Field et al chiming in from the back benches and several members of the PLP emailing the plotters to let them know exactly what they thought of [...]
[...] a flavour of the Westminster mood that Wednesday, have a look at Political Scrapbook’s collection of emails from MPs to the plot ringleaders, and you’ll see what I mean. Within [...]