8 2GM Monday February 27 2017 | the times the times | Monday February 27 2017 2GM 9 NeNewsws Politics NeNewsws Tory MPs call Corbyn loses cool as Labour bickers for sacking of

Francis Elliott Political Editor general secretary of Unite, of deserting a withering response from its former Mr McCluskey, who is fighting for re- Heseltine the Mr Corbyn in his hour of need. MP.JamieReed,whosedepartureledto election, has been criticised by Gerard Jeremy Corbyn’s appeal for the Labour Mr Corbyn, losing his cool on Sky the contest, described her as the “epito- Coyne, his rival, for engaging in politics Party to “remain united” fell on deaf News, insisted that he would lead the me of what Labour voters just rejected”. at the expense of rank-and-file issues. Brexit rebel ears yesterday as union chiefs, shadow party into the 2020 election. Lady Chakrabarti also traded blows Mr Watson drew attention to Mr cabinet ministers and MPs traded Baroness Chakrabarti, the shadow with Dave Prentis, general secretary of McCluskey’s absence among those accusations over who bore the blame attorney-general, was a guest on The Unison. She accused him of disloyalty offering their support to the Labour Francis Elliott Political Editor for its problems. Andrew Marr Show on BBC One and for urging Mr Corbyn to change tack leader. Mr Corbyn urged his party not to started a new round of mutual recrimi- after the defeat, prompting him to say “Those people that are Jeremy’s Conservative MPs urged Theresa May “give up” as he sought to rally members nation as she blamed the media and the that she had not read an article he had cheerleaders, that made sure that he to sack Michael Heseltine as a govern- reeling from last Thursday’s defeat in weather for the by-election result. written that restated his support for the was elected a second time last Septem- ment adviser after the former deputy the Copeland by-election. However, She also said that Copeland had Labour leader. ber, they should be sticking with their prime minister put himself at the head Tom Watson, his deputy, reopened turned to the Conservatives because its Mr Watson attacked Mr McCluskey, leader in the bad times,” Mr Watson of the Lords rebellion over Brexit. hostilities with the head of Britain’s big- voters had been taken for granted by a in an interview with Peston on Sunday said. “Where’s Len McCluskey defend- Lord Heseltine said that he would gest union, accusing Len McCluskey, complacent Labour machine, drawing on ITV, for failing to defend Mr Corbyn. ing his leader in this difficult time? It rebel against his party for only the third shouldn’t be just down to me.” time in a 50-year career with a heavy It was not “a suicide approach” to heart but that it was vital that parlia- stick with Mr Corbyn, Mr Watson ment should have a meaningful vote on added as he ruled out a leadership the final deal Mrs May negotiated with contest. “We can win an election with the rest of the EU. Jeremy Corbyn, but things have to The prime minister has promised to change,” he said. allow MPs and peers a say before the The Labour leader insisted that he deal is put to the European parliament took his “share of responsibility”for the but so far that commitment is not by-election defeat, although he added enshrined in the bill authorising the that the party’s vote share in the seat start of formal exit talks. The legislation had been falling for two decades. reaches the Lords today, with peers set “Now is not the time to retreat, to run to debate and potentially vote on a away or give up,” he said in his address selection of amendments. at the Scottish Labour conference in Lord Heseltine, 83, said that he Perth. “Comrades, let us never forget wanted to make sure that the Com- it’s not called the struggle for nothing.” mons could “exercise its authority over He said that with the UK’s “rigged thedefiningissueofourtime”.He wrote economy” leaving millions of people in in The Mail on Sunday: The fightback poverty and reliant on foodbanks “it is starts here. My opponents will argue a radical Labour programme that is that the people have spoken, the needed more now than ever”. [Brexit] mandate secured and the Mr Corbyn later told Sky News: “Len future cast. My experience stands McCluskey is going through a general against this argument.” secretary election and presumably is Cabinet ministers lined up yesterday engaged in doing that. to urge peers not to try to amend the bill “I had a very good conversation with and Conservative MPs called for Lord Len McCluskey ten days ago, a very Heseltine to be sacked from his role on good chat with him about lots of things the National Infrastructure Commis- — about economic policy, about indus- sion (NIC). trial policy, about future employment Sir Patrick McLoughlin, the Con- law, and of course our attitude towards servative Party chairman, said that Mrs Brexit, and the crucial need to maintain May had already promised to put the tariff-free market access to Europe.” dealto a vote andthathe hopedto avoid Asked repeatedly if he would still be a fight with the Lords. “The prime min- leader of the Labour Party at the 2020 has said he wants to take ister has said that there will be a vote Cuddles at Labour’s Perth conference generalelection,hesaid:“I’vegivenyou control of Ukip because it is once the negotiations are concluded,” descended into a Sky News outburst a very, very clear answer — yes.” Farage joins Trump being “run like a jumble he said. “The prime minister won’t but the train to Stirling provided relief Thunderer, page 26 sale”. conclude the negotiations if she thinks Asked if Mr Banks should she’s got a bad deal.” for a family meal be made chairman, the He added: “The bill should go Rudd says child refugee Ukip MEP Patrick O’Flynn through as it has come from the House igel Farage Mr Farage with the told Sunday Politics on BBC of Commons, the elected House of posted a picture president, Mr Trump’s One: “I don’t think so. Of Commons. We can’t now start second- of himself dining daughter, Ivanka, her course I think we’ve got an guessing the referendum. We’ve got to criticism is ‘fake news’ with President husband and senior White excellent chairman in Paul give the prime minister as much flexi- N Trump House adviser Jared Oakden at the moment and bility in the negotiations over those yesterday as the party he Kushner, and Rick Scott, the idea that Leave.EU for next two years.” Greg Hurst sulted in an amendment to the immi- once led renewed the governor of Florida. Nigel Farage tweeted a photo of himself with the president instance was this smooth- Amber Rudd, the home secretary, gration act committing Britain to take in-fighting after its failure Back in Britain Paul and his inner circle at one of Mr Trump’s hotels in Washington running brilliant machine said there was no possibility of the gov- The home secretary has become the unaccompanied children left homeless to win the Stoke by-election Nuttall, Mr Farage’s doesn’t really sit with the ernment accepting changes to the bill. first senior British government figure to by Syria’s civil war. Supporters hoped (Francis Elliott writes). successor, faced the fallout his deputy said. Speaking Another of Mr Nuttall’s facts.” “And I don’t think there should be,” she dismiss criticism as “fake news”. that 3,000 children would be resettled. A grinning former Ukip from his decision to stand on The Andrew Marr Show allies dismissed demands Ukip had believed that told Peston on Sunday on ITV. Amber Rudd used the term to reject Ms Rudd said yesterday that Lord leader joined Mr Trump at as Ukip’s parliamentary on BBC One, Peter Whittle from the party donor Arron Stoke, which voted Michael Fabricant, the Conservative condemnation of her decision to limit a Dubs had been party to discussions the Trump International candidate in Stoke-on- said: “If there was one Banks, who co-founded the overwhelmingly for Brexit, MP for Lichfield, urged the govern- scheme offering sanctuary in Britain to with the government that agreed that a Hotel, not far from the Trent Central. His poor mistake we made, it was Leave.EU campaign, that he was fertile ground for a ment to consider removing the peer unaccompanied child refugees in consultation would take place with White House in second, only 79 votes ahead that maybe Paul shouldn’t be made party chairman. challenge to Labour in a from his role on the infrastructure Europe left homeless by the war in local authorities on how many child Washington, on Saturday. of the Tories, showed that it have run so early. He’s only Mr Banks, a close friend of contest triggered by the watchdog.“MichaelHeseltineisaserial Syria. refugees could be accepted, after which Captioned “Dinner with was a mistake to put been leader for 12 weeks. Mr Farage, has previously resignation of Tristram killer of Eurosceptic legislation so no “Unfortunately, fake news is settling a number would be decided for a one- The Donald”, the picture, himself at the head of People hadn’t got to know threatened to form a Hunt, the former shadow one should be surprised by his latest out there,” Ms Rudd said when asked off system. Councils had also agreed to posted on Twitter, showed efforts to displace Labour, him well enough, I think.” breakaway movement. He education secretary. disloyalty,” he said. about the decision on Peston on Sunday take 3,000 unaccompanied children Andrew Bridgen, the MP for North on ITV. directly from the Middle East, she said. West Leicestershire, told The Daily “The fact is, we took 8,000 children “Where are the most vulnerable? Are Telegraph: “It is difficult to see how he last year into this country and settled they in the region or are they in France US billionaire to help fund new city mayors can stay on as an adviser to a secretary them. Three thousand arrived un- and Italy and Greece?” she asked. of state when he is leading a rebellion accompanied and illegally and have “They are in the region. That’s why we against government policy.” been settled here. These numbers are are focused on the region. And in terms Francis Elliott Political Editor globalisation. In an apparent reference Midlands, the Conservative Andy strong start,” they write. “To help them Mrs May’s aides dismissed the call to large.” of the European children, we are help- to President Trump, the conservative Street will go up against Labour’s Siôn do so, the northern powerhouse part- sack him from the NIC, saying that it There was an outcry this month ing.We have afundof£10millionwhich George Osborne has promised to politicians say that “populist leaders” Simon, in what is being seen as a test of nership and Bloomberg Philanthropies had been led by a Labour peer, Lord when the Home Office announced that helps the children in France, in Greece, funnel help from Michael Bloomberg, have offered “only a false promise that Theresa May’s general election will offer them opportunities to access Adonis, who was under no obligation to it would cap the number of child ref- and in Italy. At the end of last year in the American billionaire, to the in retreating behind our borders, we ambitions. Andy Burnham and Steve technical assistance, share best prac- vote with the government. ugees resettled in Britain after accept- order to help with the Calais clearance winners of this May’s mayoral can recover a past that is gone forever. Rotheram are strong favourites to win tices, strengthen their management Richard Tice, co-chairman of Leave ing 350 children, with provision to take we did a one-off acceptance of 9,000 elections, regardless of their party We see it differently. We believe that a Manchester and Liverpool for Labour. skills, and explore ways to promote in- Means Leave, said: “It is of little surprise only another 150 in due course. children to make sure that we did.” affiliation. better response to globalisation lies in Nevertheless, all elected mayors will novation and use data to shape policy. that Lord Heseltine — who has histori- Protests were led by Lord Dubs, a Her use of the term “fake news” will The former chancellor and Mr localisation.” be able to access funds and help from “We have the chance to show that cally put the interests of the European Labour peer who as a child arrived in be controversial. It has been appropri- Bloomberg, himself a former mayor of This May, many cities across En- groups run by Mr Osborne and Mr free markets, local democracy and Union ahead of those of Britain — will Britain during the Kindertransport for ated by President Trump and many of New York, make the offer in an article gland will for the first time directly elect Bloomberg. open societies can answer the cry for try to sabotage Article 50. His attempt Jewish children fleeing Nazi Germany, his supporters to dismiss scrutiny by in The Times today, saying that strong mayors with new powers over trans- “It’s up to local people to decide who help from citizens who feel the system to weaken the position of the prime Austria and Czechoslovakia. many traditional media organisations local government can best tackle the port, public health, skills and policing. should be their mayors. It’s important isn’t working for them.” minister ahead of negotiations with the Last year he led a campaign that re- that they deem hostile. wave of anger against the effects of In one key battleground, the West that whoever they choose gets off to a Osborne and Bloomberg, page 26 EU is a truly unpatriotic act.”