http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3693903/Is-Kinnock-Paddy-Party-150-Labour-MPs-plotting-breakaway-Jeremy-Corbyn-clings-power.html?ito=social-facebook
Is it the Kinnock & Paddy Party? 150 Labour MPs plotting breakaway if Jeremy Corbyn clings on to power Anti-Corbyn MPs poised to make approaches to Labour's top 50 donors They will fund the new party if the Corbyn fends off leadership challenges Mr Kinnock, the son of former Labour leader Neil Kinnock, has held secret talks with former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown But Ashdown denies discussions about forming new centre-ground party By GLEN OWEN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY PUBLISHED: 23:58 GMT, 16 July 2016 | UPDATED: 11:22 GMT, 17 July 2016 More than 150 Labour MPs are plotting to form a breakaway party codenamed 'Continuity Labour' if Jeremy Corbyn wins the leadership battle – with Stephen Kinnock tipped to head it. The Mail on Sunday understands a group of leading anti-Corbyn MPs are poised to make approaches to Labour's top 50 donors to fund the new party if the Labour leader fends off challenges from Angela Eagle and Owen Smith. The plot emerged as this newspaper also established that Mr Kinnock, the son of former Labour leader Neil Kinnock, has held secret talks with former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown about 'safeguarding the interests of our country'. Lord Ashdown denies that the discussions included the formation of a new centre-ground party. Mr Corbyn was plunged into the leadership contest after losing a confidence vote among Labour MPs by 172 votes to 40, followed by dozens of resignations from his frontbench team. Ms Eagle, the former Shadow First Secretary of State, and Mr Smith, the former Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, have both since announced leadership bids. With Mr Corbyn still commanding a strong following among ordinary party members, most moderate MPs accept the party will split if he hangs on to the leadership in September's vote. A senior source said: 'If Corbyn wins, the party is finished in its current form. There are at least 150 MPs who would break away, and many are already discreetly sounding out donors about what they are calling 'Continuity Labour'. Stephen is central to the plans. The plotters have calculated that they could start a new party, debt-free, while leaving Corbyn's rump mired in financial problems.' Last night, Labour's largest individual donor, John Mills, who has given more than £1.6 million to the party, said: 'I am aware of these sorts of discussions, but I am very reluctant to get involved in the plots and schemes. Splitting the party would be a disaster under the first-past-the-post electoral system because it would make it harder to win.' -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
