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A Labour MP’s hilarious ‘apology’ to constituents after party members vote to send him packing
A Labour MP made a hilarious ‘apology’ to his constituents after members passed a motion of no confidence in him. Gavin Shuker’s outpouring on Twitter, however, has only served to allow members to prove why they were right.
I’m sorry
Shuker lost the vote of no confidence from his Constituency Labour Party (CLP) on 6 September. A fellow centrist MP and the chair of Labour Friends of Israel, Joan Ryan, also faced a vote. Her CLP passed a motion of no confidence too.
Shuker swiftly took to Twitter to explain the decision to his constituents in Luton South:
At a local Labour Party meeting last night a motion of no confidence in me was passed. It’s not part of any formal procedure, so it changes nothing about my role as Labour MP for Luton South.
— Gavin Shuker (@gavinshuker) September 7, 2018
The MP went on to promise an honest, direct message to his constituents over the situation:
I’ve always been up front with my constituents; so I wanted you to know. I’m proud to be a Lutonian, representing Luton. So here’s my message for you:
— Gavin Shuker (@gavinshuker) September 7, 2018
That ‘honest’ message read:
I’m really sorry a handful of people in the Labour Party want to overturn your vote of confidence in me last year. Their actions say far less about me – and you – than they do about the face of today’s Labour Party.
— Gavin Shuker (@gavinshuker) September 7, 2018
But observers argued that there was very little honesty in his ‘apology’.
Erm, hold on
Some people questioned Shuker’s claim that only “a handful of people” voted against the MP:
“Handful of people” = majority of your CLP. If you are so confident that the labour win in your constituency was down to you and not the Labour Party, step down and trigger a by election and stand as an independent.
— Simon Attwood (@SimonAttwood) September 7, 2018
There were a few people that were not there last night, I'm one of them and it's more than a handful. And we'd all have voted the same. Can't tell him myself as he's blocked many of us local members on here.
— Karen P ☮✌️ (@Springsteenjosh) September 7, 2018
They're called members and by 7 to 1 they decided you don't represent them any more. It's a sad indictment that you arrogantly dismiss that. https://t.co/UuBe5OaC75
— Damo #GTTO (@Cornish_Damo) September 7, 2018
Meanwhile, others questioned his claim that he has the confidence of his constituents:
The sheer arrogance of this is outstanding. Assuming that the people of Luton South voted for Gavin Shuker rather than for the Labour Party. Do you really think you would win as an independent?
— Joe Lo (@joeloyo) September 7, 2018
It may not have been you but the Party you were supposed to back that people voted for. So less of the delusional arrogance please.
Just 6 per cent of Labour voters backed the party because of their local MPhttps://t.co/w7bvQJ7u8y— TerR #IStandWithCorbyn ? (@bobruss46) September 7, 2018
As people argued, Shuker’s support from constituents may have been down to the party, rather than his dazzling personality. A YouGov poll after the 2017 general election found that only 6% of Labour voters backed the party primarily because of their MP. The majority voted for Labour in 2017 because of its radical manifesto (28%), Jeremy Corbyn (13%) and in a bid to undo the Conservatives (15%).
Now it makes sense
So, if Luton is in anyway representative of Labour voters as a whole, it was predominantly the new direction of the party under Corbyn – and a hatred of the Tories – that secured votes for Shuker. This new direction, however, is not one the Luton South MP appears to support. As he sorrowfully explained to constituents at the end of his ‘apology’:
I’ve not changed, but the Labour Party has.
— Gavin Shuker (@gavinshuker) September 7, 2018
Clearly then, Shuker’s CLP has no confidence in him because he’s made clear that he has no confidence in the direction they, and the current leadership, are going with the party. That’s why members voted to send him packing, despite what his ‘apology’ would have people believe.
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