Op-ed: With the lyrics of The Backstabbers by the O'jays seemingly on a loop running through my brain I can only look on in horror as a series of Labour politicians, past and present, appear to feed the right-wing mainstream media a great deal of drivel and a diet of crap.

It could be that the MSM is in some cases making it up as they go along or selectively taking words and sentences out of context but it certainly does not look that way.

So let's take a brief trip along the anti-Jeremy Corbyn hype to nowhere on offer this week.

Jess Phillips MP
The week began with the fallout from a series of articles featuring Jess Phillips. She opted to attack Corbyn almost from day one when he was elected the party's new leader in September 2015; as the year moved on she vowed she would not stab him in the back but rather in the front if he was damaging the Labour party.

Since that time she has continued to seriously damage Labour's chances of election success; the right-wing press has lapped it up and she has enjoyed her 15 minutes of fame but at the expense of those who voted for Mr Corbyn, voters in general, the Labour party and the man himself.

Her assumption that only, as she calls them, £3 affiliates voted for Corbyn as party leader sends out a negative message, is simply not true and in effect spits on Labour party democracy and unity.

In her defence Phillips is relatively young and perhaps politically naive; she is however ambitious and it is difficult not to conclude that her appeals for more women in Labour's top jobs has at least some self-motivation.

Dan Jarvis MP
Ex-paratrooper Dan Jarvis may have been off your radar before this week but it is doubtful he is now. A series of press reports this week included claims that Mr Jarvis was about to stage a Labour coup, or at least do so some time soon.

On March 4 the Guardian reported "Labour donors flock to Dan Jarvis as he renews speculation of a challenge to Jeremy Corbyn with a warning the party must change to win back the voters."

News that a hedge fund manager who also donated to the Labour party under Ed Miliband's leadership has donated £16,800 to Jarvis will not sit well with many Labour supporters.

Hedge fund managers may not quite be as dirty words as bankers and banking system but it is a close.

One report in the Guardian two days ago said "Backbencher [Jarvis] tipped as Corbyn challenger to call for party to be ‘tough on inequality, tough on the causes of inequality’." That was ahead of a keynote speech by Jarvis. He has reportedly been raising money from other former Labour donors.

One day later, and in the Guardian again, a new report begins "Backbencher touted as potential leadership challenger signals concern over current strategy but also criticises Blair’s tactics" as he allegedly tries to position himself away from Blair's New Labour.

Friday remarks by Ken Livingstone, a supporter of Mr Corbyn, have had an angry response; the Daily Mirror opts for "Ken Livingstone has provoked fury by saying a Labour MP accepting a City donation was like "Jimmy Savile fundraising for a children's group" but it is not difficult to understand that analogy.

Who is actually feeding the MSM all of this drivel is not clear. The above report also claims "Rachel Reeves, the former shadow work and pension’s secretary, could be in line for the shadow chancellor role if Jarvis were to win the leadership" in spite of the fact a new party leader was only elected September 12, 2015.

The Kinnocks
Neil Kinnock is claimed by many to have been the great Labour party reformer. He failed to gel with the electorate, was demonised in the press and ultimately was party leader but never Prime Minister. He of all people should know about the need for loyalty but he does not.

Three days ago the Independent reported "Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock warns Jeremy Corbyn he cannot lead if his party [meaning Labour MPs] will not back him" but what about the ordinary man and woman on the street, supporters and party members?

Kinnock's wife went into politics and they are joined by their son Stephen these days.

In February we reported "Why are old Labour heavyweights doing Cameron's EU bidding" after five senior politicians posted an open letter on what they see as the benefits of the UK staying in the EU.
One of the men is a former Labour leader Neil Kinnock who is now backing David Cameron’s new EU deal. But when you post such letters you best make sure your house is in order. Thursday an old story relating to Kinnock and his wife is doing the rounds and it will offer voters cold comfort. A news report in Wales Online that dates back to 2009 but was updated in 2013 has this to say";

Friday we have Kinnock junior, Stephen, telling Wales Online "Questions will have to be asked about Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership if Labour fails to hit “ambitious” targets in the May elections."

Kinnock senior, Neil, was leader of the Labour party from 1983-1992.

So how come he was given nine years with poor election results and Corbyn has to shine in eight months and against a backdrop of deceit, backstabbing and undermining?

Like so many Labour backstabbers Kinnock junior's news report came by way of the Huffington Post and a podcast.

"Describing how Mr Corbyn would “get judged” on the results, he said: “The big question is when people look at him do they see somebody that could be the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom? And I think we will know a large part of the answer to that question following the elections on May 5, and also based on how the Labour party carries itself now through to June 23 and the referendum. “And you know, Jeremy, as any leader, gets judged on performance, gets judged on results.” Unlike your father is the only appropriate reaction to that I guess.

Overall
Open letters are not ideal but when you have well-paid Labour MPs constantly spouting negativity in the MSM such a letter adds a little balance.

Do those regrouping and jockeying for position, including people like Jarvis who not so long ago did not want to stand as party leader, have the best interest of Labour and the electorate at heart or are they shoring up their political careers?

We can include Peter Mandelson, Tony Blair, and a few others in that group.

Because essentially politicians also have a vision of how they see the future and it is not always a selfless vision.

[Stephen Kinnock MP is married to Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who is the prime minister of Denmark]

Op-Ed: Supporters of Jeremy Corbyn, Labour party leader, are passionate in their support for the man and it is not difficult to see why.

In spite of taking hits from some in his own party including members, politicians and councillors the man just keeps on calmly doing his job.

The right wind media have obviously tried to undermine Corbyn at every opportunity and, in spite of their claims that it is because Corbyn presents some sort of vague danger to the country, his support continues to grow.

A long time party member and MP Mr Corbyn is new to the front benches of the Labour party and his role of leader of the party and the official opposition to the Tory government.

With a lack of media and party support in the mix you might expect him to flounder but instead he is settling into his new role.

Senior Labour grandees such as Tony Blair continue to openly and possibly covertly stab Mr Corbyn in the back.

Take a piece in publications including the Guardian and the Telegraph this week where "The former Prime Minister says he does not see why Jeremy Corbyn and Bernie Sanders are so successful given the question of 'electability'."

Blair "attributed their success to the rise of social media and a desire to elect mavericks who are going to "rattle the cage"."

Yes loyal to the end Mr Blair and a nice choice of words.

Blair was a mixed bag for Labour. His remaining fans will tell you that he secured two general election wins for Labour but hell so did Maggie Thatcher for the Tories.

The point is he sold out many Labour principles to get elected and ultimately that backfired. Along the way like so many others he pocketed a fortune and continues to do so. And so before you ask I am not jealous of his wealth.

But he who pays the piper calls the tune and Tony fell into that trap.

His legacy is forever tarnished by the Iraq war and the tens of thousands that died.

After leaving office he took on the role of Middle East Peace envoy but if you consider the state of that region of the world right now he failed miserably.

To many people these days Mr Blair is a joke albeit a very rich one.

So with that in mind it is hardly surprising that he cannot understand why some people are drawn to Jeremy Corbyn in the UK and Bernie Sanders in the USA.

We are a crossroads once again. People want real change not pretence of change that maintains if not nurtures the status quo.

Some people are hurting Mr Blair but yes you probably don't understand that. You have to be able to relate to that on many levels to see why change is coming.