If Labour wasn’t so obsessed with fighting itself it would be having a field day over the doctors’ strike
The Ipsos-MORI Newsnight poll showing overwhelming public support in England for doctors strike pic.twitter.com/1yCUsDVQWd
— Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) January 12, 2016
All part of the price for the current power struggle
It is not often that industrial action in the public sector attracts the level of support shown in the overnight Ipsos MORI poll for Newsnight. A split of four to one in favour of the doctors suggests that Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, still has a long way to go in winning the political argument over his tough stance.
In normal times this would be a gift to the opposition except you barely see Labour mentioned in the media coverage of the strike. Indeed the Labour-supporting Daily Mirror this morning has had to go to the Lib Dem former minister, Norman Lamb, for quotes criticising the government.
Labour’s leadership, of course, had to deal with another resignation yesterday and last night Corbyn and McDonnell didn’t even turn up to the regular Monday evening meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party.
The beneficiaries are the Tories. What a dream scenario for them as they move into what could be a tricky period ahead of the EURef.
The 2 groups most keen that LAB leadership survives: Team Corbyn & Tories who believe that GE2020 will be pushover with JC still there.
— Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) January 11, 2016