She should have abstained if that was the case. Taking a sickie is just cowardly.
Agree with that although I think that's classed as defying the whip though.
Did she have a sick note from her doctor?
Taking a sickie might be a message to Jeremy that she's distancing herself from his three-line whip decision.
Those two (Jeremy and Diane) are joined at the hip, maybe she's now pulling away.
You can self certify for 5 days. Not sure where she'd stand on the Bradford scale though if the sickies are frequent.
I do worry that Labour under JC might see a resurgence of the Lib Dems ( god forbid ) and even UKIP ( no brexit crap needed now ) and have trouble even making an opposition without a coalition.Without a major shift come the next GE I really believe they are going to struggle .
The front bench is like a revolving door , really does not inspire much confidence even for an opposition party.
I expect Corbyn will give Diane Abbott a good dressing down?
But seriously, even the front bench cannot be relied on to support Corbyn. That is now confirmed.
He remains a lone protester, through and through. I don't think he wants to be the Prime Minister. Its so much easier, just criticising.
I think they should just declare Gary Lineker as the official opposition.
Starmer, Dan Jarvis and Clive Lewis are the ones that spring to mind.
Looks like they are going to lose both, if the punters are right aka UKIP one win of the seats and the Tories snatch the other. But given the topsy turvy nature of things, I wouldn't discount the Liberal Democrats from winning one of those seats -
Yet another massive Lib Dem GAIN from Labour
It's how she votes in the third reading of the bill that matters, that's the stage where a bill either progresses to the Lord's or fails. If she votes against it ? She'll be out of the Shadow Cabinet and back on a certain sofa to drown her sorrows in a bottle of blue nun. You can basically vote against a bill in it's first or second reading to lodge a protest or to secure amendments, then vote for a bill at the third reading.
She'll have to be sacked, to do otherwise would merely emboldened the PLP to rebel further. Clive Lewis will likely go as well if certain amendments are not secured. That would be a double blow for Corbyn.
It's as I said before, he does not control the PLP. So as the Leader that puts him in a weak and often fatal position. If Labours does indeed lose both by-elections, then I think he's toast. Labour MP's will see their own fates dangling in front of them and they will act accordingly. Which either means a split or Corbyn is made to see his position is untenable.
He was an unlikely winner (last minute candidate, who captured the mood of the party) and seems bemused to find himself as the Labour Party Leader.
The Tories have done all manner of things to have them on the electoral ropes since 2010, but neither Miliband or Corbyn have taken the opportunities presented to them.
#brexit flu
Had to laugh!
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