This photo sums up Jeremy Corbyn's relationship with Labour MPs
Labour leader has clashed with his own MPs and members of his shadow cabinet on Trident, Syria air strikes and the party's shoot-to-kill policy - and that just in the last week
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.This is the photo that sums up Jeremy Corbyn's relationship with Labour MPs.
Here he is sitting all alone on the front bench as David Cameron answers questions about the Government's defence review in the House of Commons on Monday.
All of his shadow cabinet had deserted the chamber to attend to business elsewhere, leaving Mr Corbyn to sit and face the Prime Minister on his own.
Even the last remaining backbench Labour MPs chose not to support their leader by sitting on the bench behind him.
It sums up a difficult first 10 weeks for Mr Corbyn as Labour leader.
In just the past week alone he has clashed with Labour MPs on whether to give a free vote for air strikes in Syria, the party's shoot-to-kill policy for terrorists and whether to renew Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent, while Mr Corbyn also faced anger from his colleagues after questioning the legality of killing Jihadi John.
Some Labour MPs were so angry at Mr Corbyn's response to the terror attacks in Paris that they openly praised Mr Cameron's efforts to win parliamentary approval to bomb Isis in Syria while criticising their own leader's response to the atrocities in the French capital.
Even Mr Corbyn's Shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn, when questioned about Mr Corbyn's initial opposition to shoot-to-kill, said: "I can't speak for Jeremy".
And Angela Eagle, who deputises for Mr Corbyn as his Shadow First Secretary of State as well as Shadow Business Secretary, repeatedly refused to say whether the Labour leader and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell were fit for the "highest offices in the land".
Mr Corbyn faces the prospect of a number of party rebels defying his instruction for Labour MPs to abstain in an SNP motion opposing the renewal of Trident - he has told MPs not to vote despite renewal remaining the party's policy after Mr Corbyn failed to change the policy at conference in September.
He is also coming under pressure to back down on his refusal to give a free vote on air strikes in Syria, with one shadow cabinet source telling the Mirror that they could even force Mr Corbyn to back intervention given the number of frontbenchers in favour.
Yet, despite what Mr Corbyn's own supporters describe as "constant sniping" from the Labour MPs that has created an "atmosphere of chaos" in the party, he has somehow consolidated his support among the grassroots and members of the party.
A YouGov poll for The Times found that two-thirds of party members believe he is doing "well" as leader - six per cent more than the 59 per cent of people who elected him as leader in September.
Perhaps he needs some of those party members to join him on the front bench next time he is all alone facing Mr Cameron in the Commons.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments