Jeremy Corbyn Calls For Civil Service Inquiry After Health Claims

[naomi24]

//Jeremy Corbyn has called for an inquiry after a newspaper reported two civil servants had said he was "too frail" to lead Labour or become PM.....The article in the Times - published on Saturday - reported an official saying there was a "real worry" the 70-year-old is not up to the job "physically or mentally", is "losing his memory" and is being "propped up by those around him".//

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48813656

What's going on there then?

[andy-hughes]

What sort of 'enquiry' does he want?

An enquiry as to the temerity of someone who would suggest such an outrageous thing, or, as we the electorate may want, and need - an enquiry into whether that notion is actually based on fact or not.

[albaqwerty]

his first problem is getting a majority in a General Election so the old soul can ignore that in his inquiry :-)

Maybe his alleged attempts at silencing his alleged detractors in the labour party now feel brave enough to smear him

[naomi24]

Civil servants aren't supposed to blab.

[goodgoalie]

I've forgotten: with Mikey now sadly gone, is there anyone left on AB who will defend this man?

[tonyav]

naomi24 Question AuthorCivil servants aren't supposed to blab.

Even if it's for the good of the country ?

[andy-hughes]

naiomi - // Civil servants aren't supposed to blab. //

Indeed not - especially if what they are blabbing is the uncomfortable but unavoidable truth.

[naomi24]

In any circumstances Tony.

[albaqwerty]

they're not supposed to, but they may be overheard having a conversation in a café.
allegedly.

We'll probably never know who blabbed, journalists never divulge (or seldom ever) their sources.

Once the idea is out there in public domain, it will be impossible for his team to convince everyone that he's not. Some may be assured that he is fit, but damage has been done.

[andy-hughes]

Naomi - you have a point, but then political parties are not supposed to nominate joke candidates in leadership elections, and then get stuck with them, but you can't always get what you want, as the song says.

[woofgang]

but is he what they need?

[Mamyalynne]

Whatever their reasons for blabbing it doesn't show any honour or integrity does it?

[naomi24]

No mamyalynne, it doesn’t. Their job requires better.

[Mamyalynne]

Agreed.

[david small]

Yet another indication of the decline of our system of government. Impartial civil servants a thing of the past.
Everyone seems to have an agenda. Politicians debasing their once honourable positions. False news a regular occurrence. Reminds me of Gibbons, Decline and Fall.

[albaqwerty]

I'm not savvy when it comes to the world of politics, maybe Mr Corbyn is right to demand an enquiry into Civil Servants.

It may not be his detractors in his own party, wrong question for this thread possibly, but how is the Permament Secretary for whatever selected?
Are politicians battling for votes from the electorate and for political survival from the Civil Servants within the HoP??

[anneasquith]

So as has been said in the past, civil servants do ‘ run’ the country.

[Quizmonster]

The Times article was utterly disgraceful. It is, of course, a right-wing newspaper, so one expects anti-opposition "news"...or tittle-tattle...to be a stock-in-trade; however, one also expects the Civil Service to be unfailing in its impartiality.
There should, most assuredly, be an inquiry into who the civil servants responsible were and that should surely be the view of any sensible British elector, whichever side of the political divide he/she stands on.

[ToraToraTora]

so is Jezza Uncle dick or what?

[shoota]

Perhaps he is so old and forgetful that he can't remember what an election is.
Perhaps Ms Abbott could remind him...?


(Typo - what typo?)

[gollob]

As he is now 70 this is not the age of a potential PM as only one PM has ever become the leader for the first time at this age.