Green MP called stepping down 'the responsible thing to', as pressure mounts on Jeremy Corbyn
As pressure mounts on Jeremy Corbyn to pull out of the Stop the War Coalition’s fundraiser on Friday, the Green Party’s only MP Caroline Lucas has announced that she resigned from the group a few weeks ago. In a statement to Guido Fawkes, Lucas’ office said:
“Caroline stepped back from the Stop the War Coalition a few weeks ago. Her busy parliamentary and constituency schedule means that she doesn’t have time to fully engage with the role of a Patron and, in light of some recent StWC positions that she didn’t support, she felt standing down was the responsible thing to do. Like the Stop the War Coalition, Caroline is opposed to British bombing in Syria because it will neither keep Britain safe nor help bring about a lasting peace in Syria.”
Caroline Lucas had been the vice-president of the group, which has faced heavy criticism during weeks of tension over the Syria vote. Following Hilary Benn’s speech to Commons, the group was accused of praising ISIS after posting on its website:
“Benn does not even seem to realize that the jihadist movement that ultimately spawned Daesh is far closer to the spirit of internationalism and solidarity that drove the International Brigades than Cameron’s bombing campaign.”
Following the attacks in Paris it said France had ‘reaped the whirlwind’ of Western support for extremist violence in the Middle East.
Stop the War has also defended Russian aggression in Ukraine and Georgia, and more recently barred Syrians from speaking at its meetings on Syria.
Caroline Lucas has been a long standing and tireless critic of Western military intervention in the Middle East. Her resignation from Stop the War by no means equates to a resignation from her position on intervention; last week she said ‘the UK’s strongest contribution at this point would be through enhanced diplomacy’, and voted against airstrikes in Syria.
But her resignation has intensified the spotlight on Jeremy Corbyn; should he follow Lucas’ example and distance himself from such a controversial group?
Ruby Stockham is a staff writer at Left Foot Forward
32 Responses to “Caroline Lucas has resigned from Stop the War Coalition”
Brad JJ
Pacifists do not support Russian aggression in Ukraine. These people are West-hating ultra-leftists with post-marxist idology made up of PC truisms. They are kissin’ cousins of terrorists NOT pacifists.
Ed O'Meara
You’re right to criticise STWC but to suggest that ‘pacifists’ are somehow responsible for the world’s problems is both depressing and hilarious! If we hadn’t gone into Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya we wouldn’t be dealing with a pervasive terror threat and a refugee crisis. There’s a difference between using military strategy wisely and rushing in without a plan. A difference to which the likes of you seem totally oblivious.
Jordan Lyon
I read ‘hyper-corrupt crony-capitalism, neo-fascism and imperialist aggression’ and thought you were talking about the US or the UK, seeing as it’s such an apt description.
Visual
Jeremy Corbyn should concentrate on holding the party together, and making sure that respect is accorded to the different perspectives in the broad church that it is – and that he has promised to serve.
Free Speech
But there is no attempt to end Isis genocide. If there were we wouldn’t be allied with the Saudis who have spawned no end of Jihadist groups and Turkey which has supported and supplied Isis throughout the past year, whilst attacking the main enemy on the ground of Isis, the Kurds. So get your facts right and stop spewing noxious propaganda.
The UN is a gang of thieves. From the murder of Patrice Lumumba in Katanga to its non-role in the Rwandan genocide. Today the Chair of its Human Rights panel is none other than those wll known supporters of human rights, viz. the Saudi monarchy!! Throat cutters all.
I’m no pacifist and I’d happily supply the Kurds with every weapon they want to destroy Isis. But it is the people of the region, not imperialists with ot her fish to fry who will defeat them.
and here is a clue for the stupid Littlejohns of this world. isis are strong because a sectarian Shi’ite state in Iraq and the sectarianism of Assad’s regime has driven Sunnis into their arms. Bombing them will make no difference and even if successful, which it won’t be, there will arise another mutation of Isis.