Labour's hard-Left to target Boris and Rudd: Momentum group launches 'decapitation strategy' to try and oust senior Tories at the next election

  • Group operates independently from Labour but backed by Corbyn and Abbott
  • Yesterday it announced it will target foreign secretary and home secretary
  • Liberal Democrats tried a similar strategy in 2005 but it failed to paralyse Tories

By JASON GROVES, POLITICAL EDITOR

Published: | Updated:

Labour's hard-Left Momentum group has launched a so-called ‘decapitation strategy’ aimed at taking out Boris Johnson, Amber Rudd and other senior Tories at the next election.

The grassroots organisation, which Tory MPs accuse of orchestrating abuse during the last election, yesterday said it was putting its supporters on a permanent war footing in preparation for a possible snap election.

The group operates independently from the Labour Party but has the support of senior figures, including Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell and Diane Abbott.

Yesterday it served notice that it will target senior Tories in marginal seats, with Mr Johnson, Miss Rudd and former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith all likely to face campaigns designed to unseat them.

The group, which operates independently from Labour but is backed by Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott, is planning to set up training camps in London, Manchester and Birmingham to drill 160 activists to target constituencies held by the likes of Boris Johnson (pictured)

The group, which operates independently from Labour but is backed by Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott, is planning to set up training camps in London, Manchester and Birmingham to drill 160 activists to target constituencies held by the likes of Boris Johnson (pictured)

The tactic is reminiscent of the so-called ‘decapitation strategy’ run by the Liberal Democrats in 2005 when they tried – and failed - to paralyse the Tories by taking out senior figures including Michael Howard, Theresa May and David Davis.

Pictured: Home Secretary Amber Rudd, who is a target of the group 

Pictured: Home Secretary Amber Rudd, who is a target of the group 

Momentum now plans to launch a series of training camps for Labour activists to target 160. Activists will be taught a range of campaigning techniques, including how to make viral videos similar to Momentum’s parody of middle class people sitting around discussing the Labour leader’s policies, which was condemned by Tory MPs as an attempt to fuel class war.

The group said the training programme, which will start with sessions in London, Manchester and Birmingham, was part of its ‘permanent election campaign’.

Beth Foster-Ogg, Momentum’s training coordinator, said: ‘This election showed what a groundswell of ordinary people, knocking on doors and campaigning for the Labour party can do.

‘Now we want to skill up the hundreds of thousands of new Labour party members so they can be better, more effective campaigners when the next election comes, and so they can campaign and organise in their communities outside of election time.

‘If we are out talking to people, campaigning and making the Labour party the heart of our communities all year round, we will be ready to beat the Tories when this weak and unstable government inevitably calls another election.’ 

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