Revealed: Labour’s secret 'script' orders MPs to say winning Copeland was an ‘uphill task’

Labour MPs were ordered to claim that holding Copeland was always an “uphill task” just hours after their historic defeat, leaked briefing notes have revealed. 

A “script” urged MP to claim that winning the seat - which Labour had held for the 80 years - was “always going to be difficult”. 

The politicians were also told to praise Labour’s campaign there as “excellent” and blame “very specific local issues” for their loss. 

The 600-word spinning notes were emailed to MPs around 8.10am on Friday morning as the party went into damage limitation mode after the by-election defeat.

“In Copeland we fought a good campaign, but it was always going to be an uphill task in a marginal seat with particular unique circumstances in play and the Tories threw everything at it,” MPs were urged to say. 

The full document has been passed to The Sunday Telegraph amid fury that the party leadership is trying to shift blame from themselves.

One critic said: “This farcical array of excuses is just the latest weak defence in the downfall of a failing hard Left project.” 

It comes as trade union leaders gave Jeremy Corbyn until Christmas to turn around the party’s dire poll ratings or face calls to quit. 

Two leaders of unions officially affiliated to Labour have attacked Mr Corbyn’s leadership in private conversations with The Sunday Telegraph. 

One compared him to Arsene Wenger, the struggling Arsenal manager facing a fans revolt, and called Labour’s current situation “untenable”. 

A second leader urged Mr Corbyn to reconsider his position if the party continues to trail the Tories in the opinion polls so dramatically.

Tom Watson, the deputy Labour leader, on Saturday urged the leadership to take a “long hard” look at itself - but said Corbyn should not go now. 

It comes as Mr Corbyn faced a second day of criticism after Labour lost Copeland - a Cumbrian seat they have held since 1935 - to the Tories. 

In the wake of the defeat Mr Corbyn’s allies blamed everything from Tony Blair and Lord Mandelson to the poor weather and Brexit for their defeat.

It has now emerged that Labour MPs were urged to play down the party’s chances of ever holding to the seat in the first place. 

Briefing notes sent to MPs read: “Winning in Copeland was always going to be difficult: it’s a marginal seat with a small majority and there were very specific local issues, including the future of the nuclear industry which the Tories focused on, misleadingly claiming Labour would threaten jobs, despite the fact that Jeremy Corbyn spelled out Labour’s commitment to the industry.

“This has been a marginal seat for a long time, the Labour vote has been declining in Copeland since 1997 and obviously Labour’s current polling position is not where it should be. 

“The Tories threw everything at Copeland, Theresa May unusually made a personal visit and they poured resources into the campaign. It’s also true to say that politics is presently in a period of flux following the recent Brexit referendum.

“Throw into the mix low turnout and this was always going to be challenging, but we fought hard, standing up against Tory cuts to the NHS.”

MPs were urged to focus instead on Stoke-on-Trent Central, where Labourbeat Ukip’s Paul Nuttall into second and held the seat - albeit with a reduced majority. 

“In many ways the real story is of a terrible night for Ukip”, they were urged to say about the two by-election results. 

Meanwhile two union leaders affiliated to Labour criticised Mr Corbyn privately. One said: “We certainly don’t wait until 2020 [to get rid of Mr Corbyn], it will be too bloody late then, that’s the reality.

“It’s a bit like the Wenger situation [at Arsenal.] I think individuals who are very bright and intelligent, like Arsene Wenger and Jeremy Corbyn, need to understand for themselves when the time’s up.”

A second union leader said: “You would have to be on another planet not to be aware of the problem and the chances of a Labour victory. It is not rocket science this. 

“There is a massive chasm between delivering policy, delivering a Government. If the Conservative chose a snap election Labour could be wiped out.”

READ IN FULL - BRIEFING NOTE THAT TOLD LABOUR MPS WHAT TO SAY AFTER BY-ELECTION DEFEAT

Stoke-on-Trent Central & Copeland By-Elections Results

FRIDAY MORNING

Top lines

It’s been a mixed night. We’ve had a good win in Stoke-on-Trent Central, although we’re obviously disappointed to have lost in Copeland.

Labour’s win in Stoke-on-Trent Central is a decisive rejection of UKIP's claims to represent working class people. The people of Stoke have said no to UKIP's politics of division and dishonesty.

In Copeland we fought a good campaign, but it was always going to be an uphill task in a marginal seat with particular unique circumstances in play and the Tories threw everything at it.

Script

Obviously it’s a mixed night in that we wanted, and aimed, to win both seats, but that was always going to be an uphill task and there were particular unique circumstances in play in Copeland.

It's disappointing to have lost Copeland. We had a strong candidate in Gillian Troughton, and ran an excellent campaign focused on local issues, but obviously it wasn't enough.

Winning in Copeland was always going to be difficult: it’s a marginal seat with a small majority and there were very specific local issues, including the future of the nuclear industry which the Tories focused on, misleadingly claiming Labour would threaten jobs, despite the fact that Jeremy Corbyn spelled out Labour’s commitment to the industry.

This has been a marginal seat for a long time, the Labour vote has been declining in Copeland since 1997 and obviously Labour's current polling position is not where it should be.

The Tories threw everything at Copeland, Theresa May unusually made a personal visit and they poured resources into the campaign. It’s also true to say that politics is presently in a period of flux following the recent Brexit referendum. Throw into the mix low turnout and this was always going to be challenging, but we fought hard, standing up against Tory cuts to the NHS.

Of course we’re very pleased to have won in Stoke-on-Trent Central. It’s a good result in a seat both the Tories and UKIP were gunning for.

So while we’d acknowledge that there’s more to do for Labour, winning in Stoke-on-Trent shows that we are competitive and that we are standing up to this failing Tory government, fighting for our NHS and for building an economy that works for everyone.

Losing in Stoke-on-Trent isn’t good for the Tories and Theresa May. They threw everything at it and Theresa May visited there too, showing that she thought she could win. Many people said the Tories were on track to win both seats and they were briefing that they expected to do well and possibly win both seats. That they haven’t is a blow for them and the Prime Minister.

In many ways the real story is of a terrible night for UKIP. They threw absolutely everything at Stoke-on-Trent: their party leader was their candidate in a seat they said was their best chance of getting a win. This is a decisive rejection of UKIP's claims to represent working class people. The people of Stoke have rejected UKIP's politics of division and dishonesty.

Nigel Farage said recently that winning in Stoke-on-Trent was “fundamental” to the future of UKIP and the fact that they have lost is a hammer blow to them. This campaign has exposed them and Paul Nuttall, as a party and leader who want to privatise the NHS and who offer nothing to working people. This was supposed to be the seat where they showed they could be an alternative to Labour but after this result that claim lies in tatters.