COMMENT: Loyal Pat McFadden victim of unfair Labour reshuffle
Pat McFadden has been a member of the Labour Party for more than three decades and has served for 11 years as an MP.
During his time in Parliament he has never defied the party whip. He has built up a stellar reputation as a politician and is, unquestionably, a popular figure on both sides of the House.
He has worked tirelessly for his constituents in Wolverhampton South East, particularly on issues affecting unemployment and education.
So it is disquieting to hear that he has been sacked by Jeremy Corbyn for disloyalty, particularly when the accusation relates to comments he made in the wake of the Paris terror attacks.
Mr McFadden asked the Prime Minister to reject the view that sees terrorist acts as always being a response to the actions of the West.
He said that no-one forces terrorists to kill innocent people in Paris or Beirut, stressing the point that we must understand this in order to confront and ultimately overcome the threat.
The points he made echoed the views held by millions of people around the country. Along with many of us he believes that it is wrong to absolve ISIS in any way for their actions following the atrocities in Paris.
He put forward a view that terrorists were responsible for their actions and refused to blame the West.
Sadly his leader – the former chairman of the confused and increasingly insignificant Stop the War group – disagrees.
Mr Corbyn, remember, has a history of showing disloyalty and departing from the party line. But his early months in post have shown that he is clearly unable to stomach any dissenting voices from his shadow cabinet.
As a result the Labour Party has lost a talented and experienced MP from its frontbench. Mr McFadden is anything but disloyal. He is simply a politician who dared to speak his mind over one of the most key issues of our time.
The reaction of many of Mr McFadden's colleagues speaks volumes. Two of those who resigned yesterday cited Mr McFadden's treatment as having a direct impact on their decisions.
On a broader note the way Mr Corbyn handled his reshuffle left a lot to be desired.
Mr McFadden spent a long day and night in the Commons on Tuesday and had the news dumped on him by Labour's chief whip via a phone call after 11pm.
There was no meeting and no opportunity for discussion. By any stretch of the imagination the entire episode has been shambolic, leaving Mr Corbyn facing the real possibility of a frontbench walkout.
