Corbyn may have won the party’s leadership handsomely twice over, but insiders say that the leader of the opposition’s office – or “Loto”, as it is known in party parlance – has never really lost a sense of siege. They would add that there is some justification for that. Matt Zarb-Cousin, who recently stepped down as Corbyn’s spokesman, told
the US magazine Jacobin this week – just as the election campaign cranks into gear
– that Labour party staff habitually handed sensitive information to the press to destabilise the leadership.
“There were endless leaks from Southside, which makes it incredibly difficult to function in a professional way,” he said. “I don’t think anyone would be able to under those conditions.”
General election 2017: John McDonnell accuses Tories of 'lies' on Labour spending plans – politics live