One of the most frequent whispers in Labour circles is that Jeremy Corbyn is not truly in control of the Labour Party. The story is the Westminster equivalent of Japanese knotweed: stealthy, widespread and apparently immune to all attempts to kill it off.
In the two years since Corbyn became Labour leader, staffers, MPs and even shadow ministers have assured me that the “real” Labour leader is, variously: Simon Fletcher, Corbyn’s first chief of staff, since departed of his own volition; Jon Lansman, the chief of Momentum, who is not even Corbyn’s first choice to fill the vacant role of party general secretary; Karie Murphy, who wasn’t even Corbyn’s first choice to be his chief of staff; and John McDonnell, his shadow chancellor.
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