Labour councillors, candidates and a peer quit party after Corbyn’s re-election
The following resignations of Labour councillors following Jeremy Corbyn’s reelection as leader have been spotted so far:
- “Two Welsh councillors have resigned from the Labour Party, saying the re-election of Jeremy Corbyn has made it unelectable. Nigel Dix and Allan Rees, who both represent Blackwood on Caerphilly County Borough Council, plan to set up their own local party.” [Wales Online]
- “The leader of Portsmouth City Council’s Labour group has resigned from the party following Jeremy Corbyn’s re-election. John Ferrett had been a member of the party for 27 years and stood in general elections in 2010 and 2015.” [BBC] (The local Labour Party co-chair has also quit Labour.)
- “A solicitor and councillor for Barrow Borough has made the bold decision to resign as a member of the Labour party in protest against Jeremy Corbyn’s re-election. Councillor Sean Harkin will continue to serve his constituents in Dalton North but will stand as an independent councillor after becoming disillusioned with the party he has been a member of since he was 15.” [North-West Evening Mail]
- “Folkestone councillor Cllr Claire Jeffrey, who is Jewish, announced she was resigning her membership at the weekend, saying she could no longer represent a party which ‘tolerates anti-Semitism’.” [Kent Online]
- Andrew Lomas, who was deputy leader of the Labour group in Kensington and Chelsea, has joined the Liberal Democrats.
- “A senior Labour Leicestershire county councillor has quit the party after Jeremy Corbyn was re-elected as its leader. Leon Spence has said it would be ‘grossly hypocritical’ of him to fall in behind Mr Corbyn having been a vocal critic since he was elected last for the first time last year.” [Leicester Mercury]
Labour Parliamentary candidate resignations
- Richard Wilson (Guildford, 2015) has resigned from the Labour Party: “The party has been captured by hard left and fatally damaged. I’m not an extremist” [Eagle Radio].
- David Hough (Rayleigh and Wickford, 2015) has quit Labour.
- Edward Robinson (Broxbourne, 2015) has joined the Liberal Democrats: “Labour’s continued existence is now actually frustrating the cause of progressive politics”.
Labour peer resignations
- “A Labour peer is set to resign in protest at Jeremy Corbyn’s re-election as party leader over his handling of alleged anti-Semitism among some members. Lord Mitchell, who is Jewish, previously branded an inquiry launched by Mr Corbyn earlier this year a “whitewash” and vowed to quit the party if he won he leadership contest.” [The Independent]
Spotted any others? Do let me know and I’ll update this list.
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