Labour civil struggle rages as Mayor blasts ‘stunning’ resolution over new function

Jun 04, 2023 at 4:23 PM

A Labour mayor has hit out on the “shocking” resolution by the get together to dam his candidacy for a brand new function.

Serving North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll has been barred from standing to be the primary North East mayor after he appeared on stage with Ken Loach, who was expelled from Labour as a part of Sir Keir Starmer’s efforts to root out anti-Semitism.

But Mr Driscoll – who’s described because the “last Corbynista in power” – in the present day accused the get together of being “anti-democratic”.

He advised Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme: “I’ve delivered thousands of jobs, I’ve built affordable homes, I’ve implemented a green new deal, we’re tackling child poverty across 90 schools in the region.

“When it involves what the Labour Party must venture to win elections, which is financial competence, I’ve bought a implausible observe file.

“And for members not to be allowed the choice of putting me forward as the Labour representative is, frankly, shocking.

“I’ve had a lot help from proper throughout the political spectrum. So what I would like is for Keir and the Labour Party to do nothing greater than give members the selection of selecting me as their candidate.”

Mr Driscoll claimed Labour was ousting those on the left of the party.

He said: “I actually do suppose simply let members select who they need as their candidates, that is how democracy works.

“And I honestly think here that in a two-party system, if you’re going to ban people who are promoting socialist views from participating in that, that is really quite anti-democratic.”

Mr Driscoll additionally defended his resolution to share a platform with movie director Mr Loach, who was expelled from Labour in 2021 throughout what he known as on the time a “purge” of Jeremy Corbyn’s allies.

He stated: “My combined authority under my leadership has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism and references the examples.

“I’ve been on Jewish Labour Movement coaching, I work very intently with the Jewish Leadership Council and go to synagogues in my area, so that is a wholly separate difficulty about Ken Loach’s points that you must take up with Ken Loach, I’m not his spokesperson.

“But there’s only been three feature films set in the North East in a couple of decades – I, Daniel Blake, Sorry We Missed You and now The Old Oak, so it’s a big culturally significant issue for the North East, and to talk to him about films is, I think, entirely justified.

“I share platforms with all types of individuals. A few weeks in the past I used to be on a platform with (Conservative Tees Valley mayor) Ben Houchen. That doesn’t imply I endorse the Tories’ financial insurance policies.”

Asked if he regretted appearing with Mr Loach, Mr Driscoll replied: “I remorse this whole episode now. The entire factor has blown up and now Labour members are usually not getting the chance to decide on.”

But shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said he would “strongly disagree” when asked if Sir Keir is trying to purge the left of the party.

He said the Labour leader, who succeeded Mr Corbyn, has implemented a “due diligence course of”.

Mr Reynolds said: “Specifically in a case the place any individual shares a platform with somebody who themselves has been expelled from the Labour Party for his or her views on anti-Semitism, for opposing the powerful motion that wanted to occur, that might preclude them from being a Labour candidate going ahead as a result of, once we stated we would have zero-tolerance for anti-Semitism, once we stated we might tear it out from its roots, we had been critical about that.”