Serving Labour mayor blocked from working in ‘out of control factionalism’
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left-wing regional mayor has been blocked from being Labour’s candidate to contest the North East mayoralty, sparking recent allegations of “factionalism” throughout the occasion.
Jamie Driscoll, the serving North of Tyne mayor, stated on Friday that he had been “barred” from working for the brand new mayoral authority with out clarification.
Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell blamed “out of control” factionalism in Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party for the choice to exclude the supporter of former chief Jeremy Corbyn.
Mr Driscoll, described because the “last Corbynista in power”, was omitted from a longlist together with rival Northumbria police and crime commissioner Kim McGuinness.
Ex-MEP Paul Brannen and Newcastle metropolis councillor Nicu Ion additionally characteristic.
Mr McDonnell stated omitting Mr Driscoll from the listing regardless of him being “widely credited with doing a great job” was “staggering news”.
“To refuse to allow a serving mayor onto even a selection long list demonstrates that factionalism in the party is completely out of control,” he stated.
“There can be no other motive for excluding him.”
The choice got here within the wake of Sir Keir blocking Mr Corbyn from standing for the occasion in Islington North on the subsequent common election.
Labour stated the occasion holds “candidates to a very high standard”.
“During this process, some applicants did not meet the threshold required to proceed to the longlist stage. We do not comment on individual applications,” an announcement stated.
“Local members now have a fantastic longlist of candidates from which they will choose the Labour Party’s candidate to be the very first North East mayor.”