Hundreds of councillors sign pro-Corbyn letter

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Over 240 Labour councillors have signed an open letter giving their continued backing to Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and slammed the moves against him as “indulgent” and “self-defeating”.

This is the latest sign of a grassroots backlash against MPs’ attempts to get rid of Corbyn as leader, following a large rally outside Parliament on Monday night, and a NewsNight survey of 50 Constituency Labour Party (CLP) chairs that found 90 per cent were still behind him.

The 246 councillors say they are “dismayed” with the MPs’ vote on the leadership, and call on the party to unite behind Corbyn and “turn[…] fire on the real enemy, the Tory Party”.

You can read the full letter below:

We are a group of Labour Party councillors who are dismayed by the attempt by some within the Parliamentary Labour Party to oust our democratically elected leader, Jeremy Corbyn. Many of us were elected in May, where in spite of predictions of an electoral meltdown, we won our seats. Voters who had previously felt abandoned by the Labour Party returned to vote for us, returned as members, and returned as campaigners.

It would be utterly self-defeating for the people we represent if now, less than a year after Jeremy was elected on the single biggest mandate of any previous leader, he was to be forced from office. It is our view that the behaviour of some members of the Parliamentary Labour Party is totally self-indulgent and at odds with what the communities we represent need. We will risk losing all those new members and enthusiastic campaigners who joined us because Jeremy offered a vision of hope for the future.

Our enemy is not Jeremy Corbyn – it is the Tory party and their plans to use the EU referendum as a fig leaf to inflict further cuts to the councils we represent.

We hope that those MPs who have embarked on this indulgent course of action will reflect on their behaviour and turn their fire on the real enemy, the Tory Party.

Signed by:

  1. Councillor Peter Chowney, (Leader) Hastings
  2. Councillor Dawn Poole, Hastings
  3. Councillor Warren Davies, Hastings
  4. Councillor Judy Rogers, Hastings
  5. Councillor Nigel Sinden, Hastings
  6. Councillor Alan Napier, (Deputy Leader) Durham
  7. Councillor John Gardner, (Deputy Leader) Stevenage
  8. Councillor Tony Randerson, (Deputy Leader) Scarborough
  9. Councillor Gerald Dennett, Scarborough
  10. Councillor Andy Kay, (Deputy Leader) Blackburn
  11. Councillor Dave Harling, Blackburn
  12. Councillor Sam Tarry, Barking and Dagenham
  13. Councillor John White, Barking and Dagenham
  14. Councillor Philip Waker, Barking and Dagenham
  15. Councillor Cathie McEwing, Southampton
  16. Councillor Laura Pidcock, Northumberland
  17. Councillor Mike Rowley, Oxford
  18. Councillor Dan Iley-Williamson, Oxford
  19. Councillor Sajjad Malik, Oxford
  20. Councillor Nigel Ball, Doncaster
  21. Councillor Dave Shaw, Doncaster
  22. Councillor Charlie Hogarth, Doncaster
  23. Councillor Neil Gethin, Doncaster Central
  24. Councillor James Broach, Hatfield West
  25. Councillor Matthew Brown, Preston
  26. Councillor Jonathan Saksena, Preston
  27. Councillor Yakub Patel, Preston
  28. Councillor John Browne, Preston
  29. Councillor Robert Boswell, Preston
  30. Councillor Lynne Wallace, Preston
  31. Councillor Phil Crowe, Preston
  32. Councillor Roy Leeming, Preston
  33. Councillor Lauren Cassidy, Halton
  34. Councillor Geoffrey Logan, Halton
  35. Councillor Kath Loftus, Halton
  36. Councillor Chris Loftus, Halton
  37. Councillor Geoff Zygadllo, Halton
  38. Councillor Dave Cargill,  Halton
  39. Councillor Ellen Cargill, Halton
  40. Councillor Harry Howard, Halton
  41. Councillor Terry Doherty, Nuneaton and Bedworth
  42. Councillor Danny Aldington, Nuneaton and Bedworth
  43. Councillor Sam Margrave, Nuneaton and Bedworth
  44. Councillor Geoffrey Ellis, Lincolnshire
  45. Councillor Tim Mickleburgh, North East Lincolnshire
  46. Councillor Waida Forman, Harlow
  47. Councillor Gladys Hobson, South Tyneside
  48. Councillor Michael Lilley, Colchester
  49. Councillor David Stockdale, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
  50. Councillor Sue Pearson, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
  51. Councillor Nigel Todd, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
  52. Councillor Habib Rahman, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
  53. Councillor Mick Bowman, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
  54. Councillor Ruth Wright, Newcastle-under-Lyme
  55. Councillor Amanda King, Warrington
  56. Councillor Diane Donaldson, Birmingham
  57. Councillor Mohammed Aikhlaq, Birmingham
  58. Councillor Shabrana Hussain, Birmingham
  59. Councillor Habibur Rehman, Birmingham
  60. Councillor Majid Mahmood, Birmingham
  61. Councillor Steve Booton, Birmingham
  62. Councillor Sharon Thompson, Birmingham
  63. Councillor John Williams, Rotherham
  64. Councillor David Sheppard, Rotherham
  65. Councillor Richard Price, Rotherham
  66. Councillor Wendy Cooksey, Rotherham
  67. Councillor John Williams, Rotherham
  68. Councillor Richard Price, Rotherham
  69. Councillor Charlie Stewart, Stockport
  70. Councillor Chris Murphy, Stockport
  71. Councillor Lorraine Beavers, Lancaster
  72. Councillor Margaret Pattison, Lancaster
  73. Councillor Pat Healy, Kensington & Chelsea
  74. Councillor Emma Dent Coad, Kensington & Chelsea
  75. Councillor Nathan Morrison, Aberdeen
  76. Councillor Bob Piper, West Brom
  77. Councillor Susan Press, Calderdale
  78. Councillor Dave Young, Calderdale
  79. Councillor Ali Miles, Calderdale
  80. Councillor Steve Sweeney, Calderdale
  81. Councillor Jenny Lynn, Calderdale
  82. Councillor Joanne Bennett, Trafford
  83. Councillor Richard Alderson Bell, Sunderland
  84. Councillor Paul Stewart, Sunderland
  85. Councillor Iain Kay, Sunderland
  86. Councillor Barbara McClennan, Sunderland
  87. Councillor Joshua Brandwood, Morecambe
  88. Councillor Tim Brown, Ashfield
  89. Councillor Amanda Brown, Ashfield
  90. Councillor Lachlan Morrison, Ashfield
  91. Councillor Dean Collins, Derbyshire
  92. Councillor Claire Darke, Wolverhampton
  93. Councillor Wynn Davies, Greenwich
  94. Councillor Lisa-Marie Derbyshire, Chesterfield
  95. Councillor Christine Ludlow, Chesterfield
  96. Councillor Julie Young, Chesterfield
  97. Councillor Keith Brown, Chesterfield
  98. Councillor Gareth Eales, Northampton
  99. Councillor Terrie Eales, Northampton
  100. Councillor John McGhee, Northamptonshire
  101. Councillor Elise Elliston, Corby
  102. Councillor Javaid Akhtar, Corby
  103. Councillor Pamela Fitzpatrick, Harrow
  104. Councillor Andy Hannan, Devon
  105. Councillor Claudia Hector, Brent
  106. Councillor Rita Conneely, Brent
  107. Councillor Zafar Islam, Dudley
  108. Councillor Rosalind Jackson, East Lindsey
  109. Councillor Iris Johnston, Thanet
  110. Councillor Joyce Korczak Fields, Hull
  111. Councillor Peter Clark, Hull
  112. Councillor Clive Lloyd, Swansea
  113. Councillor Sybil Crouch, Swansea
  114. Councillor Bob Clay, Swansea
  115. Councillor Nick Davies, Swansea
  116. Councillor Mary McGarry, Cardiff
  117. Councillor Darren Williams, Cardiff
  118. Councillor Dan De’Ath, Cardiff
  119. Councillor Sue Lent, (Deputy Leader) Cardiff
  120. Councillor Keith Jones, Cardiff
  121. Councillor Ramesh Patel, Cardiff
  122. Councillor Annie McMahon, Rossendale
  123. Councillor Pat Merrick, Cheshire West and Chester
  124. Councillor Peter Rooney, Cheshire West and Chester
  125. Councillor Gillian Watson, Cheshire West and Chester
  126. Councillor Angela Moohan, West Lothian
  127. Councillor Frank Toner, West Lothian
  128. Councillor David Dodds, West Lothian
  129. Councillor Gordon Munro, Edinburgh
  130. Councillor Brian Murphy, Highland
  131. Councillor Ashley Pearce, Reading
  132. Councillor Paul Woodward, Reading
  133. Councillor Paul Penlington, Denbighshire
  134. Councillor Jason McLellan, Denbighshire
  135. Councillor Andy Platt, Stoke-on-Trent
  136. Councillor Ruth Rosenau, Stoke-on-Trent
  137. Councillor Shaun Pender, Stoke-on-Trent
  138. Councillor Margot Russell, Midlothian
  139. Councillor Cathy Scott, Kirklees
  140. Councillor Brian Taylor, Darwen
  141. Councillor Sylvia Tempest, Hartlepool
  142. Councillor Lesley Hamilton, Hartlepool
  143. Councillor Kieran Thorpe, Welwyn Hatfield
  144. Councillor John Fitzpatrick, Welwyn Hatfield
  145. Councillor Armand Watts, Monmouthshire
  146. Councillor Claudia Webbe, Islington
  147. Councillor Asima Shaikh, Islington
  148. Councillor Mick O’Sullivan, Islington
  149. Councillor Gary Heather, Islington
  150. Councillor Osh Gantly, Islington
  151. Councillor Ausegul Erdogan, Islington
  152. Councillor Raphael Andrews, Islington
  153. Councillor Jenny Kay, Islington
  154. Councillor Jean-Roger Kaseki, Islington
  155. Councillor Kate Osborne, North Tyneside
  156. Councillor Cath Davis, North Tyneside
  157. Councillor Lesley Spillard, North Tyneside
  158. Councillor Pamela Brooks, North Tyneside
  159. Councillor Gary Madden, North Tyneside
  160. Councillor Sam Mullin, Renfrewshire
  161. Councillor Tom Kirton, Chepstow
  162. Councillor Dale Rooke, Chepstow
  163. Councillor John Rennie, Chepstow
  164. Councillor Bob Littlewood, Redbridge
  165. Councillor Aziz Choudhury, Redbridge
  166. Councillor Bert Jones, Redbridge
  167. Councillor Paul Merry, Redbridge
  168. Councillor Mohammad Ahmed, Redbridge
  169. Councillor Shakil Ahmad, Redbridge
  170. Councillor Mushtaq Ahmed, Redbridge
  171. Councillor Barbara White, Redbridge
  172. Councillor Muhammad Javed, Redbridge
  173. Councillor Zulfiqar Hussain, Redbridge
  174. Councillor Trevor Webb, East Sussex
  175. Councillor Kim Forward, East Sussex
  176. Councillor Phil Scott, East Sussex
  177. Councillor Sue Whitaker, Norfolk
  178. Councillor Gary Mcguiness, King’s Lynn and West Norfolk
  179. Councillor Sandra Buck, King’s Lynn and West Norfolk
  180. Councillor Isidoros Diakides, Haringey
  181. Councillor Mark Blake, Haringey
  182. Councillor Steve Trow, Sandwell
  183. Councillor Richard Marshall, Sandwell
  184. Councillor John Edwards, Sandwell
  185. Councillor Thomas Gardiner, Camden
  186. Councillor Maryam Eslamdoust, Camden
  187. Councillor Douglas Beattie, Camden
  188. Councillor Sue Vincent, Camden
  189. Councillor Roger Robinson, Camden
  190. Councillor Lorna Russell, Camden
  191. Councillor Kate Hannan, Exeter
  192. Councillor Graham Munn, Tunbridge Wells
  193. Councillor Joe Cullinane, Kilwinning
  194. Councillor Jane Avis, Croydon
  195.  Councillor Joe Murphy, Salford
  196. Councillor Hugo Malik, Norwich
  197. Councillor Karen Davis, Norwich
  198. Councillor Martin Peek, Norwich
  199. Councillor Sally Button, Norwich
  200. Councillor Keith Driver,  Norwich
  201. Councillor Emma Corlett, Norwich
  202. Councillor David Fullman, Norwich
  203. Councillor Vaughan Thomas, Norwich
  204. Councillor Julie Brociek-Coulton, Norwich
  205. Councillor Mike Sands, Norwich City and Norfolk County
  206. Councillor Vivian Thomas, Norwich City and Norfolk County
  207. Councillor Rachel Mullen, Gateshead
  208. Councillor Theresa Byrne, Ealing
  209. Councillor Patrick Cogan, Ealing
  210. Councillor Naomi Fearon, Fleetwood
  211. Councillor Neil Baldwin, Redcar and Cleveland
  212. Councillor Margaret Isherwood, Wakefield
  213. Councillor John Garvani, Horsforth Town
  214. Councillor Deirdre Foley, North Nottinghamshire
  215. Councillor Mike Pringle, Nottinghamshire
  216. Councillor Alice Grice, Nottinghamshire
  217. Councillor John Wilkinson, Nottinghamshire
  218. Councillor Steve Battlemuch, Nottingham
  219. Councillor David Fagan, North Lanarkshire
  220. Councillor Robert Frost, Barnsley
  221. Councillor John McGhee, East Ayrshire
  222. Councillor Neil McGhee, East Ayrshire
  223. Councillor Tracy Grant, Ipswich
  224. Councillor Katherine Chibah, Enfield
  225. Councillor Damian Bailey, Cheshire East
  226. Councillor Suzanne Brookfield, Cheshire East
  227. Councillor Brian Roberts, Cheshire East
  228. Councillor Gary Johnston, Caerphilly
  229. Councillor Kevin Ritchie, Leeds
  230. Councillor John Paschoud, Lewisham
  231. Councillor Luke Sorba, Lewisham
  232. Councillor Barry Buitekant, Hackney
  233. Councillor Alan McGuckin, Cumbria
  234. Councillor Raymond Riley, Hemsworth
  235. Councillor Gerry Lyons, Waltham Forest
  236. Councillor Gareth Philips, Bridgend
  237. Councillor Lesley Brennan, Dundee
  238. Councillor Brian Gordon, Dundee
  239. Councillor Georgia Cruickshank, Dundee
  240. Councillor Mark Rivers, Luton
  241. Councillor Dreda Gordon, St Albans
  242. Councillor Roma Mills, St Albans
  243. Councillor Paul Gleeson, Boston
  244. Councillor Maureen Bowen, Stafford
  245. Councillor Mike Roberts, Rushmoor
  246. Councillor Graham Thomas, Rhondda Cynon Taf

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