TSSA call for Corbyn to be on the leadership ballot and reveal mayoral endorsement

TSSA has called for Labour MPs to ensure that Jeremy Corbyn is on the leadership ballot.

TSSA is the trade union for people working in the transport and travel industries. Although they have yet to officially endorse a candidate,  General Secretary Manuel Cortes has released a statement in which he says the Executive Committee have debated the issue and decided that:

“Labour MP’s have a duty to ensure that party members get the widest possible choice when electing a new leader….Our Union will make its choice [of which candidates to endorse] when our Executive meets  – but we want Labour MP’s to have the guts to have that debate; and that is why Jeremy Corbyn must be on the  ballot paper to give Labour members, supporters and trade unionists that choice”.

Corby is one of five people standing to be Labour’s next leader. He has described himself as anti-austerity candidate, and he has called for Labour to propose an alternative economic plan. However, the Islington North MP may not make it through to the next stage of the contest. Candidates need the backing of 35 MPs to make it onto the ballot paper, currently Corbyn has 14.

Following this announcement, TSSA revealed that they are endorsing Sadiq Khan as Labour’s London Mayoral candidate.

Theis endorsement from the rail union came after Khan announced yesterday that he would freeze transport fares, and cut bus fares. Cortes explained that TSSA  also came to this decision because Khan: “has also pledged that he will not ‘do a Boris’ and continue as an MP if he succeeds in becoming Mayor next April. Being Mayor of London is a full time post and Sadiq recognises that crucial fact, even if Boris does not.”

Earlier today Khan himself tweeted that we would be a “full time Mayor for Londoners” if elected:

If I’m fortunate enough to be elected next May, I will be a full time Mayor for Londoners #TogetherWeKhan pic.twitter.com/1wyxyMlNlG

— Sadiq Khan MP (@SadiqKhan) June 10, 2015

Other unions that have endorsed Khan to be mayor are Unite, GMB and UCATT.