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:
- Councillor Peter Chowney, (Leader) Hastings
- Councillor Dawn Poole, Hastings
- Councillor Warren Davies, Hastings
- Councillor Judy Rogers, Hastings
- Councillor Nigel Sinden, Hastings
- Councillor Alan Napier, (Deputy Leader) Durham
- Councillor John Gardner, (Deputy Leader) Stevenage
- Councillor Tony Randerson, (Deputy Leader) Scarborough
- Councillor Gerald Dennett, Scarborough
- Councillor Andy Kay, (Deputy Leader) Blackburn
- Councillor Dave Harling, Blackburn
- Councillor Sam Tarry, Barking and Dagenham
- Councillor John White, Barking and Dagenham
- Councillor Philip Waker, Barking and Dagenham
- Councillor Cathie McEwing, Southampton
- Councillor Laura Pidcock, Northumberland
- Councillor Mike Rowley, Oxford
- Councillor Dan Iley-Williamson, Oxford
- Councillor Sajjad Malik, Oxford
- Councillor Nigel Ball, Doncaster
- Councillor Dave Shaw, Doncaster
- Councillor Charlie Hogarth, Doncaster
- Councillor Neil Gethin, Doncaster Central
- Councillor James Broach, Hatfield West
- Councillor Matthew Brown, Preston
- Councillor Jonathan Saksena, Preston
- Councillor Yakub Patel, Preston
- Councillor John Browne, Preston
- Councillor Robert Boswell, Preston
- Councillor Lynne Wallace, Preston
- Councillor Phil Crowe, Preston
- Councillor Roy Leeming, Preston
- Councillor Lauren Cassidy, Halton
- Councillor Geoffrey Logan, Halton
- Councillor Kath Loftus, Halton
- Councillor Chris Loftus, Halton
- Councillor Geoff Zygadllo, Halton
- Councillor Dave Cargill, Halton
- Councillor Ellen Cargill, Halton
- Councillor Harry Howard, Halton
- Councillor Terry Doherty, Nuneaton and Bedworth
- Councillor Danny Aldington, Nuneaton and Bedworth
- Councillor Sam Margrave, Nuneaton and Bedworth
- Councillor Geoffrey Ellis, Lincolnshire
- Councillor Tim Mickleburgh, North East Lincolnshire
- Councillor Waida Forman, Harlow
- Councillor Gladys Hobson, South Tyneside
- Councillor Michael Lilley, Colchester
- Councillor David Stockdale, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
- Councillor Sue Pearson, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
- Councillor Nigel Todd, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
- Councillor Habib Rahman, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
- Councillor Mick Bowman, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
- Councillor Ruth Wright, Newcastle-under-Lyme
- Councillor Amanda King, Warrington
- Councillor Diane Donaldson, Birmingham
- Councillor Mohammed Aikhlaq, Birmingham
- Councillor Shabrana Hussain, Birmingham
- Councillor Habibur Rehman, Birmingham
- Councillor Majid Mahmood, Birmingham
- Councillor Steve Booton, Birmingham
- Councillor Sharon Thompson, Birmingham
- Councillor John Williams, Rotherham
- Councillor David Sheppard, Rotherham
- Councillor Richard Price, Rotherham
- Councillor Wendy Cooksey, Rotherham
- Councillor John Williams, Rotherham
- Councillor Richard Price, Rotherham
- Councillor Charlie Stewart, Stockport
- Councillor Chris Murphy, Stockport
- Councillor Lorraine Beavers, Lancaster
- Councillor Margaret Pattison, Lancaster
- Councillor Pat Healy, Kensington & Chelsea
- Councillor Emma Dent Coad, Kensington & Chelsea
- Councillor Nathan Morrison, Aberdeen
- Councillor Bob Piper, West Brom
- Councillor Susan Press, Calderdale
- Councillor Dave Young, Calderdale
- Councillor Ali Miles, Calderdale
- Councillor Steve Sweeney, Calderdale
- Councillor Jenny Lynn, Calderdale
- Councillor Joanne Bennett, Trafford
- Councillor Richard Alderson Bell, Sunderland
- Councillor Paul Stewart, Sunderland
- Councillor Iain Kay, Sunderland
- Councillor Barbara McClennan, Sunderland
- Councillor Joshua Brandwood, Morecambe
- Councillor Tim Brown, Ashfield
- Councillor Amanda Brown, Ashfield
- Councillor Lachlan Morrison, Ashfield
- Councillor Dean Collins, Derbyshire
- Councillor Claire Darke, Wolverhampton
- Councillor Wynn Davies, Greenwich
- Councillor Lisa-Marie Derbyshire, Chesterfield
- Councillor Christine Ludlow, Chesterfield
- Councillor Julie Young, Chesterfield
- Councillor Keith Brown, Chesterfield
- Councillor Gareth Eales, Northampton
- Councillor Terrie Eales, Northampton
- Councillor John McGhee, Northamptonshire
- Councillor Elise Elliston, Corby
- Councillor Javaid Akhtar, Corby
- Councillor Pamela Fitzpatrick, Harrow
- Councillor Andy Hannan, Devon
- Councillor Claudia Hector, Brent
- Councillor Rita Conneely, Brent
- Councillor Zafar Islam, Dudley
- Councillor Rosalind Jackson, East Lindsey
- Councillor Iris Johnston, Thanet
- Councillor Joyce Korczak Fields, Hull
- Councillor Peter Clark, Hull
- Councillor Clive Lloyd, Swansea
- Councillor Sybil Crouch, Swansea
- Councillor Bob Clay, Swansea
- Councillor Nick Davies, Swansea
- Councillor Mary McGarry, Cardiff
- Councillor Darren Williams, Cardiff
- Councillor Dan De’Ath, Cardiff
- Councillor Sue Lent, (Deputy Leader) Cardiff
- Councillor Keith Jones, Cardiff
- Councillor Ramesh Patel, Cardiff
- Councillor Annie McMahon, Rossendale
- Councillor Pat Merrick, Cheshire West and Chester
- Councillor Peter Rooney, Cheshire West and Chester
- Councillor Gillian Watson, Cheshire West and Chester
- Councillor Angela Moohan, West Lothian
- Councillor Frank Toner, West Lothian
- Councillor David Dodds, West Lothian
- Councillor Gordon Munro, Edinburgh
- Councillor Brian Murphy, Highland
- Councillor Ashley Pearce, Reading
- Councillor Paul Woodward, Reading
- Councillor Paul Penlington, Denbighshire
- Councillor Jason McLellan, Denbighshire
- Councillor Andy Platt, Stoke-on-Trent
- Councillor Ruth Rosenau, Stoke-on-Trent
- Councillor Shaun Pender, Stoke-on-Trent
- Councillor Margot Russell, Midlothian
- Councillor Cathy Scott, Kirklees
- Councillor Brian Taylor, Darwen
- Councillor Sylvia Tempest, Hartlepool
- Councillor Lesley Hamilton, Hartlepool
- Councillor Kieran Thorpe, Welwyn Hatfield
- Councillor John Fitzpatrick, Welwyn Hatfield
- Councillor Armand Watts, Monmouthshire
- Councillor Claudia Webbe, Islington
- Councillor Asima Shaikh, Islington
- Councillor Mick O’Sullivan, Islington
- Councillor Gary Heather, Islington
- Councillor Osh Gantly, Islington
- Councillor Ausegul Erdogan, Islington
- Councillor Raphael Andrews, Islington
- Councillor Jenny Kay, Islington
- Councillor Jean-Roger Kaseki, Islington
- Councillor Kate Osborne, North Tyneside
- Councillor Cath Davis, North Tyneside
- Councillor Lesley Spillard, North Tyneside
- Councillor Pamela Brooks, North Tyneside
- Councillor Gary Madden, North Tyneside
- Councillor Sam Mullin, Renfrewshire
- Councillor Tom Kirton, Chepstow
- Councillor Dale Rooke, Chepstow
- Councillor John Rennie, Chepstow
- Councillor Bob Littlewood, Redbridge
- Councillor Aziz Choudhury, Redbridge
- Councillor Bert Jones, Redbridge
- Councillor Paul Merry, Redbridge
- Councillor Mohammad Ahmed, Redbridge
- Councillor Shakil Ahmad, Redbridge
- Councillor Mushtaq Ahmed, Redbridge
- Councillor Barbara White, Redbridge
- Councillor Muhammad Javed, Redbridge
- Councillor Zulfiqar Hussain, Redbridge
- Councillor Trevor Webb, East Sussex
- Councillor Kim Forward, East Sussex
- Councillor Phil Scott, East Sussex
- Councillor Sue Whitaker, Norfolk
- Councillor Gary Mcguiness, King’s Lynn and West Norfolk
- Councillor Sandra Buck, King’s Lynn and West Norfolk
- Councillor Isidoros Diakides, Haringey
- Councillor Mark Blake, Haringey
- Councillor Steve Trow, Sandwell
- Councillor Richard Marshall, Sandwell
- Councillor John Edwards, Sandwell
- Councillor Thomas Gardiner, Camden
- Councillor Maryam Eslamdoust, Camden
- Councillor Douglas Beattie, Camden
- Councillor Sue Vincent, Camden
- Councillor Roger Robinson, Camden
- Councillor Lorna Russell, Camden
- Councillor Kate Hannan, Exeter
- Councillor Graham Munn, Tunbridge Wells
- Councillor Joe Cullinane, Kilwinning
- Councillor Jane Avis, Croydon
- Councillor Joe Murphy, Salford
- Councillor Hugo Malik, Norwich
- Councillor Karen Davis, Norwich
- Councillor Martin Peek, Norwich
- Councillor Sally Button, Norwich
- Councillor Keith Driver, Norwich
- Councillor Emma Corlett, Norwich
- Councillor David Fullman, Norwich
- Councillor Vaughan Thomas, Norwich
- Councillor Julie Brociek-Coulton, Norwich
- Councillor Mike Sands, Norwich City and Norfolk County
- Councillor Vivian Thomas, Norwich City and Norfolk County
- Councillor Rachel Mullen, Gateshead
- Councillor Theresa Byrne, Ealing
- Councillor Patrick Cogan, Ealing
- Councillor Naomi Fearon, Fleetwood
- Councillor Neil Baldwin, Redcar and Cleveland
- Councillor Margaret Isherwood, Wakefield
- Councillor John Garvani, Horsforth Town
- Councillor Deirdre Foley, North Nottinghamshire
- Councillor Mike Pringle, Nottinghamshire
- Councillor Alice Grice, Nottinghamshire
- Councillor John Wilkinson, Nottinghamshire
- Councillor Steve Battlemuch, Nottingham
- Councillor David Fagan, North Lanarkshire
- Councillor Robert Frost, Barnsley
- Councillor John McGhee, East Ayrshire
- Councillor Neil McGhee, East Ayrshire
- Councillor Tracy Grant, Ipswich
- Councillor Katherine Chibah, Enfield
- Councillor Damian Bailey, Cheshire East
- Councillor Suzanne Brookfield, Cheshire East
- Councillor Brian Roberts, Cheshire East
- Councillor Gary Johnston, Caerphilly
- Councillor Kevin Ritchie, Leeds
- Councillor John Paschoud, Lewisham
- Councillor Luke Sorba, Lewisham
- Councillor Barry Buitekant, Hackney
- Councillor Alan McGuckin, Cumbria
- Councillor Raymond Riley, Hemsworth
- Councillor Gerry Lyons, Waltham Forest
- Councillor Gareth Philips, Bridgend
- Councillor Lesley Brennan, Dundee
- Councillor Brian Gordon, Dundee
- Councillor Georgia Cruickshank, Dundee
- Councillor Mark Rivers, Luton
- Councillor Dreda Gordon, St Albans
- Councillor Roma Mills, St Albans
- Councillor Paul Gleeson, Boston
- Councillor Maureen Bowen, Stafford
- Councillor Mike Roberts, Rushmoor
- Councillor Graham Thomas, Rhondda Cynon Taf
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