Stockport Momentum to Ann Coffey: “Do the honourable thing, trigger a by-election”

Below is the full text of Stockport Momentum’s statement on the resignation of their MP Ann Coffey from the Labour Party.

Stockport Momentum is saddened, but not surprised, to see Ann Coffey MP resign the Labour whip. 

For background, Ann has unfortunately distanced herself from the local party for many years now: not having attended a CLP meeting in nearly four years; failing to provide regular parliamentary reports for local members; removing any mention of the Labour Party from her social media accounts. To add insult to injury, Ann has also not made herself available to assist any of the Labour candidates standing in this year’s vital local elections.

Many of you will have campaigned tirelessly for Ann in the 2017 general election where she increased her majority standing on a Labour ticket to represent the labour movement with the backing of the most transformative and progressive manifesto in generations. By resigning from the Labour Party and remaining as a sitting MP Ann is unfortunately treating local members, and the wider electorate, with disdain.

No Labour MP gets elected without the many hours of campaigning by loyal local activists who give up their evenings and weekends, or without the backing of the national party with its funding, staff and proud history. If a Labour MP feels they can no longer support the party and its aims, they should resign from the Commons immediately and allow a by-election to take place, not take advantage of the party and its selfless activists by remaining in a highly remunerated position with no accountability to the people who worked to put them there. 

Being an elected representative of the Labour Party and wider movement isn’t just another “job” or “career”. It is a privilege to have the red rose appear beside your name on a ballot paper. You are the representative of the party, its members, the wider labour and trades union movement, and hundreds of years of struggle and sacrifice. 

To Ann, we say, do the honourable thing and trigger a by-election now. Have the courage of your convictions and give the people of Stockport the chance to elect a Labour MP who is ready to fight for, and deliver, the radical changes we need to improve people’s lives across the borough and beyond.

We look forward to Stockport CLP beginning the selection of a new PPC, and will do everything we can to ensure we return a Labour MP for Stockport who will proudly stand behind Labour’s progressive, socialist policy agenda, and who will treat our local members and activists with the massive respect they deserve.

In solidarity,

Stockport Momentum