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Corbynista mayor Jamie Driscoll quits Labour
Jamie Driscoll was blocked from standing for election in 2024 following a recent on-stage discussion with film director Ken Loach
July 17, 2023 16:10
Jamie Driscoll was blocked from standing for election in 2024 following a recent on-stage discussion with film director Ken Loach
July 17, 2023 16:10Jamie Driscoll, the North Tyne mayor who has been dubbed the “last Corbynista in power”, has resigned from the Labour Party after being prevented from running for election for the party again.
He was blocked from standing for election in 2024 following a recent on-stage discussion with Film Director Ken Loach.
During the discussion, Loach who was expelled from the party after Keir Starmer took office, said Labour had used the “lamest excuse I’ve ever heard” for not including Driscoll on the candidate list.
He added: “The whole antisemitism issue has been substantially revealed as a campaign that is not based on fact.
“It’s based on political determination to do a number of things, to remove people from the left, to protect the state of Israel, which many people, many Jewish people in the Labour Party, oppose, oppose this campaign.”
Announcing his departure from the party in an angry letter to Sir Keir, the far-left mayor said: "Given you have barred me from running as North East mayor, despite being incumbent mayor, I have no other choice.
"In 2020 you told me to my face that you would ‘inspire people to come together... disciplining people to be united is going nowhere.’ You've broken that promise."
Driscoll said: “millions of people feel the parties in Westminster don't speak for them.
"They want decisions made closer to home - and not by people who are controlled by party HQs in London."
He said he would continue in post as an independent and would seek to stand as an independent in the inaugural North East mayor election next year.
He made the announcement after Labour announced it had selected Kim McGuinness as its candidate for North East mayor.