AN ELECTED Labour mayor who was barred by the party from standing in May’s mayoral election has launched his election campaign standing as an independent.
North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll attacked Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in a packed community hall in Sunderland on Thursday night asking: “What if – it’s a general election year – Keir Starmer says, ‘here’s my 10 pledges’ – would you trust him to keep them?”
He criticised Labour MPs and other politicians who changed their positions each time a policy was altered by the leadership.
“The day I left the Labour Party was the day Labour said they would adopt the Conservative policy of the two-child benefit cap — a policy that plunged 250,000 kids into poverty at a stroke,” he said.
“And all those Labour frontbenchers – and Labour mayoral candidates – who’d said that policy was ‘heinous’ and ‘cruel’ changed their tune, and said, ‘ah, well, you know, public finances,’ and meekly swallowed the party line that it’s OK to keep children in poverty.
“What’s the bloody point of politicians who can’t think their own thoughts?
“If you want a nodding dog, get one off eBay for a fiver. We can save the £93,000-a-year MP’s salary.”
Mr Driscoll’s North of Tyne mayoral constituency will disappear in May when a larger constituency, the North East, is created.
He intended to stand for election as mayor of the new constituency but was excluded from the selection process by Labour at a national level.
Mr Driscoll resigned from the Labour Party and declared his intention to stand as an independent.
In his speech at his campaign launch, Mr Driscoll said: “I want this government out as much as anyone. I’ve worked with them close up for the past five years. We’ve had lies and corruption and incompetence.
“So if you want to vote them out in the general election, then do us all a favour.
“But don’t hold your breath for change. You might get a different orchestra, but they’ll be playing the same tune.”
Labour’s candidate for the mayoral election is Kim McGuinness who is Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner.
