North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll has resigned from Labour after being blocked by the party from running for another role in the North East.
The left-leaning mayor, who has been described as the “last Corbynista in power”, was last month barred from the longlist to run in the new expanded North East authority.
Mr Driscoll said on Monday that “people are tired of being controlled by Westminster and party HQs” as he lashed out Sir Keir Starmer for breaking promises.
He will continue as an independent in his current job and seek to contest next year’s North East mayoralty election independently.
“No other choice”
In a scathing resignation letter to the Labour leader, Mr Driscoll wrote: “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.
“You’ve U-turned on so many promises: £28 billion to tackle the climate emergency, free school meals, ending university tuition fees, reversing NHS privatisation; in fact, a list of broken promises too long to repeat in this letter.
“Please stop saying ‘I make no apologies for…’ before you find yourself saying ‘I make no apologies for making no apologies’.
“It is not grown-up politics to say Britain is broken and then claim things are now so difficult we will abandon any plan to fix it. That is mental gymnastics worthy of Olympic gold.”
Crowdfunder
Mr Driscoll promised to run in the North East contest if he raises £25,000 via a crowdfunder by the end of August.
He 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.”
The party’s move in June to bar Mr Driscoll from the North East contest prompted a furious backlash.
A senior Labour source at the time linked the decision to the mayor sharing a panel with filmmaker Ken Loach, who was expelled from the party amid efforts to root out antisemitism from the party.
“Factionalism”
But figures on the left of the party blamed “factionalism” under Sir Keir’s leadership, before trade union chiefs accused it of a “monumental own goal” by excluding Mr Driscoll.
Responding to his exit, a Labour spokesperson said: “The Labour Party is delighted that local party members have selected Kim McGuinness as our candidate for the North East mayoral election next year.
“With Keir Starmer as leader, the Labour Party is a changed party, relentlessly focussed on delivering for working people, and we make no apologies that Labour candidates are held to the highest standard.
“The Tories have let our region down, and as Labour mayor, Kim will be the strong voice the North East deserves.”
Asked about accusations of a purge of the left, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme: “We’ve always been a party that has people from all sorts of different views and perspectives and that needs to continue, that’s really important to who we are.
“It’s also important that we focus together on making sure we’ve got great candidates to stand for election and also that we’re ready to be able to try and form a Labour government.”