Welsh Minister says UK Labour is wrong to ban left-winger from candidate selection contest

Martin Shipton

A Welsh Government Minister has criticised UK Labour’s decision to block a popular politician from standing for the new post of Mayor of North East England.

Jamie Driscoll, currently Mayor of North Tyneside, has been given no reason for his exclusion from Labour’s longlist of candidates for the expanded role.

But party sources have suggested he is regarded as unacceptable because he participated in an event involving the veteran socialist film director Ken Loach, who was expelled by Labour for alleged antisemitism.

It has also been suggested that Mr Driscoll was dropped because of his support for left-wing policies espoused by the party under Jeremy Corbyn that have now been ditched following its rightward drift under Sir Keir Starmer.

Reacting to the news that Mr Driscoll has been banned from putting his name forward for selection as Labour’s candidate for North East Mayor, in advance of the election next May, Wales’ Deputy Transport Minister Lee Waters tweeted: “This is very very silly. I met with Jamie a number of times to discuss the Foundational Economy. His thinking is well within the Labour tradition and deserves a chance to be put to the membership.”

Mr Waters, who was previously Deputy Economy Minister, is one of a number of prominent Labour politicians to have spoken out publicly in criticism of the ban.

National Executive Committee

In a letter to Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC), the body which decided to block Mr Driscoll’s candidacy, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotherham called for the left-wing former Newcastle councillor to be given a second chance.

They wrote: “We wish to express our concern to you and other members of the NEC about the handling of the selection process for the North East Mayor. While we appreciate the NEC’s important role in upholding standards within the party, and rooting out any form of antisemitism, racism, and discrimination, it also has a responsibility to ensure decisions are democratic, transparent and fair. To exclude a sitting mayor from a selection process with no right of appeal appears to us to be none of those things.

“At the very least, we believe Jamie Driscoll should be entitled to a process of appeal with the ability to put his case to an NEC panel. We consider this to be a reasonable request and would be grateful if the NEC would give it serious consideration.

“We have worked closely with Jamie and seen first hand the good work he has done as mayor. He has taken a constructive, non-partisan approach to his work, as shown by his success in delivering a new devolution deal with government for the North East. He has also been a valuable member of our M10 group of mayors. We believe he deserves to be treated with more respect than he has so far been shown.”

Take out

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham, whose union is one of Labour’s biggest donors, said: “What is emerging from Labour is a pattern of behaviour to literally take out any MP or mayor who backs key manifesto demands on the re-nationalisation of energy, action on rampant profiteering and investment in UK steel.

“If Labour remains intent on only selecting nodding heads then it will continue to make serious policy mistakes, as we saw last week with its lack of detail on the announcement on the North Sea, affecting literally thousands of workers .

“These actions by Labour are a major mistake and have serious consequences.”

Earlier Mr Driscoll himself tweeted: ““I’m proud to have created thousands of jobs, fought child poverty, built affordable homes and delivered our Green New Deal. I believe in democracy,” he wrote, urging others to “share if you do too”.

A screenshot purportedly of the letter sent to Mr Driscoll by a party official says that one of the NEC’s key functions “is to win elections”.

Having carefully considered his answers given as part of the selection and “in furtherance of that key function”, Driscoll would “regretfully” not be progressing as a candidate.

Mr Loach was expelled from Labour after claiming that allegations of antisemitism in the party had been exaggerated and weaponised to undermine Mr Corbyn when he was leader.

Films

Defending his appearance at an event where he discussed Mr Loach’s films with the award-winning director, Mr Driscoll told Sky TV: “There’s only been three feature films set in the North East in a couple of decades – I, Daniel Blake, Sorry We Missed You and now The Old Oak, so it’s a big culturally significant issue for the North East, and to talk to him about films is, I think, entirely justified.

“I share platforms with all sorts of people. A couple of weeks ago I was on a platform with (Conservative Tees Valley mayor) Ben Houchen. That does not mean I endorse the Tories’ economic policies.”

In 2021 First Minister Mark Drakeford was criticised for speaking at a fringe event at the Labour Party conference whose other speakers included Mr Loach.

Jeff Jones, a former Labour leader of Bridgend council, said the purging of Mr Driscoll raised concerns about whether the party’s NEC could interfere in future candidate selections in Wales.

He said: “Will they decide who can stand to succeed Mark Drakeford as Welsh Labour leader and First Minister? And if closed lists are introduced for Senedd election candidates, will they decide who can go before the members?”