FOR THE FEW
Labour has become ‘too posh’ as MPs are worried voters won’t like Jeremy Corbyn on the doorstep
LABOUR has become “way too posh” and Jeremy Corbyn is a problem with voters on the doorstep, party insiders have admitted.
Retiring Labour MP Gloria de Piero warned that once rock solid seats across the ‘Red Wall’ are crumbling and are on the verge of being taken by the Tories.
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She warned Labour now faces a battle for the “soul” for the party and must urgently work out how to reconnect with its working class roots.
Meanwhile, shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth admitted Mr Corbyn comes up as a problem with voters on the doorstep.
Ms de Piero, who is standing down as the MP for the old coal mining area of Ashfield in Nottinghamshire, warned Labour faces a “tough” problem in their heartlands.
TOO POSH
She told BBC Andrew Marr Show: “All political party memberships are way too posh, but this is a particular problem for the Labour party, the workers party.
“What I would do is offer free membership for anyone on the minimum wage. That might help us get reconnected. We have to get back there.”
She added: “Don’t underestimate the massive swing to Tories in big Labour areas in 2017 - seats which are now quite low-hanging fruit. That makes me really worried.
All political party memberships are way too posh, but this is a particular problem for the Labour party, the workers party.
Gloria De Piero
“If that red wall that we talk about, those Labour heartlands, if they fall to the Tories, we have to resolve never ever again will these seats be on the table.
“They are not just Parliamentary seats, they are seats of our soul. They are us. They are heartlands.”
She said a lot of voters are fed up with Labour and could end up voting for a third party and letting once rock solid red seats turn blue on December 12.
ON THE DOORSTEP
Meanwhile, pressed on Labour’s problems on the doorstep, Mr Ahworth admitted: ”Well I hear people raising issues around Jeremy Corbyn, I hear people raising issues around Boris Johnson.”
Mr Corbyn is reportedly preparing to quit if he loses the election on Thursday and hand over to John McDonnell to be a caretaker leader.
Mr McDonnell is planning a review of the party’s defeat and leadership structure as the hard-left scramble to try to keep their control over the party, The Sunday Times reported.
And he plans to make his protégé Rebecca Long-Bailey shadow chancellor as he tries to pave her way to be the next party leader.
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But he wants to wait until next autumn for the party to elect its next leader – a move that would spark fury among Labour MPs.
There is expected to be a huge stampede of MPs who will run to be the next leader.
Ms Long-Bailey, Laura Pidcock and Angela Rayner all expected to throw their hats into the ring.
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