Rebecca Long Bailey has said that she was removed from the shadow cabinet before having a chance to hold discussions she had requested with Labour leader Keir Starmer.
The former shadow education secretary said that Starmer made his decision to ask her to stand down despite her posting a statement agreed with his office clarifying an earlier expression of support for actor Maxine Peake.
But the Salford and Eccles MP indicated she was not seeking confrontation with Starmer, insisting she will continue to support his leadership from the backbenchers.
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Ms Long Bailey was sacked after retweeting approvingly an interview in which Ms Peake made allegations about Israeli security forces.
In a string of tweets issues minutes after her removal, she set out her side of the dramatic dismissal.
1/8 Keir Starmer
The former director of public prosecutions undoubtedly has announced that he is standing for the leadership. He is highly-regarded by both left-wingers and centrists in the party. As Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary, he played a key role in the party’s eventual backing of a second referendum.
Before becoming an MP, he was a human rights lawyer – conducting cases in international courts including the European Court of Human Rights. Launching his bid, Starmer said that Labour must listen to the public on how to change “restore trust in our party as a force for good.”
A YouGov poll places him comfortably in the lead as the preferred candidate of 36% of party members
EPA
2/8 Lisa Nandy
Wigan MP Lisa Nandy has announced she wil stand for the leadership. In a letter to the Wigan Post she said she wanted to bring Labour “home” to voters in its traditional strongholds who have abandoned the party. Nandy went on to say that she understands “that we have one chance to win back the trust of people in Wigan, Workington and Wrexham.” A YouGov poll shows that Nandy is the first preference for 6% of partymembers.
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3/8 Rebecca Long Bailey
A key ally of the current left-wing leadership of the party, the Salford & Eccles MP is viewed in some quarters as the natural successor to Mr Corbyn and describes herself as a “proud socialist”. Highly regarded by the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell. She won also won plaudits for her performance filling in for Corbyn both at prime minister’s questions and during the general election debates.
The shadow business secretary grew up by Old Trafford football ground and began her working life serving at the counter of a pawn shop.
Launching her leadership bid, Long Bailey said the party needs to make the positive case for immigration as a “positive force.” She also broke with Corbyn over Trident, saying “If you have a deterrent you have to be prepared to use it.”
PA
4/8 Angela Rayner – Deputy leadership
Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner has joined the contest for deputy leadership of the party. After ruling herself out of running for the leadership, the Ashton-under-Lynne MP launched her bid for deputy warning that Labour faces the “biggest challenge” in its history and must “win or die.” She is close with leadership contender Rebecca Long Bailey
PA
5/8 Rosena Allin-Khan – Deputy leadership
Shadow sport minister Rosena Allin-Khan said Labour need to listen with “humility” to lost voters as she launched her bid for the deputy leadership. Writing in The Independent, the MP for Tooting refelcted: “We shouldn’t have ignored the warning signs in Scotland, and now we’ve paid the price in northern England, across the midlands and in Wales.”
PA
6/8 Dawn Butler – Deputy leadership
Shadow women and equalities secretary Dawn Butler was first to announce her bid for the deputy leadership. The Brent Central MP has served in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet since 2016
PA
7/8 Ian Murray – Deputy leadership
Labour’s only MP in Scotland said that the architects of the party’s “catastrophic failure” in the December election can not be allowed to lead the party forward
PA
8/8 Richard Burgon – Deputy leadership
Shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon is standing as a continuity candidate, flaunting his loyalty to Jeremy Corbyn and saying it is wrong to blame the current leader for the election defeat
PA
1/8 Keir Starmer
The former director of public prosecutions undoubtedly has announced that he is standing for the leadership. He is highly-regarded by both left-wingers and centrists in the party. As Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary, he played a key role in the party’s eventual backing of a second referendum.
Before becoming an MP, he was a human rights lawyer – conducting cases in international courts including the European Court of Human Rights. Launching his bid, Starmer said that Labour must listen to the public on how to change “restore trust in our party as a force for good.”
A YouGov poll places him comfortably in the lead as the preferred candidate of 36% of party members
EPA
2/8 Lisa Nandy
Wigan MP Lisa Nandy has announced she wil stand for the leadership. In a letter to the Wigan Post she said she wanted to bring Labour “home” to voters in its traditional strongholds who have abandoned the party. Nandy went on to say that she understands “that we have one chance to win back the trust of people in Wigan, Workington and Wrexham.” A YouGov poll shows that Nandy is the first preference for 6% of partymembers.
Getty
3/8 Rebecca Long Bailey
A key ally of the current left-wing leadership of the party, the Salford & Eccles MP is viewed in some quarters as the natural successor to Mr Corbyn and describes herself as a “proud socialist”. Highly regarded by the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell. She won also won plaudits for her performance filling in for Corbyn both at prime minister’s questions and during the general election debates.
The shadow business secretary grew up by Old Trafford football ground and began her working life serving at the counter of a pawn shop.
Launching her leadership bid, Long Bailey said the party needs to make the positive case for immigration as a “positive force.” She also broke with Corbyn over Trident, saying “If you have a deterrent you have to be prepared to use it.”
PA
4/8 Angela Rayner – Deputy leadership
Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner has joined the contest for deputy leadership of the party. After ruling herself out of running for the leadership, the Ashton-under-Lynne MP launched her bid for deputy warning that Labour faces the “biggest challenge” in its history and must “win or die.” She is close with leadership contender Rebecca Long Bailey
PA
5/8 Rosena Allin-Khan – Deputy leadership
Shadow sport minister Rosena Allin-Khan said Labour need to listen with “humility” to lost voters as she launched her bid for the deputy leadership. Writing in The Independent, the MP for Tooting refelcted: “We shouldn’t have ignored the warning signs in Scotland, and now we’ve paid the price in northern England, across the midlands and in Wales.”
PA
6/8 Dawn Butler – Deputy leadership
Shadow women and equalities secretary Dawn Butler was first to announce her bid for the deputy leadership. The Brent Central MP has served in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet since 2016
PA
7/8 Ian Murray – Deputy leadership
Labour’s only MP in Scotland said that the architects of the party’s “catastrophic failure” in the December election can not be allowed to lead the party forward
PA
8/8 Richard Burgon – Deputy leadership
Shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon is standing as a continuity candidate, flaunting his loyalty to Jeremy Corbyn and saying it is wrong to blame the current leader for the election defeat
PA
She insisted that she had not intended to endorse these comments, but was signalling approval for the long-time Labour supporter’s criticism of the Conservative government and call for party unity elsewhere in the interview.
Ms Long Bailey said she agreed a message clarifying this point with Sir Keir’s office and sent it out on Twitter, only to be told to delete it along with her original comment.
She said she sought talks with the leader to discuss what to do, but “sadly he had already made his decision”.
Ms Long Bailey’s messages read: “Today I retweeted an interview that my constituent and stalwart Labour Party supporter Maxine Peake gave to The Independent.
“Its main thrust was anger with the Conservative government’s handling of the current emergency and a call for Labour Party unity.
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“These are sentiments are shared by everyone in our movement and millions of people in our country.”
She added: “I learned that many people were concerned by references to international sharing of training and restraint techniques between police and security forces.
“In no way was my retweet an intention to endorse every part of that article.
“I wished to acknowledge these concerns and duly issued a clarification of my retweet, with the wording agreed in advance by the Labour Party leader’s office, but after posting I was subsequently instructed to take both this agreed clarification and my original retweet down.
“I could not do this in good conscience without the issuing of a press statement of clarification.
“I had asked to discuss these matters with Keir before agreeing what further action to take, but sadly he had already made his decision.”
Ms Long Bailey said: “I am proud of the policies we have developed within the party from our Green Industrial Revolution to a National Education Service and I will never stop working for the change our communities need to see.
“I am clear that I shall continue to support the Labour Party in Parliament under Keir Starmer’s leadership, to represent the people of Salford and Eccles and work towards a more equal, peaceful and sustainable world.”
