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| Corbyn vows to remain Labour leader – but says Brexit has changed UK | Corbyn vows to remain Labour leader – but says Brexit has changed UK |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Jeremy Corbyn has made it clear that he does not believe his leadership contributed to Labour’s byelection defeat in Copeland and he will not be stepping down. | |
| The Labour leader admitted he was disappointed by the result in the Cumbrian constituency, which has been held by Labour since 1935 and represents the first byelection gain by a governing party in 35 years. | |
| But he highlighted his party’s victory in Stoke-on-Trent Central over the Ukip leader, Paul Nuttall. “You shouldn’t underestimate the defeat for Ukip in a city they began to call their own. It is a very significant turning point in British politics,” Corbyn said, claiming that the media had assumed Labour would be defeated in Stoke. | |
| Asked by a journalist if he had looked in the mirror to ask whether Labour’s problems were his fault, he responded with a curt “no”. | |
| Corbyn had earlier insisted to broadcasters that he would not step down, despite questions about his leadership after the byelection results. | |
| “I was elected to lead this party, I was elected to lead this party to oppose austerity and to oppose redistribution of wealth in the wrong direction, which is what this government is doing. We will continue our campaigning work on the NHS, on social care and on housing,” he said. | |
| But allies have argued that the Labour leader must take responsibility for the “disastrous” result in Copeland. The general secretary of Unison , Dave Prentis, said: “No one [who is] objective could argue last night’s byelection results were good for Labour. While it was pleasing to see Ukip put in its place, Stoke should never have been in doubt and the result in Copeland was disastrous. | |
| “The blame for these results does not lie solely with Jeremy Corbyn, but he must take responsibility for what happens next,” Prentis added, arguing that nurses, teaching assistants, care workers and ordinary people needed a Labour government. | “The blame for these results does not lie solely with Jeremy Corbyn, but he must take responsibility for what happens next,” Prentis added, arguing that nurses, teaching assistants, care workers and ordinary people needed a Labour government. |
| “Jeremy has to show he understands how to turn things around and deliver just that.” | “Jeremy has to show he understands how to turn things around and deliver just that.” |
| Prentis’s words came as Corbyn delivered a speech in which he acknowledged that Brexit posed a significant challenge for Labour, but insisted that it would be wrong to focus only on remain or leave voters. | Prentis’s words came as Corbyn delivered a speech in which he acknowledged that Brexit posed a significant challenge for Labour, but insisted that it would be wrong to focus only on remain or leave voters. |
| “Britain’s political landscape has shifted, with people starting to identify their values and political direction through the prism of leave and remain, cutting across traditional left and right,” he said. | “Britain’s political landscape has shifted, with people starting to identify their values and political direction through the prism of leave and remain, cutting across traditional left and right,” he said. |
| Some Labour MPs are concerned that the shockwaves that have followed from the Brexit vote could lead the party to suffer electoral collapse in some of its heartlands, as Labour did after the Scottish independence referendum in 2014. | Some Labour MPs are concerned that the shockwaves that have followed from the Brexit vote could lead the party to suffer electoral collapse in some of its heartlands, as Labour did after the Scottish independence referendum in 2014. |
| The Tories’ victory in Copeland underlined fears that Theresa May’s pledge to deliver a “red, white and blue Brexit” appears to be allowing her party to make inroads into historical Labour territory. | The Tories’ victory in Copeland underlined fears that Theresa May’s pledge to deliver a “red, white and blue Brexit” appears to be allowing her party to make inroads into historical Labour territory. |
| In his speech, Corbyn conceded that Labour’s message had not come across in Copeland and said the party would “go further to reconnect with our supporters”. He said the party must continue to straddle the divide between leave and remain voters, instead of representing only those who want to “stop the Brexit juggernaut”. | In his speech, Corbyn conceded that Labour’s message had not come across in Copeland and said the party would “go further to reconnect with our supporters”. He said the party must continue to straddle the divide between leave and remain voters, instead of representing only those who want to “stop the Brexit juggernaut”. |
| Labour would “rise to the democratic challenge set before us, to represent the whole country and bring people together”, Corbyn said. “Labour is determined that Britain will not turn in on itself, but instead play a positive and proactive role in Europe’s future.” | Labour would “rise to the democratic challenge set before us, to represent the whole country and bring people together”, Corbyn said. “Labour is determined that Britain will not turn in on itself, but instead play a positive and proactive role in Europe’s future.” |
| In Copeland, on a turnout of 51%, the Conservative candidate, Trudy Harrison, won 13,748 votes, with Labour’s Gillian Troughton trailing on 11,601. The Liberal Democrat candidate, Rebecca Hanson, came third with 2,252. | In Copeland, on a turnout of 51%, the Conservative candidate, Trudy Harrison, won 13,748 votes, with Labour’s Gillian Troughton trailing on 11,601. The Liberal Democrat candidate, Rebecca Hanson, came third with 2,252. |
| In the Stoke-on-Trent Central byelection, Gareth Snell saw off a challenge from Nuttall, calling it a “decisive rejection of Ukip’s politics of division”. | In the Stoke-on-Trent Central byelection, Gareth Snell saw off a challenge from Nuttall, calling it a “decisive rejection of Ukip’s politics of division”. |
| Corbyn suffered a rebellion of more than 50 MPs, and several frontbench resignations, despite imposing a three-line whip, when the government’s Brexit bill passed through the House of Commons earlier this month. But Labour now hopes to move the debate on to the nature of Brexit. | Corbyn suffered a rebellion of more than 50 MPs, and several frontbench resignations, despite imposing a three-line whip, when the government’s Brexit bill passed through the House of Commons earlier this month. But Labour now hopes to move the debate on to the nature of Brexit. |
| Corbyn said May had been in a “phoney war”, in which she has made a series of demands from the rest of the EU, but does not know what deal she will get when negotiations begin in earnest. | Corbyn said May had been in a “phoney war”, in which she has made a series of demands from the rest of the EU, but does not know what deal she will get when negotiations begin in earnest. |
| He said Labour would continue to campaign against what he called the “harsh, free-market, small-state dogma” of a “Tory Brexit”. | He said Labour would continue to campaign against what he called the “harsh, free-market, small-state dogma” of a “Tory Brexit”. |
| Downing Street was jubilant after Harrison took Copeland, which was last held by the Tories in the 1930s when it was named Whitehaven. | Downing Street was jubilant after Harrison took Copeland, which was last held by the Tories in the 1930s when it was named Whitehaven. |
| Corbyn was expected to travel to Stoke later on Friday to congratulate Snell for holding Stoke-on-Trent Central, despite Labour’s share of the vote falling by 2%. | Corbyn was expected to travel to Stoke later on Friday to congratulate Snell for holding Stoke-on-Trent Central, despite Labour’s share of the vote falling by 2%. |
| The byelections were held as a result of the resignations of two Labour MPs, Tristram Hunt and Jamie Reed, both fierce critics of Corbyn. | The byelections were held as a result of the resignations of two Labour MPs, Tristram Hunt and Jamie Reed, both fierce critics of Corbyn. |
| Labour MPs are privately despondent about the Copeland result, with some who campaigned locally blaming Corbyn’s leadership, which they say came up repeatedly among voters on doorsteps. | Labour MPs are privately despondent about the Copeland result, with some who campaigned locally blaming Corbyn’s leadership, which they say came up repeatedly among voters on doorsteps. |
| Many are keeping quiet given Corbyn’s second resounding victory in the leadership election last September, but the veteran Labour MP David Winnick suggested he should consider his position. | Many are keeping quiet given Corbyn’s second resounding victory in the leadership election last September, but the veteran Labour MP David Winnick suggested he should consider his position. |
| “The party is faced with the problem of a leader who is simply not acceptable to a large number of people who would normally vote Labour,” he said. | “The party is faced with the problem of a leader who is simply not acceptable to a large number of people who would normally vote Labour,” he said. |
| “That it is an obstacle and it would be wrong not to recognise that. It is now entirely up to Jeremy and those close to him to decide what is best in the interests not simply of the party, but the people we are in politics to represent.” | “That it is an obstacle and it would be wrong not to recognise that. It is now entirely up to Jeremy and those close to him to decide what is best in the interests not simply of the party, but the people we are in politics to represent.” |
| However, Corbyn’s close ally, the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, blamed disunity, including recent criticisms of Labour’s stance on Brexit by Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson, for undermining the party’s support. | However, Corbyn’s close ally, the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, blamed disunity, including recent criticisms of Labour’s stance on Brexit by Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson, for undermining the party’s support. |
| And Ian Lavery, the party’s joint elections coordinator, told the Guardian that the leadership was not raised when he was in Copeland. “Honestly, Jeremy Corbyn did not come up when I was knocking on doors,” he said. | And Ian Lavery, the party’s joint elections coordinator, told the Guardian that the leadership was not raised when he was in Copeland. “Honestly, Jeremy Corbyn did not come up when I was knocking on doors,” he said. |
| However, Lavery said voters told him that they could not back a divided party. “Disunity is one of the major issues,” he said, claiming that a show of unity “[would] shave points off” the Conservatives’ poll lead overnight. | However, Lavery said voters told him that they could not back a divided party. “Disunity is one of the major issues,” he said, claiming that a show of unity “[would] shave points off” the Conservatives’ poll lead overnight. |
| Lavery admitted it was a hugely disappointing night in Copeland, but argued that it had not been a safe bet. | Lavery admitted it was a hugely disappointing night in Copeland, but argued that it had not been a safe bet. |
| “Copeland was not a good result, it is a heartland we have had control of for many years, but it is a marginal [seat] and has been since 1997. Since then it has been in decline. We need bold and imaginative policies.” | “Copeland was not a good result, it is a heartland we have had control of for many years, but it is a marginal [seat] and has been since 1997. Since then it has been in decline. We need bold and imaginative policies.” |
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| Kezia Dugdale, the Scottish Labour leader, blamed the party’s defeat in Copeland on Labour’s “collective failure” to heal the divisions which tore it apart during recent leadership elections. | |
| Pressed on the causes of its historic defeat in the Cumbrian constituency, Dugdale repeatedly refused to blame Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and policies, and rejected suggestions he now needed to consider resignation. | |
| “Divided parties are not appealing to the electorate,” Dugdale told a fringe meeting at Scottish Labour’s spring conference in Perth on Friday morning. “Given I’m here at this conference in Perth under the banner ‘together we’re stronger’, I’m not in the business of being critical about anyone. There’s clearly a collective failure of the party putting their platform to the people of Copeland. But at the same time it did succeed in Stoke and I’m very proud of that.” | |
| Scores of Scottish activists and party officials were sent to support the party’s campaign in Copeland. The repercussions of its defeat there will be felt in Scotland, where Labour is suffering the worst slump in its popularity since World War Two. | |
| Asked whether she would consider resigning as Scottish leader in similar circumstances, she said: “There is a collective responsibility across the whole of the Labour party to heal the divisions and disunity of the past. | |
| “If we were a united party, we would be in a much fitter state to fight future contests and I intend to do that, side by side with Jeremy Corbyn.” |