News / Politics
Kerry backs Smith in letter as members split
Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy has written a letter of support for Owen Smith less than a week after members of her local Labour Party branch voted overwhelmingly to back Jeremy Corbyn.
In an email to her constituents, in which she also urged members to join a rally for Smith in Bristol this Wednesday, she said: “It is not enough to just be against things: we need to show people what a Labour government would do.”
McCarthy resigned from her role as shadow environment secretary and joined the majority of Labour MPs in a vote of no confidence in their leader. She was one of the first to show her support for challenger Smith.
She, along with her fellow Bristol Labour MPs, has since had campaign funds and support withdrawn by the local Communication Workers Union, based in Lawrence Hill. Her constituency members voted roughly 50-20 in favour of Corbyn last week.
In her latest email, she said: “During the last year, Owen has secured major victories over cruel Tory cuts to disability benefits and to support for low-paid workers, working with our colleagues in the Lords to force a U-turn on Tory tax credit plans.
“He is a master of technical detail and thus a credible voice on Labour policy, but can also speak with great passion and eloquence in defence of Labour values. It is this combination – credibility and passion – that I believe we need in a Labour Leader.
“We need to speak not just to those who already agree with us, but to those who need more convincing – and I think Owen would be a strong leader who can do just that.
“We also need a positive vision for the future. It is not enough to just be against things: we need to show people what a Labour government would do. Owen has clearly said that he is anti-austerity, but that he is also pro-prosperity: that he wants to build a better country where everyone can thrive.”
Pictured: Owen Smith, front left, and Kerry McCarthy, right. Photo from Owen Smith.
Read more: The Bristol Labour groups backing Corbyn
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