EXCL Top Jeremy Corbyn aide quits ... to work for Momentum
2 min read
A top aide to Jeremy Corbyn has left her job to go and work for Momentum, PolitcsHome has learned.
Laura Parker has been the Labour leader's political secretary for the past two years.
She is the latest senior figure to leave Mr Corbyn's office since he became leader in 2015.
One Labour source said: "Laura is awesome - great at her job and hugely-respected across the party. She'll be a big loss to the operation."
Another said there was friction between Ms Parker and Karie Murphy, Mr Corbyn's chief of staff.
"They would have stand up rows on the eighth floor of HQ during the election campaign," said the insider.
It is not known what role she has taken up with Momentum. The pro-Corbyn campaign group has been approached for comment.
Labour bosses have launched the search for Ms Parker's replacement, with a job ad saying the successful candidate will be responsible for "ensuring the leader's meetings are properly prepared, briefed and minuted, ensuring that correspondence is dealt with efficiently and to the highest standard".
It adds: "The successful candidate will have experience of working with senior politicians and stakeholders in a senior political office, knowledge of current affairs and particularly UK politics."
A Labour spokesman said: "We do not comment on staffing matters."
It emerged earlier this month that Patrick Heneghan was standing down as Labour's Executive Director of Elections, Organisations and Campaigns after nearly 15 years with the party.
PoliticsHome also revealed last month that Steve Howell, who had been Mr Corbyn's deputy director of communications, was leaving after six months in the role.
In March, Jayne Fisher quit after just two months as Mr Corbyn's "head of stakeholder engagement". She was joined by Matt Zarb-Cousin, who had been the Labour boss's media spokesman for 10 months.
Earlier the same month, economic policy chief Mike Hatchett also left after just a year in the job.
A host of other senior figures have left the leader's office during Mr Corbyn's time in charge, including director of campaigns and planning Simon Fletcher earlier this year, along with head of policy Neale Coleman and deputy chief of staff Anneliese Midgley, who both resigned last year.
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