Fifteen former Labour MPs take out newspaper advert urging voters to reject Jeremy Corbyn
2 min read
Fifteen Labour MPs have launched a campaign urging voters not to back Jeremy Corbyn at the general election.
The group has put their names to full page adverts in a number of local and regional newspapers in the north of England.
The ad, organised by the Mainstream campaign group, says that Mr Corbyn's failure to tackle Labour anti-semitism, as well as his record on national security, mean they cannot support his bid to become Prime Minister.
Former ministers Ian Austin, Ivan Lewis and Tom Harris are among the MPs who have put their name to the advert.
Others include noted Corbyn critics Mike Gapes, Gisela Sturart, Chris Leslie, Louise Ellman, Gavin Shuker and John Woodcock, as well as Anne Coffey, Jim Dowd and Rob Flello.
The advert, which will be seen by voters in a number of key Labour seats being targeted by the Tories, says: “Everyone wants a safer, fairer society. But in this election the Labour Party is set to deliver the opposite.
"We were all lifelong Labour voters and all former Labour MPs. We are voting for different parties at this election, but we have all come to the difficult decision not to vote Labour.
"We know it's a hard decision for Labour supporters to make. It was for us, too. But millions of people who have voted Labour all their lives now think the risk of Jeremy Corbyn getting into Number 10 is too great.
"The party has changed. Labour is no longer the party we have supported all our lives."
The group of former MPs cite Jeremy Corbyn’s record on antisemitism and extremism, as well as his views on national security as core in their decision not to back Labour this Thursday.
Ian Austin, who is chair of Mainstream, said: "This is a hard decision for Labour supporters to make. It was extremely difficult for me and the other former Labour MPs involved too. But the risk is just too great. If Jeremy Corbyn enters Downing Street on Friday 13th, it would be a disaster for the United Kingdom.
"The Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn has changed beyond recognition. It is no longer the party myself and millions of other Labour voters supported all our lives. I’m urging all decent Labour voters not to back Jeremy Corbyn on Thursday."
Labour has been approached for comment.
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