SIR Keir Starmer was today slammed as a gold medallist in “mental gymnastics” by a furious Labour Mayor as he quit the party.
In a bitter resignation letter, North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll accused the opposition chief of abandoning “grown up politics” and being “not interested in hope and change”.
North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll quit the Labour Party today and will continue serving his term as an independent
In a scathing resignation letter he accused Sir Keir Starmer of being “not interested in hope and change”
Jamie Driscoll also accused Sir Keir of being a gold medallist in flip-flopping on policy promises
The Corbynista mayor vowed to carry out his term as an independent.
And he even set up an online fundraiser, promising to fight his old party at the next mayoral election if he raises £25,000 by the end of August.
Mr Driscoll had been locked in dispute with Labour HQ for weeks after he was blocked by party chiefs from standing for a new role in the North East.
The mayor’s candidacy was blocked after he appeared on a panel with the film director Ken Loach, who has been criticised by Jewish community leaders for saying in response to questions about Holocaust denial that “history is for us all to discuss”.
In his letter to Sir Keir, Mr Driscoll fumed: “In 2020 you told me to my face that you would inspire people to come together … disciplining people to be united is going nowhere.
“You’ve broken that promise.
“You’ve U-turned on so many promises… a list of broken promises too long to repeat in this letter.
“Please stop saying ‘I make no apologies for…’ before you find yourself saying ‘I make no apologies for making no apologies’.”
The angry mayor added: “It is not grown-up politics to say Britain is broken and then claim things are now so difficult we will abandon any plan to fix it. That is mental gymnastics worthy of Olympic gold.
“Millions of people feel the parties in Westminster don’t speak for them.
“They want decisions made closer to home – and not by people who are controlled by party HQs in London.”
Tory MPs this afternoon highlighted that even Labour members are sick of Sir Keir changing his mind about policies and back tracking on promises.
Just yesterday the opposition boss confirmed his party WON’T scrap the two-child benefit cap.
Labour Deputy Leader Angela Rayner previously described the cap as “obscene and inhumane”.
And earlier this month Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Jonathan Ashworth hinted the policy should go.
Tory MP Jacob Young said: “The most senior Labour Politician in the North East and their only North Eastern Mayor – resigns from the Labour Party and slams Keir Starmer’s pile of broken promises.
“No plan. No principles. No thanks.”
