Labour leadership: Corbyn backs Long-Bailey as ‘our candidate’
Outgoing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has appeared to back Rebecca Long-Bailey in the race to succeed him, describing the business secretary as “our candidate for leader”.
Corbyn, who has so far avoided endorsing any candidate in the leadership contest, made the remark at a dinner to mark the retirement of former left-wing MP Ronnie Campbell, The Times reports.
“It’s an absolute pleasure to be here alongside Becky Long-Bailey, our candidate for leader,” he is reported to have said.
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“I’ve known Becky since we came in to parliament and we’ve worked very well together. She has done the most to develop our trade union policies.”
Long-Bailey, who is currently placed second in the contest behind Keir Starmer, has insisted she is “nobody’s continuity candidate”, despite giving Corbyn 10 out of 10 for his leadership.
Critics include former deputy leader Tom Watson, who has warned that she represents “Corbynism in its purest sense”, saying “we have lost two elections in that play”.
Unite boss Len McCluskey, who has also come out in support of Long-Bailey, has slammed moderate Labour MPs for threatening to resign if she is anointed the new leader come 4 April.
The union boss, who gave Corbyn his fulsome support over the last three years, said it would be “better to clear out now” following reports that some were considering jumping ship.
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