Jeremy Corbyn’s campaigns director, Simon Fletcher, once one of his closest advisers and a key architect of his leadership victory, has left to pursue other projects.
Fletcher, a former aide to Ed Miliband, led Corbyn’s campaign to become Labour leader in 2015. He was a senior adviser to Ken Livingstone as London mayor and one of the most powerful people in City Hall.
Sources suggested Fletcher had been feeling restless in his position as campaigns chief, after being moved from his previous job as Corbyn’s chief of staff last June and replaced by Karie Murphy.
Fletcher’s role was to provide “direction, advice, planning and delivery of campaigns, and our message on Jeremy’s behalf throughout the organisation, including preparations for the general election”.
In a statement confirming his departure, Fletcher said: “Working for Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership campaign and in the leader of the opposition’s office in parliament has been a huge privilege.
“I have worked with Jeremy for well over two decades and I will continue to support him and his leadership of the Labour party, and look forward to working together for many years to come.”
Corbyn released a statement thanking Fletcher. “Simon has played a vital role in shaping the new politics and building Labour’s campaign to rebuild and transform Britain,” he said. “I’ve known Simon for many years and we will continue to work together on the cause of social justice in Britain, and I wish him well in the future.”
Fletcher is the second former Livingstone aide to depart from Corbyn’s office in just over a year. The veteran Labour campaigner Neale Coleman quit as head of policy and rebuttal in January 2016, amid reports of Labour infighting.
Coleman was later hired by the Labour leadership challenger Owen Smith to be his chief policy adviser during last summer’s election. Corbyn’s head of media, Kevin Slocombe, among those hired by Fletcher, also stepped down last year to oversee communications for the Bristol mayor, Marvin Rees.
Unite’s political director, Anneliese Midgley, Fletcher’s former deputy, was among those mourning his departure on Friday afternoon.
Very sad to see him leave. Big loss. Love and luck for whatever he does in the future. X (2/2)
— Anneliese Midgley (@anneliese_midge) February 17, 2017
