Former Labour MP Ian Austin launched an attack on the party’s leadership hopefuls today, saying their debates are a “joke”.
Mr Austin, who quit Labour over Jeremy Corbyn and anti-Semitism, said they were not addressing the “massive questions” facing the UK.
Writing in today’s Standard, he said: “The leadership debates are a joke. They blame their defeat on the media, attacks on Corbyn or even the voters. They seem to have spent longer debating trans rights than housing or jobs. I’ve not heard a word about welfare reform or massive questions such as equipping Britain for artificial intelligence and globalisation.”
He warned that while Mr Corbyn is standing down, the “extremists” who joined to support him have not gone away. He also hit out at the frontrunner to replace Mr Corbyn, saying: “Even Sir Keir Starmer — supposedly the credible candidate — loyally served in Corbyn’s top team, said he backed him ‘100 per cent’, campaigned to make him prime minister and praised his radicalism.
“All he seems to talk about is unity — but voters don’t want to see him uniting with Corbyn and the cranks and conspiracy theorists. They want the extremists and racists booted out.” Mr Austin, who quit at the election and urged voters to back Boris Johnson, added: “Labour is on life support.”
