Left-wing mayor Jamie Driscoll quits Labour after party blocked his candidacy

The serving North of Tyne mayor will seek to stand as an independent in the election for the new expanded North East authority.

North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll has resigned from Labour after being blocked by the party from running for another role in the North East.

The left-leaning mayor, who has been described as the “last Corbynista in power”, was last month barred from the longlist to run in the new expanded North East authority.

Mr Driscoll said on Monday that “people are tired of being controlled by Westminster and party HQs” as he lashed out Sir Keir Starmer for breaking promises.

He now serves as the independent North of Tyne mayor and will seek to run as an independent in next year’s North East mayoralty election.

In a scathing resignation letter to the Labour leader, Mr Driscoll wrote: “Given you have barred me from running as North East mayor, despite being incumbent mayor, I have no other choice.

“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: £28 billion to tackle the climate emergency, free school meals, ending university tuition fees, reversing NHS privatisation; in fact, 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’.

“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.”

Mr Driscoll promised to run in the North East contest if he raises £25,000 via a crowdfunder by the end of August.

He said: “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.”