The favourite to become the first North East mayor says she has "no say" over the barring of her main rival from Labour’s selection contest.
Kim McGuinness has spoken for the first time on the controversy that has engulfed Labour over recent days, since Jamie Driscoll was excluded from a longlist of candidates competing for a place in next year’s mayoral election. The Labour selection race had long been expected to be a straight fight between Ms McGuinness, the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner and a staunch ally of Sir Keir Starmer, and the sitting North of Tyne mayor.
Whoever claims Labour’s nomination will be the clear favourite to become the mayor of a new, larger combined authority covering all of Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and County Durham. But the process has now become the subject of a major political feud. Party sources have said it was “impossible” to allow the left-wing Mr Driscoll to seek the North East mayoral nomination after he shared a stage with film director Ken Loach, who had previously been expelled from Labour amid efforts to root out antisemitism.
But figures on the left have accused the leadership of “out of control” factionalism, with Sir Keir under pressure from some unions and the likes of Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to at least grant Mr Driscoll an appeal against the ruling of the National Executive Committee (NEC). Ms McGuinness told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “The longlisting decision is a matter for the Labour Party's NEC. Myself and the other longlisted candidates have no say over this matter.
“My focus now is on speaking to members and setting out the details of my Plan for The North East. Just this week new research showed child poverty in the North East is actually getting worse. I want to be the mayor who reverses that and creates real opportunity across the region.
“So if elected mayor, every time I am asked to make a decision on investment in our region, my first question will always be: what does this project do to end child poverty? If it can't pass that test, it won't receive my mayoral backing.”
Mr Driscoll has discussed the possibility of legal action against the Labour Party over his exclusion, though that is thought to be unlikely, and there is also now the prospect of him running in 2024 as an independent. Another of the three candidates who did make Labour’s longlist has called the North of Tyne mayor’s absence a “surprise”.
Nicu Ion, a councillor in Newcastle’s West End, added that he would “leave this matter to be sorted between Jamie and Labour North following all the institutional democratic processes”. Coun Ion, who made history in 2021 as the first Roma migrant to be elected in the UK, said that his manifesto will include pledges to support more people into careers in green industries and to build more sustainable housing.
He added: “I think I have the leadership skills, I have the great vision, and I have he passion about our region. At times like this, when everyone is struggling, we need strong leadership, we need people with vision, and who have the skills to delivery the best for the people of the North East.”
The LDRS has also made attempts to contact Paul Brannen, the third name on Labour’s longlist, but the former MEP has not responded. At time of writing, Mr Brannen had not addressed his candidacy on his social media channels.
Local Labour groups and Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) will nominate their chosen candidates over the coming days, before a final shortlist is settled on and a ballot dispatched to party members. The winning candidate is expected to be announced in mid-July.
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