Labour: Jamie Driscoll blocked from North East mayoral list

Jamie Driscoll was elected North of Tyne mayor in 2019

A Labour mayor has been barred from the party's list of candidates for the inaugural North East mayoral election.

North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll called the decision "arbitrary and capricious".

The move has been linked to Mr Driscoll's onstage appearance with film director and expelled Labour member Ken Loach in Newcastle in March.

It leaves his main rival, Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness, in a commanding position.

Ms McGuinness, who is closely aligned to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, has been shortlisted alongside ex-MEP Paul Brannen and Newcastle city councillor Nicu Ion for the role - which will be elected in 2024.

The post will cover Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham with powers over transport, housing and skills.

Labour said "some applicants did not meet the threshold required" but did not explain why one of the favourites for the job had been omitted.

However, a senior Labour source told the Press Association Mr Driscoll's candidacy was blocked because he had appeared with Loach at Newcastle's Live Theatre.

Director Ken Loach, who recently shot The Old Oak in County Durham, appeared at an event which was hosted by Mr Driscoll

The source said the mayor's appearance with the director - famed for films including I, Daniel Blake - and his subsequent "refusing to apologise" was "clearly incompatible" with the party's promise "to have zero tolerance of antisemitism".

The Jewish Labour Movement had called the event "hugely upsetting" for the Jewish community.

Loach was expelled from Labour in 2021 during what he called a "purge" of Jeremy Corbyn allies, although the party has never confirmed why he was kicked out.

Mr Driscoll has said he decided to share a platform with the director because he has chosen locate his recent films in the North East, adding that "the audience loved it".

'I stand on picket lines'

The mayor, who was elected in 2019 and has been described as the "last Corbynista in power", said he would challenge his exclusion.

"The inner workings of the Labour Party are a mystery to many," he told BBC North East and Cumbria.

When asked if his links and support for Corbyn were a reason why he was not selected, he said: "The decision itself is capricious. I am not sure what the foundations [are] of any of this - and perhaps it is, that simply they do not like my politics.

"I do stand on picket lines, I was on a picket line this morning with workers who are in dispute. Perhaps that's it, but honestly I do not know, they have not told me why.

"People talk about being left-wing but we have got 3,000 food banks in this country, when I am directly tackling food poverty in schools, when we are creating good jobs, good well-paying jobs - in any other country they would be mainstream policies," he said.

Labour's Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria Police, Kim McGuinness, has been shortlisted for the party's mayoral candidate

Mr Driscoll said he had received messages of support from trade unions, MPs and other mayors since the news broke on Friday afternoon, with his phone "buzzing off the hook".

"The Labour party may decide to double down on this but I would still be very happy to stand as the Labour candidate," he added.

He has received support from some senior Conservatives, including Middlesbrough South MP Simon Clarke.

The former levelling-up secretary said he felt "very sorry" for the mayor and described him as "knowledgeable, passionate about the North East and refreshingly non-partisan".

Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell blamed "out of control" Labour factionalism for the decision to exclude Mr Driscoll.

"To refuse to allow a serving mayor on to even a selection long list demonstrates that factionalism in the party is completely out of control. There can be no other motive," he said.

A Labour spokesperson said: "The Labour party holds its candidates to a very high standard. During this process, some applicants did not meet the threshold required to proceed.

"We do not comment on individual applications."