Jeremy Corbyn ‘not fit to lead the country’, claims ex-head of policy in scathing attack
Labour will suffer worst defeat since 1931 unless Owen Smith wins the leadership contest, Neale Coleman says
JEREMY Corbyn's ex-head of policy has launched a scathing attack on the Labour leader, claiming he is not fit to lead the country.
Neale Coleman, who worked for Mr Corbyn until January, said failure to support leadership challenger Owen Smith would result in Labour’s greatest electoral defeat since 1931 - where Labour won 52 seats, 225 fewer than in 1929.
Mr Coleman, who is working as an advisor to Mr Smith and previously helped deliver the Olympics for Boris Johnson, said Mr Corbyn’s challenger was better placed to deliver the economic policies proposed by Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell.
He made the comments during a nomination meeting on Wednesday night at a church hall in the Labour leader’s Islington North constituency.
Mr Coleman resigned after a row with chief spinner Seumas Milne amid rumours of fierce internal fighting within the Labour leader’s camp.
He was seen as Jeremy Corbyn’s most senior advisor, having worked for Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson.
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The ex-policy chief added he was “delighted” to vote for Mr Corbyn last summer but his experience in the Labour leader’s office persuaded him he was unsuitable.
Mr Coleman urged attendees at the meeting to watch the fly-on-the-wall Vice News documentary, Corbyn The Outsider, in order to understand the chaos in Mr Corbyn’s camp.
Labour members in Islington North voted to nominate Mr Corbyn as their choice in the Labour leadership contest by a margin of 266 votes to 100.
Jeremy Corbyn later tweeted a picture with his supporters and the caption: “Proud to be nominated by my own CLP with a turnout of 370. Looking forward to working with them all in years ahead.”