June 27, 2016 4.00 pm This story is over 92 months old

Lincoln council leader backs Jeremy Corbyn as Labour coup intensifies

City of Lincoln Council leader Ric Metcalfe says he still has confidence in Jeremy Corbyn’s position as Britain’s opposition leader, despite mass resignations within the Labour party. By 4pm on Monday, June 27, 19 out of 31 members of the shadow cabinet have quit, and one has been fired, with the leader facing claims that he…

City of Lincoln Council leader Ric Metcalfe says he still has confidence in Jeremy Corbyn’s position as Britain’s opposition leader, despite mass resignations within the Labour party.

By 4pm on Monday, June 27, 19 out of 31 members of the shadow cabinet have quit, and one has been fired, with the leader facing claims that he undermined Labour’s campaign to remain in the EU.

Defiant, Corbyn has pledged to stand in any new leadership election if a formal challenge is made to his position.

The revolt has been underway since the dismissal of Hilary Benn on Sunday morning and Corbyn faces no confidence proceedings tonight at Labour’s parliamentary party meeting.

However, city council leader Ric Metcalfe, who campaigned for the UK to remain a member of the European Union, said it’s “unwise” to blame the result on the leader.

Ric told The Lincolnite: “He probably struggled to get into the leadership role as one might have expected he would.

“It’s unwise and unfair to place at his door the loss of the EU referendum campaign. Frankly I think it’s premature.

“What happened is I think his views on Europe are well known. He made a decision to support the remain campaign but a lot of the concerns expressed by Labour MPs at the moment are those that pre-existed the referendum. That just presented an opportunity to question his leadership.”

Many others who are unhappy about the outcome of the referendum on Thursday, June 23 have put their names to an online petition calling for a second chance to vote.

Over 4,600 of those are from Lincoln, where the Leave camp won by a majority of 52%.

Ric added: “There’s no good going back over this there’s not going to be another referendum.

“It’s a bitter pill to swallow but you have to respect the democratic majority, even if you think they’re fundamentally wrong in their position.”