Labour leadership: Len McCluskey says it is 'unfair' to call Rebecca Long-Bailey 'continuity Corbyn' candidate
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey has branded it "unfair" to refer to Rebecca Long-Bailey as the "continuity" candidate in the race to replace Jeremy Corbyn.
Ms Long-Bailey is one of four MPs vying for the Labour leadership, with many who backed the current leader supporting her bid.
However, she has previously moved to distance herself from being branded as being a continuity option, stating they vary in how they communicate and how they approach policy.
Mr McCluskey, whose Unite union has backed her bid, today said: "She is her own individual, people will see she’s strong, courageous, brave, certainly capable and she’s able to take forward her vision.”
Mr McCluskey, who was speaking on Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday, claimed Labour’s election defeat was “virtually, solely down to Brexit” and defended the party’s policies on other matters.
He told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday: “Two years ago Jeremy Corbyn was loved. What happened in the last two years?
"Brexit, and Labour’s inability to effectively stay with their 2017 manifesto position of respecting the 2016 referendum and arguing to take Labour and the country out of Europe on a deal that protects jobs and investment.
“That got lost in the two years and that affected how people perceived Jeremy as a leader and we paid the consequences for that.”
Commenting on the deputy leadership race, which is running along the main contest, he was asked if Richard Burgon and Dawn Butler should be ruled out of the deputy leadership contest if they do not sign up to the Board of Deputies’ 10 pledges to “end the anti-Semitism crisis”.
Mr McCluskey replied: “Both Dawn and Richard have made it clear that they believe there’s a need for more debate and discussion about a couple of the points that are in the Board of Deputies pledges – most of them are fine but a couple of them need further consideration.”
He added: “For people to call for them to be kicked out of the race is utter nonsense.”
Ms Long-Bailey is joined by Sir Keir Starmer, Lisa Nandy and Emily Thornberry in the final four of the Labour leadership contest.
The winner is to be announced in April.
Sir Keir and Ms Long-Bailey have been seen as the two favourites and have garnered support from the largest unions.
