Jeremy Corbyn confronted by former MP and called 'preening narcissist'

17 December 2019, 21:57

Jeremy Corbyn has been confronted and called a "preening narcissist" by a former Labour MP who lost her seat in the election.

Mary Creagh lost her seat in Wakefield last week when her 2,000 majority was overturned by Conservative Imran Ahman Khan.

The 52-year-old said on Channel 4 News that she blamed Jeremy Corbyn for "enabling a hard Brexit" and "five years of austerity."

She explained how she spoke to the Labour leader in Westminster on Tuesday as she returned to clear her office.

Ms Creagh said: "This was Jeremy's manifesto, Jeremy as the leader, Jeremy's NEC, Jeremy's plan, called at Jeremy's time."

She said "on the doorsteps there were two words" used to describe the leader's approach, but that she could not repeat them "pre-watershed".

Ms Creagh also said that no senior Labour figures had been in touch since last week's vote, adding: "I've had no phone calls or messages from anyone in Jeremy or his team.

"Given I was in today, telling my staff that they're going to be redundant a week before Christmas, shows in Jeremy we have a man without honour and without shame, and a type of preening narcissism that means he thinks he's still got something left to offer our Labour movement."

Her comments come as the Labour Party met for the first time since their biggest defeat in more than 80 years.

Labour MP Jess Phillips explained that many of her formed colleagues who had lost their seats were angry that they had not heard from party bosses.

The Birmingham Yardley MP read out a text from Melanie Onn, who lost her Great Grimsby seat to the Tories, about "how she had been let down by the leadership and the frontbench and that nobody had bothered with Grimsby.

"There are lots and lots of complaints about how nobody has called any of the people who lost," Ms Phillips added.

Mitcham and Morden MP Siobhain McDonagh also questioned the party's leadership after the meeting, saying she wanted them to "go immediately".

She continued: "I'm not convinced a full and fair leadership election can take place with those people at the helm.

"They should go now, if they had any self-respect they would go now."

Ilford North MP Wes Streeting criticised Mr Corbyn for carrying on "just like business as usual", adding: "Nothing about the tone and content of what we heard reflected an election defeat worse than 1935."

Addressing his 203 Labour MPs at the meeting, it is understood Mr Corbyn apologised for last week's result and said "I take responsibility".

He is said to have blamed the Conservatives and the media for managing to "persuade many that only Boris Johnson could 'get Brexit done'".

"We must now listen to those lifelong Labour voters who we've lost," the Labour leader said.

A new Labour Party leader is expected to be in place by the end of March.