Fears of Labour Leaks whitewash as Corbyn ally Jennie Formby ‘steps aside’ as general secretary

Jennie Formby
Support us and go ad-free

Jennie Formby has stood down as Labour’s general secretary amid a period of upheaval and scandal in the Labour Party. And some now fear a whitewash of the Labour Leaks scandal may be on the cards.

Formby, Corbyn and Labour Leaks

A close ally of former leader Jeremy Corbyn, Formby stressed as she resigned that:

When I applied for the role of general secretary in 2018 it was because I wanted to support Jeremy Corbyn, who inspired so many people to get involved in politics with his message of hope, equality and peace.

Corbyn and his parliamentary allies quickly praised Formby’s “courage” and “commitment” during her time in the role.

As general secretary, Formby faced pressure from the right of the party to undertake numerous controversial suspensions of left-wingers, some of which went forward.

The resignation comes as Labour investigates the Labour Leaks scandal, which revealed right-wing efforts in the party to undermine Corbyn’s leadership and election efforts. The leaked report also exposed racism and discrimination targeting Corbyn allies.

The battle for the soul of the party continues

A Labour Party source has reportedly told the SKWAWKBOX that new leader Keir Starmer “knew he wanted Jennie gone and raised it with her the night he won the election”. They also claimed that:

Read on...

Support us and go ad-free

There was an agreement weeks ago for her to resign and [Starmer] wanted [Formby] gone before the NEC elections for fear the left might unite and win the slate, making it harder to install his choice – which is still Emilie Oldknow.

According to the SKWAWKBOX, another Labour source believes “the committee set up to investigate Labour Leaks is full of people friendly to Emilie”. The outlet said Starmer’s office had “declined to comment” on the above quotes.

As Novara Media co-founder Aaron Bastani has reported, Oldknow was allegedly “Team Starmer’s favoured candidate” to take over from Formby. But she “was implicated in the Labour leaks scandal”.

Bastani and others now fear the investigation into the Labour Leaks scandal could result in a whitewash:

One thing is clear: the battle for the soul of the Labour Party is far from over.

Featured image via Labour Party, with additional material via Press Association

Support us and go ad-free

We know everyone is suffering under the Tories - but the Canary is a vital weapon in our fight back, and we need your support

The Canary Workers’ Co-op knows life is hard. The Tories are waging a class war against us we’re all having to fight. But like trade unions and community organising, truly independent working-class media is a vital weapon in our armoury.

The Canary doesn’t have the budget of the corporate media. In fact, our income is over 1,000 times less than the Guardian’s. What we do have is a radical agenda that disrupts power and amplifies marginalised communities. But we can only do this with our readers’ support.

So please, help us continue to spread messages of resistance and hope. Even the smallest donation would mean the world to us.

Support us
  • Show Comments
    1. So glad I’ve left. The issue now is ‘do I vote Labour in 2024’? I know the arguments about abstaining. ‘letting the tories in’ etc etc.

      But no way am I going to be taken for granted as a hitherto non-swing voter; no way am I voting for the present bunch; no way am I voting for a Party that doesn’t challenge the establishment, is inconsistent in handling complaints and whose leading members are offering no opposition whatsoever in many ways.

      Some have said “Starmer is playing a long game”. Rubbish. There is no time to think of ‘long games’. We effectively have bribery, corruption and lack of democracy in Parliament NOW.

      Socialism or no vote.

    Leave a Reply

    Join the conversation

    Please read our comment moderation policy here.