Jeremy Corbyn will tonight at 7pm address supporters at a rally held at the Hilton Brighton Metropole. The Labour will aim to alleviate local supporters’ concerns following much civil unrest on the South Coast. Last month the predominately Corbyn-supporting Brighton, Hove and District Labour Party were suspended following an altercation which involved a member of its competitors being spat at by a party member. The party is also banned from organising future rallies in the leadership contest between Mr Corbyn and his Sussex University Graduate challenger Owen Smith.
This rally has been organised by Momentum Brighton and Hove who are part of a nationwide network of supporters of the current Labour leader. Guest speakers include: Kevin Allen, who addressed a meeting of Momentum Brighton and Hove at the Friends’ Meeting House, in Brighton, on Thursday 21 July – infamously informing critics of the party leader “Corbyn is in ascendancy, get used to it!”. This coming in the immediate aftermath of the District parties suspension. It’s believed as many as 1,000 supporters are set to attend tonight.
Corbyn and his speakers will no doubt face questions over the recent suspension of the district party which saw Corbyn supporters initially become elected to its executive committee before the results of the elections were annulled.
One topic of discussion will surely be the vital Southern Rail network with the Labour leader expected to make an ‘important’ announcement about the firm upon his arrival at Brighton station this afternoon (August 2). Corbyn who is expected to be joined by rail union representatives at the station is understood to be highly concerned with the heavily criticised rail network joining the south-coast to the capital.
Not only will the local party elections have to be re-run, Corbyn must also navigate his way through his own leadership contest against fellow Labour MP Owen Smith. Balloting starts for members from August 22, with the leader announced on September 24.
