Cardiff victor in pledge to be ‘adult’

A NEWLY-ELECTED Labour MP who said Jeremy Corbyn wasn’t up to the job of leading the party has now expressed her delight that he helped her take her seat from the Conservatives.

Anna McMorrin ousted former Cardiff North Tory MP Craig Williams in Thursday’s General Election, winning a majority of 4,174. At the 2015 election Mr Williams had a majority of 2,137.

But in a posting on Facebook four days after last year’s Brexit referendum, Ms McMorrin responded to a friend, Niki Jones, who asked: “What the .... are the Labour Party doing, tearing themselves apart right now?”

Ms McMorrin replied: “It looks as though a change of leader is inevitable...”

Ms Jones responded: “It’s time to pull together and use what you have, consolidate and be a strong opposition. You can’t do that if they are all fighting and having temper tantrums. It’s a despicable display of self-interest and petulance.

“I’m considering my membership based on what they are doing. I’m not saying I think Corbyn is the best leader, but he’s the leader they have and the PLP (Parliamentary Labour Party) in particular have to stop decimating themselves like this.”

Ms McMorrin replied: “I agree that pulling together and becoming a strong opposition is what we need. But we haven’t got that. There’s been infighting and tensions for a long time.

“It is important that we have a strong leader to unify and bring the party together to dampen tensions as well as loudly articulate what we want in the best interest of the UK, at a time of constitutional and international crisis.”

Last summer she supported Pontypridd MP Owen Smith when he challenged Mr Corbyn for the party leadership.

Asked whether she had changed her mind about Jeremy Corbyn since her election on Thursday, when an improved showing by Labour deprived the Conservatives of their overall majority, Ms McMorrin said: “I was delighted that both Jeremy and Carwyn helped us win in Cardiff North during this campaign and I am excited to work with them both to deliver on my promises to the people who supported me on June 8.

“I also think that many of the people energised by the campaign want their politicians to be part of the political debate, not just bystanders.

“That means being adult enough to acknowledge differences where they exist.”