Ex-para Jarvis eyes bid for Labour’s crown

FORMER soldier Dan Jarvis has hinted he could fight for the Labour leadership.

Mr Jarvis, who was elected MP for Barnsley Central in a 2011 by-election, said he wanted to play a role in the party’s future.

He delivered a scathing verdict on Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership after the party crashed to its worst defeat since the 1930s.

He said voters in the party’s traditional heartlands such as South Yorkshire felt Labour no longer spoke for them.

He added: “Too many people said they weren’t prepared to vote Labour this time. We have to listen to those people. Yes, it is about the leader. It is about having someone who you can credibly present as a prime minister.”

A former major in the paras nicknamed SEMOD (short for Steely-eyed Messenger Of Death), Dan Jarvis was elected mayor of the Sheffield City Region in 2018.

He added: “You have to be credible when it comes to the economy and national security.

“You have to have a manifesto that is credible and speaks of the challenges the country faces now and in the future.”

Pollsters Yougov found some 35% stopped voting for the party because of the leadership.

It dwarfed the 19% concerned by the party’s Brexit policy after Labour suffered its worst result since the 1930s.

A further 16% were put off by the party’s policies and economic incompetence.

Mr Jarvis, 47, indicated he would reflect over the holiday on his decision. Asked if he would stand for leader he said: “I have a very significant commitment as mayor. I take that very seriously, but I want to play my part.”

Only Emily Thornberry and Clive Lewis have officially declared.

But Keir Starmer, Rebecca Long-bailey and Jess Phillips are widely expected to stand.