Defeated Crewe and Nantwich Labour candidate Laura Smith today admitted she would have done things differently to Jeremy Corbyn.
Smith said she was “bitterly disappointed” when she saw the exit polls, but added she was not surprised.
And Nantwich-born Smith said there were different types of leadership when asked whether Corbyn was the right person to lead Labour into the election.
She was one of many Labour MPs to lose their seat as many voters seemingly took revenge on those who attempted to delay or thwart Brexit.
Dr Kieran Mullan won the seat back for the Tories, polling more than 28,000 votes and securing a healthy 8,000+ majority.
Asked if she had been Labour leader, Smith told Nantwich News: “I would have stuck to what we promised in 2017.
“This Brexit debate has gone further and polarised far more people.
“We need strong northern voices in the Labour Party and every part of politics – people who represent different backgrounds.
“We need diversity and people with real life experience. These are the characteristics I would seek.
“I think Jeremy has tried to find a way to bring this society together but the debate has completely polarised us. We have a very divided country.
“But leadership comes in all different forms. I have broken the Labour whip and resigned a front bench position.
“It’s not just a Jeremy issue, though. It’s a Brexit issue, and how we connect with northern towns.
“I firmly believe it does not matter who you are in politics, how big a personality you are, people will vote on the national party.
“Crewe and Nantwich is a marginal seat.”
Smith said it was the “biggest honour and privilege” to have served Crewe and Nantwich since June 2017.
“I could never have imagined in 2017 I’d be representing my home town, and I don’t think I could have done any more,” she added.
“I’m so grateful to everyone who went out and voted for me.
“I’m desperately worried about the next five years under a Conservative Government. I desperately want to see a better future and fairer society. I want to see young people get a job.
“But for now I’m going to enjoy my weekend, and more importantly see my daughter as a sheep in her nativity play tomorrow afternoon!”
Laura thank you for being a proper local MP your defeat is a loss to us all. Thousands in our area have moaned all the time about problems with the health service. Cannot get an apppintment or hospital appointments and operations cancelled. Now our community has elected a practising Doctor, how ironic, another Doctor leas in the health service provision. Jeremy Corbyn must go now so we can have a leader develop new practical non extreme impractical policies.
You seem to have a short memory. The cutbacks were actually
the Tories tidying up the financial crash that Gordon Brown left
us with. Gordon Brown – to be fair he didn’t actually cause the crash, but his weak regulation let it happen. The real root problem was him spending and borrowing like a child in the sweet shop – for decade. When the economy turned sour he got caught with his trousers down, and the debt pile was so big it was some £33,000 for every man woman and child in the country.
Labour is the root cause of the recent austerity not the Tories. Thank God Jeremy didn’t get in or we would be about to plunge right back in to the same mess again.
We live in a democracy – and we voted to leave. Laura voted against Brexit quite a few times from what I recall. I imagined that she was elected to represent the people of Crewe and Nantwich, but she though it better to follow Comrade Corbyn instead. You make your choices and live with the results, as they have now both learned.
After the husting at St Mary’s church and the shouting and disrespect of the Labour activists Tory was the only way to go.
I do hope Laura found her way out of the town of Nantwich as it must have been the first time she had been there for a long time.
To be honest I had voted Labour all my life, however after speaking to a doorstop canvasser it became seriously apparent by her comments on a subject, that they had no specialist knowledge of my question and how sudden changes can affect someone at the end of their working life, it was if I was talking to a robot.
It was nothing to do with Brexit, it was actual honesty I was seeking,
And what did you do for us Laura? I never once saw
you at the Barony trying to deal with the illegal
encampments there. I counted 12 lots of travellers
over the year and never saw you once or heard you
do anything about them.
I do recall you calling for a general strike though.
In truth far from being unable to do more, you
actually did almost nothing while in power and were
totally out of your depth from day 1.
Mind the door doesn’t hit your arse on the way out.
Best regards
the voters of Nantwich.
Love the part where you are off to watch a school play, haha I have never heard of any male MP say that!!
Glad we have a new MP that can finally make a real difference to all the community now, great result, well deserved Kieran
Humm wasn’t this the same MP calling for a general strike?
There is nothing to stop you setting up a charity to help the vulnerable like a great many others do freely in this area without political involvement now is there?