Despite Backing Burnham Local MP Ian Lucas Offers Corbyn Support

Wrexham MP Ian Lucas has said he wishes to see a united Labour Party following Jeremy Corbyn’s victory, despite hoping for a Burnham win.

Saturday saw initial candidate outsider Jeremy Corbyn win the Labour Leadership campaign with a landslide 59% of the votes.

Despite being seen as an outsider for the Labour Leadership role, MP for Islington North, Jeremy Corbyn quickly became a favourite in the opinion polls and in the end with voters. Local MP Ian Lucas initially supported Andy Burnham for Leader, but today said that he will back and support Mr Corbyn. Mr Lucas also supported Tom Watson for the Deputy Leader role, who was duly elected to that post.

Ian Lucas MP told Wrexham.com: “It was clear on Saturday that Jeremy Corbyn had won decisively. While I supported Andy Burnham for Leader, I have always been clear that whoever was elected Leader, they would need to be backed and I will, of course, be offering Jeremy my support.

Congratulations to @jeremycorbyn Over a quarter of a million people voted for him.

— Ian Lucas (@IanCLucas) September 12, 2015

Mr Lucas went on to say: “Today in Parliament we will be debating the Government’s Trade Union Bill, a bill that even Conservative backbenchers are describing as extreme. All of the Labour leadership contenders were united in opposition to this bill and it is clear to me that the Labour party has much work to do to oppose the Tories. A united party will be key to this.

“Most importantly, all of us who support the Labour party need to recognise that we can best stand up for people when we are in Government. All of us need to work to make the case for the Labour party and for a Labour Government.”

(Pic: Mr Corbyn’s first appearance on the Labour frontbench via from the BBC this afternoon, during the aforementioned debate.)