Lyn Brown has reluctantly come forward to pledge her support for one of Newham Labour’s mayoral candidates.
In a letter to members of the Labour Party, the West Ham MP praised “the amazingly intelligent, compassionate, caring” councillor Rokhsana Fiaz.
She expressed her reluctance at taking sides, but after East Ham MP Stephen Timms vocalised his support for Sir Robin Wales, she said she “cannot go on any longer without making my personal view clear”.
She said: “I cannot allow people to believe Rokhsana does not have support throughout our local party.
“I think that Rokhsana is an amazingly intelligent, compassionate, caring, energetic woman, with vast amounts of integrity, who would be an absolte asset as the Mayor of Newham.
“She will listen to people, make herself available to people, and carve people-focused solutions to the difficulties that we face.”
She said it was patronising to tell Labour supporters who to vote for, but admitted “strong negative campaigning” within the party had forced her hand.
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