Crisis-hit Jeremy Corbyn sees a top aide quit ahead of next week’s crucial by-elections over Labour’s lack of direction
Simon Fletcher has stood down from his role – plunging the hapless leftie further into the mire
JEREMY Corbyn has been plunged into further turmoil after one of his top aides quit today over Labour’s lack of direction.
With less than a week to go before two crucial by-elections Simon Fletcher has stood down from his role in the hapless leftie’s office.
Labour insiders told the the senior party strategist had grown increasingly concerned as his hopes of moving the party into a better position fizzled out.
It is a big blow for Mr Corbyn, who is facing a potentially embarrassing defeat in Copeland to the Tories and in Stoke Central to Ukip.
He has seen his party splinter over Brexit in recent weeks and poll numbers reach record lows, as he fended off rumours he was going to step down as leader.
Mr Fletcher, a well-respected 48-year-old strategist, was chief of staff for Ken Livingstone when he was Mayor of London.
After spending time as Mr Corbyn’s chief of staff he was handed the new role of Director of Campaigns and Planning in May last year, but insiders say he had been marginalised in recent months.
An official source told the paper he was leaving to focus on other projects.
Mr Corbyn said of his departure: “I’d like to thank Simon for his work both for my office in parliament and as the campaign director of my 2015 leadership election campaign.
It comes after a poll out yesterday revealed more and more Brits think Theresa May is doing a good job of running their country.
But the figures show somehow things have got even worse for Mr Corbyn, with satisfaction in him at its worse level since last July.
The numbers, from pollsters Ipsos MORI, show more than half of adults are satisfied with the Prime Minister, up eight points from January.
With just over a third saying they are dissatisfied, Mrs May has a net rating of +17, according to the figures.
But Mr Corbyn is languishing at a dreadful -38, with just 24% of adults approving of him and a whopping 62% disapproving.
And even among Labour supports he manages to have a net satisfaction rating of -9, whilst Mrs May is riding high with Tories at a whopping +81 rating.
It comes after the Brexit bill vote split the opposition, as more than 50 MPs rebelled against Mr Corbyn’s three-line whip to vote with the Government.
His top team was left in disarray as four of Mr Corbyn’s Shadow Cabinet resigned to block the triggering of Article 50, while more than dozen of his frontbenchers defied him.