150 women from the Labour party and beyond have backed Yvette Cooper to lead Labour to victory in the 2020 general election in an open letter to the New Statesman. The signatories – which include Ivana Bartoletti,the chair of the Fabian Women’s Network, the comedians Arabella Weir and Sarah Solemani, Nicky Gavron, the former deputy mayor of London, Baroness Royall, Labour leader in the Lords from 2008 to 2015, and Doreen Lawrence, mother of Stephen Lawrence and Labour peer.
The signatories say that they support Cooper “because we want a radical revolution in childcare”, a world where women “can’t be harrassed outside abortion clinics”, but “most importantly, we believe Yvette gives us the best chance of winning the general election for Labour in 2020”.
The letter will give Cooper a boost as the Labour leadership race enters its final days.
We’re backing Yvette because she’s the best person to lead our party, to take on the Tories, to stand up for the equality we believe in and be Labour’s next Prime Minister.
As well as being the best person to do the job, Yvette is the candidate who has been fighting for women’s equality all her life.
We support Yvette because we want a radical revolution in childcare, and to see work fit around families, not the other way round. We support Yvette because we want a world where women can’t be harassed outside abortion clinics. We support Yvette because we want decent jobs and secure, affordable homes to live in. And because there are a lot of women across Britain, who have been badly affected by Tory policies which are hitting women far harder than men and who really need a Labour Government and a Labour Prime Minister.
We want to see Yvette take on David Cameron, and then George Osborne, Boris Johnson or Theresa May in the Commons. We have the opportunity to elect a leader who will fight for the policies that women and men across this country need, and to inspire a generation of young women, in and outside of the Party.
And it would also mean we smash the glass ceiling and elect a woman leader of the Labour Party for the first time in our history.
Women have fought for equality and social justice through the Labour Party from its very foundation – fighting for suffrage, equal pay, and against discrimination and violence. And yet we have never before had an elected woman Leader.
Most importantly, we believe Yvette gives us the best chance of winning the general election for Labour in 2020.
Baroness Doreen LawrenceBaroness Sue Nye
Arabella Weir, Comedienne, Actress and Writer
Sarah Solemani, Comedienne, Actress and Writer
Fiona Millar, Journalist and Education Campaigner
Ivana Bartoletti, Chair of Fabian Women’s Network
Michelle Agostino, Secretary, North Swindon CLP
Cllr. Eugenia Alexander, Oldham Council
Cllr. Azra Ali, Lead Member for Intergenerational Issues, Manchester City Council
Kathleen Allen, PPC, Sutton and Cheam
Lauren Allpress, Hammersmith CLP
Caroline Arnold, Liverpool Riverside CLP
Cllr. Lucy Atkinson, Lancaster City Council
Cllr. Caroline Badley, Birmingham City Council
Louise Baldock, PPC, Stockton South
Pamela Baldwin, Chair, Caerphilly CLP
Sarah Banwell, Chair, Newport East CLP
Rachel Barker, Youth Rep, London Regional Board
Lora Bedford, Acting Chair, Scottish Young Labour
Anne Begg, MP for Aberdeen South 1997-2015
Cllr. Christine Bennett, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council
Cllr. Judi Billing, Leader, North Herts District Council
Roberta Blackman-Woods MP, City of Durham
Cllr. Rachel Blake, Cabinet Member, London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Cllr. Nikki Bond, Sheffield City Council
Lyn Brown MP, West Ham
Cllr. Karen Bruce, Leeds City Council
Karen Buck MP, Westminster North
Ruth Cadbury MP, Brentford and Isleworth
Cllr. Barbara Cannon, Allerdale Borough Council
Cllr. Jackie Connal, Watford Borough Council
Sarah Cook, Secretary, Dewsbury CLP
Cllr. Maureen Cook, Hertfordshire County Council, Secretary, Welwyn Hatfield CLP
Cllr. Leonie Cooper, Deputy Group Leader, Wandsworth Council
Cllr. Jane Corbett, Cabinet Member for Fairness, Social Inclusion & Equalities, Liverpool City Council
Cllr. Maggie Cosin, Dover District Council
Cllr. Yvonne Crewe, Wakefield District Council
Cllr. Stephanie Cryan, Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Financial Inclusion, Southwark Council
Noni Csogor, Chair elect, Oxford Labour club
Cllr. June Cully, Gosport Borough Council
Judith Cummins MP, Bradford South
Cllr. Nosheen Dad, Kirklees Council
Cllr. Emma Daniel, Brighton and Hove Council
Cllr. Deborah Davies, Newport City Council
Kate Dearden, Chair, Edinburgh Labour Students
Thangam Debbonaire MP, Bristol West
Cllr. Feryal Demirci, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Hackney Council
Anneliese Dodds MEP, South East
Esther Dominy, Vice Chair, Edinburgh Labour Students
Cllr. Jayne Dunn, Cabinet Member for Housing, Sheffield City Council
Cllr. Katherine Dunne, Cabinet Member, Hounslow Council
Maria Eagle MP, Garston & Halewood
Cllr. Roxanne Ellis, Gedling Borough Council
Emma Fallows, Westminster North CLP
Cllr. Rokhsana Fiaz, Newham Council
Cllr. Judith Fisher, Glasgow City Council
Colleen Fletcher MP, Coventry North East
Barbara Follett, MP for Stevenage 1997-2010
Vicky Foxcroft MP, Lewisham Deptford
Deb Gardiner, Chair, Isle of Wight CLP
Cllr. Emma Garland, Newport City Council
Cllr. Joy Garner, Stoke-on-Trent City Council
Nicky Gavron AM, Greater London Assembly
Neena Gill MEP, West Midlands
Cllr. Christine Godwin, Lead Member for Cycling and Active Travel, Manchester City Council
Helen Goodman MP, Bishop Auckland
Kate Green MP, Stretford and Urmston
Catherine Hanson, Hackney South and Shoreditch CLP
Cllr. Patricia Harrison, Brent Council
Maggie Hattersley
Sue Hayman MP, Workington
Cllr. Katherine Henig, Durham County Council
Cllr. Joanne Hepworth, Wakefield District Council
Cllr. Chris Herries, Norwich City Council
Cllr. Emma Hoddinott, Rotherham Borough Council
Cllr. Jansev Jemal, Enfield Council
Diana Johnson MP, Hull North
Helen Jones MP, Warrington North
Cllr. Mariam Khan, Birmingham City Council
Cllr. Kate Lewis, Cabinet Member for Housing and Social Inclusion, Bolton Council
Cllr. Celia Loughran, Wakefield District Council
Shabana Mahmood MP, Birmingham Ladywood
Seema Malhotra MP, Feltham and Heston
Linda Marshall, Chair, North Durham CLP
Léonie Mathers, PPC, Sherwood
Beth Miller, Women’s Officer, Young Labour National Committee
Cllr. Pat McFall, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
Angela McGinley, Secretary, Clydebank and Milngavie CLP
Cllr. Cara-Kim McGuinness, Newcastle City Council
Cllr. Nicole Meardon, Cabinet member for Children and Families, Cheshire West and Chester Council
Ellen Mee, Secretary, Bassetlaw CLP
Clare Moody MEP, South West
Madeleine Moon MP, Bridgend
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Sophie Nash, Chair, Kings College Labour Club
Julia Neal, Secretary, Torbay CLP
Cllr. Nathalie Nicholas, Liverpool City Council
Cllr. Ann Norman, Mansfield District Council
Cllr. Ann O’Byrne, Deputy Mayor, Liverpool City Council
Melanie Onn MP, Grimsby
Kate O’Rourke, Chair, Society of Labour Lawyers
Cllr. Lana Orr, Lead for Primary Schooling, Liverpool City Council
Cllr. Reema Patel, Barnet Council
Toni Pearce, Former President, National Union of Students
Cllr. Caroline Penn, Brighton and Hove City Council
Hannah Phillips, Glasgow Kelvin CLP
Jessica Phillips MP, Birmingham Yardley
Bridget Phillipson MP, Houghton and Sunderland South
Cllr. Victoria Pite, Associate Cabinet Member, Enfield Council
Cllr. Josephine Potts, Chair of Labour Group, Bassetlaw District Council
Kathryn Priestley, Secretary and Treasurer, Cheadle CLP
Cllr. Marie Pye, Waltham Forest Council
Cllr. Marlene Quinn, Cabinet Member for Adult Health and Social Care, St Helens Borough Council
Cllr. Jennifer Raynor, Cabinet Member for Education, Swansea City and County Council
Frances Rehal MBE, PPC, Thanet North
Jacqueline Reilly, Secretary, Castle Point CLP
Cllr. Sioned-Mair Richards, Sheffield City Council
Marie Rimmer MP, St Helens South and Whiston
Rachel Rogers, PPC, West Dorset
Cllr. Candida Roland, Tower Hamlets Council
Baroness Jan Royall, Former Leader of House of Lords
Cllr. Rosalind Scott, Colchester Council
Naz Shah MP, Bradford West
Cllr. Reshima Sharma, Stroud District Council
Paula Sherriff MP, Dewsbury
Cllr. Frances Shone, Manchester City Council
Cllr. Alice Smart, Leeds City Council
Ruth Smeeth MP, Stoke-on-Trent North & Kidsgrove
Cllr. Zoe Smith, Northampton Borough Council
Karin Smyth MP, Bristol South
Cllr. Emily Spurrell, Liverpool City Council
Cllr. Danielle Stone, Labour Group Leader, Northampton Borough Council
Cllr. June Tandy, Labour Group Leader, Warwickshire County Council
Cllr. Sharon Taylor, Council Leader, Stevenage Council
Krishnaa Thakkar, Secretary, Brent North CLP
Emily Thornberry MP, Islington South and Finsbury
Amelia-Rose Tighe, Youth Officer, Leeds Central CLP
Eileen Walsh, Womens Officer, Liverpool Wavertree CLP
Ann Wardle, Secretary, Southampton and Romsey Labour Party
Tashi Warr, Campaigns Organiser, South Dorset CLP
Pippa Weaver, Chair, Dundee Labour Students; Women’s Officer, Scottish Labour Students
Cllr. Joanna White, Deputy Leader, Bassetlaw District Council
Meg Whitelaw, SEC Youth Rep and Vice Chair of Glasgow University Labour Club
Kay Wilcox, Women’s Officer, South Dorset CLP
Cllr. Jo Williams, Carlisle City Council
Cllr. Miranda Williams, Cabinet Member for Culture and Creative Industries, Greenwich Council
Cllr. Susan Woodward, Deputy Group Leader, Staffordshire County Council
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