Thurrock resident Peter Perrin, a regular commentator on public affairs in the borough, writes an occasional blog for Thurrock Nub news and today responds to comments made in another opinion piece on New Year's Day by Labour councillor Martin Kerin.

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I feel compelled to respond to Cllr Martin Kerin's recent opinion piece on Thurrock Nub News entitled Brexit got done – A Remainer's reflection.

Cllr Kerin (Labour) views the 2019 General Election as "in the truest sense of the word, a seismic election. The implications of it will be felt in years to come".

He further states, "As a Labour member and elected Labour councillor, it is clear that it was an election which posed an existential threat to my party. As of 10pm on 12 December 2019, the (Labour) Party was placed on life support The picture from the 2019 election is clear; Labour suffered its worst defeat since 1931".

Cllr Kerin appears to attribute blame for the parlous state of the Labour Party entirely upon the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn and those who supported him. He also appears to cite the report of the Equality & Human Rights Commission (ECHR) into anti semitism as being a major cause of Labour's defeat in the 2019 General Election.

I do not dispute that anti semitism was an issue but, despite what anti Corbynites would have us believe, the main cause of the humiliating defeat of the Labour Party had very little to do with anti semitism but everything to do with the Labour Party's undemocratic stance on Brexit.

The Labour Party's Brexit strategy was, like the proverbial ostrich, stick your head in the sand and hope it goes away. The trouble with that approach is it leaves your rear end exposed and in danger of being soundly thrashed. Which is exactly what happened in the December 2019 General Election.

Cllr Kerin bemoans the loss of the Northern and Midlands "Red Wall" seats which had previously been seen as the heartlands of the Labour Party. He also talks about winning back voters in places such as Dartford, Swindon, Harlow and Basildon and especially our very own Thurrock, which went from a marginal seat to a safe Conservative seat, gifting Jackie Doyle-Price a majority of 11,482.

Cllr Kerin, you and your fellow Labour "Remainers" should take note that the areas where Labour suffered most were areas which voted overwhelmingly to leave the EU, including our very own Thurrock with a 72% vote in favour of leaving.

There are some Labour Party members still in denial that it was Brexit which cost the Labour Party dearly in 2019. Voters were aware that it was likely the Labour Party would attempt to rescind the democratically arrived at decision to leave the EU and pretend the referendum never happened. The Labour Party should not be surprised when Labour voters expressed their anger and disgust with such undemocratic behaviour. The Labour Party deniers need to wake up and get the message, "IT WOZ BREXIT WOT DUNNIT, STUPID!"

I do not share Cllr Kerin's enthusiastic support for Sir Keir Starmer's leadership of the Labour Party. I have my doubts but, in fairness, I will give him until April 2021 before commenting. Could be a blog for another day.

Cllr Kerin concludes his blog saying; "The people of the UK are growing tired of buffoonery, bluster and incompetence. We all deserve complete integrity, forensic competence (whatever that means) and a clear vision (should have gone to spec-savers). In short, we are crying out for a new leadership. This is what Keir Starmer offers".

Somehow I get the feeling I have heard those words, or similar so often in the past that they have become meaningless, political blah, blah blah.

It was not Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters who plunged the Labour Party into turmoil. It was Labour MPs who resented the fact that Jeremy Corbyn won two Leadership elections with majorities the other candidates could only dream about. The mealy mouthed anti Corbyn Labour MPs and their supporters plotted against him from day one of his first Leadership victory, some advocating that Labour Party members and supporters should vote Conservative or any Party other than Labour in order to prevent a possible Corbyn victory. It is those traitorous Labour Party MPs who should have been expelled from the Party, along with those members who connived with them.

Instead the Labour Party, led by Sir Keir Starmer, threatens any Labour Party MP or member who expresses, in any way, support for Jeremy Corbyn faces expulsion from the Party. This does not bode well for any Labour Party member with Socialist ideals as practiced by the Labour Governments of Clement Attlee and Harold Wilson.

The years of "Blairite Blue Labour" turned Labour red into puke pink. I fear we will get more of the same from Sir Keir Starmer.