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| Sleaford Mods singer suspended from Labour over derogatory tweet Sleaford Mods singer suspended from Labour over derogatory tweet | |
| (3 months later) | |
| The singer and lyricist of the Nottingham duo, Sleaford Mods, has said that the Labour party has suspended his membership after it became aware of a derogatory tweet he posted about one of its MPs. | The singer and lyricist of the Nottingham duo, Sleaford Mods, has said that the Labour party has suspended his membership after it became aware of a derogatory tweet he posted about one of its MPs. |
| Jason Williamson told the Guardian that he had joined the party about a year ago in order to support Jeremy Corbyn but had recently received a letter citing online abuse as the reason for his suspension, which means that he would be unable to vote in the party’s leadership election. The letter cited a tweet from earlier this year in which Williamson described the MP Dan Jarvis as “a posing cunt”. | Jason Williamson told the Guardian that he had joined the party about a year ago in order to support Jeremy Corbyn but had recently received a letter citing online abuse as the reason for his suspension, which means that he would be unable to vote in the party’s leadership election. The letter cited a tweet from earlier this year in which Williamson described the MP Dan Jarvis as “a posing cunt”. |
| “I have not cancelled my direct debit and will wait for them to make a decision but I am not holding out,” Williamson said. “If they expel me from the party, I am really not that bothered.” | “I have not cancelled my direct debit and will wait for them to make a decision but I am not holding out,” Williamson said. “If they expel me from the party, I am really not that bothered.” |
| The case of Williamson comes amid a continuing row about the suspension of Labour members, with many supporters of Corbyn suggesting they are being deliberately purged to increase the chances of Smith. | The case of Williamson comes amid a continuing row about the suspension of Labour members, with many supporters of Corbyn suggesting they are being deliberately purged to increase the chances of Smith. |
| He said that the tweet in question dated back to March and questioned why the party had suddenly taken an interest in it. | He said that the tweet in question dated back to March and questioned why the party had suddenly taken an interest in it. |
| Dan Jarvis can lick my Fucking arse too. Posing cunt | Dan Jarvis can lick my Fucking arse too. Posing cunt |
| “It’s convenient that they’re picking up on it now, isn’t it? If they had bothered to look they would have seen that I had a go at more than a few of the others, too,” he said. Williamson also questioned how the party’s administrators had linked the tweet to him when the account was also used by his band mate, Andrew Fearn, and their manager, who he said were not political. | “It’s convenient that they’re picking up on it now, isn’t it? If they had bothered to look they would have seen that I had a go at more than a few of the others, too,” he said. Williamson also questioned how the party’s administrators had linked the tweet to him when the account was also used by his band mate, Andrew Fearn, and their manager, who he said were not political. |
| Williamson, one half of a duo who have have won fans for their minimalist musical style and lyrical commentaries on austerity Britain and working-class life, spoke of what he described as the “massive tragedy” of the relationship between the working class and Labour. | Williamson, one half of a duo who have have won fans for their minimalist musical style and lyrical commentaries on austerity Britain and working-class life, spoke of what he described as the “massive tragedy” of the relationship between the working class and Labour. |
| He said he had been impressed by Corbyn: “It’s what he says. As regards getting out the working-class vote, I have not given that much thought. It has been about what he says about austerity and renationalisation and the absolute hell that a lot of people are going through.” | He said he had been impressed by Corbyn: “It’s what he says. As regards getting out the working-class vote, I have not given that much thought. It has been about what he says about austerity and renationalisation and the absolute hell that a lot of people are going through.” |
| While he and Fearn have long resisted the description of them as a “political band”, he could accept that others viewed their lyrics as political commentaries. | While he and Fearn have long resisted the description of them as a “political band”, he could accept that others viewed their lyrics as political commentaries. |
| “We are not political in the sense that we align ourselves with any political parties,” he said. | “We are not political in the sense that we align ourselves with any political parties,” he said. |
| “But you see it [the impact of austerity] all around you. The cracks cannot be covered over. You see increasing numbers of people sleeping on the streets and people just wandering around in a daze.” | “But you see it [the impact of austerity] all around you. The cracks cannot be covered over. You see increasing numbers of people sleeping on the streets and people just wandering around in a daze.” |