Jake Morrison, Liverpool’s youngest-ever city councillor, has been suspended from the Labour Party after publicly rowing with Wavertree MP Luciana Berger.
The bust-up, which earlier this week resulted in two Labour Party investigations, centres around Miss Berger’s official complaint against Cllr Jake Morrison, which was subsequently posted on Morrison’s Facebook page.
In the leaked document, 20-year-old Morrison is accused of failing to respond to member engagement training and not knowing ‘the script’ for doorstep campaigning.
The e-mail reads: “Of the 14 Labour councillors in the Wavertree Constituency you are the only one who chooses not to engage with my office, or get involved with our constituency activities.”
Cllr Morrison, who had previously revealed he would not seek re-election, hit back on Twitter saying: “I’ve experienced bullying before. Now I won’t put up with any dictatorial or intimidating behaviour from anyone. We should stand up to it.”
His retaliatory official complaint to party leader Ed Miliband says: “Here we have in Luciana, a privately educated MP from London, who has come to Liverpool and made my life unbearable. At every opportunity Luciana has undermined me, rather than supported.”
A spokeswoman for Luciana Berger, 32, said: “Cllr Morrison’s allegations are completely untrue. We work as a team in Liverpool Wavertree. Unfortunately communication with Cllr Morrison has broken down.”
Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson claimed Morrison broke pledges to let the original investigation take its course when he had earlier urged the young politician to take a month’s rest.
In a statement today, Anderson said: “I am deeply disappointed that it appears, despite the promises made to myself, that this internal Labour Party matter continued to be played out in various public statements and media appearances.
“I have shown great commitment and confidence in Jake over the years, including by appointing him as my Mayoral Lead for looked after children.
“It is thus with great regret that I was compelled to request his suspension whilst these matters are investigated.”
Morrison, who was elected in May 2011, said: “I fully appreciate the party has to take action but I stand by what I’ve done. It was right to speak out.
“I’m Labour through and through and I hope to remain a Labour councillor.”