South Tyneside Corbyn supporters step up campaign

Two South Tyneside women have had their passion in politics re-ignited thanks to the Labour leadership battle.
Jeremy Corbyn supporters Chelsie Boyack and Emma Cairns meet the Labour leader at a recent rally held in SunderlandJeremy Corbyn supporters Chelsie Boyack and Emma Cairns meet the Labour leader at a recent rally held in Sunderland
Jeremy Corbyn supporters Chelsie Boyack and Emma Cairns meet the Labour leader at a recent rally held in Sunderland

Emma Cairns and Chelsie Boyack are backing Jeremy Corbyn as he fights to retain his position as party leader against Owen Smith MP.

The pair say they feel he is the best man for the job and has a real understanding of the struggles faced by Britain’s working classes.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Following a recent meeting at Harton and Westoe Miners Welfare, they set about launching a South Tyneside Defend Jeremy Corbyn Facebook page in a bid to reach out to other young supporters.

Miss Boyack, 28, said: “I genuinely believe his policies and that they are going to make Britain better for me and my children.

“I really believe in him as an honest politician. He understands what it’s like to be a real person, being cold on a night time during the winter because you can’t afford to put the heating on, or what it’s like to go hungry because you’ve fed your child.

“He understands that in this day and age people shouldn’t have to live like that.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“He wants to change it for the whole country and not just for the one per cent.”

Miss Cairns, 26. said: “The support for Jeremy Corbyn was quite astounding. For us as young people, our main platform is social media and we would love more young people to get involved in the defend Jeremy Corbyn campaign.

“This is why we set up the Facebook page to keep everyone up to date and to spread the word.”

The pair also hit out at comments made that young people are being manipulated into supporting the leader, who has received the backing of a number of unions.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Miss Boyack said: “To be told we don’t know our own mind or what we are talking about because we are supporting Corbyn is wrong and degrading to us as individuals.

“We have access to more information than we have ever had before and are quite capable of making up our own minds and having our own opinions on issues.”

She added: “The support we are receiving to what we are doing is fantastic.

“We were in Sunderland at a recent rally handing out leaflets and there were a lot of people excited about the Jeremy Corbyn campaign.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We had the chance to meet Jeremy and told him about what we are doing and he was genuinely appreciative and thanked us for what we were doing.”

A second Defend Jeremy Corbyn meeting will take place tomorrow at Ocean Road Community Centre in South Shields.

The meeting is open to the public, however space is limited to 100 people.

The session aims to discuss how people can support the leader as he heads towards the leadership elections in September.

The meeting, which will feature various speakers, will start at 6.45pm.

To keep up to date with future meetings and discussions, visit the Facebook page South Tyneside Defend Jeremy Corbyn.