Labour frontbencher Resigns saying his party is failing because it’s been taken over by Londoners and ‘woke warriors’

Voters are rejecting Labour because it’s been taken over by trendy Londoners and “woke social media warriors”, according to a city Labour MP.

Khalid Mahmood, Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, said Labour must appeal to patriotic voters and focus on creating jobs, including in manufacturing.

He made the comments following the party’s loss in the Hartlepool by-election, and poor showing in a number of council elections. Mr Mahmood also predicted Labour would lose the election for a West Midlands Mayor, although the result is not due to be announced until tomorrow, Saturday May 8.

In an article written for think tank Policy Exchange, Mr Mahmood said: “The Tories are deep into what was once safe Labour territory – the industrial heartlands of the North – with a 7,000 majority of their own. In the West Midlands, it looks again like Labour will lose out on the mayoral race and more.”

My view is simple: in the past decade, Labour has lost touch with ordinary British people. A London-based bourgeoisie, with the support of brigades of woke social media warriors, has effectively captured the party.

They mean well, of course, but their politics – obsessed with identity, division and even tech utopianism – have more in common with those of Californian high society than the kind of people who voted in Hartlepool yesterday.

The loudest voices in the Labour movement over the past year in particular have focused more on pulling down Churchill’s statue than they have on helping people pull themselves up in the world. No wonder it is doing better among rich urban liberals and young university graduates than it is amongst the most important part of its traditional electoral coalition, the working-class.

A bit of superficial flag-waving – reinforced by urgent memos from party HQ – isn’t going to fix that. We have to recognise that the patriotism of these voters runs much deeper than that. They are more alert to rebranding exercises than spin doctors give them credit for.

Their patriotism is about historic pride in their places, the heritage and stories of those places, and the Britishness and Englishness of the people and families that call them home.

Explaining what he believes has gone wrong, he said: “Labour has lost touch with ordinary British people. A London-based bourgeoisie, with the support of brigades of woke social media warriors, has effectively captured the party.

“They mean well, of course, but their politics – obsessed with identity, division and even tech utopianism – have more in common with those of Californian high society than the kind of people who voted in Hartlepool yesterday.

“The loudest voices in the Labour movement over the past year, in particular, have focused more on pulling down Churchill’s statue than they have on helping people pull themselves up in the world. No wonder it is doing better among rich urban liberals and young university graduates than it is amongst the most important part of its traditional electoral coalition, the working-class.”

Mr Mahmood said that voters were patriotic, with an “historic pride in their places”. He warned: “Is there a danger that our party, in its opposition and confusion over Brexit, has veered towards an anti-British attitude? I certainly worry that some of our previous supporters will see it that way.”

Setting out the issues he believes the party should concentrate on, he said voters want job security, a well-funded NHS, investment in infrastructure, and in basic transport such as cleaner and greener buses.