More than 100 Labour councillors from across the East of England have signed a letter calling for Sir Keir Starmer to become the next party leader as officials prepare to send out ballot papers to members.
The signatories include Ipswich council leader David Ellesmere, the leader of the Labour opposition at Suffolk County Council Sarah Adams and the Labour group leaders on both East and West Suffolk councils Peter Byatt and Diane Hind.
It has also been backed by the leader of the Labour group on Essex County Council, former Harwich MP Ivan Henderson.
The open letter calls on party members to back Sir Keir as "the best person to unite the Labour Party, take on the Tories and defeat Boris Johnson at the next election".
The letter praises his experience of having done a top job outside of politics and suggests he would be the best person to "forensically" take apart "Boris Johnson's bluster".
It says: "We think another future is possible for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk."
Suffolk county councillor Jack Abbott said: "Labour councillors are on the front line fighting against Tory austerity and the cuts to our public services. In a region that is sorely lacking Labour representation in Westminster, it is often left to us to stand up for our communities.
"It is crucially important that the next Labour leader values, supports and builds upon the work we are doing in local government - clearly, with over one hunderd councillors backing him, we believe that Keir Starmer is the candidate who will do just that."
Mr Ellesmere said: "Labour's next leader must rebuild trust and inspire confidence in our party, be a strong voice in opposition and win the next general election. I and many of my colleagues believe that the candidate who will meet these challenges head on is Keir Starmer."
The letter is being released to coincide with the Labour Party's East of England Conference and comes after 40 out of 58 CLPs in the region nominated Sir Keir.
It says: "We believe that Keir Starmer is the best person to unite the Labour Party, take on the Tories and defeat Boris Johnson at the next election.
"Keir has promised to stay radical and relevant - he opposes austerity, supports common ownership and believes public services belong in public hands.
"His values shine through: we have seen how as a lawyer how he has defended striking miners, the couple who were sued for libel by McDonalds and supported Doreen Lawrence in her fight for justice after the murder of her son Stephen.
"As the former Director of Public Prosecutions he has the experience of doing a tough job. He is the person we need forensically taking apart Boris Johnson's bluster.
"As councillors we are very aware of important council and Police and Crime Commissioner elections less than 100 days away, so our next leader must be ready to have the qualities required to reconnect with communities where the party needs to win to get back into government.
"Keir has a vision for an outward looking, fairer and successful Britain which chimes with ours, because we think, another future is possible for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk."
The signatories are:
Jack Abbott, Suffolk County Council
Sarah Adams, Leader of the Labour Group, Suffolk County Council
Raja Naveed Ahmed, Luton Borough Council
Waheed Akbar, Luton Borough Council
Ian Albert, North Hertfordshire District Council
Helen Armitage, Suffolk County Council; Ipswich Borough Council
Sue Bale, Woodbridge Town Council
Sarah Barber, Ipswich Borough Council
Dr Tim Barrett, Brentwood Borough Council
Gareth Barrett, Brentwood Borough Council
Nigel Bell, Leader of the Labour Group, Watford Borough Council; Deputy Leader of the Labour Group, Hertfordshire County Council
Judi Billing MBE, Leader of the Labour Group, Hertfordshire County Council; North Hertfordshire District Council
Carol Borg, Great Yarmouth Borough Council
Tina Bourne, Colchester Borough Council
Lenny Brandon, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
Mike Brindle, Breckland Council
James Broach, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
Rob Broom, Stevenage Borough Council
Val Bryant, North Hertfordshire District Council
David Burton-Sampson, Basildon Council
Richard Butler, Hertsmere Borough Council
Sally Button, Norwich City Council
Peter Byatt, Leader of the Labour Group, East Suffolk Council
Garry Calver, Tendring District Council
Alan Chesterman, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
Lynn Chesterman OBE, Hertfordshire County Council; Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
Harry Clarke, Breckland Council; Dereham Town Council
Stephen Connelly, Ipswich Borough Council
Martin Cook, Ipswich Borough Council
John Cook, Ipswich Borough Council
Daniel Cowan, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council
Steve Cox, Three Rivers District Council
Mike Davey, Cambridge City Council
Bill Davidson, Tendring District Council
Mike Deacon, East Suffolk Council
Rebecca Denness, City of Ely Council
Tony Durcan, Harlow Council
Tony Edwards, Harlow Council
Elango Elavalakan, Ipswich Borough Council
David Ellesmere, Leader of Ipswich Borough Council
Maria Fowler, Tendring District Council
Tess Gandy, East Suffolk Council
Peter Gardiner, Deputy Leader of the Labour Group, Suffolk County Council; Ipswich Borough Council
Katherine Gardner, St Albans City and District Council
Ian Gilbert, Leader of Southend-on-Sea Borough Council
Adam Giles, Norwich City Council
Louise Gooch, East Suffolk Council
Natasha Harpley, Leader of the Labour Group, Broadland District Council
Gail Harris, Deputy Leader of Norwich City Council
Eugenie Harvey, Deputy Leader of Harlow Council
Glyn Hayes, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
Darren Heaps, Ipswich Borough Council
Ivan Henderson, Leader of the Labour Group, Essex County Council and Tendring District Council; Harwich Town Council
Jo Henderson, Tendring District Council
Diane Hind, Leader of the Labour Group, West Suffolk Council; Bury St Edmunds Town Council
Kevin Hind, Bury St Edmunds Town Council
Gary Howman, King's Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council
Jacob Huntley, Norwich City Council
Javeria Hussain, Luton Borough Council
Javed Hussain, Luton Borough Council
Mohammed Jamil, Peterborough City Council
Terry Jermy, Leader of the Labour Group, Breckland Council; Norfolk County Council; Thetford Town Council
Richard Johnson, Cambridge City Council
Carole Jones, Ipswich Borough Council
Aasiyah Jospeh, Peterborough City Council
Patrick Kadewere, Leader of the Labour Group, Huntingdonshire District Council
Paul Kendrick, Norwich City Council
Martin Kerin, Thurrock Council
Aslam Khan, Luton Borough Council
Asif Khan, Hertfordshire County Council; Watford Borough Council
Colin Kreidewolf, Ipswich Borough Council
Mike Larkins, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
Cyril Liddy, Colchester Borough Council
John Lloyd, Stevenage Borough Council
Neil MacDonald, Ipswich Borough Council
Kevin Maguire, Norwich City Council
Daniel Maguire, Ipswich Borough Council
Patrick Manning, Norwich City Council
Bilqees Mauthoor, Watford Borough Council
Russ McPherson, Cambridge City Council
Elisa Meschini, Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridge City Council
Sophie Meudec, Ipswich Borough Council
Sharon Miller, Woodbridge Town Council
Stefan Mullard, Harlow Council
Chris Myers, Hertsmere Borough Council
Shaz Nawaz, Peterborough City Council
Jeremy Newmark, Leader of the Labour Group, Hertsmere Borough Council
George Nobbs, Norfolk County Council
Carina O'Reilly, Cambridge City Council
Helen Oliver, North Hertfordshire District Council
Malachy Pakenham, Leader of the Labour Group, St Albans City and District Council
Charlie Powell, Harwich Town Council
Dr Shabina Qayyum, Peterborough City Council
Bill Quinton, Suffolk County Council
Carolyn Redfern, East Herts Council
Steve Richardson, Harwich Town Council
Alasdair Ross, Ipswich Borough Council
Bryony Rudkin, Deputy Leader of Ipswich Borough Council
Chrissie Rumsby, Norfolk County Council
Roger Ryan, Norwich City Council
Mike Sands, Norfolk County Council; Norwich City Council
Sue Sands, Norwich City Council
Jane Sarmezey, Norwich City Council
Margaret Saunders, Harwich Town Council
Lee Scordis, Essex County Council; Colchester Borough Council
Christine Shaw, Ipswich Borough Council
Colin Smart, Ipswich Borough Council
Philip Smart, Ipswich Borough Council
David Smith, Harwich Town Council
Richard Smith, Watford Borough Council
Jenny Smith, Ipswich Borough Council
Janet Smith, St Albans City and District Council
Dave Taylor, Luton Borough Council
Sharon Taylor OBE, Leader of Stevenage Borough Council; Hertfordshire County Council
Alan Todd, Harwich Town Council
Lucy Trenchard, Ipswich Borough Council
James Valentine, Bedford Borough Council
Chris Vince, Harlow Council
Michelle Vince, Hertsmere Borough Council
Yasmin Waheed, Luton Borough Council
Phil Waite, Harlow Council
Cara Walker, Great Yarmouth Borough Council
Alan Waters, Leader of Norwich City Council
Bernard Williamson, Great Yarmouth Borough Council
Colin Wright, Ipswich Borough Council
Tony Wright, Great Yarmouth Borough Council
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