THE leaders of eight trade unions affiliated to Labour have signed a joint statement to raise concerns over the continuing removal of Jeremy Corbyn’s whip.

Community, which nominated Sir Keir Starmer for leadership earlier this year, has joined Unite, CWU, FBU, ASLEF, TSSA, NUM and BFAWU in calling on the party to restore the whip to the former leader. 

In the new statement, the unions said they were concerned that Labout had recently been “distracted by internal wrangling” while millions were losing their jobs and the government’s “disgraceful” public-sector pay freeze.

They suggested that the ongoing row was “causing deep division in our party” that will “not be understood or forgiven by the British public.

“We urge all parties to resolve this matter quickly,” the statement concludes.