Jeremy Corbyn emails ‘warmest congratulations’ to Labour council candidates who lost Jeremy Corbyn professed that the local elections had been Labour’s best result in London since 1971. While the party enjoyed […]

Jeremy Corbyn professed that the local elections had been Labour’s best result in London since 1971. While the party enjoyed net gains across the capital, they were still some way short of winning 100 per cent of seats.

Despite this, scores of Labour candidates who lost in their elections received emails from the 68-year-old leader offering his “sincerest and warmest congratulations”.

Many received both a standard commiserations message and another email that was only meant to be seen by elected Labour councillors.

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‘Disgraceful’

Abdi Duale, who stood to represent Labour on Ealing Council, west London, told i: “I first got a commiserations email and thought, ‘this is cute, thank you Jez’. And then I got a reply to the same email with a congratulations and just thought, what are you doing?

“It worries me that something as basic as this goes wrong.”

https://twitter.com/AbdiwaliUK/status/997490132105261056

Adam Langelben, who lost his council seat in Barnet, north London, and has been highly critical of anti-Semitism in the party, labelled the email error “disgraceful”.

“They acknowledge lessons to be learnt only for failed candidates or councillors. There are significant lessons for candidates and councillors who won too. Lessons for the entire Labour Movement,” he wrote on Twitter.

Elected candidates: "dedicated". Unelected candidates: Something else. Thanks. pic.twitter.com/upNlJaeSZx — Adam Langleben (@adamlangleben) May 18, 2018

Fellow Jewish Labour activist Rebecca Moses, a losing Labour candidate in Merton, south west London, was among those surprised to receive congratulations from Corbyn.

https://twitter.com/Labour_Rebecca/status/997499260978548743

‘A fantastic honour’

It is understood that the error affected hundreds of losing Labour candidates across London, who were sent both commiserations and a congratulations.

In the wrongly sent celebratory message, Corbyn wrote: “I want to send my sincerest and warmest congratulations on your election as a Labour councillor.

“It is a fantastic honour and privilege to be given the opportunity, by your community, to be their representative voice.

“Your success is the result of your own dedication, as well as the commitment of local Labour activists who are the backbone of our Party.”

Labour did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publishing.