Jeremy Corbyn has failed to heal a growing rift in the North East Labour party by refusing to weigh in on the region’s devolution divide.

Speaking to ChronicleLive after a speech at Newcastle University, the Labour leader declined to back the North of Tyne (NTCA) breakaway authority.

He claimed a deal hasn’t been agreed yet in the North East, despite the fact Labour-controlled Newcastle City Council and North Tyneside Council signed a “minded to” agreement in November along with Conservative-led Northumberland County Council.

With just weeks to go until all seven North East council are set to meet and vote on whether to begin the legal process of formally splitting up, it’s still unclear what the official position of the Labour leadership is.

Jeremy Corbyn speaking at the Regional Labour conference at Newcastle University
Jeremy Corbyn speaking at the Regional Labour conference at Newcastle University

Newcastle council leader Nick Forbes, who is also head of Labour in the Local Government Association, has been a key driver behind securing a devolution deal.

He was also involved in efforts to bring the region’s four south of Tyne Labour controlled authorities on board for a full North East-wide agreement before talks between the seven councils collapsed in 2016.

But an email sent to supporters by Corbyn-backing campaign group ‘Momentum’ by the Newcastle group’s secretary Ed Whitby, who ChronicleLive understands works for Newcastle City Council, carries a quote from Newcastle Central MP Nick Brown, who is also the party’s chief whip, denouncing the deal.

Asked if he would come down on either side of the fence and help close the chasm that has opened in North East Labour, Mr Corbyn equivocated.

He said: “Devolution should be locally supported and locally accepted and what the Government is doing is trying to impose metro mayors on particular parts of the country, usually with an accompanying offer of some capital investment.

“Some councils choose to go along with it and some don’t, some have been established like Manchester, Liverpool city region, Tees valley and the west of England.

“In this area there hasn’t been an agreement reached.

“I would urge everyone to decide on what they want collectively and make sure there is a collective voice of all local government across the whole North East because this area needs central government investment, needs recognition that it has been under invested in for a very long time.”

Pressed on whether it was tenable to have an LGA leader who was in favour of the NTCA deal and a chief whip who actively opposes it, Mr Corbyn again declined to directly address the issue.

He said: “I talk to them all the time, I know them all extremely well and after the local elections there no doubt will be more discussions about the form that devolution will take.”

Mr Corbyn also said he thought Labour would perform well in the upcoming May local elections, adding that the party was ready for a snap general election and already selecting candidates in marginal seats.