Eighties reggae band UB40 held a joint press conference with Jeremy Corbyn this morning, offering their support to his leadership campaign.
The Birmingham-based group, famous for hits such as Red, Red Wine and Kingston Town, joined Corbyn in London today to publicly voice their support for his leadership. The group called Corbyn a “genuine” and “believable leader”.
Singer Robin Campbell said, “We support Jeremy Corbyn because he is the only one willing to speak up for working people, who have been badly treated by successive governments, including New Labour, in recent decades.”
UB40 based their name on the form needed to apply for benefits in the Eighties, with one of their first singles named “One in Ten” to represent the amount of the population on job-seeking benefits in the UK during that time.
Jeremy Corbyn commented:
“I am delighted to receive the endorsement of UB40, one of the most successful British reggae acts of all time.
“UB40’s story was and remains inspiring; people from across cultures and backgrounds coming together and combining their talents – in a time when prejudice was more prevalent – and creativity to produce music that has endured across decades.”
Jeremy Corbyn is currently in the centre of a leadership election, pitted against rival Owen Smith to retain his position as leader of the Labour Party. The result will be announced at the Labour Party conference on September 24th.