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Kano, Steve Coogan and Naomi Klein among 40 cultural figures backing Corbyn and Labour

Letter’s signatories say they are ‘alarmed by the global rise of far-right nationalism’

Ellie Harrison
Wednesday 04 December 2019 11:47 GMT
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Stephen Fry has made a fact-checking video about Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn and everyone needs to see it

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Kano, Steve Coogan and Naomi Klein are among a group of 40 cultural figures who have united to back Labour in the forthcoming general election.

In an open letter to The Guardian, stars including Rob Delaney, Ashley Walters and the band Clean Bandit encourage voters to support Jeremy Corbyn’s party.

The letter argues that “Boris Johnson’s Conservatives have nothing to offer but the prospect of an ever more unequal and divided society, and dog-whistle politics”.

Describing the election on 12 December as “stark” and “urgent”, the letter says: “We are alarmed by the global rise of far-right nationalism and the authoritarian turn taken by many governments following the global financial crash of 2008.”

It lauds Corbyn’s manifesto as a “transformative plan that prioritises the needs of people and the planet over private profit and the vested interests of a few”.

The letter comes in the wake of numerous artists coming out in support of Labour, including Stormzy, who said he believed the Prime Minister to be a “sinister man” with a “long record of lying and policies that have absolutely no regard for the people that our government should be committed to helping and empowering”.

Michael Gove was then widely criticised for mocking Stormzy's grime lyrics and suggesting he should stay out of politics.

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