Scores turn out to support Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at first ever Bolton Momentum group meeting

About sixty people packed into the Wood Street socialist group to hear details of the new group, which has been formed to support Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

An enthusiastic crowd heard rallying speeches from local union leaders as well as a special musical performance from Liverpudlian Youtube star Lisa Dempster (pictured below), who sang her viral hit — a Jeremy Corbyn-inspired version of Labi Siffre’s Something Inside so Strong.

The Bolton Momentum group is one of many across the country that has started up to support the socialist Islington MP, who faces a challenge to his leadership from Owen Smith and saw large numbers of his shadow cabinet walk-away from their positions last month.

Explaining how the group has been formed, chair Cath Ryde (pictured below) said: “A few of us met for the first time after the EU referendum and what started as a little meeting became a big meeting as more and more people kept turning up, wanting to get involved.

“We are now part of the national Momentum movement but this isn’t just for Labour party members, there are lots of people who support Jeremy Corbyn and want to see him stay in position and they are all welcome.”

The applauding and cheering crowd was brought to a stunned silence when Liverpool mum-of-three Lisa Dempster sang her song in support of Mr Corbyn.

Her musical effort has been viewed nearly 2,000 times on youtube and she told the crowd how she had managed to sing it directly to the Labour leader on his recent visit to her home city.

Speaking of Mr Corbyn, she added: “He is someone who speaks to all of us, he has stopped socialism from being a dirty word.”

The meeting also heard from Andrea Egan, assistant branch secretary of Bolton Unison and Martin McMulkin, north west chair of Unite.

They discussed how the movement to support Mr Corbyn had got to the stage it has now and what needs to be done at a local level to keep it going.

Ms Egan said: “People will try to rubbish Jeremy and his policies and say he is not electable, what we need to do as a Momentum group is first understand those policies and then deliver them to people and explain to people that he can deliver an election win.”

Mr McMulkin added: “When Jeremy Corbyn wins the leadership election, he needs us all stood beside him.

“Together we can create a society and a future that we can all be proud of, so lets get out there and start the fight.”

In the audience at the meeting was 67-year-old Breightmet resident Barry Manville, who has not been to a meeting of this type before.

He said: “I wanted to come and find out more about Momentum because I don’t like the dirty tricks that have been used on Jeremy Corbyn.

“He is turning politics on its head and I think that’s what is needed right now.”