Jeremy Corbyn’s policy chief resigns ‘after losing faith in Labour leader’s ability to win election’

One of Jeremy Corbyn’s closest aides has resigned, after reportedly saying he did not believe the Labour leader would win the next general election.

Policy chief Andrew Fisher announced he was quitting last Saturday, according to The Sunday Times, which said it had obtained a memo in which he told colleagues: “I no longer have faith we can succeed.”

Mr Fisher, who wrote Labour’s last election manifesto, is reported to have denounced Mr Corbyn’s team for their “lack of professionalism, competence and human decency”.

He is also said to have bemoaned a “blizzard of lies and excuses” and claimed a “class war” had gripped the upper echelons of the party.

A Labour source declined to comment on “staffing matters”, but Mr Fisher issued a statement confirming his resignation late on Saturday.

He said he wanted to prioritise his wife and young son after four years of the ”long hours, stresses and strains that inevitably come from working in this high pressure environment”.

“I will stay for any autumn general election, but will be leaving by the end of the year,” Mr Fisher added.

His resignation will be a significant blow to Mr Corbyn, who himself is claimed to be planning to stand down because he feels under “incredible pressure”.

Meanwhile, reports say the Labour leader’s allies have begun making succession plans after the party has “passed the high-water mark of Corbynism”.

Momentum founder Jon Lansman’s shock bid to topple Tom Watson on Friday has been seen as an attempt to ensure the deputy leader would not automatically take on temporarily leadership of the party if Mr Corbyn steps down.

“It looks like they’ve concluded that Corbyn is going to go and they are just lining up the succession,” one MP told The Observer.

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