Sophie Hannah pens poem on Corbyn's refusal to quit

Author Sophie Hannah has written a poem about Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn titled "Jeremy Refuses to Go".

Published on Hannah’s website, the poem begins: "It’s the year 2147/ Cancer’s cured & we’ve privatized snow/ And a robot’s your neighbour/ Yet still, same old Labour/ For Corbyn refuses to go."

Hannah told the Bookseller: "I wrote the poem after a writer mate of mine, Steve Mosby, tweeted that someone should write a poem with the refrain 'but Corbyn refuses to go.' I can never resist a poetic challenge, so I thought I'd have a go!"

Hannah added that she was not a "Corbyn fan".

"Eighty per cent of his MPs want him to go", she said. "To ignore that is to demonstrate that you don't give a fig about parliamentary democracy. I also think he doesn't do or say nearly enough to tackle the rise of viciousness and abuse from his supporters directed at anyone to the right of him and Seumas Milne, e.g. Angela Eagle."

Hannah is not the only author Corbyn has inspired to write poetry. Last year, Poets for Corbyn, a collection of poetry inspired by the Labour leader was published by online magazine Berfrois, and featured contributions from 20 poets including Michael Rosen and Pascale Petit. Later that year, poet and novelist Ben Okri "celebrated" Corbyn in a new poem called "A New Dream of Politics".

At the time of his appointment, figures in the trade said that Corbyn would be positive for the arts. However, after the EU Referendum, Corbyn has faced intense pressure to quit as leader of the Labour party, with 172 Labour MPs indicating they had no confidence in him following a vote, with just 40 Westminster MPs still backing him. He is now forced to compete again to retain leadership of the party with rivals Angela Eagle and Owen Smith, who are also vying for the position.

Corbyn will be in discussion with Booker prize-wining author Ben Okri at the the Royal Festival Hall in London tomorrow (15th July).