Stormzy announces he’s backing Jeremy Corbyn ahead of the general election

Stormzy officially announced today that he will be backing Labour in the general election, in a letter sent to The Guardian from him and 35 other musicians.

The letter, signed by other famous musicians such as Kano, Katy B and Professor Green, declares that the group are voting labour as “they offer an urgent alternative to the destructive policies of the Conservatives”.

It reads: “We are musicians, artists, rappers and grime MCs, and we will be voting for Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party this election. We’re not voting Labour in the naive hope that they will solve all the problems our communities face.

“To deny from our own, now quite comfortable places, that a Labour government would improve the lives of millions would betray the communities we come from. The opportunity for people-led change can be made possible under a Jeremy Corbyn Labour government. End austerity, rebuild our communities and take back the means to change our lives for the better.”

This comes after the #Grime4Corbyn movement all but disbanded two weeks ago, with AJ Tracey even denouncing Corbyn as “the best of a bad bunch” and said he wouldn’t be his first choice in the general election.

However, #Grime4Corbyn has since relaunched under the new name RizeUp and many grime rappers, including Stormzy and Wiley, have confirmed their support for Corbyn.

In the open letter, the musicians call on people to register to vote and in the election vote to “end austerity, rebuild our communities and take back the means to change our lives for the better”.

The letter says: “In an election that could transform the livelihoods of many, and be the difference between life or death for many more, life is something worth voting for. Join us.”

The full letter can be read here.

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