Dear Keir

We are Labour Party members and supporters who are disappointed and angry that you condemned the disposal of the statue of slave trader Edward Colston. We want the Labour Party, including Labour Councillors and MPs, to call for there to be no prosecutions arising from the destruction of this statue.

Interviewed on 8 June, you described the action as 'completely wrong'. In contrast, we think that the protesters' removal of this statue was a long-overdue, non-violent action, which finally rid Bristol's streets of the stain of this tribute to a man who oversaw the abduction, enslavement, buying, selling and killing of ten of thousands of African slaves.

It is important that we know and learn from history. We can do this without having to look up to a statue erected in admiration of one of the perpetrators of one of the greatest crimes in human history.

You argued that the statue should have been removed and placed in a museum. However, anti-racists had been campaigning for this for a long time, to no avail. Finally, in the wake of international outcry against racism and police brutality, people took matters into their own hands.

We want the Labour Party to support them, not condemn them.

All signatures in a personal capacity

Ruth Cashman, Lambeth UNISON
Kas Witana, Penistone & Stocksbridge CLP
Kulwinder Sappal, Unite
Hassina Malik, Croydon North CLP/ UNISON
Alison Littler Penistone and Stocksbridge CLP
Julie Ward, NW Durham CLP / UNITE
Sammi Ferhaoui, Enfield North CLP, Unite
Cllr Josh Lovell, Stevenage CLP, Cambridge UCU (pc)
Jo Hiley, Sheffield Central CLP / Unite
Abbie Clark, Stevenage CLP/Unite
Jason Ng, Finsbury and Islington South CLP
Omar Raii, Lewisham Deptford CLP
Liv Singh, Hove & Portslade CLP
Alan Fraser, GMB
Jon Cowley, Sheffield Central CLP and Unite
Felicity Premru, Hackney North and Stoke Newington CLP
Janine Booth, Hackney South and Shoreditch CLP / RMT
Hannah Mottram, Leicester East CLP/Sheffield Hallam/UCU
Kieran Miles, East Ham CLP
Martin Rodgers Rochdale CLP, GMB, BMA
Joe Booth, Chipping Barnet CLP
Maisie Sanders, Lewisham Deptford CLP
Apsi Witana
Daniel Nichols, Romford CLP
Ed Whitby, Newcastle East CLP exec and Unison Newcastle City branch
Dave Kirk, Leeds West CLP, Unite
Patrick Blandford, Taunton Deane CLP
Teresa Woodyatt, Gedling CLP/Unison
Emily Walsh
Elizabeth Short, Sheffield Central CLP
Steve Chapman, Sheffield Heeley CLP
Rodney Nicholls , Bradford East CLP
Ian Townson, Unite Community
Daniel Randall, RMT
Andy Forse, Milton Keynes South CLP/ GMB
Richard Chessum, Sheffield Hallam
Duncan Morrison, Lewisham Deptford
Dave Levy, Lewisham Deptford CLP/GMB
Tim van Tinteren, Sheffield Heeley CLP/ASLEF
Richard Osborn Lewisham East CLP
K Black NEU
Patrick Markey Northampton South CLP
Gillian Hart, Lewisham Deptford
Eleanor Smith-Davis, NEU
Poppy Weighton, NASWUT
Alex Mees, Camberwell & Peckham / NEU
Kelly Rogers, National Education Union
Sarah Byrne, NEU, Hackney Central CLP
Joe Newman, Lewisham Deptford CLP, Musician’s Union, UCU
Wesley Phillips, NEU
Vicki Morris, Unison
Dinah Murray, Unite
Malcolm Hunter, Leicester South CLP
Daniel Rawnsley Sheffield Central CLP/ National Education Union
Sharon Ferguson, GMB
Andrea Gilbert, Putney CLP
Philip Inglesant, Vauxhall CLP/UCU/Unite
Andy Wolage, Brighton Hove CLP
Elliott Richards, Bristol West CLP
Michael Williams, Unite
Bill Walther, Lewisham Deptford CLP
Alex Gwinnett, NEU
Stephen Wood, Bermondsey & Old Southwark CLP/RMT
James Kerr, NEU
Gareth Wall, Stevenage CLP
Roderick Cobley, Unite
Ian Coulthard, GMB
Danielle Manning, Holborn and St Pancras CLP
Mr Gregory Metcalfe, NEU
Ulrike Wahl, Hackney South and Shoreditch CLP
Laura Rogers, Lewisham Deptford CLP/NEU
Julian Wells, Eltham CLP/UCU, Unite Community
George Gray, Woking CLP, University of Kent UCU, Unite Community SE/100C4
Emily Askins-Healy, East Ham CLP
Graham Hanks, Doncaster North CLP
Dane Vincent Smith, Leicester West CLP
Silvia Duranti Barber, NEU
Michael Shenton, Western Ward Labour Party
Andrew Marsh, Lewisham Deptford CLP
Akhtar Khan, Nuneaton/Unite
Bronwen Evans, NEU
Susie Joyce
Chris Willars, Leicester South CLP/PCS
Lynne Gillett, Unison
Ross Eric Cooper, Islington North CLP
Colin Clarke, Batley & Spen CLP/GMB
Andy Warren, Lewisham Deptford CLP, PCS
Michael O'Neill, West Oxford and Abingdon CLP
Laura Steen
Jasmin Jones, Wirral South CLP
Elaine Jones, Wirral South CLP
Yann Allsopp, Dulwich & West Norwood CLP
Aneesh Barai
Chris Allen, Leicester West CLP / Unite
Miranda Williams, NEU
Kate White, Leicester West CLP
Abel Harvie Clark, Newcastle East CLP, Unison
Joanna Merrell, Leicester West CLP
Erin Healy, Unison
Steve Britt
Cathy Crowther, Berwick Upon Tweed CLP, Acorn Renters Union & Unite Community Union
Soruche Saajedi, Tottenham CLP
M Wright, Blyth Valley CLP
Michael Crick, Bermondsey and Old Southwark CLP
Rosalind Austin,  Camberwell and Peckham CLP
Martha Levi Smythe, Hackney CLP / Lambeth Unison
Catherine Adomako, Unison
Martin McEvoy, Unite Community
Gillian Hart, Lewisham Deptford CLP
Peter Hill, Newcastle East CLP
Hazel Bligh, Stocksbridge and Upper Don CLP
David Bell, NW Leics CLP
Barnaby Marder, Richmond Park CLP
Neil Fulwood, Unite
Lynn Perry, Charnwood CLP
David Grundy, UCU
Farah Orths
Christie Neary, Hornsey & Wood Green CLP / NEU
Gurmeet Khurana, Lambeth Unison
Bethany Saul, Chesham and Amersham CLP
Heidy Kempe-Bottcher, Manchester-Withington CLP
Chris Bright, Camberwell & Peckham CLP / Unison
Sacha Marten, Tonbridge and Malling CLP
Hannah Thompson, Sheffield Central CLP
Jude Woodhead, West Lewisham and Penge CLP
Sue West, Milton Keynes North CLP, Unison member
Mandy Parry, Bristol East CLP
Eleesha Smith, UNISON
Nikki Barr
Nicky Ing
Jonathan Lasham
Philippa Hughes, Sheffield Central CLP
Liz Jones, Bristol West CLP
Louise Wildon Poole
Jeremy Drinkall, Lambeth Unison Schools Convenor and Nunhead branch PEO
Carolanne Ravenscroft
Jo Bird, Birkenhead CLP / Unite
Nicky Foster, Wirral South CLP
Paul Brooks, Wallasey CLP
Marcia Carey, NEU/Unison
Liz Smith, Tynemouth CLP