After Corbynite group Momentum allowed leaflets from other parties campaigning for the deselection of Labour MPs to be distributed at one of its events last week, those opposed to the new organisation are starting to hit back. Labour First, which represents the Old Right of the Labour party, is encouraging constituency Labour parties to vote on a motion calling for ‘tolerance and solidarity in the Labour Party’. This motion has been written by members of the Hampstead and Kilburn CLP, who have tabled it for their next meeting in the New Year.
That motion condemns bullying of MPs over the Syria vote, and calls upon the party’s National Executive Committee to be swift and decisive in disciplining anyone engaging in bullying or intimidation. It also, significantly, asks the NEC to rule out any change before the 2020 election to the party’s rules on the selection of candidates. It says the NEC should:
‘…respect the wishes of both the Leader and rank-and-file members by […] ruling out any attempts before the General Election to alter the Party’s rules on the selection of candidates, and bringing forward guidelines based on those drafted when boundary changes were previously mooted in the 2010 parliament which would treat any MP with a 40 per cent claim by electorate transferred from their existing seat to a new seat as the incumbent, so that their reselection could be expedited through a trigger ballot rather than a divisive full reselection process.’
This is significant because it is intended to force those who are quite sweet on the idea of deselection to nail their colours to the mast.
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in