So, can Jeremy Corbyn automatically qualify as a candidate in Labour’s coming leadership election? The future of the party might well hang upon this question, being decided today at a meeting of the NEC, Labour’s governing council. With the decision expected to be close — down to just one or two votes — both sides are feeling rather nervous.
So nervous in fact that some party members are resorting to underhand tactics. At today’s Shadow Cabinet meeting, I understand there was an attempt to ‘re-level’ the playing field. Jeremy Corbyn’s team made a last-ditch effort to remove Jon Ashworth from the NEC so there would be one less anti-Corbyn voice when it came to deciding whether the Labour leader has to be nominated by MPs to be on the ballot.
This plot failed after an unlikely army of Corbyn allies came to the Shadow Minister without Portfolio’s aid and refused to play ball. Led by Tom Watson, the majority of the Shadow Cabinet defied their leader by declining to oust Ashworth.
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