The SKWAWKBOX has already covered the recent decision by Labour’s Welsh Executive Council (WEC) to prevent its members having the same democratic rights over the selection of candidates in six key marginal seats that the party intends to take in the next General Election.
Now news has emerged that Welsh Labour intends to extend the disenfranchisement of its members to every seat where the party currently has a Westminster MP.
Labour Party rules allow local members and affiliates to intiate a ‘trigger ballot’ when there is a General Election, triggering a selection process that can replace an incumbent MP. The incumbent MP always has the right to be on the shortlist, but members/branches are free to select another candidate if they wish. The process is not easy, but it is possible.
However, Welsh Labour also plans to neutralise that process.
In the June election, Labour’s NEC (National Executive Committee) suspended the trigger ballot process, confirming every incumbent MP as a candidate in the election who wanted to stand, on the grounds that there was not enough time for a series of trigger ballots across the country.
The NEC promised that this would not be repeated, but Welsh Labour plans to do exactly that – pre-emptively, by arranging now, with no time-pressure in play, that all its twenty-eight existing MPs have been confirmed in place for the next General Election, whenever it is.
In a consultation paper on selections, presented to the WEC last month but to be confirmed at its next meeting on 9 September, the WEC outlines its plan:
Remember that the national party’s rules confirm members’ right to conduct a trigger ballot:
This provision of the party’s national rule-book is being put out of reach of members in Wales.
Many Welsh Labour members are frustrated at what they perceive to be right-wing control of their national party – a situation they would like to rectify. Depriving them of their rights under the rules is unlikely to improve that.
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It remains to be seen how long Labour Party members in Wales will put up with being lorded over and treated like serfs by the anti-democratic right winger saboteurs embedded in the Welsh Executive Council.
‘Moderates’ in all segments of the party know they’re finished if they have to face a popular vote for selection; the state of W-Lab and S-Lab makes this conclusion inescapable.
Many of Jeremy’s most rabid detractors got a free ride at the last election and are now all the more desperate to cling on to control of the party, from where they can undermine Jeremy while simultaneously feeding off Jeremy’s popularity, his activist base and the membership dues of his supporters.
It’s what they’re doing right now! And their grubby chicanery will continue for as long as they are in a position to dictate terms to party members (looking at you, McNicol).
The time for bridge building and olive branches is over. If W-Lab want to play is this way, the time has come for a root-and-branch clearout.
This is an anti democratic disgrace. A total clearout is needed now. Jeremy has been far too lenient with these people. I am wondering who is advising Jeremy at times. He needs to look closely at his advisors.
I don’t think it’s Jeremy’s advisors. It’s almost certainly Jeremy’s personal qualities, those that have won him so much support, which determine how things are being handled at the top, and the leadership must be trying to keep as many people ‘on side’ as possible.
I do take your point, though. These and other anti-democratic ploys by Jeremy’s detractors are absolutely indefensible. This sort of thing would be no surprise from the Tories – they’re scum, nothing’s beneath them – but it should be beneath the Labour party.
As party members, there’s only so much we can do against crooked officers and officials if they are determined to rig the process against us … which they are.
Our opponents are holding and even gaining ground, one dirty little scheme at a time (insert list of usual suspects here).
A bit of moral support from the top might go a long way towards galvanising Jeremy’s supporters and putting the right-wing hacks (sorry, ‘moderates’) on notice.
It’s all to do with labour trying to keep the MPs like Kinnock who will lose his seat at the boundary changes , Carwyn Jones who was and is, a Blair rite , will try his best to keep the right wing happy and maybe lose his left wing voters like me.
WHEN WILL, THESE RIGHT LEANING HAS BEENS, STOP THEIR DIRTY TRICKS AGAINST THE VERY PEOPLE AND PARTY WHO GAVE THEM A JOB TO DO, THAT BEING, TO ATTACK THE TORIES NOT THEIR OWN PARTY!
A BUNCH OF MORONS WE DON’T NEED!
EVERY EFFORT SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO GETTING SHUT OF THESE INSTIGATORS WHO KEEP TRYING TO DIVIDE AND CONQUERER!
THEY WILL NEVER WIN AGAIN, WITH THEIR DIRTY TRICKS AND LIES!
WE ARE FAR TO STRONG, WE WILL CRUSH THEM, SEND THEM TO THEIR PLACE, TO THE ROCKS THEY CRAWLED UNDER FROM!
EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!
I PROPOSE NO MORE BROAD CHURCH, WHO WILL SECOND THIS PROPOSAL!
IF WE NEED ADVICE, WE DON’T NEED IT OFF THOSE ON THE RIGHT!
FOR THE MANY NOT THE FEW!
JC4PM.
I didn’t join the Labour Party, to be told I have no say in who my local CLP can choose!
I was one of those who ended up paying an extra £25 – that I couldn’t really afford – to make sure that Jeremy got voted in as Leader, and his left-wing stance suits me perfectly, after years of suffering under a right-wing Labour, which then segued into right-wing Tory-LibDem chaos, then down to the murderers who are currently running the show right now.
Yes, one of the reasons I joined, was because the policies that Jeremy and John were telling us about, are things I want for the UK but, as someone living in Wales, I want to choose my own non-Blairite MP!
Is that too much to ask? 🙁
Only in the minds of the Blairites, apparently
oh dear all the greedie ones want no change it shows blair brought greed into the party anf they wont go quietly
Apart from anything else, I guess the thinking is that if Jeremy DOES win the next GE – which seems a good possibility at this stage – then the Blair-rights need to mantain their numbers as far as possible so as to neuter Jeremy and his traditional Labour MPs – ie prevent them from carrying out their program. Forgive me if I’m just stating the obvious.
But if the Red Tories (who hijacked the Labour Party in the first place) are going to play it dirty, which they are of course every-which-way, then would it be beyond the realms of possibility to have candidates stand as ‘Traditional Labour’ candidates (in Wales for example) against the Blairites, and crowdfunded to obtain their expenses. One could argue that it could split the Labour vote and let the Tories in, but by NOT challenging them (and part of the campaign material could explain the dirty tricks involved to prevent members from selecting their desired candidate/s), you’d end up with ‘Tories’ – Red Tories – taking the seat/s anyway, and them doing everything they can to impede and obstruct ‘Jeremy’s’ program.
What I’m saying in the final analysis is that as great as it would be to see him as PM, it will amount to very little if he (and his fellow traditional Labour MPs) are prevented from carrying out his/their program to a large extent, and doing everything they can to undermine him.
And if we don’t succeed this time………….
PS Because, if we don’t succeed this time,,,,,,,,,,
Apologies, that should have read ………
An awful act of betrayal by red right Labour. My advise, don’t flipping vote for them at all until they follow the rules of democracy. Hit them where it hurts & refuse to vote. No chance of getting away with it then & no seats for their backsides.