As the SKWAWKBOX broke this afternoon, Unite’s Jennie Formby has declared her intention to apply for the position of Labour Party General Secretary.
The response on social media from Labour members, senior party and union figures and many MPs has been overwhelmingly positive, in spite of mischievous attempts by the mainstream media to paint a ‘Unite v Momentum’ picture because of the possibility that Jon Lansman might also apply.
Labour MPs have swung behind a candidacy that has become so popular it generated its own hashtag: #JenSec:
👏🏻 #ForTheJenny #JenSec 👏🏻 https://t.co/4FUMKfdAnI
— 🌈 Andrew Gwynne MP (@GwynneMP) February 27, 2018
Delighted the amazing @JennieUnite has put herself forward to be the next Gen Sec of @UKLabour. Jennie’s knowledge of our movement is second to none, she has incredible organisational ability & huge respect within the party. She has my backing to take us to the next level #JenSec https://t.co/dRHPhEPXxp
— Laura Pidcock (@LauraPidcock) February 27, 2018
Good to see that friend and comrade @JennieUnite Jennie Formby has announced her candidacy for #JenSec of the Labour Party She certainly has my support Great candidate #ForTheJennie https://t.co/fa0QWWcNrq
— Ian Mearns MP for Gateshead (@IanMearnsMP) February 27, 2018
I can’t think of anyone better to take on leadership of our party’s head office than @JennieUnite. She not only has a formable background in the trade union movement currently as @unitetheunion south east director but is currently an amazing NEC Vice Chair.#ForTheJennie #JenSec
— Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP🌹🇪🇺🏳️🌈 (@lloyd_rm) February 27, 2018
I’ve known and worked alongside Jennie Formby and she will make an outstanding General Secretary of the Labour Party. Can’t think of anyone more experienced, hardworking, principled and kind hearted! https://t.co/Z686FIcLSo
— Dan Carden MP (@DanCardenMP) February 27, 2018
Some of the ‘MSM’ tried to float Unite’s Anneliese Midgley as a possible competing applicant, perhaps briefed in an attempt to sow the idea that Unite was divided over the issue. Ms Midgley’s Twitter activity soon made it clear that was nonsense:
While even Labour members who are also part of Momentum were quick to make clear what they wanted:
Prominent Labour activists were also vocal:
Conflicting rumours have started to circulate about Jon Lansman’s intentions, with those claiming that he will stand down growing in strength. A sole left candidate with such strong support as that enjoyed by Ms Formby will surely deter the Labour right from trying to exploit the situation.
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She sounds excellent – and JL is perhaps more useful where he is? Less likely to be conflicted?
Just think what we can achieve with a General Secretary like Jennie Formby who fully supports the leadership, instead of a person like Iain McNicol who constantly sabotaged and undermined it.
Not forgetting the rest of our friends of the left on the NEC who have been battling with McNicol for years .
I think Jon would be excellent too. No-one has been more committed to campaigning for LP democracy over the decades. However, I think he needs to keep Eddie Izzard off the NEC and keep his watchful eye overseeing Momentum.
Jon Landsman has not
clarified his position
I still hope he runs
Yes I think Jennie sounds fine and with such short notice I think we on the Left have to be practical. Jon Lansman was in the Guardian saying he didn’t like annointmentism but was happy for appointmentism for himself for the Left NEC slate. Many of us left wing democratic socialists argue that interested people should write 500 or 1,000 word statements on their ideas ie for the Left NEC slate and then let the Left OMOV pick the slate and you never know dynamic new left wing democratic socialists may emerge rather than the Left’s Great and Good. Good to see as a CLPD member that there is a resolution to this effect at its up and coming annual meeting. What helped sway me was the Right Winger’s post of Jennie’s previous tweets- when it comes to supporting JC (and as a working class woman it will have many benefits) Jennie seems sound as a pound! So as a Momentum member as things stand I would back: Jennie 4 GS!