The battle between two competing left slates – those put forward by CLPD and Momentum – for the important election of additional members of Labour’s senior disciplinary body, the National Constitutional Committee (NCC), has led to a narrative developing that the Momentum slate is more ‘geographically diverse’ and that the CLPD slate has ‘too many people from London and the south-east’.
Indeed, Momentum itself has claimed that this was a key concern driving its decision to put out a separate slate at all, albeit with three candidates out of six the same as those on the CLPD slate.
But does the claim stand up to scrutiny?
The CLPD slate
The members of the CLPD slate – also backed by a number of other left organisations – at the point where Momentum issued its own recommendations were:
- Kaneez Akthar (Keighley, W Yorks)
- Annabelle Harle (Cardiff, Wales)
- Gary Heather (Islington, London)
- Stephen Marks
- Khaled Moyeed (Tottenham, London)
- Cecile Wright (Derby, E Mids)
Ms Akhtar, the most northerly candidate on the CLPD slate, subsequently dropped out of the election and was replaced just yesterday by Wales-based candidate Sonia Klein, whose family is also of Asian origin. The current CLPD slate therefore consists of candidates from:
- London x2
- Oxford x1
- Wales x2
- Derby x1
Momentum communications have described a preponderance of CLPD candidates from ‘London and the South-East’, but in fact two are from London. Oxford is strictly speaking ‘south-east’, but is considerably closer to the Warwick in the West Midlands than to London and well to the north-west of the capital.
The Momentum slate
Momentum’s ‘left team’ slate contains the following candidates – of which three, shown in bold, are also on the CLPD version:
- Annabelle Harle (Cardiff, Wales)
- Khaled Moyeed (Tottenham, London)
- Jabran Hussain (W Yorks)
- Susan Press (Todmorden, W Yorks)
- Cecile Wright (Derby, E Mids)
- Martin Menear (Cornwall)
Momentum is therefore recommending candidates from:
- London x1
- W Yorks x2
- Wales x1
- E Mids x1
- South-West x1
The main difference in terms of offering candidates who live away from London is therefore one fewer candidate from London. CLPD now recommends two Wales-based candidates, while Momentum recommends two from West Yorkshire. CLPD’s slate now does not extend as far north as Momentum’s, but did until Keighley-based Kaneez Akhtar stepped down, which CLPD believes she was pressured to do.
Both slates offer a balance in terms of gender and of BAME representation. CLPD’s slate has four BAME candidates – including Stephen Marks of Jewish Voice for Labour. Momentum’s has at least three – it’s not known whether any Harle, Press or Menear represent a minority.
SKWAWKBOX comment:
Momentum consider that ‘half of the CLPD slate is from London and the south-east’. It’s technically true but not as clear-cut as it seems at first reading. Both slates have a substantial geographical spread.
Whatever grounds those in the Labour Party with a vote use as a basis for their decision how to cast their ballots, geography probably shouldn’t feature significantly – especially when one of the London candidates also represents Jewish Voice for Labour, which the Labour right and Labour’s opponents consistently attempt to marginalise.
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