When Theresa May called her fateful ‘snap general election’ in April last year, Labour members were robbed of the opportunity to change their MP or candidate that the party’s rules allowed them.
In spite of its left-wing leadership and membership, the party was still labouring under its old general secretary, a National Executive Committee still dominated by right-wingers – and a staff at its ‘Southside’ HQ so right-wing that the entry passes of Jeremy Corbyn and his team were cancelled on election night in ill-judged anticipation of an electoral disaster.
This right-dominated structure decided that, because of the short time from the calling of the election until voting day, local parties would be given no choice: incumbent MPs who wanted to stay on would do so automatically, while unsuccessful 2015 candidates would stand again. Only parties with no continuing incumbent would have the chance to choose a candidate. It outraged huge numbers of Labour members who wanted change.
There will be no such repeat at the next general election. New selection rules make it far easier for members to demand a full selection, with no opportunity for others to prevent it.
And, as the SKWAWKBOX can exclusively reveal, Labour’s HQ is making urgent plans to ensure that selection processes can take place in readiness for another snap election being forced on the Tories by the collapse of their Brexit plans.
A senior party insider told the SKWAWKBOX:
We’re already working on it – there could be literally just a few days but it’s not impossible. Organising so many in a short time won’t be easy, but we’re working on it.
SKWAWKBOX comment:
Last year’s decision to deprive members of their right to choose was unacceptable opportunism by a party machine still dominated at that time by the right. But Labour promised it would not happen again.
It seems the party is staying true to its word – and that Labour believes a new snap general election is a concrete possibility.
Small wonder that so many deeply-unpopular, so-called ‘moderate’ Labour MPs have responded to Theresa May’s latest disaster by claiming there’s no point in having a new general election.
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Fast tracking could lead to more Jared’s. I dont get why we arent selecting candidates in the background all the time, where they get properly vetted. We dont need idiots who like posts about conspiracies. I mean if they cant afford to do this then set up voluntary panels to trawl through prospective candidates social media history in each constituency.
I would hope ‘we’ are constantly looking out for, observing and progressing potential candidates through a systematic and thorough pre-selection process at all levels of the party at all times.
Publicising the fact or the names of prospects might be thought a distraction in normal circumstances – we don’t want MPs thinking only of their careers for five years – but a useful reminder to the undesirables at a time like this of their dependence on our full support.
Maybe?
Good comments above , I’d hope to have seen by now some moves in those CLPs who have a Tory masquerading as a Labour MP being de-selected and replaced with a true Labour MP as per the new easier re-selection rules . I don’t understand why that’s not yet happened
“Fast tracking could lead to more Jareds”
That is a possible problem. Apart from the postings issue, the guy was clearly not up to the job, and what I see is a current gift to the LibDems in the Hallam constituency. After a hard-won erosion of Clegg’s vote, I think that there is a strong possibility of a tipping back.
Selections can be done reasonably quickly, but it’s essential that they are done rigorously. Of course, we can’t expect reasonable behaviour from the fellow-traveller right who have stooped to the lowest tactics of ‘antisemitism’ smearing, but mouths should be tightly guarded over reselections. Indulgence in public rhetoric rather than sticking to the plain facts is not a great idea : the MSM will be hovering, ready to make a meal.
Since Corbyn has made the committment to :
” … support all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote”
.. this is a pivotal moment for the development of non-Tory policy..