The latest full meeting of Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) took place earlier this week and passed off largely without contention – although the previous week’s gathering of NEC sub-committees removed Keith Birch from the chair of the equalities sub-committee and therefore the important ‘officers’ group, much to the ire of right-wingers, who promptly launched vile and unprincipled attacks on his replacement.
But one important development that did take place on Tuesday was an agreement by the NEC – fiercely resisted by the remaining right-wingers – to make Labour’s directly-elected mayors, Greater London Assembly (GLA) members and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) subject to the same reselection criteria as the party’s MPs.
This means that instead of a ‘50% plus one’ majority of Labour branches and affiliates in the relevant constituency area being required to trigger a selection contest where there is a Labour incumbent, one third of either Labour member branches or affiliates will be able to initiate a selection – meaning union and socialist society branches will be unable to prevent members opting for a contest (and vice versa).
The NEC right fought to retain the existing criteria on the rather interesting basis that since Sadiq Khan was selected as Labour’s candidate under those conditions, they should be retained for all candidates going forward.
The new development gives Labour members far more choice and influence over those who represent them at local level.
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When will NEC change the adoption of the ‘disgusting’ IHRA definition of anti-semitism by the Labour Party? It is an affront to ‘free speech’ & an insult to the Palestinian people, who have been the victims of a concentrated genocidal attack since 1948, by a fascistic regime aka Israel. Will I be expelled from the Labour Party for expressing this opinion? OK Ms. Formby, “Je suis Charlie Ebdo”.