Survey by site read mostly by right-leaning members suggests larger majority in support than in 2015 or 2016
Analysis
A new poll of almost ten thousand readers and members published by LabourList has surveyed the opinion of Labour members and a wider selection of its readers for their opinion on whether there should be new leadership and deputy leadership elections in the party.
A clear majority of both members and readers said they did not believe there should be a new election for Corbyn’s position. Among readers, 59.4% opposed a new contest – but it’s among members that the number is most interesting.
63.3% of members opposed a new election:
Corbyn’s original leadership victory in saw him take 59.5% of the of the overall vote – but among members, 49.6%, with higher support among union affiliates pushing up the overall result.
In the 2016 contest against Owen Smith, Corbyn polled 61.8% overall – and 59% among members.
With the turmoil of Brexit and Corbyn’s attempt to bring the country together, some MPs and commentators trying to push Labour to side only with remainers by committing to a new referendum or annulling Article 50 have claimed that support for Corbyn among the party’s membership has been dwindling.
But the LabourList result suggests support for Corbyn has in fact risen, in spite of the constant media barrage and the efforts of the party’s right to undermine him and commandeer Labour’s direction.
The poll, however, did not reflect so kindly on deputy leader Tom Watson. A similarly large majority of Labour members – 63.1% – do want a contest to replace him.
Both of these results need to be interpreted in the context of LabourList’s positioning, which means that its readers tend to lean right in Labour terms. If the survey’s results are skewed, it’s likely that they understate Corbyn’s support.
SKWAWKBOX view:
In spite of the best efforts of Corbyn’s opponents to exploit the Brexit issue to drive a wedge between Labour members and the party’s leader – and the panic of a small number of left-wing remain MPs – the solidarity of the left does not simply appear undiminished.
It has grown.
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