Contrary to reports in some media, Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) will vote tomorrow on a motion that would remove the party’s barnacle-like deputy leader Tom Watson – by removing the deputy leader post altogether.
The NEC chair had ruled the motion out of order and a vote to rule it in did not achieve the required two-thirds majority. However, a procedural motion was tabled to add it to the NEC’s pre-conference meeting scheduled for tomorrow. That motion required – and easily achieved – only a simple majority. Rebecca Long-Bailey and Diane Abbott were reportedly among its supporters.
Tomorrow’s meeting will therefore likewise require only a simple majority to remove Watson – who has consistently refused to put his mandate to the test before a membership of which a majority is likely to be deeply unhappy with his conduct.
There appears to be a high degree of confidence that this will be achieved even if all thirty-eight current NEC members attend to vote. If it passes, the motion will then be voted on by Labour’s conference to ratify or reject it – the conference arithmetic is likely to result in its ratification.
Watson did not attend the meeting.
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Here’s hoping for the correct, and deserved, outcome
Here’s hoping for the correct,and deserved,result.
Heartbroken, said no one ever.
Holy shit BRILLIANT if we get it through !
It is my understanding that the motion will require a two thirds majority at conference and if this is the case I am sorry to say I don’t think it will get through.
Smartboy 21/09/2019 at 2:23
If that turns out to be the case it certainly won’t be a good look for the party and will only go to strengthen TW’s hand.
I do hope this happens. He’s been absolutely the most incompetent Deputy Leader we have ever had. Let’s get rid of him and hope Galloway wins in the coming General Election.
If Watson is the candidate, which it appears he will be, LP will aim to throw the kitchen sink at his campaign, the ‘party’ and its high profile liberal media acolytes despise Galloway. I get the impression members are split but that’s just an impression.
Christopher
Yes but not just incompetent, actively hostile. And yes to Galloway, too!
‘Incompetent’ definitely not. He knows what he is doing.
I agree, Watson is a very experienced political operator/wreaker.
Well it’s about time LP dealt with a renegade deputy, shame abolishing the post doesn’t deal with Watson MP who will continue his disruptive, damaging and devicive shenanigans as per usual.
I will be interested in NEC vote on this, I assume most can live with it easily, it’s not like Watson is being suspended or anything is it.
If he stays,I reckon there’s a good chance he’ll be off to join his like-minded mates who defected!
We can only hope he fucks off to the Limp Dims and takes wes, hodge and the other useless buckets with him.
Once his ego gets near swinesons there is likely to be issues for the poor dims.
Sadly he’s never going to the dims his ego won’t let him besides hows he going to curry favour with the MSM leaking shit from the dims that nobody gives a fuck about. He would likely have some kind of psychotic break due to his personal image as some kinda of hard man machiavelli being shattered as he became irrelevant.
Removing Watson will have a very good effect on membership morale. Spirits will be lifted and souls will sing.
The Corbyn-disloyal whingebag should go. Labour will look better and canvas like winners.
I think you’re right. So many ordinary members have been thrown under a bus, this might suggest a sense of natural justice is still alive in the party
This news is almost too good to be true, I feel more nervous that it won’t happen than if my football team were playing in the FA Cup Final on Saturday
To those on the NEC who genuinely want to transform society and the lives of millions for the better (and as an example to the World) I dedicate the words of a John Lennon song “Don’t let me (us) down!”
Just do it comrades and there will be mass celebrations tomorrow night!
Solidarity!
Bazza, any chance of a link to the NLR Streekt article, re your earlier post?
Firstly I must make it clear that I do not support Watson
BUT
I am concerned that the NEC can abolish the Deputy Leader’s post. The incumbent of this post (and it being Watson is totally irrelevant) is a senior officer of the party who has been democratically elected by the membership and yet the NEC appears to be able to bypass the membership and just abolish a post to get rid of someone who was elected to office in a national vote of the whole membership.
If the NEC were to go to the membership and ask us if we want to abolish the office of Deputy Leader then that would be OK but for c30 people to be able to override the democratic vote of the membership I believe sets a worrying precedent. Be careful what you are wishing for or condoning.
I think you raise a very valid point, especially pertinent in a party that claims it is ‘democratising’ itself.
As I read the report from skwawky above, this motion will be subject to ratification at conference, the main democratic procedure for such changes in the party.
That is as democratic as can be.
Whether it will turn out to bite us in the ass, much like Miliband’s move to OMOV bit the party in the ass – well, I guess we’ll have to see.
….
(He’s SUCH an unhappy and troubled man tho- I do think it’s doing him a favour)
I’m worried about this too.
This reduced direct democracy for the membership, so instead of having two key posts, we only elect one. That’s a 50% in direct democracy.
I want watson gone, but Lab HQ could easily and justifiably suspended him on numerous occasions, but they only suspend the Left.
We need MORE democracy not less!
Chris Williamson is my ideal DL
Before he was silenced, he was great at campaigning and liaising with the membership, something the leader doesnt’ have time to do
Oust Watson, but not democracy
“I want watson gone, but Lab HQ could easily and justifiably suspended him on numerous occasions, but they only suspend the Left.”
Well one would assume so as Watson has broken his dep. election promises numerous times, so the question is why has no action been taken against Watson?
PLP aren’t going to challenge him, many because Watson serves their anti-Corbyn purposes but I think another may be it appears a bit of a non post with no brief to get your teeth into to effect real change. Personally I don’t think the Socialist pro Corbyn project MPs should be deputy, there are few of them as it is to fill important roles. I’d prefer Thornberry in the Deputy role, out of shadow foreign sec leaving a vacancy for a Williamson type MP.
Whatever happens, the role of Deputy leader needs review and if retained there must be a sanctions, even ejection process. PLP alone should not be the king makers/retainers in a democratic party.
I would imagine the only people in the membership who will call this move undemocratic will be the centrists or some who aren’t clued-up. It’s not like Watson has done a good job, he’s acted alone, done his own thing and taken every opportunity to undermine the membership with nasty smears and slurs, hardly democratic is it? In fact his actions have made the DL post irrelevant forcing the leadership to detoxify it.
“,,,…..the conference arithmetic is likely to result in its ratification.”
I wonder which way Unison will cast their votes
Remember that its not about getting rid of Watson,its about the credibility that the deputy leadership gives him to destort and destroy the message across to the general public.He must go and from their we need to learn some hard lessons on re rebuilding the Labour party and the country…Too many outsid bodys and affiliated groups and we really do need to decide on whether we are a Democratic socialist Labour party,or a bunch of limp wristed social democrats neo liberal.We must revitalise the Labour party are we are nothing.
Like others here, I’m a bit concerned about its timing and its ‘look’. Watson has done quite a bit of good work in damaging his own reputation with the media and perhaps, for the time being that might have been enough. OTOH, the NEC move risks looking almost comically underhand whilst furnishing him with an importance that he doesn’t deserve.
Open selection, get rid of this establishment shill, who’s allegiance sadly is not to the LP or it’s members.