South Shields MP loses branch meeting that originally cast tied vote
Popular MP Emma Lewell-Buck has been fighting a campaign of dirty tricks and abuse by the Labour right that saw the first three trigger votes by branches go against her, leaving her one branch away from having to face a selection contest.
The dirty tricks appear to have continued into tonight’s results. A branch ballot tonight resulted in a tied vote – so the executive decided to re-ballot.
Unsurprisingly, the new ballot resulted in support for a trigger by a single vote – with one right-wing councillor ‘assisting’ an elderly member with her vote in the second ballot.
The other branch to meet tonight voted to automatically retain Ms Lewell-Buck as candidate, so the illegal recount tips the balance.
Ms Lewell-Buck is expected to complain to the party about the abuse of process, but as things stand right now she has been ‘triggered’ on the back of an underhand and abusive campaign by the Labour right.
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We are where we are. Regardless of any alleged shenanigans that may have taken place her popularity, or otherwise, will now be fairly established by OMOV.
Steve H So thats okay then is it….You recommend the farcical trigger ballots then?
Joseph – I suggest you reread my comment above. If you are at all familiar with my postings on here you will have to acknowledge that I have consistently spoken out in favour mandatory reselection and OMOV. The main issues against the trigger ballots are that they need to be authorised by the NEC, they are inherently divisive and the difficulty in achieving the trigger.
Ms Lewell-Buck having been triggered will now face a selection process using OMOV which is exactly what she would have faced under a system mandatory reselection and OMOV.
Do you have a problem with a democratic vote of her CLP membership deciding who they want to represent them.
Do the maths we are hamstrung
One councillor assisting an elderly member to vote?I.. I am one of the senile old activist of the Labour party and formerly peoples democracy for civil rights….and many more like me who are sensitive to being written off just because life caught up.The body fails but some of us manage to put a days work outdoors in the heat and humidity that would make many wilt whatever our age here in the mekong delta.I know I am ranting a bit but really the insulting agism expressed in this report is very testing……You are describing a Labour party older person who probably has the nonce to even vote….if not put an objecion in of elderly abuse which cannot by law be ignored…regards comrades
Ps….(WE are born into an unjust system,some are not prepared to grow old in i IT.!)Josephine Bernadette Devlin Elected to the house of parliament as a lndependrnt socialist mp for NIreland.and still helping the weak and oppressed Backhome 13′ Bullets in her body courtesy of British establishment,…But age does not defeat an old socialist
The challenge is to win an open contest, and so it should be. If an incumbent cannot win a vote in its organisation then insufficient work has been done by the Left to rally their political case. We should not be diverted by administrative challenges, but recognise the political challenge. Philips had no problem and suffered the same difficulties of engagement.
The difficulty the Left my have to face is that passivity may suit right wing politics more than those seeking to bring about change.
Whatever happened to the firebrand leftwingers…passivity should not be in the Socialist vocabulary or we will be crushed.One last chance for a socialist Labour party government.
this all illustrates what i predicted would happen if triggers such as these replaced automatic re-selections – they would be rigged by the right. Blairism resides and stews and festers in nothing more than some complicated rule to game in their favor.
They are being rigged by the right Tim……but them some of us saw that coming.
The left is mainly up against hard reality – not a devious right.
Part of the learning curve.