“Hornsey and Wood Green CLP strongly believes that it should be the democratic right of constituency members to choose their prospective candidates and regrets that this is not being acted upon.”
By a member of Hornsey and Wood Green CLP
Labour Party members in Hornsey & Wood Green, adjacent to Islington North, this week overwhelmingly endorsed the right of CLPs to select their own Parliamentary candidate.
The constituency party’s General Committee passed the following motion:
Hornsey & Wood Green CLP notes the Labour Party’s assertion that it is a ‘democratic socialist party’ (Clause IV).
Hornsey & Wood Green CLP further notes that Keir Starmer stated in February 2020: “The selections for Labour candidates needs to be more democratic, and we should end NEC impositions of candidates. Local party members should select their candidates for every election.”
Hornsey & Wood Green CLP agrees with this statement, and strongly believes that it should be the democratic right of constituency members to choose their prospective candidates and regrets that this is not being acted upon.
Keir Starmer’s statement on 15th February 2023 regarding Islington North, the imposition of shortlists in Wakefield, Bolton North East, and other constituencies, and the suspension or expulsion of very good potential candidates prior to selection processes commencing are all contrary to this democratic principle.
Hornsey & Wood Green CLP calls on the NEC to confirm that the selection of candidates is the democratic right of local Labour Party members and must be upheld.
Those opposed to the motion were reduced to using procedural arguments to prevent the motion being debated or using whataboutery, alleging that this sort of interference had always gone on even under the previous leadership.
Members were swayed by the arguments in favour of inner party democracy. The point was made that if voters believed that Labour couldn’t run its own house in a proper fashion maybe voters would think there were questions to be asked about how it would behave in government.
The outcome of the vote was not close, almost 2 to 1 in favour indicative that even though the centrists believe that they are making ground everywhere, including in Hornsey & Wood Green, they can be stopped in their tracks on matters of principle and members’ rights.
- The member for Hornsey and Wood Green has chosen to remain anonymous.
