“Islington North CLP’s call for democracy – & fight against yet another stitch-up – has received widespread support across the movement.”
By Matt Willgress, Labour Outlook Editor
Above the heads of – and against the democratically expressed wish of – Islington North CLP, Keir Starmer and co. have announced a timetable to put in place a new Labour candidate for MP in the constituency, which will end on June 1.
In response, the Islingon North Constituency Labour Party Officers have issued a statement saying, “We support [Keir] Starmer’s statement that “Local Party members should select their candidates for every election. We ask that local democracy be respected & that we be able to choose our prospective parliamentary candidate from amongst any Labour Party member in good standing.”
Their call for democracy and fight against yet another stitch-up has received widespread support across the movement, including from former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell who said Jeremy Corbyn should be allowed to be a candidate, “The wishes of the Labour Party members of Islington North should be respected & they should be allowed to select the candidate of their voice & that includes Jeremy Corbyn, who has given his life to representing his community.”
In an interview, on the Today Podcast Zarah Sultana MP replied to the question “Do you think Keir is wrong about Jeremy Corbyn?” by saying, “Yes, I do,” and adding that “Jeremy and Diane {Abbott] …have devoted their life to the labour movement, have represented the Labour Party for decades, worked day-in, day-out to improve the lives of ordinary working class people. When they are not allowed back into the Labour Party but others like Natalie Elphicke are, that message is incredibly concerning.”
Outside of Parliament, the Labour Assembly Against Austerity (who initiated the 70k+ strong petition calling for Jeremy Corbyn to have the whip restored,) expressed clearly that the members should be allowed to decide.
Meanwhile, Momentum Chair Kate Dove said: “Jeremy Corbyn has loyally represented the people of Islington North for over 40 years and remains a Labour member of more than 50 years. His own local party voted unanimously to express support for Jeremy and assert their right to choose their own Parliamentary candidate. Labour members in Islington North should decide if they want Jeremy to continue as their Labour candidate, not Keir Starmer’s Westminster clique. Democracy demands it.”
Further MPs to add their voices growing swell of discontent included Mick Whitley MP who said, “Members in Islington North have a right to choose who should represent them, and that should include Jeremy,” also saying that “The Labour Party is a broad enough church to accept Tory ERG members but not our former leader?”
He added, “Enough with these factional stitch ups. Let members decide.”
Beth Winter MP also spoke out.
Giving a voice from Islington North, speaking to ‘Labour Outlook’ a local Labour Party member and trade union delegate said, “Many Islington North members are confused and angry about the recent announcement that the national Labour Party had taken over the selection of a Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for their constituency.
This comes after the CLP, as a whole, came together to run a very effective Mayoral campaign for Sadiq Khan, despite being denied its own access to Organise. The only access was through Labour Party employees. During the campaign a significant amount of long standing and active members, who did not necessarily agree with their MP on all issues, were very concerned about the democratic deficit in the manner in which the CLP was being treated. The recent announcement will have exacerbated this feeling.
Without access to Organise, it is very difficult to explain what is now happening but, where local members can be contacted through friendship or community networks, it is being explained that:
Islington North CLP members have been informed that the National Executive Committee (NEC) has opened its own form of parliamentary candidate selection procedure for Islington North. There was no prior consultation with Islington North’s democratically elected CLP officers or delegates. Trade union and ward and affiliated organisation delegates to the General Committee will not be able to seek the views of those who elected them to represent them, as there is no recognition of the need to respect the democratic processes and timetables of trade unions or affiliated organisations. The National Party has suspended the use of Organise, its own Labour Party communications system, within Islington and therefore members are prevented from meeting together to discuss nominations or candidates in wards.
The national party has delayed triggering any selection in Islington North, despite the fact that the significant size of the Labour majority indicated that this should have been undertaken many months ago.
The selection process has been truncated to a mere couple of weeks and will take place on line with a short listed selected by the NEC and not the members of Islington North. This alone contradicts a previous statement by Kier Starmer that “Local Party members should select their candidates for every election.
The proposed process does not respect for local democracy upon which the Labour Party was founded and that it says will be central to its messaging for the forthcoming General Election. The CLP was not asked whether it would depart from the established procedure under which it could choose its own prospective parliamentary candidate from amongst any Labour Party member in good standing, shortlisted by the members of Islington North. An undemocratic selection process is likely harm the Labour Party’s efforts to defeat the conservatives and to achieve the real change this country and our communities in Islington North desperately need.”
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It’s unbelievable that Keir would welcome right wingers from the Tories and not allow Jeremy to stand for Islington North. He should be reinstated immediately. It’s a total let down by the Labour leadership! Also not allowing Diane Abbot back into the party either is outrageous! I come from a family who has always supported the Labour Party but I have recently resigned.
I have cancelled my Labour Party membership based on Jeremy Corbyn being outed! I’m seriously considering not voting Labour for the first time in 50 years!
How can Keir Starmer get away with this? Israel helped Trump get elected & judging from Mossad chap hired by Keir, & his advisor Tony B, former special rep for Middle East, …..what the hell is happening!