What to do about Labour’s leadership shambles

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/aug/23/what-to-do-about-labours-leadership-shambles

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I have been a member of the Labour party since I was 18 (I am now 67) and I can`t think of a time when I have been more depressed about the future of the party. I received my ballot papers for leader last week and pondered for a long time, thinking there was no one that came anywhere near my vision of a party leader and there was no way any of the four listed would be able to win a general election. The whole process has been a shambles – particularly the arguable inequity of someone paying £3 for the same voting rights as a fully paid-up member. Inevitably such a cheap fee has encouraged entryists, and there is no way the party can effectively vet hundreds of thousands of applicants.

So what to do? The national executive committee needs to be bold. It has the powers to cancel the election. It should postpone it for nine months, meanwhile allowing Harriet Harman to properly lead the party and be a real opposition. She should appoint her own shadow cabinet (and if I were her I would give the four current candidates prominent portfolios so members can judge their abilities to cope with a brief, manage the media etc and demonstrate their leadership potential)  and front bench. Then the party should go through the same election process, but this time only give each fully paid-up member (for at least a year) the right to vote. The delay might encourage some new candidates who were reticent before to put their names forward. Enough is enough!Mike ParkerSutton, Oxfordshire

• The irony of the “mainstream” Labour leadership candidates’ sudden concern with entryism is that they all signed off on the registered supporter procedure through which non-members can register to vote. Presumably, entryism did not occur to them as an issue in the context of their expectations of a leadership contest that would inspire few from outside the party and in which no fundamental political choice would be offered. It is disappointing that their focus is on the relatively minor issue of entryism, as opposed to the unprecedented demonstration of positive political engagement on the part of the tens of thousands that have registered. Like many registered supporters, I have never been a Labour member, but will become one should Jeremy Corbyn win. I am enthused by the possibility of Labour renewing its radical roots as a broad-based social movement offering a genuinely alternative political vision. Dan WelchManchester

• Your report (Threat of legal fight as Labour turmoil grows, 22 August) prompts three thoughts. Firstly, the language used  suggests paranoia. Leading figures are talking  of a “purge”. Surely, to be purged one has first to be a member? As those who have registered to vote are not members, “purge” seems wildly inaccurate. So far, I have heard of no Labour members pre-dating the election who have been denied a vote or expelled from the party.

Secondly,  I have every sympathy with anyone who  genuinely wishes to support Labour but has been denied a vote in the leadership election. However, if they have the interests of the party at heart, perhaps they can understand the need to have a robust process to vet those who are known to have supported another party only three-and-a-half months ago.

Finally, I am surprised that so many members of other parties seem happy to lie publicly to get a vote. No doubt, Labour activists will be only too happy to draw such actions to the attention of voters in due course.John Matthews.Bath

• You report that Andy Burnham’s campaign chief has stated that the outcome of the Labour leadership election could be subject to legal challenge because of suspected infiltration by Conservative voters. My local Labour party has more than doubled its membership and supporters since the general election. As the membership secretary, I am confident the checks we are undertaking are sufficiently robust to weed out those people who are not genuine Labour supporters.

It would be far better if Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall responded to the energy of Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign by throwing caution to the winds, demonstrating that they too are genuine and passionate about real Labour values. That is much more likely to persuade members to vote for them than whinges about the electoral process.Martin WillisMembership secretary, West Worcestershire Labour party

• If Corbyn becomes Labour leader it will go down as the moment when corporate media began to lose control of the political narrative to social media. The so-called fourth estate will have no option but to respond to the free flow of information and opinion in social media with editorial even-handedness, so its titles don’t become irrelevant and unread. This will instil in the public mind that, when people have all the arguments and participatory democracy, they have real power to change the consensus. Social media are becoming the fifth estate that will dramatically change the British political landscape. Geoff NaylorWinchester, Hampshire