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| Labour centrists urge members to oppose leftwing rule changes | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Labour members have been urged by centrist groups to block leftwing rule changes at the party’s conference backed by grassroots movement Momentum, including any potential moves towards deselection of moderate candidates. | Labour members have been urged by centrist groups to block leftwing rule changes at the party’s conference backed by grassroots movement Momentum, including any potential moves towards deselection of moderate candidates. |
| On Monday night, Progress and Labour First – some of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s most strident critics within the party, hosted a rally attended by 120 activists and MPs in parliament. | On Monday night, Progress and Labour First – some of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s most strident critics within the party, hosted a rally attended by 120 activists and MPs in parliament. |
| Addressing the “Moderate Meet-Up”, John Spellar, MP for Warley, said there was a fight to “save social democracy” and that in-fighting over rule changes should not be allowed to dominate the conference in Brighton, which takes place 23-27 September. | |
| “They are trying to storm the conference, create the atmosphere they are the overwhelming tide,” Spellar told the meeting. “They want to create an atmosphere of disillusionment that they can’t be stopped. We have to call them out.” | “They are trying to storm the conference, create the atmosphere they are the overwhelming tide,” Spellar told the meeting. “They want to create an atmosphere of disillusionment that they can’t be stopped. We have to call them out.” |
| Spellar said he feared that the ascendency of the party’s left and the widespread denigration of MPs was paving the way for new moves to deselect sitting MPs and councillors. | Spellar said he feared that the ascendency of the party’s left and the widespread denigration of MPs was paving the way for new moves to deselect sitting MPs and councillors. |
| “We have to stand up for elected representatives, as part of clause one of our constitution, which is to get people elected,” he said. “That’s a battle we will have on the floor of conference and after, in the constituencies, to make sure the voice of the genuine membership and of the voters comes through.” | “We have to stand up for elected representatives, as part of clause one of our constitution, which is to get people elected,” he said. “That’s a battle we will have on the floor of conference and after, in the constituencies, to make sure the voice of the genuine membership and of the voters comes through.” |
| Progress director Richard Angell acknowledged the centrist wing of the party was not in the ascendancy, telling activists there was “a new establishment in Labour” with the pro-Corbyn left now in control of most of the party’s ruling bodies. | Progress director Richard Angell acknowledged the centrist wing of the party was not in the ascendancy, telling activists there was “a new establishment in Labour” with the pro-Corbyn left now in control of most of the party’s ruling bodies. |
| “I’m here to call on leadership to focus on attacking the Tories, who are on the ropes, don’t bring forward divisive rule changes that will make the next two weeks about division,” he said. | “I’m here to call on leadership to focus on attacking the Tories, who are on the ropes, don’t bring forward divisive rule changes that will make the next two weeks about division,” he said. |
| Wes Streeting, MP for Ilford North, said the party had to make the choice to look forward, but urged centrists in the party to keep making their voices heard. “We have a choice going into this conference: talking about ourselves, or turning our faces firmly to the voters and thinking how we win the next election,” he said. | Wes Streeting, MP for Ilford North, said the party had to make the choice to look forward, but urged centrists in the party to keep making their voices heard. “We have a choice going into this conference: talking about ourselves, or turning our faces firmly to the voters and thinking how we win the next election,” he said. |
| “There are people who would rather spend time talking about changing the rules on leadership elections, deselecting their MPs and councillors and making meetings so unbearable that longstanding members no longer bother to show up.” | “There are people who would rather spend time talking about changing the rules on leadership elections, deselecting their MPs and councillors and making meetings so unbearable that longstanding members no longer bother to show up.” |
| The key vote that is set to divide the conference floor will be on the so-called McDonnell amendment, named after the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, who had favoured reducing the number of MPs needed to nominate a leadership candidate to get their name on the ballot. | The key vote that is set to divide the conference floor will be on the so-called McDonnell amendment, named after the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, who had favoured reducing the number of MPs needed to nominate a leadership candidate to get their name on the ballot. |
| Activists have proposed reducing the threshold from 15% to 5% of MPs and MEPs. Details are yet to be finalised by the party’s national executive committee (NEC) but a compromise deal of 10% is to be proposed by the TSSA union. | Activists have proposed reducing the threshold from 15% to 5% of MPs and MEPs. Details are yet to be finalised by the party’s national executive committee (NEC) but a compromise deal of 10% is to be proposed by the TSSA union. |
| The resignation of the Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, who will be replaced by her leftwing deputy Alex Rowley on the NEC, will give Corbyn-aligned committee members an advantage in key votes before the conference. | The resignation of the Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, who will be replaced by her leftwing deputy Alex Rowley on the NEC, will give Corbyn-aligned committee members an advantage in key votes before the conference. |
| Luke Akehurst, secretary of Labour First, said the new balance of the NEC made it far more likely that the amendment would pass. “This conference is going to be really tough,” he said. “It is not going to be fun for people of our politics.” | Luke Akehurst, secretary of Labour First, said the new balance of the NEC made it far more likely that the amendment would pass. “This conference is going to be really tough,” he said. “It is not going to be fun for people of our politics.” |
| However, he said moderates should not accept even the middle figure of 10%. “We have to keep saying this is ridiculous, if the threshold is reduced to 10%, we could have nine candidates for the next leadership. If it’s 5%, it could be 19 candidates, people who are not household names even in their own households. It is a recipe for chaos.” | However, he said moderates should not accept even the middle figure of 10%. “We have to keep saying this is ridiculous, if the threshold is reduced to 10%, we could have nine candidates for the next leadership. If it’s 5%, it could be 19 candidates, people who are not household names even in their own households. It is a recipe for chaos.” |
| Over the summer, allies of McDonnell have insisted he personally is no longer exercised by pushing through the change at a cost to party unity. | Over the summer, allies of McDonnell have insisted he personally is no longer exercised by pushing through the change at a cost to party unity. |
| Members of the Labour’sNEC have played down the likelihood of an open air battle over party rules, stressing that the aim is to have a peacemaking conference after the drama of the two previous years. | Members of the Labour’sNEC have played down the likelihood of an open air battle over party rules, stressing that the aim is to have a peacemaking conference after the drama of the two previous years. |
| However, the final agenda is yet to be decided and NEC members will meet on 19 September, four days before the conference kicks off, when members from either faction could decide to introduce surprise new motions. | However, the final agenda is yet to be decided and NEC members will meet on 19 September, four days before the conference kicks off, when members from either faction could decide to introduce surprise new motions. |
| At the meeting, MPs including Streeting and Labour Friends of Israel chair Joan Ryan also called on members to back a Jewish Labour Movement amendment, which would pave the way for tougher action against antisemitism and racism. | At the meeting, MPs including Streeting and Labour Friends of Israel chair Joan Ryan also called on members to back a Jewish Labour Movement amendment, which would pave the way for tougher action against antisemitism and racism. |
| The rule change would remove a defence that “the mere holding or expression of beliefs and opinions” cannot be a disciplinary matter, which JLM members have argued led to a more lenient approach to antisemitic remarks by former mayor of London Ken Livingstone, when he was found by the party to have breached their rules. | The rule change would remove a defence that “the mere holding or expression of beliefs and opinions” cannot be a disciplinary matter, which JLM members have argued led to a more lenient approach to antisemitic remarks by former mayor of London Ken Livingstone, when he was found by the party to have breached their rules. |
| Leftwing Corbyn-backers, including shadow minister Chris Williamson, have accused his critics of “weaponising antisemitism” in order to attack the leader’s supporters, which JLM activist Mike Katz told the meeting was “a sick thing to say.” | Leftwing Corbyn-backers, including shadow minister Chris Williamson, have accused his critics of “weaponising antisemitism” in order to attack the leader’s supporters, which JLM activist Mike Katz told the meeting was “a sick thing to say.” |
| Katz said the party’s approach to antisemitism had potentially cost the party three seats with high Jewish populations in north London, including the seat he contested in Hendon – which would have been enough to deny the Conservatives a majority even with the Democratic Unionist party deal. | Katz said the party’s approach to antisemitism had potentially cost the party three seats with high Jewish populations in north London, including the seat he contested in Hendon – which would have been enough to deny the Conservatives a majority even with the Democratic Unionist party deal. |
| Separately on Monday, Corbyn supporters celebrated their first significant victory ahead of Labour conference, with the landslide victory of two leftwing candidates to one of the party’s most influential bodies. | Separately on Monday, Corbyn supporters celebrated their first significant victory ahead of Labour conference, with the landslide victory of two leftwing candidates to one of the party’s most influential bodies. |
| Momentum-backed candidates are now set to dominate the conference’s arrangements committee, which oversees what is debated at Labour conference, taking over immediately after this year’s conference in Brighton. | Momentum-backed candidates are now set to dominate the conference’s arrangements committee, which oversees what is debated at Labour conference, taking over immediately after this year’s conference in Brighton. |
| Seema Chandwani, secretary of Tottenham Labour, and former CWU secretary Billy Hayes won almost double the number of member votes than the incumbents, shadow minister Gloria de Piero and peer Michael Cashman. | Seema Chandwani, secretary of Tottenham Labour, and former CWU secretary Billy Hayes won almost double the number of member votes than the incumbents, shadow minister Gloria de Piero and peer Michael Cashman. |