Labour's NEC elections are underway & should reveal where our membership stand as new rules are designed so the full spectrum of party opinion is fairly represented (albeit only by 9 of its 40 members). This is my take on the nominations published today labour.org.uk/activist-hub/g…
Only 4 of the 5 slates stand a chance of representation, plus perhaps one independent. Slates may suffer from the loss of transfers if they stand too many candidates, & 24 of the 42 candidates eligible to stand have no hope of election - the threshold should be higher!
Based on noms, the Grassroots Voice (Left) who got all 9 before STV can get 4 but no more. OL (Open Labour, soft left) will get both its 2 candidates. The Right (Labour to Win & Tribune) will get 3. Any independent elected (prob Crispin Flintoff) would be at the left's expense
Uncertainties: Will noms which tend to exaggerate front-runner support turn out to be a good guide? Who'll get the support of those who switched Corbyn-Starmer? Neither Left nor Open Labour are explicitly targeting them (yet). Will slates damage themselves by standing too many?
This is bleak reading for the Left. I think it has the wrong strategy, failing to recognise that 40% of Corbyn supporters voted Starmer, more now accept him whilst some have left the party. We must learn from our mistakes, build coalitions to win the support of party & country
There's no path to electing a transformative socialist government except through a democratic Labour Party. We must build support for that through persuasion, transforming Labour into the broad democratic movement for the transformation the country needs, members & unions united
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