It’s emerged that five members of the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) approved themselves to stand as candidates at the upcoming general election. Of course, it stinks of corruption – but also signals the death knell of anything remotely left-wing in the party.
Labour NEC: old boys club
As Labour NEC member (and not a parliamentary candidate) Mish Rahman posted on X:
NEC UPDATE
The NEC has approved the list of candidates for the next General Election except for two seats – Gosport and Barking.
I did ask whether it was normal practice for candidates in the meeting to approve themselves.
I was told it was. https://t.co/Mstxy7H87y
— Mish Rahman (@mish_rahman) June 4, 2024
Indeed. Five members of the NEC approved themselves as candidates:
- Mark Ferguson – Gateshead Central and Whickham.
- Michael Wheeler – Worsley and Eccles.
- Johanna Baxter – Paisley and Renfrewshire South.
- Luke Akehurst – Durham North.
- Gurinder Singh Josan – Smethwick.
We all know about Akehurst. But according to ex-Channel 4 News journalist Michael Crick, Labour also parachuted the other four into their constituencies as well – without consulting local parties or members:
🔴 Let be more precise. The
likely winners of the late selection process include FIVE NEC members who will become members –
with no say from party members in those seats. Five. And maybe five peerages as well for the MPs they replace? https://t.co/eCS8thDerL— @Tomorrow'sMPs (@tomorrowsmps) May 27, 2024
Little wonder really – as the list is a Who’s Who of right-wing miscreants. For example:
- Ferguson quit writing for centrist LabourList to head-up Liz Kendall’s catastrophic 2015 leadership bid.
- Wheeler was one of the ones who blocked Faiza Shaheen from standing.
- Baxter allegedly exaggerated threats against then-NEC members in 2016 during the so-called ‘chicken coup’ against the then-leader Jeremy Corbyn.
- Akehurst is a ‘Zionist shitlord’ – but one who also wrote a blog post for LabourList in 2016 called My blueprint for how moderates can seize the Labour leadership… next time around
- Josan wrote a blog post in 2023 for LabourList called We must mobilise not just to win, but to keep Labour in and the far left out.
Capturing the machinery in time for the general election
It is obvious what is going on: Starmer and his ilk are determined to capture the entirety of the Labour machinery. Also, once again the leader lied early on in his tenure:
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.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) February 4, 2020
On X, Starmerroids jumped in to defend their glorious leader:
Your attacks on Labour processes are out of order. Labour didn't call this election and candidates need to be confirmed in short order. HQ has to take control to get the job done. How democratic are Tory selections going to be for the remaining 150+ seats?
— sarahk (@sarahlouepsom) May 27, 2024
Yes, Sarah – it’s shocking isn’t it? No one – absolutely NO ONE – knew there would be a general election this year. Apart from the entire country for the past four and a half years.
The whole thing reeks of a stitch up. Even far-right blog Guido Fawkes saw it for what it was:
This time it’s not that NEC are imposing Labour candidates, the NEC are the Labour candidates…
Shaheen’s unceremonious dumping was almost the icing on the cake of Starmer’s pincer movement on the left. But now, with the news of this NEC coup – it really is over for anyone on the left in Labour.
DON’T. VOTE. LABOUR.
The Canary will say it again for those at the back:
What a fucking time to be alive. You don’t need us to list all the ills of the main political parties – but we have a choice on 4 July between:
- Literal neo-fascists.
- Far-right Tories.
- Right-wing Tories with red rosettes.
- Centre-right Tories with orange ties.
- Sometimes Tories with some other decent people but all of them wearing green cardigans.
The Canary’s advice to you is don’t vote for any of the first three on that list at the general election.
If you really must vote for the orange ones – then only do so if it means the far-right or red-rosetted Tories might lose. The green ones are tricky depending on who your candidate is – but they’re generally a far safer bet than the previous four. Ideally, the Canary would urge you to vote for any smaller-party or independent candidates you have in your area.
Labour has this election all sewn up – as it has regarding control of the party centrally and nationally. Shaheen was right to quit. The only question is why it took her so long.
Featured image via the Canary
