Keir Starmer confirms Jeremy Corbyn will NOT be allowed to run as a Labour candidate at the next election as he tells former leader's hard-left followers to back him or quit the party as it gets anti-Semitism all-clear
I listened to his speech this morning. He is sounding more statesman like, but a long way to go to persuade me to vote with the majority of the Shadow Cabinet in tow.
I think Starmer's likely to shoot himself in the foot over this. Corbyn for all his faults had a healthy majority in Islington, but by removing him as a Labour candidate, what's to stop him running as an Independent and most likely winning? Thus losing a Labour seat. Every party has their odd wayward member (the Tories have Lee Anderson) who doesn't quite fit the bill, but they can be managed within the party without losing vital votes. I'm not saying I approve of Corbyn, he's an anti-Semetic shyster, but they could have waited till after the next GE to kick him out.
Corbyn cost Labour the worse results they had ever had last time, why would they want him back? Labour needs woo votes from Middle England, they won't be too impressed with Corbyn back in the party.
Corbyn cost Labour the worse results they had ever had last time, why would they want him back?
Difference is he was Labour leader then, now it's another sort of "new Labour" and he's just a backbencher with much less clout. He's needed for the time being as he will win Labour his own constituency at least. After that ditch the shyster.
Sir Keir Starmer will officially block former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn from standing for the party in the next general election.
Sir Keir will propose a motion that will make clear that the National Executive Committee (NEC) will not endorse Mr Corbyn at the next election as part of crunch talks on Tuesday.
Sir Keir first revealed that he intended to block Mr Corbyn from running again as a Labour MP in February, insisting the party has undergone a transformation under his leadership.
The motion, which the NEC is expected to back, says the Islington North MP "will not be endorsed by the NEC as a candidate on behalf of the Labour Party at the next general election".
Be interesting to see the reaction from the far-left. Not sure if Momentum has the clout these days, which is probably why Starmer has timed this announcement.
I really hope you're wrong Frazz, but Starmer has made a hash of this. Top priority is ousting the Tories at the next GE, and if that means party harmony by keeping Corbyn on, so be it. He will keep till after Labour are in power and is far more ineffectual as a back bencher than he was when he was in charge. To fall apart the time when they are so far ahead in the polls would make an easy election win much more difficult.