Labour MPs seek hustings for key role of general secretary

Labour MPs have demanded that candidates for the top post of party general secretary spell out their detailed plans for the movement at a hustings in parliament, amid rising fears that the dominant left is preparing a “revenge purge” of moderates.

A letter leaked to the Observer from members of the parliamentary committee of Labour MPs, the representative body of elected members, calls for the body that elects the general secretary, Labour’s national executive committee (NEC), to order the hustings so elected members can, in effect, extract guarantees from all candidates that a wide spectrum of views in the party will be respected.

The move sets the stage for what could be an electric confrontation between MPs – many of whom sought to remove Jeremy Corbyn as leader in 2016 – and the two frontrunners for the post. Both are from the Corbynite left: Jennie Formby of the Unite union and Jon Lansman, a former adviser to Tony Benn and founder of grassroots campaign group Momentum.

In a letter signed by 23 MPs, including four of the six parliamentary committee members, the group says all candidates should address and answer MPs’ questions as part of the appointment and election process. Their aim is to commit the candidates to a pluralist approach, and traditional Labour values, while ruling out purges of moderate staff and MPs, and centralised control.

In letter to the parliamentary Labour party chair, John Cryer, they write: “At the last PLP meeting it was clear that colleagues feel strongly about the importance of this post and the need for all parts of the party to feel they have a stake in the future direction of the party.

“We want to hear first-hand how the proposed holders of this crucial post will champion the diversity of traditions across the party, uphold the plurality at party headquarters and ensure we have efficient and effective operations in the run-up to the next general election.”

Source: theguardian