Deselection of Labour MPs
Deselection in the
Rules governing deselection
To some MPs the Labour Party, to which they owe everything, becomes an inconvenient pressure group - except at election times when grudging lip-service has to be paid to the Labour manifesto. Reselection must be used to make clear to MPs that this elevated view of their role has had its day. Labour MPs have no rights more or less than the ordinary card carrying Party members. They are simply the party members to whom has fallen the honour of giving practical expression to the ideals of the Labour movement.
Labour Party rules specify that MPs will face a "trigger ballot" procedure where each branch of the Constituency Labour Party (CLP) and each affiliate (trade union and socialist society) branch will have a simple majority vote on whether they wish their sitting MP to automatically stand again in the next general election, or whether they wish to have a full selection process.[3]
If one third or more of party or affiliate branches vote for a full selection then the sitting MP will face a vote of all party members to decide whether they want their existing MP, or an alternative candidate to represent them at the next election.[4]
History of deselection rules
Before 1970
Before 1970 the process for reconsidering support for a sitting MP required three
The NEC was at this time controlled by the right of the Labour Party and almost invariably sided with the sitting MP and against the Constituency Party.[6] The NEC threatened to disband some CLPs which sought to change their Labour MP.[7]
1970–1979
The rules governing reselection were amended at Labour Party Conference in 1970 making it marginally less difficult to challenge a sitting MP. Dropping the required number of GC meetings from three to two and removing the mandating of affiliate GC delegates.[6]
The
At Labour Party Conference in 1974 the NEC reported that they had conducted a review of the rules and concluded that no changes were required.[5] Ken Coates moved a motion to seek automatic selection at this conference which was defeated. Although CLPs submitted motions in 1975 and 1976 calling for an automatic selection procedure to be introduced these were ruled out of order on the grounds that they breached the 'three year rule'.[8][6]
67 CLPs submitted motions calling for automatic reselection to the 1977 conference. These motions were ruled out of order on the grounds that they breached the '1968 rule'[9][5] However, Ian Mikardo announced on behalf of the NEC that "We shall put down at next year's Annual Conference all the amendments to the constitution necessary to provide automatic reselection in the way and in the sense that the sponsors of those sixty-odd resolutions want. I do not think there is the least chance of the Executive reneging on that undertaking."
At Labour Party Conference in 1978 the NEC broke this commitment and did not bring forward the proposal for automatic reselection. CLPD organised for a motion on automatic reselection to be voted on. The Amalgamated Engineering Union (AUEW) delegates had democratically agreed to support the CLPD motion however when it came to the vote the AUEW's then president, Hugh Scanlon, voted against the CLPD motion, and it was narrowly defeated.[5] Following an intensive 12-month organising campaign by CLPD, at Labour Party Conference in 1979 a CLPD motion for automatic reselection was passed.[5]
Gavin Strang MP suggested that one of the consequences of the introduction of mandatory reselection was that MPs spent more time in their constituencies, saying "it's far more the normal thing now to have an office in the constituency, to employ someone there, and to live in the constituency. Reselection has turned MPs into better campaigners for the local party."[10]
1979–present
In 1990 Neil Kinnock, then leader of the Labour Party, scrapped mandatory reselection, replacing it with a system of trigger ballots.[11]
Changes to make deselection of Labour MPs easier, by lowering the number of branches that have to vote to trigger a contest from 50% to 33%, were passed by a large majority at Labour's 2018 Party Conference.[12] However, the proposal made by a number of CLPs for open selections was not permitted to go to a vote, leading to criticism from Momentum who described the changes as "meager" with "key proposals being watered down".[13]
No Labour MPs were deselected during the leadership of Ed Miliband or the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.
In February 2022, it was reported that Jeremy Corbyn was close to being deselected.[14] In October 2022, Sam Tarry became the first MP to be deselected since 2010. He was beaten by leader of Redbridge London Borough Council Jas Athwal.[15] Tarry questioned the integrity of the election, citing the electronic voting system that was used to count the votes.[16][17]
List of deselected Labour MPs
This list does not include MPs who successfully overturned a vote to deselect them at the NEC.
Labour leader | Portrait | Years as leader | Number of MPs deselected during leadership |
---|---|---|---|
Harold Wilson | 1963–1976 | 5 | |
James Callaghan | 1976–1980 | 2 | |
Michael Foot | 1980–1983 | 8 | |
Neil Kinnock | 1983–1992 | 9 | |
John Smith | 1992–1994 | 0 | |
Tony Blair | 1994–2007 | 3 | |
Gordon Brown | 2007–2010 | 3 | |
Ed Miliband | 2010–2015 | 0 | |
Jeremy Corbyn | 2015–2020 | 0 | |
Keir Starmer | 2020–present | 3 |
Further reading
- Labour Party Rulebook 2019
- Blackburn, Tom. (2017) In Defence of Party Democracy
- Osland, David. (2016) How to Select or Reselect Your MP: 2016 Remix ISBN 0851248616
- Leys, Colin. Coates, David & Panitch, Leo (1997) The End of Parliamentary Socialism: From New Left to New Labour ISBN 9781859843383
- Shaw, Eric (1988) Discipline and Discord: Politics of Managerial Control in the Labour Party, 1951-86 ISBN 0719024838
- Seyd, Patrick. (1987) The Rise and Fall of the Labour Left ISBN 9780333447475
- Wainwright, Hilary. (1987) Labour: A Tale of Two Parties ISBN 0701207787
- Seyd, Patrick. (1986) The Labour Left PhD Volume 1 & Volume 2
- Mullin, Chris. (1981) How to Reselect Your Member of Parliament ISBN 0901740748
References
- ^ "How are MPs deselected?". 2019-09-02. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ^ Patrick Seyd. "The Labour Left" (PDF). Department of Political Theory and Institutions.
- ^ "How Labour's trigger ballot system works". LabourList. 2019-08-12. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ^ PoliticsHome.com (2019-07-01). "REVEALED: Labour MPs given trigger ballot guide as 'purge' fears grow". PoliticsHome.com. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ^ OCLC 17952021.
- ^ a b c d Seyd, Patrick (June 1986). "THE LABOUR LEFT" (PDF). Department of Political Theory and Institutions.
- OCLC 468512977.
- ^ See equivalent rule in the 2019 Labour Party Rule Book chapter 3, clause II, section 2, subsection H: "When Party conference has made a decision on a constitutional amendment, no resolution to amend the constitution or rules of the Party having the same or a similar primary objective shall appear on the agenda of the three following annual party conferences, except such resolutions to amend the constitution and rules that are in the opinion of the NEC of immediate importance."
- ^ This rule, introduced at Labour Party Conference in 1968, specified that any proposed constitutional rule changes at conference were referred to the NEC to consider for the following year's conference.
- OCLC 16092917.
- ^ "Q&A: What is deselection, and what does it mean for Labour MPs?". www.newstatesman.com. August 2016. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ^ "Deselecting Labour MPs made easier". 2018-09-24. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
- ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
- ^ a b "Sam Tarry: Former shadow minister ousted in deselection vote". BBC News. 2022-10-10. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
- ^ Chaplain, Chloe (2022-10-11). "Labour MP Sam Tarry attacks deselection as 'manufactured circus' after members vote to oust him". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
- ^ "'Crestfallen' Sam Tarry calls for vote audit after deselection as MP". the Guardian. 2022-10-11. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
- ISBN 0855273259.
- ISBN 9780230293489.
- OCLC 70181448.
- ^ "Dick Taverne: "Some of the Labour Party people have absolutely nowhere to go"". www.newstatesman.com. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- OCLC 59521118.
- ^ "In Defence of Party Democracy". New Socialist. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ^ Ley, Shaun (2015-11-30). "Deselection fear hangs over Corbyn's critics". Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ISBN 9781412841122.
- ISBN 9781134821211.
- ^ "Obituary: Lord Mulley". The Independent. 1995-03-16. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ^ Ley, Shaun (2015-11-30). "Deselection fear hangs over Corbyn's critics". Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- OCLC 37721381.
- OCLC 464988506.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ^ "Stoke-on-Trent MP's". www.thepotteries.org. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ISBN 9780415185417.
- ^ "Alec Woodall: MP who fought for the rights of miners and servicemen". The Independent. 2011-01-12. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ISBN 9780230372092.
- ISBN 9780230372092.
- ^ "Former MP 'Red' Ron Brown dies". 2007-08-04. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ^ "David Young". The Independent. 2003-01-16. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ^ "Labour MP deselected". The Independent. 1997-02-17. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ^ "Griffiths is first 'Blair babe' to be deselected". The Independent. 2004-02-23. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ^ Turner, Ben (2007-09-17). "Rebel MP Bob Wareing axed by Labour". liverpoolecho. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ^ "'No surprise' at party deselection". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ^ Neame, Katie (16 June 2023). "Alison McGovern wins selection contest in new Birkenhead seat". LabourList.
- ^ "Beth Winter Ousted in Another Controversial Labour Selection Battle". Labour Hub. 7 June 2023.