It could be a case of Corbynus interruptus in the Labour leadership contest
Corbyn set to be kept off Labour leadership ballot without nominations, reports @georgeeaton https://t.co/WUe9oH4L4p pic.twitter.com/7PqENkiDR7
— The New Statesman Politics (@TheStaggers) July 10, 2016
Watson's cancelling of talks and Corbyn's "I'll sue" shtick both suggest the NEC is gonna rule he needs the nominations.#marr
— Stephen Bush (@stephenkb) July 10, 2016
Clearest new mood music this morning from both Corbyn + Eagle is both seem to suspect NEC will say he needs MP nominations to get on ballot
— Paul Waugh MP (@paulwaugh) July 10, 2016
Is Corbyn going to be prevented from automatically standing in the Labour leadership contest?
One of my underlying assumptions about any attempt to defenestrate Corbyn was that Corbyn would automatically be on the ballot paper in the subsequent contest, but judging by events this morning, that assumption might well be wrong.
What makes this even more intriguing is that we might be set for the most interesting court case for political watchers since Bush v Gore, this morning on The Andrew Marr Show
Jeremy Corbyn has suggested he will go to court if the National Executive Commitee say he can’t go on the ballot paper automatically.
“I will challenge that”, he told the Andrew Marr show. “The rules and my view are absolutely clear. I have taken soundings from lawyers I will be on the ballot paper.”
If it does go to the courts, my only firm prediction is that at some stage all sides will be channelling Dick from Henry VI Part II, and be saying ‘let’s kill all the lawyers.’
There has been speculation that Corbyn might resign and the threshold for nominations would fall from 51 MPs/MEPs to 38 MPS/MEPs, which should be fine for Corbyn as he received 40 MPs support in the confidence vote, but Stephen Bush has shot down that theory.
My betting advice? Keep on laying David Miliband, who is still been, mystifyingly, consistently the third favourite to succeed Jeremy Corbyn, and also lay Angela Eagle, if Corbyn isn’t on the ballot paper, then other Labour contenders, who are more electorally appealing than Angela Eagle will make it to the ballot paper.