Long-Bailey gets boost in the Corbyn successor betting after the NEC announce the contest rules
Corbyn remains leader until April 4th
We’ve now got the timetable for the LAB leadership election and already critics are saying that the party’s NEC is making it easier for Rebecca Long Bailey. This is from HuffPost’s, Paul Waugh.
…the left-dominated NEC faced swift accusations of trying to “rig” the race in favour of Long Bailey, who is expected to win the backing of Momentum founder Jon Lansman. Momentum has extensive reach among the party’s members but candidates won’t get access until membership data until after the local party and union nominations are completed. “Basically, the Momentum candidate goes in to the race with an in-built advantage,” one NEC source told HuffPost UK.
How far this is the case we will have to wait and see. The first objective of would be leaders is to get 22+ nominations from fellow MPs. They’ve got until next Monday to achieve that.
Then from January 15th to February 14th they’ve got to get nomination from either 5% of constituency parties or at least three unions. It is the former where not getting access to membership data might be challenging.
So those MPs who secure enough backing from MPs might still be barred from going on the postal ballot if they fail the local party or trade union test.
The ballot opens on February 21st and will close on April 2nd which seems an extraordinary long period of time. Surely this can all be wrapped in in 2-3 weeks?