If Angela Eagle or any other Labour MP is deselected, it’s because they’re NOT good at their job

Oh dear: Maybe Angela Eagle wishes she had spent a little less time falsely accusing Wallasey’s followers of Jeremy Corbyn of vandalising her office and more time standing up for the Labour Party.

Let’s get something perfectly clear: Labour’s reselection process is not about stabbing good MPs in the back; it is about getting the best possible election candidates.

If Yvette Cooper’s constituency party decides to let her go, then that’s the prerogative of the members.

That goes for Hilary Benn – he can’t dine out on his father’s reputation forever; Margaret Beckett; Jess Phillips; Margaret Hodge; Angela Eagle; Louise Ellman or whoever.

And if it means 70 sitting Labour MPs get replaced on the orders of their constituency parties, then that’s what will happen.

The fact that some Corbyn loyalists may also get the push shows that this isn’t some leftie conspiracy, despite what some of the sore egos in the party are telling the news-hacks.

Apparently, incumbents have until July 8 (Monday) to tell the Labour executive whether they want to stand for election again. One or two have already said they won’t – and it would probably be more dignified for some of the others if they did the same.

After Monday, the process moves on to the members; if one-third of a constituency’s branches vote to remove their MP, then the matter will be decided by a “trigger” ballot.

To be honest, many MPs who are “triggered” probably won’t lose their chance to be re-elected, because one-third of branches is not a majority of members; while incumbents may have to stand for re-selection, that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.

It seems some are trying to organise a way of manipulating the system to prevent de-selection. But in light of the above, this seems over-the-top.

So when the i online quotes MPs as saying

“It’s another example of how they [the Corbyn leadership]aren’t going to take their foot off our throats until they’ve choked us.”

or

“People are really angry about it. It could mean a lot of really good, hard-working MPs are affected.”

it’s likely to be hyperbole.

This is about clearing the wheat from the chaff – not about divesting Labour of talented representatives.

Source: 70 Labour MPs including Yvette Cooper and Hilary Benn face deselection before next election

8 Comments

  1. Rita July 7, 2019 at 12:30 am - Reply

    I want good candidates who also show loyalty to the party’s democratically elected leader and the manifesto. Those who spend their time attacking what the party stands for and its leader are fair game. I look forward to seeing everyone of them challenged and deselected, and I expect LOTO staff to keep their noses out of it.

  2. kevin strong July 7, 2019 at 8:20 am - Reply

    Wrong…Eagle is a very experienced politician who had her electorate at the very heart. She also has been in the party when we knew how to win elections. Look at the state now with all you ultra left leaning people.

    • neilpick July 7, 2019 at 7:56 pm - Reply

      Really? How did she get her seat? Which local nominee did she usurp in order to get it, and on whose direction? Nothing against her personally, but the drama and hysteria over her alleged “office vandalism” has never really been explained…..

    • Zippi July 7, 2019 at 9:06 pm - Reply

      It may have escaped your attention but times have changed; this isn’t 1997. I’d like to see Tony Blair play this hand any better.

  3. The Toffee. July 7, 2019 at 9:16 am - Reply

    ”Hard working MP’s” …Is LIKELY to be hyperbole?

    No ‘likely’ about it, Mike. Isn’t one of them would know a day’s graft it it jumped up & bit them on the ‘arris.

    PS I’m from Wallasey…I sincerely hope the parasitical (ill)eagle’s punted into the long grass; it won’t be a moment too soon.

  4. Adam Clifford July 7, 2019 at 12:03 pm - Reply

    Well,I don’t know about competent/incompetent,representative or not,but too many of the plp have shown knowing disloyalty and said things that have been fanned by an overtly hostile msm/bbc which have damaged the labour party,their chances of election and getting rid of a seriously poisonous tory government.They are a liability and have to go[always assuming that is what the constituency labour members want].

  5. Tony July 8, 2019 at 11:52 am - Reply

    “If Angela Eagle or any other Labour MP is deselected, it’s because they’re NOT good at their job”

    Not necessarily, they could be replaced by someone who happens to be better.

    “Oh dear: Maybe Angela Eagle wishes she had spent a little less time falsely accusing Wallasey’s followers of Jeremy Corbyn of vandalising her office and more time standing up for the Labour Party.”

    Yes, the window in her office was not broken. It was a stairwell window.

    • Mike Sivier July 14, 2019 at 10:44 am - Reply

      If people want rid, then it will be because the job they’re doing is not of an acceptable standard. To get somebody who is better, you have to get rid of the person who doesn’t make the grade.

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