Politics: Corbyn PM Within a Year?

Corbyn has been actively campaigning in scores of electorates around the country and is convinced that an early election could be triggered by Theresa May losing control of Parliament or opting for an early poll.

A recent YouGov poll of voting intentions put Labour one point ahead of the Conservatives with 42% support and Labour strategists believe their lead will grow as the minority Conservative Government’s Brexit preparations unravel and public anger grows over the handling of Brexit

The Labour Party is preparing for an early election by September next year after delaying party reforms that could spark internal rifts. Controversial plans to take power away from MPs and give it to party members will be held over for a year so that Jeremy Corbyn’s bid to win any early election is not derailed by Labour infighting.

Corbyn Wins Reform

Labour’s governing body has reduced the parliamentary backing required for a leadership candidate to contest a ballot of all party members.

Corbyn’s Left-wing supporters wanted to reduce the backing from 15% of MPs and MEPs to just 5% before the party’s national executive committee agreed a compromise of 10%.

That reduces the power of elected MPs as it will be easier for a candidate like Corbyn from the Left-wing fringe of the parliamentary party room to reach a ballot of rank and file members, who are well to the Left of most of the party’s MPs. The reforms will help to seal the end of Tony Blair’s centrist New Labour and make cement Corbyn’s legacy of taking Labour well to Left.

The rule change is strongly opposed by most Labour MPs, who have derided the motion as the “McDonnell amendment” because it could allow a candidate opposed by up to 90% of Labour MPs to become their leader.

The national executive committee itself is also being reviewed with more places to be opened up to trade union representatives to swing the balance in Corbyn’s favour. Those changes will be long-lasting and are expected to ensure that the next leader after Corbyn will be a fellow left-winger.

Exploiting PM’s Weakness

Katy Clark, a former Labour MP and Corbyn supporter who is now the party’s political secretary, is leading a “party democracy review” to be published next year that aims to give the largely pro-Corbyn grassroots supporters a stronger voice within the party by increasing their role in leadership elections and policy-making.

The bold move has the populist appeal of handing power directly to the party’s members and reducing the role of its MPs. By cementing Labour’s shift to the Left the rule change will increase the gap in an already highly polarised political spectrum.

Chris Williamson, a shadow minister and vocal Corbyn supporter, said MPs have no right to control the party’s future. “There shouldn’t be a leadership threshold at all,” he said. “That needs to change. Who are the parliamentary Labour party? They are a tiny percentage of the party.”

Iain Watson, the BBC’s political correspondent, said the lack of public confidence in Theresa May’s Government had prompted Corbyn to hold off for fear of triggering a factional backlash. The embattled Labour MPs could thank Theresa May and the prospect of an early election for the delay, he said. “Her apparent vulnerability means that, practically, this wouldn’t be a good time for a Labour leader to declare war on his parliamentary party.”

by Stewart Vickers

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