Jeremy Corbyn set for boost with election of leftwingers to key Labour committee
2 min read
Jeremy Corbyn is expected to tighten his grip on the Labour party today with the election of three leftwing allies to Labour's ruling National Executive Committee.
Victory for pro-Corbyn candidates may lay the ground for changes to the party's rulebook, including mandatory reselection of MPs.
Among the likely winners is Jon Lansman, the founder and chair of the campaign group Momentum.
The other two pro-Corbyn candidates are Yasmin Dar and Rachel Garnham, while world-famous comedian Eddie Izzard is also hoping to grab a slot on the NEC.
The three extra places on the committee have been created to reflect the massive increase in party membership since Mr Corbyn became party leader in 2015.
In total nine of the 39 committee members will be members' representatives, with most of the remaining slots made up of trade union representatives, councillors and MPs.
But while close allies of Mr Corbyn may back mandatory reselection of MPs to boot out anti-Corbyn elements in the parliamentary party, it is not clear that such a move would get the backing of key trade unions such as Unite and the GMB.
“The leader’s office could do whatever they wanted, technically, but the unions are still extremely influential,” a source told the Guardian.
“It will be interesting to see how people like Lansman get on with the unions; they don’t always agree on issues and the unions will still be able to outvote them.”
However the deputy director of centrist group Progress, Stephanie Lloyd, told the same paper Mr Lansman's election would be a "nightmare" for moderate elements in the party.
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