80% of Labour members say the leadership has handled expenses crisis badly

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

As we await the results of the European elections tomorrow, LabourList can exclusively reveal the results of a poll of over 500 party members, including 115 councillors, conducted as a follow-up to the grassroots letter to the NEC calling for firmer leadership on the expenses scandal. The results have been forwarded to members of the NEC this weekend and are particularly interesting, since the poll closed before the disastrous council results were announced yesterday.

The topline results of the survey are:

* Almost 80% think the leadership has handled the expenses scandal badly

* Almost 50% have felt less likely to campaign for Labour in current circumstances

* Almost 65% still do not think the Party is taking a firm stand against misbehaving MPs

* The vast majority think that Labour MPs’ expenses claims have brought the party into disrepute

* 80% think all those concerned should stand down or be de-selected

While the grassroots are increasingly exasperated with the leadership over the expenses crisis, they also believe the party should be focussing on framing a bolder agenda on which to fight the next election. The frive key elements members want the leadership to refocus on are:

* Economic recovery and job generation

* Social justice and equality – reducing poverty and reducing the gap between the haves and have-nots

* Investing in good quality and mixed housing

* Constitutional reform – restoring democratic engagement and legitimacy

* A radical environmental agenda, tackling climate change and producing sustainable energy

Meanwhile, 40% favour the introduction of open primaries for MPs selection as a means of opening up our democracy.

While people may accuse the leadership and cabinet of being tired, the Party membership at large is hungry for improvement.

View or download the full results here.

List of respondents’ positions in the party:
Activist (218)
Agent (2)
Chair of Labour Group (4)
CLP Chair (16)
CLP Press/Campaigns Officer (8)
CLP Secretary 18
CLP Trade Union Liason Officer (5)
CLP Treasurer (11)
CLP Vice Chair (20)
CLP Womens Officer (5)
CLP Youth And Student Officer (3)
Council candidate (4)
Councillor (115)
Deputy Leader of Labour Group (4)
Former CLP Chair (6)
Former CLP Secretary (3)
Former Parliamentary Candidate (2)
Labour Group Chief Whip (2)
Leader of Labour Group (17)
NPF Member (2)
Parliamentary Candidate (15)
Regional Board Member (3)
No Response Given (25)

List of constituencies where Labour members responded to the survey:
Aldershot
Amber Valley
Ashton-under-Lyne
Atherstone
Barking
Basildon and Billericay
Basildon and East Thurrock
Basingstoke
Bath
Battersea
Bedford & Kempston
Bermondsey & Old Southwark
Berwick upon Tweed
Bethnal Green and Bow
Bexleyheath and Crayford
Birkenhead
Birmingham Erdington
Birmingham Perry Barr
Blackpool North
Blackpool South
Blyth Valley
Bolsover
Bolton South east
Boston & Skegness
Braintree CLP
Brent North CLP
Bridgwater
Brigg & Goole
Bristol East
Bristol West
Caerphilly
Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross
Camberwell and Peckham
Cardiff Central
Castle Point
Cheadle
Chelmsford
Chelsea & Fulham
Chesterfield
Chippenham
Chipping Barnet
Chorley
Cities of London and Westminster
City of Durham
City of Preston
City of York
Clacton-on-Sea
Colchester
Colne Valley
Copeland CLP
Corby
Coventry North East
Coventry South
Crawley
Crewe and Nantwich
Croydon
Dagenham & Rainham
Darlington
Dartford
Denton & Reddish
Derby North
Derby South
Dover
Dulwich and West Norwood
Easington
East Cambs
East Devon
Eddisbury
Edmonton
Ellesmere port and Neston
Eltham
Erewash
Exeter
Feltham and Heston
Finchley & Golders Green
Gateshead
Grantham and Stamford
Gravesham
Greenwich & Woolwich CLP
Hackney North and Stoke Newington
Hackney South & Shoreditch
Halesowen & Rowley Regis
Halifax
Hammersmith and Fulham
Hampstead & Kilburn
Hartlepool
Hastings & Rye
Hazel Grove
Hemel Hempstead
Hertsmere
Heywood and Middleton
High Peak
Holborn & St Pancras
Hornsey and Wood Green
Horsham
Hove
Hull East
Hull West & Hessle
Hyndburn
Ilford North
Ilford South
Isle of Wight
Islington North
Islington South & Finsbury
Kensington and Chelsea
Kingston & Surbiton
Kingswood
Knowsley North & Sefton East
Lambeth, Streatham
Lancaster and Fleetwood
Leeds North West
Leeds West
Leicester East
Leicester West
Lewisham East
Lewisham West & Penge
Liverpool Riverside
Liverpool Wavertree
Llanelli
Loughborough
Louth & Horncastle
Luton South
maidenhead
Maidstone & the weald
Makerfield
Maldon
Manchester Gorton
Manchester Withington
Manchester Withington
Mansfield
Mid Norfolk
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough South & East
Cleveland
Milton Keynes South
Morecambe & Lunesdale
NE Cambs
NE Derbyshire
NE Somerset
Newcastle East and Wallsend
Newcastle upon Tyne Central
Newcastle-under-Lyme CLP
Newport West
North Durham
North East Derbyshire
North East Herts
North Southwark and Bermondsey
North Swindon
North Thanet
North Tyneside
North Warwickshire
Northampton
Northampton South
Northern Ireland
Nuneaton
Ogmore
Oldham West & Royton
Oxford East
Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
Plymouth, Moor View
Pontypridd
Poplar & Limehouse
Preston
Putney
Rayleigh
Reading West
Redcar
Redditch
Richmond Park
Riverside
Rochester & Strood
Rochford & Southend East
Roseworth
Rother Valley
Rugby
Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
Rutland and Melton
Sedgefield
Selby & Ainsty
Sheffield Brightside
Sheffield Heeley
Sherwood
Sittingbourne & Sheppey
Skipton and Ripon
Slough
Somerton and Frome
South Northants
South Swindon
South Thanet
South West Herts
Southampton Itchen
Southampton Test
Speke/Garston
St Helens South
Staffordshire Moorlands
Stockport
Stockton North
Stockton South
Stoke-on-Trent South
Stone
Stone and District
Streatham
Stretford and Urmston
Stroud
Suffolk Coastal
Surrey Heath
Sutton Coldfield
SW Beds
Telford
Thanet South
The Wrekin
Thurrock
Tooting
Tottenham
Vauxhall
Wallasey
Walsall south
Walthamstow
Walton
Wantage & Didcot
Warley
Warrington North
Warrington south
Watford
Waveney
West Berks
West Bromwich East
West Bromwich West
West Hull & Hessle
Weston-supr-Mare
Wimbledon
Winchester
Wolverhampton south west
Worcester
Workington