NEC nominations close – who’s in the lead so far?

The National Executive Committee (NEC) is the governing body of the Labour Party that “oversees the overall direction of the party and the policy-making process”. Six of its members are chosen to explicitly represent constituencies (party members) – with the vote to come in the coming weeks to see who will serve until 2016.

To get onto the ballot paper, candidates need to be nominated by CLPs from across the country. Nominations have now closed, and the following number of nominations have been received by each candidate:

• Ann Black – 220
• Johanna Baxter – 162
• Ken Livingstone – 131
• Ellie Reeves – 116
• Peter Willsman – 115
• Christine Shawcroft – 113
• Kate Osamor – 96
• Luke Akehurst – 94
• Peter Wheeler – 92
• Kevin Peel – 84
• Darren Williams – 76
• Florence Nosegbe – 49
• Crispin Flintoff – 37

With the exception of independent candidate Johanna Baxter to came second (behind runaway nominations winner Ann Black), most of the candidates with the largest number of nominations are in the CLPD/Centre-Left slate (who currently have 3 members of the NEC). However dominating the nominations stage is indicative of broad organisation across a large number of CLPs, it doesn’t ensure election. The OMOV ballot begins on July 14th.

We’ll be covering the rest of the race as ballot papers are sent out to members in the coming weeks…