Harman says public will play a crucial role in Labour leadership election

In her first major speech as Labour’s interim leader, Harriet Harman will today state that the public will play a key role in the party’s leadership election. Harman will pledge an “open” contest – including the potential for televised hustings with members of the public given a key role.

Speaking at Labour HQ, Harman will state that:

• The public – not just Labour members – will be able to ask questions of leadership and deputy leadership candidates at hustings events.
• Hustings will be staged in the towns and suburbs where Labour hoped to win in the general election, but where the party failed to make inroads.
• Labour members will be encouraged to bring supporters of other parties, or non-voters, to hear speeches by the contenders.

Harman will also seek to set the terms for the leadership debate:

“Indeed if there is one thought that I think should drive the thinking of our members as we elect a new leadership team it is this – which of them has the best qualities and leadership skills most likely to win over the support of the public? 

“Not the politically obsessed public, the people like us, but the people who don’t decide about their choice of MP And choice of government until they have to.”

“We need to see this process as one that is not merely electing a new leader and deputy leader. But one that is helping to rebuild old connections and fashion new connections with a public that rejected us north and south.”

She will also warn that Labour’s 2010 contest was within the party’s comfort zone, and that the party was largely talking to itself. But Harman will also argue that the party will ensure a “level playing field” for the campaign under the party’s new OMOV rules – in a clear reference to newspaper stories about the influence of unions on the leadership election:​

“We will have strict rules to ensure there is a level playing field for each one of the candidates. Last time the unions communicated directly with many of their members, sending them ballot papers with accompanying material only mentioning one candidate. There will be none of that this time. The Electoral Reform Society will send out individual ballot papers to each member of the electorate. 

“The winner of this election is not going to be the choice of the unions or any single section or faction of the Labour Party. He or she is going to be choice of the Labour Party.

“We have already fundamentally and radically changed the way we elect our leader and deputy leader – indeed that is an important part of Ed Miliband’s legacy. 

“We will allow people who are not party members, or who are not affiliated supporters through a trade union or Labour linked organistion like the Fabian Society, to have a vote. Anyone – providing they are on the electoral register, can become a registered supporter, pay £3 to and have a vote to decide our next leader. 

“This is the first time a political party in this country has opened up its leadership contest in this way and I think there will be a real appetite for it out there.

“Already we have had more than 30,000 people join us as full party members since 7 May, but this is a new and innovative way of letting the public in on an important decision. And we have changed the rules so that it means one person has one vote regardless whether they are an MP, a Shadow Cabinet member, a trade unionist or a registered supporter – everyone’s vote is equal, as it should be.”