Representation – or lack of – is an ever present issue in politics. Labour’s leadership contest has been lauded for having more women candidates than men (the party has yet to have a female leader), though a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic candidate is entirely absent from the list.
Now a group of Young Labour Members have expressed their concern that there might not be anyone on either the leader or deputy leader ballot who represents Southern and Eastern England. They have published an open letter urging the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) to ensure that this isn’t the case by making sure a candidate who does represent this region has enough nominations (35) to remain in the race.
Ben Bradshaw who is standing be deputy leader – and who is the MP for Exeter – is the only person in the running at the moment who represents this region. But the 45 signatories have stressed that this isn’t an exclusive endorsement for him.
Rather, they say they want to make sure the whole country is properly represented in the elections – particularly given how poorly Labour performed in this area of the country.
Here’s the letter in full:
Dear Members of the Parliamentary Labour Party,
We write to you as members and representatives of Young Labour, Labour Students, and affiliated Trade Unions, who are active within Southern & Eastern England regions and constituencies.
As active members we were campaigning in these constituencies throughout the election. We saw where ground was made, but more importantly where the Labour Party remained disconnected with voters.
With only 12 Labour MPs being elected in Southern & Eastern England, the Parliamentary Labour Party is now focused on mainly London, Northern England and Wales. Consequently, we believe it is essential that the Leader and Deputy Leader campaigns are representative of the whole country.
We must listen to the activists, the wider Labour supporters, and also the voters from here that did not choose Labour this time. Their input will be essential to building a Labour Party fit for the needs of 2020, and beyond.
In order for this to happen, we are calling on the Parliamentary Labour Party to ensure that there are Southern & Eastern England candidates with the sufficient nominations needed to see them on the ballot for Leader or Deputy Leader.
The Parliamentary Labour Party will decide if this debate includes the whole country, or merely selected regions. We urge them to ensure the former.
Yours sincerely,
Marco Anderson, University of the West of England (Bristol) Labour Students
Rose Ashwood, Exeter CLP
Elizabeth Brown, Vice Chair of Essex Labour Students
John Chilvers, Faversham and Mid Kent CLP
Aileen Anne Crosbie, Peterborough CLP
Chris Curtis, Milton Keynes North CLP
Elliot Delahaye, Castle Point CLP
Lizzy Dobres, Mole Valley CLP
Ava Etemadzadeh, Essex Labour Students
Micha Eversley, Cambridge University Labour Club
Maria Finnerty, Exeter Labour Students
George Ford, Exeter CLP
Sarah Freestone, Kent Labour Students
Liam Garrett, Gillingham and Rainham CLP
Stephen Goodall, Eastleigh CLP
Daniel Gottschalk, Chelmsford CLP
Jess Hannah, Oxford University Labour Club
Holly Higgins, Cambridge University Labour Club
Catrin Hughes, Stevenage CLP
Liz Jessop, Exeter Labour Students
Ed Jones, Exeter Labour Students
Daniel Julian, University of East Anglia Labour Students
Gilbert MacNaughton, University of East Anglia Labour Students
Torren McEwan, Exeter Labour Students
Yasmin Nasli, Exeter Labour Students
Francesca Nightingale, South Cambridgeshire CLP
Jack Lay, Canterbury CLP
Chantel Le Carpentier, Essex Labour Students
Jonty Leibowitz, Cambridge University Labour Club
Karl Lewis, Plymouth Moor View CLP
Jake Pitt, Kent Labour Students
Dena Rafati, Plymouth Labour Students
Connor Rand, University of East Anglia Labour Students
William Sellers, Exeter Labour Students
Will Short, Exeter Labour Students
Tyrone Steele, Oxford University Labour Club
Theodore Stone, Exeter Labour Students
Lukey Stranger, Hove CLP
Jon Sykes, Exeter Labour Students
Ben Taylor, Kent Labour Students
Megan Wells, Canterbury CLP
Tom Wilson, Labour Students Eastern Regional Coordinator
Alex White, Canterbury CLP
Daniel Wrigglesworth, University of East Anglia Labour Students
Dylan Woodward, Exeter CLP
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