Momentum’s candidate for NEC confirms second bid to win local nomination

Rhea Wolfson has confirmed she will move her membership to a different Constituency Labour Party in order to launch a second bid for election to Labour’s NEC.

The Momentum-backed activist last week failed to win the nomination of Eastwood CLP, where her family is based, meaning she would not be eligible because all candidates need backing in their home seat.

Wolfson claimed Jim Murphy, who is an Eastwood member, spoke against her candidacy – although it has been suggested the former Scottish Labour leader was raising concerns about Momentum and anti-Semitism more broadly. 

Wolfson, who splits her time between two towns in south Scotland, has now announced she will switch her membership to the other address, although has not revealed the location. To pursue her NEC bid she will need to win support from her new CLP by the June 24 deadline if she has not done so already.

Today Wolfson posted on her Facebook page “This campaign is not over. Labour Party rules stipulate that members should register at only one address, and therefore only one Constituency Labour Party (CLP). Despite spending more time, and being more politically active, at my partner’s, I have been registered at my family home. This is, in part, due to an emotional connection to the area: it was here that I first campaigned for the Labour Party in 2005, and where I volunteered in my local MSP’s constituency office when still at school.

“Last week, I was unsuccessful in securing a nomination from Eastwood, the CLP I grew up in. I released a statement on this and will not be commenting further.

“I have transferred my membership to my other address and will seek nomination from my home CLP. If successful, I will be an officially nominated candidate for Labour’s National Executive Committee.”

Wolfson replaced Ken Livingstone on the Centre-Left Grassroots Alliance (CLGA) slate, which is backed by Momentum and the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy (CLPD), after the former London mayor was suspended.

Her candidacy drew attention for her identity as a Scottish Jewish member, but she quickly experienced harsh criticism for an old blog post in which she argued that winning elections was not Labour’s only priority.

Wolfson’s announcement coincides with Momentum’s publication of its campaign priorities. The Corbynite faction voted by 56.3 per cent to organise around defending the NHS, promoting public ownership of public services and utilities with 34 per cent, and providing political and economic education with 19.7 per cent. They will be launching their campaign on the NHS later this year.