Labour should increase number of leadership hustings, say LabourList readers

LabourList readers want more head-to-head debates between Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith over the summer. Seven out of ten people want to see the number of hustings increased to include one in every region of the UK. 

The debates see each of the candidates answer questions from party members, as well as respond to the other’s ideas.

Challenger Owen Smith recently wrote to general secretary Iain McNicol to demand the number of hustings be increased. Currently the Labour Party has organised six hustings, the first of which was yesterday evening.

There are no hustings in the North West of England or the South West, and the only debate scheduled in the South East is in London.

Only 22 per cent disagreed with increasing the number of hustings, potentially reflecting an appetite for more campaign events – which have drawn thousands across the UK. A further Seven per cent said they were unsure about organising more debates.

While the leadership contest is highlighting some of the divisions in the party, readers are firmly opposed to a “semi-split” within Labour MP. Some centrist parliamentarians have reportedly been considering the possibility of organising the anti-Corbyn Labour MPs into a semi-autonomous group. The split would have seen an alternative shadow cabinet appointed and an unofficial leader in the commons elected by MPs.

Only 19 per cent of LabourList readers support the idea, while 72 per cent are opposed to it.

Corbyn, favourite to win the leadership election, has condemned any split as “threatening the existence of this party” while his opponent Owen Smith has said the leader has not done enough to prevent a split.  

While readers are strongly opposed to a split, they are less sure about whether the timetable for selecting metropolitan mayors should be extended.

Some 47 per cent – still short of a majority – think today’s deadline should have been pushed back. One in four readers thought the deadline should remain as it was while 28 per cent said they did not know – potentially reflecting the readership out of the city-regions selecting a mayor.

The campaign teams of Andy Burnham and Steve Rotherham recently demanded the deadline for voting be extended after the party suffered delays in sending out the ballot papers. Those voting using paper ballots rather than online could miss the deadline, they argued, due to many families taking holiday during the school break.

2,435 people voted in this week’s survey. Thanks to everyone who took part.