Majority of LabourList readers back move to fight Richmond Park by-election

Labour selected its candidate for the Richmond Park by-election this weekend despite suggestions that the party could stand aside to allow the Liberal Democrats a better chance of defeating incumbent Zac Goldsmith.

That proposal – put forward by Clive Lewis, Lisa Nandy and Jonathan Reynolds on LabourList – still has a lot of support within Labour.

Although Christian Wolmar was selected by Richmond Park members, more than a third of LabourList readers who took part in last week’s survey said Labour should not be standing in this by-election. In the vote, which was carried out before Saturday’s selection meeting, 36 per cent of the 2,996 respondents said they believe that the party should take the rare step of standing aside.

While this is still far short of the 53 per cent of people who do want Labour to fight in Richmond Park, it remains a high figure for such an unprecedented move, which would effectively see Labour teaming up with other political parties in a Westminster election.

The by-election has been triggered by the Government’s decision to press ahead with Heathrow expansion, which looks set to split Labour in Parliament. Nearby MP and shadow chancellor John McDonnell is against building a third runway, while the majority of Labour MPs and major trade unions, including Unite and the GMB, are vocally behind the proposal.

In our survey, 65 per cent of those who voted said that Labour should oppose expansion, while 23 per cent were in favour. Wolmar, Labour’s candidate in Richmond Park, is also “strongly opposed [to] Heathrow expansion”.

By far the most conclusive result of the survey was whether there should be an inquiry into the events at Orgreave.

Home secretary Amber Rudd last week ruled out an inquiry into the “Battle of Orgreave”, where striking miners faced violence from South Yorkshire Police, despite hints from Rudd that sh would go ahead with the plan.

A whopping 91 per cent of LabourList readers said that there should be a full inquiry, with just 6 per cent opposing the idea.

2,996 people voted in last week’s survey. Thanks to everyone who took part.