Momentum chief set to win place on Labour’s NEC as left slate eyes clean sweep

Jon Lansman is today expected to achieve his lifetime ambition and win a place on Labour’s ruling body.

The Momentum founding chair and his two colleagues on the left-wing slate are set to take the three new places on the national executive committee (NEC).

The result, if it goes as many pundits predict, will cement Jeremy Corbyn’s control over the committee and could pave the way for further changes to the way parliamentary candidates are selected and even raise the prospect of re-selection contests for MPs.

Plans for these types of reforms are far from certain go go through, however, because trade union reps still make up a major part of the committee.

Lansman, Manchester councillor Yasmine Dar and national policy forum representative Rachel Garnham all won backing from the Centre Left Grassroots Alliance, which is made up of Momentum and the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy and other left-leaning factions.

Eddie Izzard, one of three prominent activists running against the trio, is thought most likely to come close to matching their vote.

Izzard, the pro-EU comedian, is one of three candidates who describe themselves as independents, as well as Gurinder Singh Josan, vice-chair of Sikhs for Labour, and Johanna Baxter, a former NEC rep.

The results are due around lunchtime. Many members are comparing the election to the vote held for the conference arrangements committee last summer, when Tottenham activist Seema Chandwani and former trade union boss Billy Hayes won by a margin of nearly 2:1.