WATCH: Nandy rejects selections reform backed by Long-Bailey

Labour leadership candidate Lisa Nandy rejected the idea of open selections, otherwise known as mandatory reselection, when she appeared on ITV’s Peston on Wednesday evening.

Rebecca Long-Bailey held an event earlier this week announcing her support for the party reform, which would see sitting MPs face full selection processes before every election rather than be subject only to a yes/no ‘trigger ballot’.

Asked about the idea, which was central to the Bennite left agenda for party democratisation in the 1970s, Nandy said: “I think we should definitely hold MPs to account and give members the right to get rid of their MP.

“But we do have a system that allows them to do that. To be honest, I’d rather that we were getting rid of Tory MPs than Labour ones.”

Nandy also confirmed that she would “engage” with the US President, saying: “You should go to the palace, and you should have the argument with Donald Trump.”

Labour leadership contender @lisanandy disagrees with rival @RLong_Bailey on wider ‘mandatory reselection’ of Labour MPs saying the party should focus on “getting rid of Tory MPs” rather than Labour ones. #Peston pic.twitter.com/HVZkuJUES7

— Peston (@itvpeston) January 22, 2020