Forward Momentum unveils slate for internal Momentum elections

The Forward Momentum slate of candidates for the upcoming internal Momentum national coordinating group (NCG) elections has been revealed tonight.

The #Forward24 includes Labour MP Nadia Whittome, metro-mayor Jamie Driscoll, former parliamentary candidate Jennifer Forbes and writer Alan Gibbons.

London:

• Deborah Hermanns
• Sonali Bhattacharyya
• Ana Oppenheim
• Mick Moore

Midlands and East:

• Andrew Scattergood
• Solma Ahmed
• Mish Rahman
• Abbie Clark

North West and Wales:

• Alan Gibbons
• Tracey Hilton
• Harriet Protheroe Soltani
• Charlie Bollaan

North East, Yorkshire & Humberside, Scotland, Northern Ireland and International:

• Callum Bell
• Liz Smith
• Gaya Sriskanthan
• Rory MacLean

South East and South West:

• Phil Clarke
• Jennifer Forbes
• Darran McLaughlin
• Shona Jemphrey

Public office holders:

• Mayor Jamie Driscoll
• Nadia Whittome MP
• Cllr Christine Howard
• Cllr Barrie Margetts

The slate was determined via a process of open primaries, a first for NCG elections, and these saw 64 people stand and nearly 2,000 Forward Momentum supporters take part in the vote.

Digital hustings were held as part of the process, in which candidates gave speeches and answered questions using Zoom video conferencing. Over 500 people attended.

The candidates selected – said to include key workers, shop stewards and community organisers – are described by the campaign as “representing a break with the current leadership faction”.

Forward Momentum has been officially supported by the party-affiliated Fire Brigades Union, and regional secretary Andrew Scattergood is on the slate – along with the NEU’s Phil Clarke.

Callum Bell, a working nurse and community organiser in Newcastle elected to the slate, said: “I’m proud to be a part of this slate… We need to break with the status quo in Momentum.”

Harriet Protheroe Soltani, a Forward Momentum organiser in Wales elected to the slate, added: “Our open primaries process has shown we don’t need backroom deals.

“We’ve been chosen by thousands of Momentum members to stand for a different approach in our organisation. We’re not afraid of democracy and we don’t think it’s a distraction.

“We think it’s the way we’re going to rejuvenate Momentum, unite the left and turn thousands of Momentum members into organisers.”

Forward Momentum has said that it will now finalise its manifesto, through a series of meetings with delegates from across the country, before contesting the NCG elections in June.

The alternative slate being put forward by another time-limited initiative, ‘Momentum Renewal‘, is expected to be released in the coming days, ahead of NCG nominations opening on May 28th.

‘Renewal’ launched over the weekend, backed by MPs such as Ian Lavery, several members of Labour’s ruling body, and high-profile writers including Aaron Bastani and Grace Blakeley.

Their founding statement stressed the importance of “left unity” and the need for a “single socialist slate” in the next round of Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) elections.

The news came after founder and current chair Jon Lansman announced via a LabourList piece that he would not be standing for the forthcoming NCG elections.

NCG nominations will close on June 11th, then a one-member-one-vote ballot will be conducted by Momentum from June 16th to June 30th. The process is entirely taking place online.