Labour left groups agree single NEC slate of six CLP rep candidates – without Lansman

Momentum, the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy and other groups on the Labour left have succeeded in pulling together a united slate of local party representative candidates for the upcoming national executive committee elections.

After two meetings totalling eight hours of debate, the slate of six agreed under the Centre-Left Grassroots Alliance (CLGA) umbrella is as follows:

• Ann Henderson
• Gemma Bolton
• Laura Pidcock
• Mish Rahman
• Nadia Jama
• Yasmine Dar

Commenting on the slate, a spokesperson for the CLGA said: “The Centre-Left Grassroots Alliance is delighted to announce a single united slate for grassroots members to rally behind. We look forward to setting out our platform and aspirations for a socialist Labour government in the coming days.”

Previously Momentum-endorsed incumbents Jon Lansman, Huda Elmi, Rachel Garnham and Darren Williams have not been included on the new slate agreed by Momentum, CLPD, the Labour Representation Committee, Jewish Voice for Labour, Red Labour and others.

LabourList understands that three wanted to stand down but Momentum co-founder and former chair Lansman had hoped to be endorsed by the CLGA for the NEC elections. He had vowed to focus on his NEC duties when stepping down from Momentum.

Of the six being put up by the left for the nine local party representative seats on the NEC, only two are currently members of the party’s ruling body – Ann Henderson and Yasmine Dar.

Both Henderson and Dar are NEC officers, as chair of the equalities committeee and chair of the disputes panel respectively. If they are not re-elected to the NEC, the left would risk losing two key spots on the core NEC decision-making group.

Groups on the Labour Party’s right, Progress and Labour First, have come together to form new umbrella organisation Labour to Win. It has put forward six of its own candidates for the members’ section, plus the group is supporting three others – two from the Tribune group slate and Ann Black.

Open Labour, described as representing the soft left of the party, is currently balloting its members on which candidates to endorse for the NEC elections. It is intending to back two local party rep candidates, one for local government, one for disability rep and one for youth rep.