Soft left group Open Labour unveils candidates for internal party elections

Open Labour, the factional group positioned on the ‘soft left’, has unveiled its candidates for upcoming internal party elections – both those who have been endorsed unopposed and those who will be voted on.

Ben McGowan, who led rent strikes at the University of Manchester during the pandemic, will be Open Labour’s candidate for chair of the new Labour Students organisation, after standing unopposed for the endorsement.

LabourList understands from Open Labour sources that the group is hopeful they may be able to secure two members on Labour’s ruling body this year and have a good chance of winning the BAME rep contest.

Labour will be electing nine new local party representatives on the national executive committee (NEC), the party’s ruling body. There is currently a five to four balance in favour of Keir Starmer critics among the reps.

Ann Black, the only current NEC member supported by Open Labour, is re-standing for endorsement, alongside Katherine Foy and Sam Theodoridi. Black is widely expected to be backed again by Open Labour.

Jermain Jackman is running for endorsement. It is expected he will win the group’s backing and run for NEC BAME rep, after failing to secure the spot in a 2020 by-election and missing out on a local party rep place later that year.

Open Labour is set to issue ballots this week before voting among its membership closes on March 12th. Nominations have already opened for the 2022 internal contests within Labour.

Labour to Win was first to reveal its NEC slate. Its five endorsements include three incumbents – Luke Akehurst, Johanna Baxter and Gurinder Singh Josan – plus two new candidates – Abdi Duale and Jane Thomas.

Momentum has endorsed just four NEC candidates this year, down from six: incumbents Mish Rahman, Gemma Bolton and Yasmine Dar, plus Jess Barnard, who is currently Young Labour chair.

Current Momentum-backed NEC member Nadia Jama is stepping down, while Laura Pidcock recently quit the NEC and her replacement Ann Henderson has not been endorsed by any Labour left group.

Other groups within the Centre-Left Grassroots Alliance are backing Momentum’s four plus a further three candidates – Maryam Eslamdoust, until recently a Labour staffer, Deborah Hobson and Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi.

Below is the full list of Open Labour candidates.

Endorsed unopposed:

National Policy Forum

East Midlands
Nathan Oswin

Eastern Region
Alex Mayer
Bodrul Amin

London
Callum Anderson

South East
Jonathan Quin

West Midlands
Lauren Davison

Yorkshire and the Humber
John Grogan

Labour Students National Committee

Chair
Ben McGowan

Scotland
Solomon Cuthbertson

West Midlands
Lily Soaper

Yorkshire and the Humber
Eleanor Falshaw

Ordinary Rep
Cai Parry
Jonathan Heywood

The following will be contesting in all member ballot:

National Executive Committee (CLP Section) – 2 to be elected (at least 1 woman)
Ann Black
Katherine Foy
Sam Theodoridi

National Executive Committee (BAME Section) – 1 to be elected
Bodrul Amin
Jermain Jackman

Labour Students National Committee (Disabled Students Officer) – 1 to be elected
Moya O’Rourke
Theo Biddle