Corbyn reportedly addressed an unofficial CLP meeting in Angela Eagle's constituency
Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) are meeting informally in halls and pubs, defying a decision by the National Executive Council to suspend CLP meetings for the duration of the leadership contest.
The NEC said its decision was a result of security fears, amid worrying levels of violence and intimidation of Labour MPs and leadership candidates.
Both Angela Eagle and Jeremy Corbyn have been receiving death threats, and a brick was thrown through the window of Eagle’s constituency office.
However, critics believe that the suspension of CLP meetings is an attack on internal party democracy, implemented to prevent Corbyn-backing local branches from voting no confidence in their MPs.
‘With Labour branch meetings suspended until after the leadership election, grassroots Labour members will continue to meet as planned to support Jeremy Corbyn,’ said James Rosen, a member of Brentford Labour.
Rosen attended an informal meeting of 41 Brentford and Isleworth Labour members, held in a local pub after the offical CLP meeting was cancelled with four hours notice.
The branch was due to debate a motion in support of Corbyn which, at the unofficial meeting, was unanimously passed.
Isleworth Labour member Salman Shaheen said:
“We want to reiterate our confidence in Jeremy and the principled values he stands for. We see him as our next prime minister. He will lead us towards achieving a fairer, kinder, more equal society.”
It’s believed that Corbyn himself addressed the meeting by speakerphone, supporting a meeting held in contravention of his own NEC’s ruling.
For all wings of the Labour Party, the suspension of CLP meetings is a worrying sign.
As Mark Brophy writes on Left Foot Forward ‘for all the evident bad blood, if members cannot sit in the same room with each other without resorting to violence then the party is finished anyway.’
6 Responses to “Labour CLPs hold meetings in support of Corbyn, defying NEC”
Donie Fell
As an outsider I am intrigued by the lengths PLP are going to to stifle debate and democracy within the Party. Where is the evidence of this widespread violence at CLP meetings? With regard to bricks through windows again where is the evidence that the perpetrator was a Corbyn supporter? Could it not have been a friend of Angela Eagles exercising dirty tricks or even Angela herself for that matter. No evidence has been produced either way but Corbyn opponents will (naturally) use it to their advantage and the mainstream media (which also opposes Corbyn) is willing and able to oblige.
Sheila Rowell
I agree that there is no evidence that Jeremy Corbyn supporters were responsible. What about the death threats to JC and the arson attacks on his office? Could these have been supporters of Ange.a Eagle or Owen Smith. I note this wasn’t publicised. Bias media coverage is what I call it. What are you afraid of Anigella. If as you say JC is so bad as leader then the result of the ballot will prove that
Delia Koczwara
It could just be a random piece of vandalism and nothing to do with the election or politics. Shop windows often, unfortunately, have bricks thrown at them: that’s why a lot are shuttered at night!
Joe Horner
If we can’t make our feelings known in meetings, there are other (and potentially more public) ways
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/restoring-labour-party-reputation
Brian Morley
Every CLP should hold a meeting and defy the NEC. They should invite the bbc to film and record the entire meeting without any editorial interference or pre – conditions set by anybody. The full recording should be played before a judge to see if any allegations of intimidation are true. If the meeting reaches decisions in line with fair democracy then those decisions cannot be annulled by the NEC. Surely nobody can object to such a public and transparent process.
Such a democratic process cannot of course exclude any member unless there is a proven criminal intent. No member can be excluded unless they were so informed at the time of joining the Labour Party. Retrospective rulings should never apply as they are probably an attempt to corrupt proceedings.