For once, a balanced article by the London Evening Standard about Labour Politics. I and many other Councillors and Party members support the call by Cllr Marriott, Charlene Mclean and West Ham Labour Party for an open selection to decide the next Labour candidate. I think that the "trigger" process in Newham has been completely discredited by the so-called previous "process".
Robin Wales has been in charge of Newham since 1995 and if he is not "triggered" then he would have been in power for a staggering 27 years (until 2022) without any open democratic process since 2001.
The directly elected Newham Mayor is a hugely powerful position responsible for over 300,000 residents, employing thousands of staff and a Billion pound plus turnover.
Labour members in the borough have written to the party’s National Executive Committee calling for an open vote to pick their candidate.
Newham Labour councillor Julianne Marriott, who was behind the letter, said she did not believe another trigger ballot was “in the best interests” of residents.
It comes after Sir Robin called for the first result to be scrapped after legal action was launched.
Charlene McLean, chairman of the West Ham constituency party which passed a no-confidence vote in the ballot, has also written to Labour general secretary Iain McNicol. In her letter, seen by the Standard, she warned there was not “sufficient time” to run a new trigger ballot, followed by an open selection if Sir Robin were deselected, as the local elections were in just four months’ time.
The calls follow the disputed trigger ballot in autumn 2016 which Sir Robin won by 20 votes to 17. Eleven out of 20 local Labour wards called for other candidates to be on the slate.
It was announced this month that the trigger ballot would be rerun following claims of irregularities and a legal challenge.
Ms Marriott said: “I believe we should go straight to an open selection as that will be the result of a rerun of the trigger ballot.”
The successful candidate is almost certain to become mayor in the Labour-dominated borough".
Hat tip pic Jo G
There is also not enough time for another "trigger" before May 2018, which practically everyone believes will result in Robin Wales being "triggered", which will automatically lead to an open selection.
We also have not finished the appeals for Council candidates who did not pass their initial interviews. We therefore have no Labour candidates in place to organise the May election for the 60 Newham Labour seats.
"Veteran Newham mayor faces deselection fight ahead of local election contest"
"Veteran Newham mayor faces deselection fight ahead of local election contest"
Labour members in the borough have written to the party’s National Executive Committee calling for an open vote to pick their candidate.
Newham Labour councillor Julianne Marriott, who was behind the letter, said she did not believe another trigger ballot was “in the best interests” of residents.
It comes after Sir Robin called for the first result to be scrapped after legal action was launched.
Charlene McLean, chairman of the West Ham constituency party which passed a no-confidence vote in the ballot, has also written to Labour general secretary Iain McNicol. In her letter, seen by the Standard, she warned there was not “sufficient time” to run a new trigger ballot, followed by an open selection if Sir Robin were deselected, as the local elections were in just four months’ time.
The calls follow the disputed trigger ballot in autumn 2016 which Sir Robin won by 20 votes to 17. Eleven out of 20 local Labour wards called for other candidates to be on the slate.
It was announced this month that the trigger ballot would be rerun following claims of irregularities and a legal challenge.
Ms Marriott said: “I believe we should go straight to an open selection as that will be the result of a rerun of the trigger ballot.”
The successful candidate is almost certain to become mayor in the Labour-dominated borough".
Hat tip pic Jo G
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