MP COULD FACE DE-SELECTION BATTLE
LABOUR party members have started the process that could see Liz Kendall ousted as Leicester West MP.
Some members of the constituency Labour party (CLP) are trying to trigger an open selection process that would allow her to be challenged for the Leicester West nomination.
Liz Kendall has said she wants to continue as the constituency’s MP.
If her opponents succeed there could be a vote in which party members choose who they want to stand in the next General Election.
If she were beaten, Ms Kendall would be unable to defend the seat she has held since 2010.
A Labour source has told the Mercury some members of the party locally would prefer to be represented by an MP who is more supportive of Jeremy Corbyn.
The source said: “We have to trigger open selection first and, if so, there will be Corbyn-friendly challengers. Liz will fight like hell to remain.”
Ms Kendall stood unsuccessfully against Mr Corbyn for the leadership in 2015. Since then, Leicester West CLP membership has surged from just under 300 to about 800.
The CLP has decided to ask the six branches that form it if they want an open selection. If two of them say they do then challengers will be able to step forward. The meetings are to be held in the coming weeks.
While there is some appetite to replace Ms Kendall, her supporters within the party say the process is a distraction from the job of ensuring the seat is held.
Ms Kendall, who increased her majority to 11,060 in the 2017 election, said: “I will work day and night to convince Labour members in Leicester West to re-select me as their candidate for the next election.
“I love being the Labour MP for Leicester West. Serving my constituents and this city is the greatest honour of my life.
“Since I was elected, I’ve led the successful campaign to save Glenfield’s children’s heart surgery unit, been a leading national champion for social care and I’ve fought tooth and nail against the poverty and inequality that blights our communities.
“In the past two years alone I’ve also helped more than 2,700 constituents with their problems.”