Labour chairman ‘to run as stalking horse to bolster Long-bailey’
LABOUR moderates fear Ian Lavery, the party chairman, is preparing to run as a “stalking horse” in the leadership contest to bolster the chances of fellow Corbynista Rebecca Long-bailey.
With two of Jeremy Corbyn’s closest allies now contemplating running to replace him, critics of the current leadership believe he is in fact attempting to pave the way for Ms Long-bailey to take over as the “continuity” candidate.
It comes after a spokesman for Mr Lavery said on Sunday that he was “seriously considering” his options.
Should they both declare, they will be pitted against Clive Lewis, another pro-corbyn candidate.
While Mr Lavery’s potential entry into the leadership race risks further splitting the Corbynista vote, MPS have accused the 56-year-old of trying to make Ms Long-bailey look more acceptable to moderates determined to break the hard Left’s grip on power.
Yesterday, Toby Perkins, the Chesterfield MP, urged colleagues not to be “fooled”, adding that it was “purely an attempt to convince us that [Ms Longbailey] is not a far-left choice”. “He won’t really stand – she will,” he said.
His concerns were echoed by a trade union source, who told The Daily Telegraph they had seen no evidence to suggest that Mr Lavery was preparing a “serious bid” to replace Mr Corbyn.
However, a shadow cabinet source played down suggestions the pair were working together, pointing out that there were growing question marks over Ms Long-bailey’s ability to lead. There is also mounting confusion as to whether Angela Rayner is still preparing to stand on a joint ticket with Ms Long-bailey, her friend and flatmate.
While Ms Long-bailey on Sunday said she would back Ms Rayner for the deputy leader role vacated by Tom Watson, as of last night the shadow education secretary had not reciprocated.
It comes after a number of Labour MPS argued that Ms Rayner, who is likely to enjoy significant trade union backing, should set her sights on the top job rather than play second fiddle.
Whatever course of action Ms Rayner takes, the pro-corbyn wing of
‘I’m thinking of the millions of people whose loved ones have been killed by Iain Duncan Smith’s policies’
the party is likely to face an uphill struggle to maintain its grip on power, with Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, likely to secure the backing of a significant number of MPS. ♦ Nadia Whittome, Parliament’s youngest MP, provoked a backlash on social media after claiming “hundreds of thousands of people have died at the hands” of the Tories.
Writing in response to Iain Duncan Smith being awarded a knighthood, she posted: “Today I’m thinking of the millions of people whose loved ones have been killed by Iain Duncan Smith’s policies.”
Questioned about the remarks on World at One on BBC Radio 4, she claimed “hundreds of thousands of people have died at the hands of this Government’s austerity policies”.