Over at the New Statesman, Stephen Bush has a story that Manchester MP and former minister, Graham Stringer, faces a deselection battle, following his decision to vote with the Government last month in opposing an amendment to the Trade Bill that would have kept the door open on a customs union with the EU. Stephen writes:
‘A motion brought before the constituency’s Broughton ward says that Stringer’s recent actions have “undermined the party and bolstered the Tories’ position”, and that the constituency party should start the process of removing him as the Labour candidate at the time of the next election, whenever that should be.’
Over the weekend, Stringer wrote an uncompromising piece for the Manchester Evening News restating his views:
‘It has always perplexed me that friends within the Labour Party with whom I generally agree on issues such as extending and enhancing democracy as well as redistributing wealth and income nationally and internationally, support the EU,’ he wrote. ‘The EU is an affront to democracy.’
Commenting specifically on last month’s vote, Stringer wrote that a ‘myth’ had developed ‘that a government defeat would have led to a general election.’ He made the point that the Government was defeated on the European Medicines Agency, but that didn’t result in a confidence motion:
‘It would have been even more surprising had Conservative and Democratic Unionist MPs voted for a motion of no confidence in their own government or for an immediate general election. These are the legally necessary hurdles to be passed before an early election can be called. The Conservatives and DUP revile Jeremy Corbyn – they are not going to give him a free hit.’
Clearly Stringer – and Labour’s other leading Brexiteers: Frank Field, Kate Hoey and John Mann – are in the overwhelming minority in terms of the parliamentary party. However it bears restating that 39 per cent of actual Labour voters opted for Brexit.
Tags: Brexit, democracy, deselection, EU, Graham Stringer
I’m not generally one to agitate for deselections but I wouldn’t be sorry to see Stringer go. Quite apart from his support for the Tories over Brexit, he has also denied the existence of dyslexia (insulting teachers and degrading dyslexic children in the process) and of man-made climate change.
Who wrote this article? Regarding deselection for Brexit labour MPs, presumably Denis Skinner excluded, I winder if unsucsessfull Brexit labour candidates who want to give it another go at the next election won’t be selected again?, also as there’s a couple of more votes in October, what will be the whip on the vote. And what will the constituencies threatening to deselect brexiters do,if Jeremy tells the whips office to tell the MPs to accept Brexit,
And why Is Brexit such an important issue, suppose conference backed unilateral nuclear didarment, and MPs vote for trident renewal, what would constituencies do, deselect MPs?
Frank fields gone, he always encouraged independents to stand, not the only one though
Frank field told people to vote tactically for the liberals in 1987
Same as lord cox frank cook told people to vote SDP on Tottenham to stop Bernie grant
Ken Livingstone twice backed Lifthur Rahman as did Christine shawcfort and Ed balls said tactically for the libdems to stop the Tories in 2010
Perhaps Stringer will be joining the 3 Independent Labour MPs ?
The PLP seems to be fraying at the edges.
anosrep Quite apart from his support for the Tories over Brexit
Hard Brexit is Labour policy as in their 2017 Manifesto. It’s the only way the left of the party can fulfil their ambitions of nationalisation of rail and utilities. No hard brexit, no nationalisation.
I always thought the Kate Hoey was an odd fit for Vauxhall. She is a Brexiteer, but, I understand the her constituency voted for remain – so she was not representing their views, and I believe there has been other occasions when she has been at odds with those she seeks to represent.
I have always quite liked Frant Field – did a lot of work on inequality. However, I feels his stance on voting with the Tories on Brexit was misguided, and I believe this is more the reason he has resigned the whip.
I understand that one of the main reasons that Labour members voted for Brexit was on the issue of immigration and a view that Europeans were taking their jobs and houses. I wonder if this is view is still held when many Europeans have returned home and immigration from EU countries is down.
Anne, I remember Ken livingstone, Bernie Grant, Diane abbott and corbyn being against he EEC/EU for 27 years, I guess most of their seats were EU skeptic during that time, and i’ve met Tottenham labour voters who still speak highly of Bernie grant who said had he lived he’d have been a brexit voter
wells aid Tafia on labours 2017 manifesto