Any of our Labour types care to explain the Sam Tarry thing to me? Twitter seems to be exploding on the subject. Sounds like another right-wing land-grab by Starmer, but I’ve no idea if Tarry did anything wrong.
Not sure I count as a Labour type anymore but happy to give my take...
Tarry has done nothing wrong, apart from being somewhat left-wing. In some ways, it's just local Labour Party memmbers exercising their democratic right to (de)select their general election candidate. I am strongly in favour of internal Labour Party democracy (there should be more of it) so, in that sense, there's nothing to see here.
The factional dispute in Ilford South seems to be especially bitter, but I don't know the ins and outs of it. Tarry claims that there were irregularities in the trigger ballot process and might appeal against this decision. As far as I can tell there is some truth in this, but the irregularities look to be quite minor, and my feeling is that Tarry is clutching at straws.
I don't have strong feelings about Tarry one way or another, but it's sad to see an MP on the left of the party (of which there are very few) get deselected. The new candidate is a strong ally of Wes Streeting, which puts him way on the right of the party.
As usual, it's the hypocrisy I can't stand.
Zero MPs were deselected when Corbyn was leader, but the slightest rumour of a deselection process was enough to trigger hysterical headlines in The Guardian about "Stalinist purges". Now, tumbleweeds. Again, to be clear, I support the right of local party members to choose their general election candidates - if it were up to me, reselection would be mandatory (most MPs worth a damn would easily clear the bar).
The one to watch, in my view, is Apsana Begum's reselection process:
https://www.theguardian.com/politic...mp-apsana-begum-alleges-harassment-from-party
https://novaramedia.com/2022/09/22/...of-me-apsana-begum-on-her-return-to-politics/
https://tribunemag.co.uk/2022/09/apsana-begum-trigger-ballot-reselection-labour-party
She maintains, credibly in my view, that she has been the subject of targeted harassment from the Labour right (with the additional toxic element of an abusive ex-husband). Her trigger ballot process continued, even when she was admitted to hospital with suicidal ideation. In all the time this has been going on, she has heard nothing from Keir Starmer or any other senior Labour Party figure (yet several Tory MPs have expressed their concern). It's a huge stain on the Labour Party, in my view.
