Margaret Hodge has become the second Labour MP to be ‘triggered’ through the local trigger ballot votes, which means she is set to face a full selection process. The MP for Barking has confirmed her intention to seek selection.
Commenting on the result of the trigger votes, Hodge said: “I am obviously disappointed. My priority remains serving the people of Barking as I have done for the last 25 years.
“At a vital time for the country, with a general election looming, we should be focusing our efforts on holding Boris Johnson and the Tories to account. I will work to secure the full backing of Barking Labour Party, so I can continue to play my part as their MP in doing that.”
The threshold for ‘triggering’ Hodge was reached today. Six party branches voted in favour of automatic reselection – whereby Hodge would become the candidate without further votes – but five branches voted in favour of a full process.
Labour conference last year approved a rule change whereby a full selection takes place if at least one third of party branches or local affiliates vote for one – replacing a system that had set the threshold higher, at more than 50%.
Hodge says’s she is:
“not going to give up until Jeremy Corbyn ceases to be leader of the Labour Party.”
For some in the Labour Party this evening, this development sends what they see as a welcome message to MPs that their membership strongly backs Corbyn: Hodge’s criticism of the leader has been unequivocal, typified by a recent comment that she is “not going to give up until Jeremy Corbyn ceases to be leader of the Labour Party.”
One figure close to the leadership describes today’s move as “a wake-up call [to MPs] to listen to their CLPs”. They also defend the tougher ballot process as a means of maximising democracy. “Each CLP should get to decide at each election who their candidate is,” they argue. “Being an MP shouldn’t be a job for life”.
“Being an MP shouldn’t be a job for life”
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