BREXIT, EU politics, Covid 19 pandemic, the rise rise and rise of China, debt trap diplomacy, vaccine diplomacy, virus propaganda and disinformation, Afghanistan, Taiwan, Ukraine, Russia, ...
https://leavevote.blogspot.com
Tuesday, 7 January 2020
General Election 2019: Who will be Labour's next leader?
As politicians return to Westminster following the Christmas break, the race to be Labour's next leader is in full swing.
7 hours ago 7 Jan 2020
After the worst electoral defeat since 1935, Jeremy Corbyn said he would not lead the party into the next election, but is staying in place until his successor is named on 4 April.
Here are some of the hopefuls, with analysis from BBC Reality Check and BBC Politics.
Who is running for Labour's leadership?
Labour has never had a female leader, but so far there are more women than men in the running for the top job. The first to throw her hat into the ring was 59-year-old shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry. She deputised for Mr Corbyn at Prime Minister's Questions, but was replaced after publicly calling for Labour to back another EU referendum. She worked as a barrister before becoming MP for Islington South and Finsbury.
The 48-year-old shadow Treasury minister resigned from the party's frontbench last year in order to oppose the bill triggering the Brexit process. An early supporter of Jeremy Corbyn, the MP for Norwich South and former journalist has since criticised what he called the party's failure to effectively tackle anti-Semitism. He says his position as "a mixed-heritage black man" sees him well-placed to combat racism.
The 38-year-old Birmingham Yardley MP, who worked for charity Women's Aid before entering politics, was the third Labour figure to declare she would stand for the leadership. She has been one of the most outspoken critics of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership and the party's record on tackling anti-Semitism, bullying and harassment.
The 40-year-old MP for Wigan became the fourth Labour figure to declare her bid in a letter to the Wigan Post. She worked in the charitable sector before entering politics in 2010. One of a clutch of shadow ministers who resigned from Jeremy Corbyn's frontbench after the Brexit referendum, Ms Nandy has become known for her support of smaller towns. She believes the party needs to appeal to voters outside big cities if it is to win at the next election.
The 57-year-old shadow Brexit secretary used an article in the Sunday Mirror to announce his candidacy. A centrist candidate and likely front-runner in the race, he has said Labour needs to "rebuild fast" to restore trust. A passionate Remainer, he was director of public prosecutions before becoming MP for Holborn and St Pancras in 2015.
One of a new generation of MPs on the left of the party, she formed part of Mr Corbyn's inner circle, representing Labour in a TV debate during the election. She is widely regarded as the preferred candidate of Mr Corbyn and his shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, but critics of the current leadership have accused her of representing "continuity Corbyn".
Who has ruled themselves out?
Some had expected a run by prominent backbencher Yvette Cooper, who lost a leadership race to Mr Corbyn in 2015. However, she has now said she will not stand.
There was also speculation that former trade unionist and party chairman Ian Lavery could run, but he has thrown his support behind Ms Long-Bailey. Tottenham MP David Lammy has also ruled himself out.
What about the deputy leader?
The post has also been vacant since the election, when former Labour MP Tom Watson said he was stepping down, both from the role and as a member of Parliament.
This means it is now up for grabs, with the winner chosen in a separate contest entirely.
Shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon declared his candidacy early. He is a loyal supporter of Mr Corbyn and has pledged to continue the current leader's policy agenda.
Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner has also joined the race and is likely to be a front-runner. She was a care worker and Unison official before becoming an MP, and has described herself as being on the "soft left" of the party.
She has received the endorsement of her flat-mate and friend Ms Long-Bailey.
Two other candidates have also entered the race to be deputy: shadow equalities minister Dawn Butler and shadow Europe minister Khalid Mahmood.
What is the timetable?
7-13 January: Nomination period for MPs and MEPs
14-16 January: Application period for registered supporters
15 January - 14 February: Second stage of nominations from Constituency Labour Parties (CLP) and affiliates, including unions
20 January: Freeze date for voting eligibility for new members and affiliated supporters
21 February: Ballot opens
2 April: Ballot closes
4 April: Special conference to announce results
Who can run?
Candidates for leader and deputy leader have to be MPs, and they need nominations from 10% of Labour MPs and MEPs.
And in a new rule, candidates also need nominations from 5% of Labour's constituency parties.
Alternatively, they need nominations from three affiliated bodies, two of which must be trades unions, adding up to 5% of affiliated members.
The votes are cast on a one-member, one-vote basis.
Voters fill in a preferential ballot, meaning they rank the candidates in order of preference.
If any candidate gets more than half the first preference votes, they win.
If not, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their second preference votes are redistributed.
If that results in any candidate with more than half the votes, they win. If not, the remaining candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their votes redistributed, until the contest produces a winner.
Who controls the process?
Labour's National Executive Committee has 39 members, representing the trades unions, the shadow cabinet, Labour's elected representatives at local, national and European level, and constituency parties.
Supporters of Jeremy Corbyn and the grassroots campaign group Momentum are strongly represented on the NEC, and they are likely to use their influence to promote a left-wing candidate in the coming election.
ALAMY
