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| Labour leadership hopefuls make pitches to parliamentary party - live news | Labour leadership hopefuls make pitches to parliamentary party - live news |
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| Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen | Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen |
| The Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) held its leadership hustings in the House of Commons. Lisa Nandy was acclaimed by some as having ‘won’ the event in what was being called a breakout performance, telling the PLP that “if we do not change course we will die and we will deserve to”. | |
| Jess Phillips also set out the stark future facing the party, saying: “We run the risk of being completely irrelevant for the next four years. All over the country people have busy lives, with lots of noise from one way or another. We have got to get them to hear us in the little time they give us.” | |
| Keir Starmer told the hustings that Labour “needed to win back our heartlands. We need to understand and to address each and every reason we lost at this election, but we also need to win back Scotland, we need to win back seats in Wales and if you draw a line from London to Bristol and look south we only have a handful seats. So, we have got a mountain to climb.” | |
| Rebecca Long Bailey, who is widely seen as being favoured by the current leadership, denied that she was the Jeremy Corbyn continuity candidate. However in an interview with ITV’s Paul Brand she described Corbyn as “one of the most honest, kind, principled politicians” she had ever met and said that she would give his leadership 10/10, while blaming the media for his portrayal. | |
| Clive Lewis, the Norwich South MP who is pitching himself as the candidate to tackle the “crisis of democracy” in British politics, said that Lords reform and PR for voting must be part of radical political reform. He also said Labour must work with other progressive forces in British politics. | |
| In non-Labour leadership news, Jeremy Corbyn condemned the US “assassination” of Qassem Suleimani for putting British servicemen and women in danger, and accused Boris Johnson of being too scared to stand up to Donald Trump. Defence secretary Ben Wallace accused him of talking his “usual anti-American tripe”. | |
| And the government has confirmed it has shelved controversial plans that were mooted to merge the Department for International Development with the Foreign Office. | |
| Louise Haigh, who had previously been identified as backing Rebecca Long Bailey, says that Lisa Nandy’s performance at the hustings stood out: | |
| All this Lisa-mania is causing her betting odds to shorten, with Ladbrokes now quoting her as 5/1 third favourite: | |
| I think it’s safe to say Tom Copley, a London Assembly member, is part of Team Nandy: | I think it’s safe to say Tom Copley, a London Assembly member, is part of Team Nandy: |
| Chris Bryant, already declared as a Phillips supporter, is raving about her “impressive” performance: | Chris Bryant, already declared as a Phillips supporter, is raving about her “impressive” performance: |
| Seb Dance, an MEP for London, has tweeted that the hustings at least showed that the party’s potential leaders were under no false illusions about the size of the task facing them and that they could provide a “credible opposition”: | Seb Dance, an MEP for London, has tweeted that the hustings at least showed that the party’s potential leaders were under no false illusions about the size of the task facing them and that they could provide a “credible opposition”: |
| Gareth Thomas, MP for Harrow West, also felt that all six contenders acquitted themselves well: | Gareth Thomas, MP for Harrow West, also felt that all six contenders acquitted themselves well: |
| ITV political correspondent Paul Brand tweeted that “a lot of wavering MPs leaning towards Keir Starmer tonight after the hustings. But Lisa Nandy also said to have performed well. None of the candidates had a shocker.” | ITV political correspondent Paul Brand tweeted that “a lot of wavering MPs leaning towards Keir Starmer tonight after the hustings. But Lisa Nandy also said to have performed well. None of the candidates had a shocker.” |
| To judge by social media reaction from those in the room and journalists talking to them, Lisa Nandy – who was predicted by YouGov’s poll of Labour party members to be the first candidate to leave the race – has had a good night at the leadership hustings. | To judge by social media reaction from those in the room and journalists talking to them, Lisa Nandy – who was predicted by YouGov’s poll of Labour party members to be the first candidate to leave the race – has had a good night at the leadership hustings. |
| Peter Hain said colleagues told him they felt she had ‘won’: | Peter Hain said colleagues told him they felt she had ‘won’: |
| Journalists talking to MPs, MEPs and Lords who attended reported the same. Kevin Schofield, editor of PolticsHome.com said: | Journalists talking to MPs, MEPs and Lords who attended reported the same. Kevin Schofield, editor of PolticsHome.com said: |
| Jane Merrick, policy editor of the i paper, said that while Long Bailey, Starmer and Phillips were seen as having performed well, Nandy’s was a breakout appearance: | Jane Merrick, policy editor of the i paper, said that while Long Bailey, Starmer and Phillips were seen as having performed well, Nandy’s was a breakout appearance: |
| Paul Brand of ITV has said that both Starmer and Long Bailey impressed some undecided MPs, but pointed out that the PLP remains “less ideologically inclined to [Long Bailey] and so were a tough crowd to impress: | Paul Brand of ITV has said that both Starmer and Long Bailey impressed some undecided MPs, but pointed out that the PLP remains “less ideologically inclined to [Long Bailey] and so were a tough crowd to impress: |
| He also tweets that Clive Lewis had a difficult night: | He also tweets that Clive Lewis had a difficult night: |
| Some positive mood music coming out of the hustings from MPs. Darren Jones, who represents Bristol North West, tweeted about the virtues of the candidates before nailing his colours to Jess Phillips’ mast. His name wasn’t on the list we referred to here so that suggests a gain for Phillips from the hustings: | Some positive mood music coming out of the hustings from MPs. Darren Jones, who represents Bristol North West, tweeted about the virtues of the candidates before nailing his colours to Jess Phillips’ mast. His name wasn’t on the list we referred to here so that suggests a gain for Phillips from the hustings: |
| Stephen Kinnock, the Labour MP for Aberavon and son of the former leader Neil, has already come out for Nandy and is singing her praises on Twitter: “Lisa Nandy nails it in PLP hustings: a plan for empowering local communities (based on her Centre for Towns); clear on how to re-build trust & support in our heartlands; courage to make tough choices on policy priorities. Bold, inspiring and crystal clear. #WeWinTogether”. | Stephen Kinnock, the Labour MP for Aberavon and son of the former leader Neil, has already come out for Nandy and is singing her praises on Twitter: “Lisa Nandy nails it in PLP hustings: a plan for empowering local communities (based on her Centre for Towns); clear on how to re-build trust & support in our heartlands; courage to make tough choices on policy priorities. Bold, inspiring and crystal clear. #WeWinTogether”. |
| Nandy is saying that the party must sing the praises of its local councils where there are successes taking place: “Let’s tell the stories about what Preston council is doing rebuild the economy, how Plymouth is providing clean energy, how Luton is building homes. Let’s show the difference Labour councillors and Labour in power make.” | Nandy is saying that the party must sing the praises of its local councils where there are successes taking place: “Let’s tell the stories about what Preston council is doing rebuild the economy, how Plymouth is providing clean energy, how Luton is building homes. Let’s show the difference Labour councillors and Labour in power make.” |
| Adam Payne of Business Insider says that Starmer, Nandy and Phillips have been the most impressive so far of the six candidates: | Adam Payne of Business Insider says that Starmer, Nandy and Phillips have been the most impressive so far of the six candidates: |
| Jack McConnell, a Labour lord who was first minister of Scotland between 2001 and 2007, sounds like he’s had his mind made up by Lisa Nandy’s pitch tonight: | Jack McConnell, a Labour lord who was first minister of Scotland between 2001 and 2007, sounds like he’s had his mind made up by Lisa Nandy’s pitch tonight: |
| Jess Philips has given a strong message on antisemitism, saying: “Jewish people were afraid of us governing”, and that she can be “trusted to fight antisemitism and bullying and harassment”. | Jess Philips has given a strong message on antisemitism, saying: “Jewish people were afraid of us governing”, and that she can be “trusted to fight antisemitism and bullying and harassment”. |
| Peter Hain makes the good point that, as chair of Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East, Lisa Nandy’s strong message on antisemitism has considerable resonance: | Peter Hain makes the good point that, as chair of Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East, Lisa Nandy’s strong message on antisemitism has considerable resonance: |