Allies of Jeremy Corbyn’s preferred candidate to run the Labour party are attempting to calm concerns that her arrival will see a “clearout” of staff deemed insufficiently supportive of the Labour leader.
Senior backers of Jennie Formby, the Unite union’s former political director and the frontrunner to become Labour’s new general secretary, are trying to reassure party staff that there are no planned overhauls should she secure the job.
It comes as senior party and union figures try to find a last-minute “compromise candidate” to take on Formby, with several sources warning she has had run-ins with some of the other major Labour-affiliated unions that have left them seriously concerned about her appointment.
Formby is on the verge of securing enough support from Labour’s national executive committee (NEC), which will vote later this month. The post gives the incumbent significant power in party disputes, selections and resources. While Formby is the clear frontrunner for the post made vacant by the sudden departure of Iain McNicol, the race burst into life earlier this month when Jon Lansman, the founder of the Momentum campaign group formed out of Corbyn’s first leadership bid, entered the race – against the wishes of Corbyn.
The contest has exposed a growing tension among Corbyn supporters, between those who want to preserve the power of the unions who helped deliver the leadership and those who prioritise turning Labour into a member-led movement. It has become seen as a power struggle between Unite and Momentum.
Source:
theguardian
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