Hundreds of Labour members are preparing to go into battle for the party’s soul in Brighton this afternoon (Saturday 9 July).
The battleground is the annual general meeting (AGM) of the Brighton, Hove and District Labour Party which is taking place at City College, in Pelham Street, from 4pm.
At stake today are ten seats on the local party’s executive committee including five key posts – chair, secretary, treasurer and two vice chairs.
The outcome will shape the future direction of the party locally and may lead to serving councillors being deselected before the next local elections in 2019.
The elections today take place against a backdrop of unrest nationally as Jeremy Corbyn faces moves to unseat him from the party leadership by more than 170 MPs.
The publication of the Chilcot report also revived memories of the divisions in the party before, during and after the 2003 Iraq war.
The contest locally is focused on the differences between the faction supporting Mr Corbyn – Momentum – and the rival Progress faction, which is more Blairite.
This is what you’ll face @angelaeagle called with 24hrs notice @peoplesmomentum @MomentumBH @sussexlrc #KeepCorbyn pic.twitter.com/Li0dIFKq6M
— Michael Calderbank (@Calderbank) 9 July 2016
Before the AGM, hundreds of supporters of Mr Corbyn held a “Keep Corbyn” rally at the Brighthelm Centre, in North Road, and a march down to City College.
The organisers said that the rally was being held “to defend the democratically elected leader of the Labour Party”.
And eight days ago the Labour council leader Warren Morgan emailed colleagues asking for their support at the AGM.
He wrote: “Our city Labour party faces a takeover by a group of individuals from Momentum, TUSC, the Alliance for Workers Liberty and other left-wing groups, including people who have repeatedly run against Labour candidates.
“At the last city party meeting they elected conference delegates from their grouping, so have the numbers to win.
“They have made clear that they will be very hostile to me and other Labour councillors elected by thousands of local residents last May, with some talking of deselections.
“We are already outvoted by the Greens and the Tories in the (council) chamber and criticised by others in the press, so having the local party as a ‘critical friend’ rather than an outright opponent undermining our work is essential.”
Councillor Morgan asked colleagues to support Mark Jackson for the post of party chair. Momentum is backing Mark Sandell.
Councillor Morgan asked colleagues to support Edward Crask for the post of secretary. Momentum is backing Greg Hadfield.
Councillor Morgan asked colleagues to support John Warmington for the post of treasurer. Momentum is backing Claire Wadey.
In the contest for the five executive committee seats without specific responsibilities, Councillor Morgan urged colleagues to support Fran Bill, former council leader Simon Burgess, Sunny Choudhury, Henning Stock and Alex Voce.
Momentum has thrown its weight behind Phil Clarke, Daniel Harris, Rebecca Massey, Amanda Nichols and Ian McIsaac.
Councillor Morgan asked colleagues not to jeopardise the party’s position in the forthcoming East Brighton by-election on Thursday 4 August.
Labour won 23 seats on Brighton and Hove City Council at the local elections in May last year, compared to the Conservatives’ 20 and the Greens’ 11.
The party is expected to hold East Brighton, one of the safest seats in the area. But the Conservatives have represented the ward in the past, before boundary changes and the turning of the political tide.
The current local party chair Lloyd Russell-Moyle is standing for Labour while the Tories are fielding David Plant, who grew up in Whitehawk, a key part of the ward.
For the full list of candidates in the East Brighton by-election, click here.
Queues and queues of ordinary Labour Party members (not Trots or anarchists) trying to attend today’s Brighton Hove and District Labour Party AGM to support the elected leader of the party. Shameful to suggest these middle aged and elderly folk are some sort of infiltrators.
Brighton & Hove Comrades stand strong for Corbyn, we here in Scotland salute you!.
Middle aged trots and anarchists and a fine white, middle class bunch they are too.
Indeed. I was previously a member for several years as an activist & Party official. I left because of Tony Blair taking the party away from socialist & environmental values (in fact, it felt as if the Party had left me rather than the other way round!). I have rejoined to support Jeremy Corbyn in reclaiming those traditional values.
Hear hear! Very biased reporting from Brighton and Hove news. Shame on you!
Corbyn is a beige disaster. Old Trots might have voted him in but the rest of the country thinks he is a 70’s throwback. Bin the bugger.
Jeremy Corbyn brought me back to become a labour party member. His stand against the other MPs and the press and decision to honour the electors wishes at a time when there is such pressure , makes me wish to stand by him . I understand that we need to unite the Party to give us the possibility of election to government – and I am hugely against deselection of successful local councillors – but I was very impressed by katel (Chairman)’s running of the last ward meeting which was very well argued on all sides and then fairly voted, in favour of J. Corbyn. Let’s stop name calling and see if we can find some way of keeping the party together. It is frightening how the Tories hav e done this around the end of Cameron and the start of Mrs. May.