Shadow minister defends Starmer’s reform proposals

Following extensive criticism from the left of the Labour Party over Keir Starmer’s proposed reforms, the ideas have received strong backing today from one member of the Shadow Cabinet.

Regarding Starmer’s plans to overhaul Labour’s rules governing leadership elections and the deselection of MPs, shadow communities secretary, Steve Reed told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme this morning, “In the summer before the election in 2019, our political opponents were going around talking to voters in their constituencies. Labour candidates and Labour MPs spent that summer talking to Labour Party members because the rules for reselecting Labour MPs and candidates mean that you have to win over two-thirds of people that are voting in order to avoid a full trigger ballot, which would then take even more of your time talking to members”.

He went on: “If we can change the rules to make that process simpler then we can get Labour candidates out on the doorsteps talking to voters more”.

Refuting the idea that Sir Keir Starmer was trying to bounce the party into these reforms, Reed said, “Keir has already made it clear that this is not a take it or leave it to offer. It is a discussion”

However, in a sign of the likely fierce wrangling that is going on behind the scenes, Reed warned about the importance of getting these rule changes through at this conference stating, “If you look at what the pundits say, the most likely date for a general election is May 2023. If there is going to be a time when we look at changing the rules so we can concentrate on focusing on the voters, it is this party conference, so we can spend the rest of this period getting out there and speaking to voters”.