The election of the constituency part of Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) saw the best result for the left (55% of the poll, 14% swing) since the 1980s.
Ken Livingstone topped the poll, with Ann Black, Christine Shawcroft and Kate Osamor also elected. Kate is an NHS worker and Unite political committee member.
The more traditional Labour right-wing grouping Labour First got trade union lawyer Ellie Reeves elected, and it supported independent candidate Johanna Baxter, who was also returned.
Florence Nosegbe and Kevin Peel, candidates backed by the explicitly Blairite caucus Progress, trailed in tenth and twelfth place respectively, among the 13 candidates.
This is a swing to the left in the NEC, and seems to reflect some ferment at constituency level. However Livingstone and Black both recently voted for the Collins review that threatens to strip trade unions of future power in the party.
A discussion needs to be had about the kind of left candidates that we need.
In addition, I am reliably
In addition, I am reliably informed that the Musicians' Union voted against Collins.