Campaign news

Rhea Wolfson’s NEC Ambitions Blocked

9th June 2016

Rhea Wolfson’s NEC Ambitions Blocked

STOP PRESS

Rhea Wolfson has been nominated unanimously by her home constituency Labour Party, Almond Valley, and is therefore eligible to stand for the NEC.
Nominate her and vote for her as part of the Centre Left Grassroots Alliance, along with: Ann Black, Christine Shawcroft, Claudia Webbe, Darren Williams, and Peter Willsman.

By Rhea Wolfson

Over the past few weeks, I have been delighted to receive support for my candidacy for Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) from a broad spectrum of opinion within the party, including nominations from dozens of Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs). It is clear that many members want to see me elected to the NEC.

However, I am now concerned that a faction of the party are trying to take that option away from the membership. To appear on the ballot Ineeded to secure, amongst other things, the nomination of my home CLP.

Last night Eastwood CLP, where my family home is, met to nominate candidates for the NEC. It was proposed that, given I am currently a member of the CLP, there would be a straight vote for or against my nomination. I made my case and answered questions from the room. I was then asked to leave the room while they discussed my nomination further. Once I had left, the ex-leader of Scottish Labour, Jim Murphy, appealed to the CLP to not nominate me. He argued that it would not be appropriate to nominate me due to my endorsement by Momentum, which he claimed has a problem with antisemitism. The constituency has a large Jewish population. The CLP then voted to not endorse me, before re-inviting me back into the room.

Needless to say, this is hugely disappointing. It is disappointing because I am the only Jewish candidate in this election, because the wide range of organisations endorsing me includes the Jewish Labour Movement, and because I have a long record of challenging antisemitism and have in fact faced it on a daily basis since my candidacy was announced. But above all, it is disappointing because I know there are many members who want to vote for me, who could now have lost that opportunity. I am considering my options going forward.

This Article Originally Appeared in Left Futures

Rhea has since posted:

This campaign is not over. Labour Party rules stipulate that members should register at only one address, and therefore only one Constituency Labour Party (CLP). Despite spending more time, and being more politically active, at my partner’s, I have been registered at my family home. This is, in part, due to an emotional connection to the area: it was here that I first campaigned for the Labour Party in 2005, and where I volunteered in my local MSP’s constituency office when still at school.

Last week, I was unsuccessful in securing a nomination from Eastwood, the CLP I grew up in. I released a statement on this and will not be commenting further.

I have transferred my membership to my other address and will seek nomination from my home CLP. If successful, I will be an officially nominated candidate for Labour’s National Executive Committee.