Immediately after the appalling murder of Jo Cox, the Labour
MP for Batley and Spen, all the other “main” political parties, Conservative,
Liberal Democrats, UKIP and the Green Party, announced that, as a mark of
respect, they would not be standing candidates in the consequent by-election. Therefore a candidate chosen by the Labour
Party would be elected as MP unopposed.
However, the majority of the Labour Parliamentary Party is
now in a state of rebellion. The recent vote in Parliament to replace the submarines carrying Trident missiles is the latest manifestation of disarray in Labour's ranks. If Mr Corbyn remains the Labour Leader the Party could well split. In such circumstances which of the two Labour
parties would allow the other to stand an unopposed candidate in the Batley and
Spen by-election? Is it more likely that
Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour and the “other” Labour would each stand a
candidate? I wonder if those in the
“main” parties who made the decision not to participate now feel as if they
acted a little hastily.
Furthermore, I could not help being reminded of the last
time an MP was murdered, namely Ian Gow Conservative MP for Eastbourne, and how
there was no such mark of respect on that occasion. All the main parties stood a candidate in the
resulting by-election – indeed the Liberal Democrats took the seat from the Conservatives.
I now read in the Yorkshire
Post that Therese Hirst of the English Democrats is stepping up to the
plate and is ready to stand when Labour, or perhaps I should say whichever
Labour, moves the writ for the by-election.
Be that as it may, I expect some sort of Labour candidate will be
elected as the new MP, any other result would mean the Labour movement in its
present state of utter turmoil is completely shattered as a serious political force.
Here is a link to the report in the Yorkshire Post.
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/english-democrats-to-contest-batley-and-spen-by-election-for-jo-cox-s-seat-1-8020537
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