Last month’s crushing election defeat, however, has reopened the question of where members will put their faith. Rival campaign teams also claim MPs and members scarred by the election result are clutching at the prospect of a Starmer leadership as a safe option, a “comfort blanket” as one candidate put it. The Labour leader spoke warmly about her when the pair appeared alongside each other at a string of general election events. Other major unions, wary of a stitch-up or of being accused of narrowing the choice for party members, may decide to opt for alternative candidates. As the 2015 contest showed, Labour leadership campaigns, particularly when conducted in the aftermath of a jarring general election defeat, can be anything but predictable.

Source: The Guardian January 03, 2020 19:05 UTC