AMID the hubbub over who is going to be named tomorrow as the next leader of the Labour Party, the fight over its candidacy in London’s mayoral election in 2016 has been somewhat overlooked. Until today: Sadiq Khan, the Labour MP for Tooting, was selected with a whopping 58.9% of the vote. It was something of an upset: Tessa Jowell, a former cabinet minister who oversaw London’s bid for the 2012 Olympics, had been topping the polls. Mr Khan’s win suggests two things for Labour, both rather ominous.
First, it gives the strongest impression yet that Jeremy Corbyn, the far-left candidate believed to be ahead in the leadership race, will indeed win tomorrow. Mr Khan, who grew up on a council estate in Wandsworth, was an MP for only five years of the previous Labour government, in contrast to Ms Jowell, who was in the cabinet under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Partly because of this he appeals more to the anti-Blairite voters who flocked to join the party to vote for Mr Corbyn. Mr Khan nominated Mr Corbyn for the leadership (as did two of the other three main Labour mayoral candidates, Diane Abbott and David Lammy). Although most of his...Continue reading
via Brian Rushton, The Corbyn effect comes to London
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