REBECCA Long-Bailey and Emily Thornberry will set out their visions for the Labour Party as they launch their rival bids to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as leader.
Shadow business secretary Long-Bailey will vow to “shake up” the way Government works and put power into the hands of voters, as she kicks off her campaign with a speech in Manchester on Friday evening.
And shadow foreign secretary Thornberry will launch her leadership bid in her hometown of Guildford in the afternoon, after she narrowly secured the necessary support from MPs to enter the race on Monday.
The two frontbenchers are up against shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer, Wigan MP Lisa Nandy and Birmingham Yardley’s Jess Phillips in the contest, the result of which will be announced on April 4.
Long-Bailey will promise to end the “gentlemen’s club of politics” by devolving power out of Westminster, while pledging to introduce a “Green New Deal” that unites Labour heartlands.
“Where I grew up, Westminster, even London, felt like a million miles away,” she will say.
“The story of the last few years is that many people feel there is something wrong with their laws being drafted hundreds of miles away by a distant and largely unaccountable bureaucratic elite in Brussels.
“But I’ll be honest, Westminster didn’t feel much closer, and it still doesn’t today.
“That’s why I want to shake up the way Government works and deliver a clear message to voters: we will put power where it belongs – in your hands.
“The British state needs a seismic shock, to prise it open at all levels to the people – their knowledge, their skills, their demands.”
@EmilyThornberry is going back to her roots to launch her leadership bid from sunny #Guildford. Come along tomorrow and hear her vision 🌹@guildfordlabour pic.twitter.com/wzjWbpo2WO
— Dr Richard Mithen (@Richard_Mithen) January 16, 2020
Long-Bailey will say “proper democracy” takes power away from the “offshore bank account and places it on the ballot paper, so workers can have more and chief executives less, and we can tackle the climate crisis with a Green New Deal that unites all of Labour’s heartlands”.
“We will end the gentlemen’s club of politics and we will be setting out plans to go further by devolving power out of Westminster to a regional and local level.”
She scored a significant boost in her quest to lead the party after securing the backing of the Momentum campaign group on Thursday.
Though the result was not unexpected, the left-winger will now be boosted by the campaigning firepower of the group, which has long supported the outgoing leader.
As she launches her Labour leadership bid on Friday, Ms Thornberry will warn that Labour faces “a long, tough road back to power” after the party suffered its worst general election defeat since 1935.
“In my 42 years as a member of the Labour Party, there is no fight or campaign our movement has waged where I have not been on the frontline.
“And since coming to Parliament 15 years ago, I’ve also been on the frontline in the fights against climate change, Universal Credit, and anti-abortion laws in Northern Ireland.
“I’ve led the charge as shadow foreign secretary against Donald Trump and the war in Yemen. And in the two years I shadowed Boris Johnson as foreign secretary, I showed him up every time for the lying, reckless charlatan that he is.”
Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner was also endorsed as deputy leader following the confirmatory ballot of Momentum members.
Meanwhile, the party said that around 14,700 people applied to register as temporary Labour supporters to vote in the leadership contest.
The 48-hour window to apply to be a temporary supporter closed at 5pm on Thursday, and applicants who meet the eligibility requirements will be able to vote in the leader and deputy leader elections.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel