JEREMY Corbyn is expected to tighten his grip on Labour with the election of three Momentum-backed candidates to the party’s ruling National Executive Committee.
The results of the election contest are due on Monday and one of three new NEC members is set to be Jon Lansman, head of Momentum and a key ally of the party leader.
The new positions were created in a move to expand the NEC to better represent the grassroots membership, which has grown to around 600,000. The move was supported by the leadership.
Control of the NEC has been finely balanced between Left and Right. The departure of Kezia Dugdale as Scottish Labour leader and her replacement by Corbyn ally Richard Leonard meant the UK party leader had a slight majority in his favour.
Long-term activist Eddie Izzard, the actor and comedian, is trying for one of the seats but, if, as expected, the three new seats go to Momentum-backed candidates, then Mr Corbyn’s hold on the party will be much stronger.
It would allow him to push through sweeping changes to party rules later this year.
This could mean the party membership has greater say on writing election manifestos, the number of MPs required to nominate someone for the party leadership could be lowered and MPs might face compulsory reselection.
Mr Lansman told Sky News: "Members need to have a greater say and need to be seen to have a greater say because, firstly, they need to feel ownership of it but we also have 600,000 members who know their communities, fellow workers and their workplaces."
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