NI Labour Party members fooled over leadership choice? I take different view

(Feeling misled after backing Thornberry, Wednesday, February 12, News Letter letters)

I really don’t think that we members of LPNI are all as foolish as Andy suggests so in support of my fellow Labour comrades I offer an alternative point of view.

Having attended the nomination meeting I would like to point out the following facts.

In the final ballot Emily Thornberry received 61% of the vote whereas Rebecca Long-Bailey relieved 39%; hardly a close result.

At the beginning of the meeting a member from the floor, speaking in support of Emily

Thornberry gave a well presented talk on Thornberry’s track record as an activist for people’s rights, her parliamentary record and her work as a shadow minister. So we had plenty of other things to think about and not just her position on our right to stand.

Most speakers at the meeting spoke in support of Rebecca Long-Bailey yet they were unable to convince many of the rest of us to swing our support behind Rebecca.

Thornberry’s letter to us did not come out of the blue but was a response to a question asked of all leadership candidates.

She had replied in the same manner to a similar question raised by the Labour Party Irish Society, so she adopted a consistent position throughout. She saw the fairness

of our case but that ultimately moving on it would depend on other things happening.

Of course it is possible that her response was tailored by the fact that she needed our nomination.

This possibility was forcefully raised at the meeting so we were all aware of that possibility. However the numbers show that most members gave their support to Emily Thornberry anyway!

Ken Adams, Waterside, Londonderry