Published by , July 26th 2010 at 1:17 pm
Labour MP switches from Ed to David after balloting members
Labour backbencher John Mann has switched his support from Ed Miliband – whom he nominated – to David Miliband following a ballot of 15,000 party members and known Labour voters in his Bassetlaw constituency. The results on a turnout of 32 per cent were: David Miliband (50.3%), Ed Miliband (20.2%), Ed Balls (15.4%), Andy Burnham (7.7%) and Diane Abbott (6.5%).
The total electorate in Bassetlaw is just over 76,500, of which 25,018 voted Labour; three-fifths of that number were balloted, with about a fifth of all Labour voters replying. No other Constituency Labour Party nor polling organisation has polled such a large number of Labour voters.
Mann told Left Foot Forward:
“I gave an undertaking to my Labour voters in Bassetlaw I would vote the way they mandated me to do, however, now I know the margin, the fact that it’s not narrow, that one candidate has got a huge proportion of the vote, over 50 per cent, I listen to my Labour voters, they give me a mandate and I shall follow that mandate.
“Well, this is the first primary, I’m sure it won’t be the last in British politics for leaderships, that’s what politics should be about, we don’t have all the wisdom as MPs, let the people decide, I trust my voters, I respect them, they’ve had their say and we in my area will abide by it.”
Watch it:
Furthermore, had they been required, on second, third and fourth preferences, David Miliband would also have come out on top, with 55 per cent of transfers from Andy Burnham, Ed Balls and Diane Abbott.
Left Foot Forward understands that Sheila Gilmore, the Labour MP for Edinburgh East who originally nominated Diane Abbott, is also holding a primary of Labour Party members and strong Labour voters to determine who she should vote for and transfer to, while Anthony Painter has just tweeted that Dudley North will also be holding a primary.
UPDATE 13.45:
Responding the Bassetlaw primary, Ed Miliband told a press conference, “You win some, you lose some”. Claiming the support of “about 150 constituency Labour parties”, over 60 MPs and several trade unions, at those close of nominations, Mr Miliband said:
“I’m not the candidate for an easy life: one more heave with some of the new Labour dogmas of the past. If you want that, I’m not your man.”
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RT @leftfootfwd: Labour MP switches from @ed_miliband to @dmiliband after balloting members: http://bit.ly/9sCZ5B
RT @leftfootfwd: Labour MP switches from @ed_miliband to @dmiliband after balloting members: http://bit.ly/9sCZ5B
RT @leftfootfwd: Labour MP switches from @ed_miliband to @dmiliband after balloting members: http://bit.ly/9sCZ5B
RT @leftfootfwd: Labour MP switches from @ed_miliband to @dmiliband after balloting members: http://bit.ly/9sCZ5B
RT @Progressonline: RT @leftfootfwd: Labour MP switches from @ed_miliband to @dmiliband after balloting members: http://bit.ly/9sCZ5B
RT @leftfootfwd: Labour MP switches from @ed_miliband to @dmiliband after balloting members: http://bit.ly/9sCZ5B
John Mann MP switches from Ed to David Miliband after balloting Labour supporters in his constituency http://bit.ly/9sCZ5B
RT @leftfootfwd: Labour MP switches from @ed_miliband to @dmiliband after balloting members: http://bit.ly/9sCZ5B
Balloting using FPTP rather than AV? Rididulous.
John Mann MP switches from Ed to @DMiliband after balloting Labour supporters in his constituency http://bit.ly/9sCZ5B #DM4Leader
RT @JohnRentoul: John Mann MP switches from Ed to David Miliband after balloting Labour supporters in his constituency http://bit.ly/9sCZ5B
RT @leftfootfwd: Labour MP switches from @ed_miliband to @dmiliband after balloting members: http://bit.ly/9sCZ5B
RT @leftfootfwd: Labour MP switches from @ed_miliband to @dmiliband after balloting members: http://bit.ly/9sCZ5B
brilliant!!–> UPDATE: "You win some, you lose some", says Ed M in response to Bassetlaw primary http://bit.ly/9ZMPl9 /via @leftfootfwd
RT @leftfootfwd: Labour MP switches from @ed_miliband to @dmiliband after balloting members: http://bit.ly/9sCZ5B
RT @Progressonline: RT @leftfootfwd: Labour MP switches from @ed_miliband to @dmiliband after balloting members: http://bit.ly/9sCZ5B
Good old John Mann. He has been a great inspiration to me.
@anthonypainter Cheers mate! Just updated http://bit.ly/9sCZ5B @leftfootfwd
RT @micpayne: John Mann MP switches from Ed to @DMiliband after balloting Labour supporters in his constituency http://bit.ly/9sCZ5B #D …
RT @leftfootfwd: UPDATE: "You win some, you lose some", says Ed M in response to Bassetlaw primary http://bit.ly/9ZMPl9
RT @leftfootfwd: "You win some, you lose some", says Ed M in response to Bassetlaw primary http://bit.ly/9ZMPl9 Labour members should note!
RT @JohnWillman: RT @leftfootfwd:"You win some, you lose some", Ed M response to Bassetlaw primary http://bit.ly/9ZMPl9 Labour members note!
RT @JohnRentoul John Mann MP switches from Ed to David Miliband after balloting Labour supporters in his constituency http://bit.ly/9sCZ5B
[...] More… [...]
@DavidLammy numbers are in here: http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/07/labour-mp-switches-from-ed-to-david-after-balloting-members/
RT @micpayne: John Mann MP switches from Ed to @DMiliband after balloting Labour supporters in his constituency http://bit.ly/9sCZ5B #D …
RT @leftfootfwd: Labour MP switches from Ed to David after balloting members http://bit.ly/9ZMPl9
55% of second preferences in Bassetlaw went to @dmiliband interesting http://bit.ly/9ZMPl9
RT @blairmcdougall: 55% of second preferences in Bassetlaw went to @dmiliband interesting http://bit.ly/9ZMPl9
RT @blairmcdougall: 55% of second preferences in Bassetlaw went to @dmiliband interesting http://bit.ly/9ZMPl9
RT @blairmcdougall: RT @leftfootfwd: Labour MP switches from Ed to David after balloting members http://bit.ly/9ZMPl9
Even better; John Mann's switch from Ed Mili to D Mili was based on a genuine primary of 5,000 Labour voters. Attn MPs! http://bit.ly/9Wgh33
RT @blairmcdougall: RT @leftfootfwd: Labour MP switches from Ed to David after balloting members http://bit.ly/9ZMPl9
David Miliband got an absolute majority of first preferences and you think it is necessary to look at how many second and third preferences he got in order to determine the winner!
What form of alternative voting system do you support?
@DAaronovitch Primaries make what has been a pretty dull campaign, interesting. MP switches support: Left ft fwd http://bit.ly/9Wgh33
As a former foreign secretary and rumoured challenger to Gordon Brown, David Miliband has a much higher profile than any of the other candidates. Therefore it was obvious that he would win a wider primary amongst voters who have n’t been very engaged with the leadership campaign and probably don’t know comparatively little about E Miliband, Balls, Burnham or Abbot.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that in 4 years time the electorate would prefer him to other potential party leaders, or that he’d be best for the party. I can’t imagine that a relative nobody like David Cameron would have had much chance of winning a Tory Primary back in 2005.
That doesn’t make primaries – or David Miliband’s victory – redundant, but it does mean they should be taken with a pinch of salt.
[...] most important example of a switcher CLP was David Miliband’s victory in the Bassetlaw primary, because it also converted John Mann MP’s own vote. None of the other CLP nominations carry [...]
"Labour MP switches from Ed to David after balloting members" – http://tinyurl.com/2uhxdqq
RT @judyk113: Even better; John Mann's switch from Ed Mili to D Mili was based on a genuine primary of 5,000 Labour voters. Attn MPs! http://bit.ly/9Wgh33
RT @judyk113: Even better; John Mann's switch from Ed Mili to D Mili was based on a genuine primary of 5,000 Labour voters. Attn MPs! http://bit.ly/9Wgh33
I find this compelling: Both the overwhelming result for David Miliband; and the inclusive process.
http://bit.ly/9ZMPl9
RT @leftfootfwd: Labour MP switches from Ed to David after balloting members http://bit.ly/9ZMPl9