David Evans is not a compromise appointment for general secretary. But will he improve the party culture? The appointment of David Evans as Labour’s general secretary represents another win for Keir Starmer. The leader was sticking his neck out when it was briefed to the press that he had a preferred candidate for the post – but the gamble has paid off. Jennie Formby, an ally of Jeremy Corbyn, has been replaced by someone who is heavily praised by activists on the right of the party. The Labour left has been thoroughly defeated, and the end of Corbynism is complete.When it first emerged that the leader’s office had a firm favourite for general secretary and his name was David Evans, most of the members on the left of Labour’s national executive committee – the ruling body that interviews and votes on the applicants – hadn’t heard of him. They were introduced to the former assistant general secretary by journalists who themselves knew him primarily as the author of a 1999 report. This report described local constituency parties as “dysfunctional” and argued for a “radical overhaul” of the party that could “empower modernising forces within the party and marginalise Old Labour”. Continue reading…
Via: With an ally in control of the party machine, Keir Starmer’s victory is complete | Sienna Rodgers
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