Labour MP Kate Hoey vows to fight deselection

[T_i_B]

To have been an MP for nearly 30 years and yet not get a single vote in support in a vote of no confidence from your own supporters is about as damming as it gets!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-44979281

Pro-Brexit Labour MP Kate Hoey has vowed to resist efforts to deselect her after her local party in Vauxhall passed a vote of no confidence in her.

The activists are calling on Labour to suspend her from the party and declare her ineligible to stand as a candidate. They have accused her of "colluding" with UKIP's Nigel Farage and "propping up a failing government".

The no-confidence motion, which received unanimous backing at a party meeting on Thursday, says defeat in that Commons vote could have toppled the government and led to a general election that Labour was "widely expected to win".

The motion also accuses Ms Hoey of "reneging" on Labour's manifesto pledge to oppose Theresa May's approach to Brexit and of "colluding" with then UKIP leader Nigel Farage during the EU referendum campaign. It also attacks her backing of causes "not compatible with Labour core beliefs" such as fox hunting, "elitist grammar schools", and her chairmanship of the Countryside Alliance.

The MP, who is currently in Zimbabwe as an election observer, has represented Vauxhall since 1989.

[LeftishBrit]

1. While I am not generally a fan of deselection, in this case I'm amazed that it took so long!

Frankly, she'd be more suited to the DUP than Labour.

[Chris Studio]

2. Labour

Labour's Brexit policy is closer to what DUP voters want than Labour's.

Truly, when the history books are written re: Brexit Labour and the Corbynites will not look good.

Which is a shame.

[T_i_B]

3. This is true..........BUT!

Hoey is not even pretending to be looking for a "Labour" Brexit. She's too busy spreading far right propaganda and batting for the other side at every available opportunity.

And that does undermine the case for Kate Hoey merely backing Labour's EU policy. She isn't even representing Labour "leave" supporters at present. As such I do have some sympathy for those in Vauxhall Labour who have taken this action. And the fact that the motion passed unanimously speaks for itself.

[Chris Studio]

5. Agreed

But it does make it seem a bit ridiculous... the majority of people up in arms about this are people that support a pro-Leave party, but are ALSO upset that one of their own is helping a pro-Leave party....

From the outside this looks like more cakism... Labour - if it truly believes there's such a thing as a "workers' Brexit" is as delusional as Hoey.

[Denzil_DC]

4. The surprise is that she lasted so long.

She was parachuted in to the seat among much ill feeling way back:

In 1989, she was elected at the Vauxhall by-election precipitated by the resignation of Stuart Holland. Black candidate Martha Osamor had the most nominations, with Hoey only having one, but the National Executive Committee declined to shortlist Osamor and imposed a shortlist on the constituency party. When the local party refused to choose from the shortlist, Hoey was imposed by the NEC as the Labour candidate.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Hoey

And since then, it's far from the first time she's courted the right and deselection. This from 2008, for example:

EXCLUSIVE: Rebel Labour MP’s seat could go to gay candidate

A leading Labour party activist has said he is “flattered” by approaches from party members asking him to stand in Vauxhall.

The current MP, Kate Hoey, caused outrage among Labour members in London when it was announced during the Mayor of London election campaign that she had agreed to become an adviser to Conservative Boris Johnson if he was elected.


She claimed that she was not in breach of party rules banning members from supporting candidates from other parties, and made a comparison with Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s appointment of a handful of Tory MPs to advisory positions.

However, Labour activists in her Vauxhall constituency are talking openly of deselecting the veteran MP, a former Minister for Sport.

https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2008/05/09/exclusive-rebel-labour-mps-seat-could-go-to-gay-candidate/

[T_i_B]

6. Frank Field is also facing similar issues.

Although Frank Field did not lose the vote unanimously like Kate Hoey did.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jul/28/frank-field-criticises-local-labour-members-confidence-vote

[T_i_B]

7. My own MP (Angela Smith) has just lost a no confidence motion tonight

Last edited Sat Nov 17, 2018, 06:05 AM - Edit history (1)

By 27 votes to 20. The reason being that she's openly critical of Jeremy Corbyn, which is quite frankly the least issue with her. Especially as she's about the only local MP speaking sense over the disastrous project to leave the EU.

If they had made this about her views on fracking or the water industry or a number of other actual policy issues I might understand, but to make it about her not being a fan of Jeremy Corbyn is just petty.

Link to tweet