Labour avoids clash with Short
Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) has delayed disciplining Clare Short ahead of next week’s party conference.
The party avoided confrontation with the former cabinet minister after taking into account a report by chief whip Jacqui Smith.
Last week, Ms Short said she was “profoundly ashamed of the government”, adding that she would campaign for a hung Parliament, in which no party had overall control.
The former international development secretary also confirmed she would be standing down as Labour MP for Birmingham Ladywood – but did not rule out standing as an independent candidate.
The remarks made by Ms Short could lead to her expulsion from Labour. And Ms Smith, who is in charge of party discipline, said the comments were so serious they would be considered by Labour’s chairman and general secretary.
The NEC members decided the parliamentary committee of senior Labour MPs would discuss the matter before any decision was made.
A statement issued by the party said: “The NEC heard an interim report from the chief whip about Clare Short.
“The NEC has now asked that the chief whip bring this up with the parliamentary committee. The chief whip will report back to a future meeting.”
Ms Short got into trouble with the Labour party after comments made to a national newspaper.
“The key to the change we need is a hung parliament which will bring in electoral reform,” she wrote in last week’s Independent.
“Then we would have a second election. Labour – with existing levels of support – would have one-third of the seats in the Commons, the Tories something similar, and we would be likely to see some Greens and others added, creating a plurality of voices and power centres in the Commons.”
Also discussed at the NEC was the funding of the party.
