As reported by Huffington Post, a potential plan is to elect two co-leaders – one representing northern Leave areas and another representing Remain supporting big cities. The co-roles would be gender balanced, the Green Party operated by this measure from 1992 to 2008 with a male and female principal speaker and since 2016 with co-leaders. One MP said: “The Greens make it work, so why can’t we? It would let us represent the smaller towns and the big cities with different voices.
“It would get us away from the presidential-style of politics that has dominated British politics lately.”
Jonathan Bartley and Sian Berry currently hold the Green Party leadership roles.
Labour Deputy Leader Tom Watson had announced he does not intend to stand in the December 12 election.
Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is expected to stay on for several months after a general election defeat if it occurs in order to allow a smoother handover to his successor.
Tory MP Mark Francois said of the co-leader proposals: “Many of us have been saying for years that Labour are utterly two-faced on Brexit — this would just make it official.”
Colleague Andrew Bridgen said: “This just underlines the problem Labour has and the circle it can’t square — how to keep both their metropolitan Remain supporters and their Midland and Northern Leave voters on board.”
Suggestions for the northern leave representative half of the role include Rebecca Long-Bailey (Salford and Eccles), Laura Pidcock (North West Durham), Lisa Nandy (Wigan) and Angela Rayner (Ashton-under-Lyne).
Suggestions for their co-leader from the other half include Jonathan Ashworth (Leicester South), Dawn Butler (Brent Central), David Lammy (Tottenham), John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington), Keir Starmer (Holborn and St Pancras) and Emily Thornberry (Islington South and Finsbury).
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Labour picked up 262 seats in 2017, now reduced to 244 owing to defections and resignations plus removals of the whip.
2017 marked the first time since 1997 the party had gained more seats in a general election than the previous.
Mr Corbyn became Labour leader in 2015.
He has been the Islington North MP since 1983.
During his first 32 years as an MP, he was a backbencher.
He overcame Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall in the 2015 leadership election with 59.5 percent of the vote.
A year later after Mr Corbyn lost a vote of no confidence amongst Labour MPs 172-40, another leadership election was held.
He beat Owen Smith with 61.8 percent of the vote.
Currently a member’s ballot under one person, one vote, the leadership election previously gave equal weighting to Labour MPs and MEPs, individual members and affiliated trade unions and societies.
