Diana Johnson, MP for Hull North, faces losing the seat she has held for 14 years after she was triggered for an open selection by a small group of 16 party members last week. She wrote on Twitter: “I am disappointed to have been triggered for an open selection by a small number of members, especially when overall the majority of Hull North Constituency Labour Party members have so far voted to re-select me. I’m currently considering a procedural challenge to the process.
“However, I stand on my record and will continue doing what i have done every day since May 5, 2005, when I was first elected, representing the people of Hull North to the very best of my ability – and working to get a Labour government elected.
“It’s business as usual as far as I’m concerned.”
Labour members can trigger a vote if they do not want their current MP to run as their candidate in a general election.
But former Labour MP for Barrow and Furness John Woodcock has claimed Ms Johnson’s future is now in doubt as she is moderate and some local parties could be hoping to get candidates who are more aligned with the party’s left instead.
Mr Woodcock had the Labour whip withdrawn in 2018 following allegations of sexual harassment.
He is now an Independent MP and did not face any police investigation.
He told Express.co.uk: “Jeremy Corbyn’s cabal has taken over every other part of the Labour party and decent, moderate MPs are now in their sights.
“Many more MPs stand to be turfed out and replaced with hard left loyalists as Mr Corbyn completes the transformation of Labour from broad church to narrow minded sect.
“The water temperature is rising – my former colleagues need to jump out of the pan before they are boiled alive and set up a new group that speaks for the mainstream Britain like Labour used to.”
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This involves local branches and affiliated branches voting on whether to hold a selection process.
If the required number of people express a preference for holding a selection, then a full selection process begins.
If the required number is not reached, there is no selection process.
In a selection process, the MP is automatically shortlisted in the selection.
When contacted by Express.co.uk, a spokesperson for Ms Johnson said it was “premature” to presume this.
This is because she had not been deselected by the Hull North Labour Party yet.
They said: “They have just indicated – under new rules that make this more likely – that they want to go for a full selection process that will take two months.”
