HARD LEFT FIGHT BACK

Corbyn loyalists pulled off a major morale-boosting result in yesterday's elections to Labour's ruling National Executive Council.  More than 30 places on the NEC were up for grabs and Momentum-backed candidates won seven of them, the most prominent of which was short-lived MP Laura Pidcock.  Pidcock, who had been heralded by the hard left as a 'future leader', lost her seat in the red wall collapse - having only been elected two years earlier.

Pidcock finished second in the main ballot - for constituency party representatives - in which nine were elected.  This vote was set up in a way that ensured at least four of the victors were female   As it turned out six places went to women, although first place still went to a man - moderate Luke Akehurst.  The hard left Grassroots Voice, backed by Momentum, picked up five seats on this ballot and another two elsewhere (youth representative and disabled representative).

The impressive result for Momentum doesn't change the overall balance of the NEC, which remains firmly in Starmer's hands.  However, it has served as a reminder that the hard left are not going to leave quietly.  Several members of the hard left Socialist Campaign Group of MPs lauded the result and repeated their calls for Corbyn's reinstatement...