You can be forgiven for not knowing the intricate workings of Labour’s internal mechanisms. But the processes by which the party selects its candidates matter. They matter because, particularly in a safe Labour seat, those rules will usually determine who will be the next MP.
Labour started its trigger ballot process late last year. Where there is an incumbent Labour MP, it gives local members a simple choice: they can vote to automatically select the MP as a candidate for the next election or they can vote to“trigger” a full selection process in which the MP could have to face off against other challengers. Members can force a selection only where a majority of local party and affiliate (such as trade unions) branches vote to trigger such a contest.
