Cashman clocks out

Labour’s chair Michael Cashman looks set to step down from the party’s national executive (NEC) this Autumn, with parliamentarians set to vote on their representatives to Labour’s ruling body.

The move marks the end of fourteen years at the top of the party’s structures for former Eastenders actor Mr Cashman, first elected as a party members’ rep under the right-wing “Members First” banner.

He caused controversy in 1999 when he stood for re-election to the constituency party section despite having been just elected to the European Parliament. MPs and MEPs are banned from standing for the NEC apart from in the parliamentary section.

Labour MPs have received candidate statements from sitting representatives Margaret Beckett and Dennis Skinner. Seeking to replace Mr Cashman are Liverpool Walton MP Steve Rotherham, and Yasmin Qureshi, of Bolton South-East. Both were elected for the first time in the 2010 general election.

Ms Qureshi has spoken out against aggressive British foreign policy in the Middle East, and has recently addressed meetings of Labour CND. She argues that Labour must “promote and strengthen” its relationship with the trade unions.

Mr Rotherham is a former Lord Mayor of Liverpool who has campaigned for justice for the victims of the Hillsborough disaster.

We can only hope that whoever MPs choose will recognise that they are elected to scrutunise, and not blindly serve, the party leadership.