An online guide for Corbynistas to oust sitting Labour MPs has sparked fury among party moderates.
The slick ‘wikiHow’ page, complete with cartoons, gives step-by-step instructions for left-wing activists to kick out politicians.
It complains that deselecting existing MPs is ‘a hard process’ but urges people to keep tabling votes of no confidence and put up rival candidates.
The guide has been viewed more than 23,000 times, and fuelled a bitter row within Labour over efforts to eject opponents of Jeremy Corbyn.
The blueprint, apparently drafted by left-wing activists, says there are six steps to deselecting an MP in a local party
The slick ‘wikiHow’ page, which has been viewed thousands of times, comes complete with cartoons (pictured)
The blueprint, apparently drafted by left-wing activists, says there are six steps to deselecting an MP in a local party.
Tellingly, the first instruction is to ‘join the Labour Party’ – seemingly an admission that many of those agitating against MPs are not members.
It also urges people to talk about the ‘conflict between the left and right wings of the party’ to highlight discontent with the incumbent politician.
‘Once you have a small group of people, it could be much easier to win over others to your case,’ the document says.
‘One way of doing this is talking about political differences that you and other members may have with your local MP, for example, if there is a conflict between the left and right wings of the party, or by discussing other ways you are dissatisfied with the work they are doing.’
The guide sets out that Labour MPs must win a majority in a ‘trigger ballot’ to be reconfirmed as the seat’s candidate.
If they lose that vote an open contest is then held to be the party’s nominee.
It also highlights another method of using Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to evict MPs.
Politicians can also be kicked out after boundary changes, or if they are found guilty of a crime, the guide says.
The guide urges people to talk about the ‘conflict between the left and right wings of the party’ to highlight discontent with the incumbent politician
The deselection efforts are at the heart of a bitter row within Labour over efforts to silence opponents of Jeremy Corbyn (pictured on a visit in London last week)
In a ‘tips’ section the guide urges left-wing activists from different areas to work together.
‘Try to make contact with other groups within the Labour party which are pushing for the deselection of MPs. They may already have a plan or some resources,’ it says.
The document says that ‘lining yourself or one of your friends up to take the place of a deselected MP is a bad idea’. ‘You will seem self interested,’ it says.
In one extraordinary hint, the guide says: ‘It is not recommended to frame your MP for a crime in order to go through the easier deselection process.’
Neil Coyle, Labour MP for Bermondsey & Old Southwark, told The Times: ‘The vast majority of Labour members are frankly sick and tired of the small group of obsessives pursuing their own agenda.
‘They claim they’re backing Corbyn but often it boils down to naked self-in-terest. Most members want us to be ahead in the polls and punishing the government for its multiple failures.’