The Independent Group has elected Gavin Shuker as its “convenor” – but, the Luton South MP has already confirmed that he won’t be a candidate for the group’s leadership, as and when they elect a leader. What’s going on?
In many ways, the odd title merely confirms the reality of Shuker’s role in bringing the group together. As I explained in this week’s magazine, Shuker quite literally was the group’s convenor, arguing forcefully and repeatedly that Labour MPs who wanted neither a Corbyn government nor a Conservative one had a moral imperative to try and create what he dubbed a “Plan B”.
So the group declaring him convenor reflects what he has actually done for it thus far, which is operate as a Chief Whip. It also has the happy bonus of increasing the number of go-to media spokespeople for the group: Chuka Umunna is well-known to television producers, Luciana Berger is personally tied to the ongoing story of Labour and antisemitism, Anna Soubry is the most media friendly of their MPs.
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