New Times,
New Thinking.

The candidate Labour MPs want to succeed Jennie Formby

There is one name featuring more heavily in discussions over the general secretary vacancy than any other.

By Patrick Maguire

There is only one name Labour MPs are seriously discussing in connection with the newly vacant post of general secretary this evening, and that name is Anneliese Midgley. Unite’s political director has emerged – appropriately enough – as something of a unity candidate in the Parliamentary Labour Party after the resignation of Jennie Formby.

Why? Few would have expected one Unite alumna in Formby to be replaced by another in Midgley this time last month. The two names more frequently mentioned as likely contenders were Unison’s Emilie Oldknow, part of former general secretary Iain McNicol’s old guard at Southside, and the GMB’s Lisa Johnson.

Yet Oldknow’s name has not been mentioned seriously in the wake of the leaked report into alleged factionalism and the handling of anti-Semitism cases at Labour HQ. Johnson is well-regarded by MPs – though not by all supporters of Starmer, some of whom blame her for his failure to secure the GMB’s endorsement – but the resignation of Tim Roache as the union’s general secretary is seen to have complicated matters.

It’s against this backdrop that Midgley – in the words of one MP on the Labour right – has been “hiding in plain sight”. A former deputy chief of staff to Jeremy Corbyn and head of events for Ken Livingstone, she is more or less unique among survivors of Corbyn’s LOTO in being well-regarded across the factional divide. Unite’s parliamentary group has a membership of more than 140 MPs, many of whom are not of the left at all. “Straight,” is the word MPs otherwise hostile to the left use to describe Midgley. Formby was not such a unifying figure.

There are long-standing links to Starmer’s shadow cabinet too. Midgley ran her namesake Anneliese Dodds’ campaign for selection as an MEP ahead of the 2014 European elections, and Lisa Nandy is vice-chair of the Unite group of MPs. It is, of course, up to Starmer to anoint his preferred successor and up to the NEC to approve: the PLP don’t get a vote. But if unity is to mean more than a slogan Starmer could do worse than propose Midgley.

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how Progressive Media Investments may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

Content from our partners
Water security: is it a government priority?
Defend, deter, protect: the critical capabilities we rely on
The death - and rebirth - of public sector consultancy