So, both sides got something. Corbyn is on the ballot, but all members for the last six months are not eligible to vote, and those members who could vote before under the 3 pound membership (most of whom signed up to help Corbyn), must sign up for the 25 pound membership during a 48 hour window.
There can be no question that the NEC membership ruling hurts Corbyn, and badly, but labour unions are still for him, and I suspect he’s still the frontrunner.
The rebel MPs may still take the question of whether Corbyn is on the ballot to the courts.
I have been covering the Corbyn situation as closely as I have because it is important, very important. Corbyn is a modestly radical socialist, and if he winds up changing the Labour party in his image, it becomes an important anti-neoliberal force in one of the world’s most important countries. This is the potentially the first serious, English speaking world, crack in the “you may choose from neoliberal party A or neoliberal party B” facade in my adult lifetime.
It matters, because as long as we can only choose neoliberalism, we cannot get off the train to hell.
Note that Corbyn, for example, believes in workplace democracy. He is quite a bit more to the left than Bernie Sanders was.
Update-in case you’re British. Unite: https://t.co/IPBlltKdBw
Update 2: Turns out to be even more sleazy than I realized.
Corbyn may take this to the courts, himself, since the Labour website people were signing up on as members said they would have a vote for leader.
I do not know if the NEC can be recalled to change this.
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