Aviva Le Prevost says Labour should have supported a non-party candidate in North Shropshire, Steve Williams wonders when it will learn the value of working with other progressive parties, and Sue Brennan calls out corruption. Plus letters from David Mack and Douglas Mitchell
How disappointing and shortsighted of the Labour party to decide to stand in the North Shropshire byelection after the resignation of Owen Paterson rather than supporting a non-party, anti-sleaze candidate (Labour to stand in Shropshire byelection sparked by Owen Paterson resignation, 5 November). It was a chance to show that the Labour party was principled and more interested in probity in public life than party politics. The issue of sleaze and public concern about it would have gathered so much more momentum had there been a single opposition candidate. As it is, Labour is likely to lose – and even if it wins, the impact will be so much less than it could have been.
Aviva Le Prevost
Groombridge, East Sussex
• I was one of three members expelled from the Labour party for trying to forge a cross-party progressive alliance in Jeremy Hunt’s constituency in 2017 to send a message about his dreadful stewardship of the NHS over five years as health secretary. Now Labour is refusing to negotiate with Lib Dems and Greens to agree a cross-party candidate in the North Shropshire byelection. When will the Labour party learn two simple lessons: (1) It cannot win the next general election on its own and needs the support of other progressive parties – Liberal Democrats, Greens, SNP, Plaid Cymru; (2) There is nothing shameful about working collaboratively with other progressive parties when faced with an extremist rightwing government elected on a minority of the vote, riddled with corruption – and which only wins elections because of our outdated and undemocratic electoral system.
Steve Williams
Godalming, Surrey
