Opinion: Grassroots members should not choose party leaders

With the race for the Labour Party leadership continuing Professor Meg Russell (UCL Political Science) argues that the wider membership of political parties should not necessarily choose the leader. The UK Labour Party's leadership election is underway, with a final decision due after a ballot of party members and affiliated supporters on April 4. Four candidates remain in the running, following an initial round of nominations by Labour MPs (and MEPs). Under Labour's system, the party's MPs have relatively little control over the outcome, serving only to narrow the field before members make the final choice. A leader could therefore emerge who has little support from parliament - as happened in 2015, when Jeremy Corbyn was elected. This arrangement departs significantly from the original basis for choosing UK party leaders and has potentially destabilising effects on the whole political system, given parliament's centrality. Traditionally, MPs chose party leaders.
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