Disparaging other candidates: playground behaviour or grown up debate?

I am truly shocked at reading the attacks on Jeremy Corbyn by the other candidates,  Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall, as reported widely on the BBC and in other media.

Mr Burnham, Ms Kendall and Ms Cooper need to take note that under the Code of Conduct for the Leadership Election, to which they agreed by standing, no candidate or any member of their campaign team is permitted to "to disparage or brief against any other candidate". *

And the Code also says in respect of the election process, "This does not preclude candidates undertaking press, Radio or TV interviews, though under no circumstances should any candidate disparage any other aspiring candidate." **

This is a grown up leadership election and candidates should not be name-calling like children in the schoolyard. If candidates cannot behave like decent human beings then they are not worthy of the support of party members and are guilty of bringing both the Labour Party and the election process into disrepute. 


Source: C. Elections for Leader and Deputy Leader 2015 - Candidate Code of Conduct
* Para 3   ** Para 13    Issued by the Labour Party.

Less than a week to go... have you done it yet?

It is the final week for anyone to register as a supporter of, or to join as a member of, the Labour Party and have a vote in the forthcoming leadership and deputy leadership election. So if you are a supporter of the Party and want to have your say but have not got round to it yet, now is the time to do it!  The closing date is Wednesday 12th August, 2015, 12 noon. 

All fully paid up members, affiliated and registered supporters who have submitted their applications by noon on 12th August 2015 are eligible to vote. You can become the Labour Party’s newest member at https://join.labour.org.uk and you can sign up as a registered supporter by heading to https://supporters.labour.org.uk/leadership/1.

Signing up as a supporter will cost you just a measly £3, full membership costs around £3.88 per month, with reduced rates for juniors, retired, unwaged, and trades union members.  For your support / membership you will be able to vote for 

• Leader of the Party
• Deputy Leader of the Party
• London Mayor (if you live in London)

If you care about the Labour Party's future and share its values then why not add your support?  You can read more about the various membership options here:
http://www.labour.org.uk/