Victory 'by A Hair Of My Eyebrow' - Not Again, Surely? - Beritaja

It was, it was claimed astatine the time, the predetermination that saved the Labour Party.

The sadistic conflict betwixt Denis Healey and Tony Benn for Labour's lawman activity successful 1981 is said to person shaped UK authorities today.

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Now, 44 years later, could the conflict betwixt Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell for the occupation prevention Sir Keir Starmer's faltering premiership?

Or possibly undermine the PM's activity and authority moreover much than they're damaged already?

In 1981, erstwhile chancellor Denis Healey was the incumbent and the constitution candidate. Tony Benn, the darling of left-wing Labour activists, was the insurgent challenger.

'Independent voice'

This clip Ms Phillipson, the acquisition secretary, is seen arsenic Sir Keir's campaigner - almost surely a disadvantage - while Ms Powell, sacked successful past month's furniture reshuffle, has told Beritaja she could "provide a stronger, much independent voice".

The 1981 title was the first fought nether an "electoral college" giving 40% of votes to the unions, 30% to MPs and 30% to delegates from section parties. These days it's 1 member, 1 vote.

Previously, the leader and lawman had been chosen by the party's MPs. And successful what was seen arsenic a astonishment astatine the time, Mr Healey had mislaid to the seasoned left-winger Michael Foot successful the canvass of Labour MPs successful the activity predetermination successful 1980.

In 1981, successful a temper of civilian warfare successful the statement and aft a run afloat of allegations of soiled tricks and ballot rigging by the unions, Mr Healey held disconnected Mr Benn's situation for the lawman activity by conscionable 50.426% of the votes to 49.574%.

'Popularity without power'

As the aged bruiser pinch the about celebrated bushy eyebrows successful authorities later admitted: "I scraped successful to triumph by a hairsbreadth of my eyebrow." Mr Benn claimed it was a "staggering result" and his constrictive conclusion had fixed him "popularity without power".

Given Ms Powell's lead complete Ms Phillipson successful sentiment polls, it will beryllium a astonishment if the 2025 consequence is arsenic adjacent arsenic 1981. But the polls could, of course, beryllium wrong.

There person been allegations of soiled tricks successful the existent title arsenic well. With conscionable days to spell earlier the victor is announced connected Saturday, Ms Powell accused her opponent's squad of "throwing mud" and briefing against her.

Interviewed by Beritaja governmental editor Beth Rigby for the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Ms Powell attacked a "Labour source" who told the New Statesman: "Lucy was sacked from furniture because she couldn't beryllium trusted not to little aliases leak."

Asked if her squad had briefed against Ms Powell, Ms Phillipson told Beth: "Not to my knowledge." But she said it would beryllium "destabilising" if her force was elected, arsenic she was nary longer successful the cabinet. There was "a consequence of airing excessively overmuch disagreement successful public", she claimed.

In a colourful and acerbic relationship of the 1981 title successful his autobiography, The Time Of My Life, Mr Healey began by noting wryly that Mr Benn announced his determination to conflict him for the lawman activity connected April Fool's Day.

"The adjacent six months were the busiest and slightest agreeable of my life," he wrote. "And it was each for the liking of a occupation which I recovered disagreeable and which successful itself was not worthy having.

"I felt, however, that it was basal to contradict it to Tony Benn. If he had go lawman leader location would person been a haemorrhage of Labour defections to the SDP some successful parliament and successful the country. I do not judge the Labour Party could person recovered."

'Impossible for maine to beryllium heard'

The defections had already begun. Former Labour furniture ministers Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Shirley Williams and Bill Rodgers had formed the "Gang of Four" and launched the SDP pinch a twelve much erstwhile Labour MPs.

Alleging soiled tricks during the 1981 campaign, Mr Healey claimed: "Wherever I went, a group of Militant Tendency supporters followed maine information to heckle.

"In Cardiff, location was an orchestrated effort to howl maine down by extremist mobs of Trotskyites and anarchists, whom Tony Benn did thing to discourage aliases condemn.

"In my rally successful Birmingham, specified groups were joined by a wide of IRA supporters who made it rather intolerable for maine to beryllium heard."

Mr Healey claimed soiled tricks against him continued correct up to the time the electoral assemblage met successful Brighton's celebrated convention centre connected Sunday 27 September 1981.

After a 3rd candidate, outsider John Silkin, was eliminated, the 1.25 million-strong Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) - now portion of Unite - switched to Mr Benn aft saying it would abstain, pursuing a determination by the union's delegation connected the level of the conference.

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"If moreover that 1 union's delegation had voted arsenic it cognize its members wanted it to vote, I would person had a mostly of 2 and a half million," Healey claimed successful his autobiography.

But he went on: "My triumph was a turning point." He reported that 1 of his supporters, Labour MP Giles Radice, had written successful his diary that evening: "Denis Healey has saved the Labour Party."

But Mr Healey admitted the quality of the run and the "shameless ballot rigging by the waste and acquisition unions" did the Labour Party tremendous and lasting damage. The SDP "took off" and past the Falklands warfare helped the Tories retrieve and Margaret Thatcher won the 1983 wide election.

"The standard of our conclusion was devastating," Healey wrote about the 1983 election. "That Tony Benn mislaid his spot successful Bristol was mini compensation."

'The about tremendous result'

But Mr Healey's opponent, begetter of the existent Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn, saw it very otherwise successful his relationship of the 1981 title successful his acclaimed diaries.

Mr Benn recorded successful his diary that arsenic he entered the convention hallway astatine 5pm he was "prepared for a monolithic defeat".

But later, signaling himself for his diary astatine 1am successful his edifice bath truthful arsenic not to disturb his woman Caroline, he reflected: "Of people it has been an perfectly staggering consequence pinch each the media against us, pinch the about convulsive attacks by the protector cabinet… we sewage to wrong 0.8% of victory.

"It was the champion imaginable consequence because if I had won by 0.8% group would person shouted 'cheat', but Healey can't outcry cheat because he won … It is the about tremendous result."

Mr Benn said Caroline told him: "'You've sewage fame without power, which is what you want' … It was a shrewd comment... possibly connected maine personally. But astatine the aforesaid clip it was a terrific result."

And Mr Benn's run to resistance the statement to the near was only conscionable beginning. The 1980s saw left-wing disciples including Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott elected arsenic MPs, followed successful the 1990s by Corbyn state John McDonnell, and later Mr Corbyn's predetermination arsenic Labour leader successful 2015.

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But successful 2025, nary left-wing campaigner made it connected to the ballot for lawman leader. The nominations period of 80 MPs saw to that. Ms Powell has been called "soft left" and Ms Phillipson is 1 of Sir Keir's about loyal furniture friends and sometimes described arsenic a Blairite.

Ms Philipson hasn't been afraid, either, to propose Ms Powell is simply a vulnerable left-wing insurgent.

"Members mightiness want to see why a group that caused truthful overmuch harm to the Labour Party complete galore years is backing my opponent," Ms Phillipson said aft the pro-Corbyn group Momentum endorsed her rival.

Left-wingers, however, declare this contest, triggered by Angela Rayner's resignation, is an uninspiring choice, dissimilar 1981.

It is, however, the first clip since 1981 that an predetermination only for lawman leader has been held. Normally, the leader and lawman are elected astatine the aforesaid time.

In nary measurement is Phillipson versus Powell a repetition of the 1981 civilian warfare betwixt the difficult near and the aged right, which did so style Labour's future. But immoderate wrong the statement judge this predetermination will do that arsenic good and beryllium conscionable arsenic significant.