Blairite Labour MPs bank on obscure committee to halt purge by Jeremy Corbyn supporters

Party's right hopes moderates can stop vote on mandatory reselection of MPs

Blairite Gloria De Piero saw off a challenge from Corbyn supporters to win a seat on the committee (EPA)

Blairite Labour MPs are pinning their hopes on an obscure internal party committee to prevent left-wing activists from purging them ahead of the next general election.

Many on the right of the party fear an attempt will be made to change Labour Party rules to introduce mandatory re-selection of MPs in the run up to the next election.

Any such move would have to be approved by a motion at annual conference. But MPs on the party’s right hope this will be made more difficult by the unnoticed election, on the same day as Jeremy Corbyn’s victory, of two moderate figures to the Conference Arrangements Committee.

Michael Cashman is certain to oppose the re-introduction of mandatory re-selection of MPs (Jason Alden)

Gloria De Piero and Michael Cashman saw off a challenge from Corbyn supporters Jon Lansman and Katy Clark to take two of the positions on the seven-person committee.

Mr Lansman is in of favour re-introducing mandatory reselection while Ms De Piero and Mr Cashman are certain to oppose it. Under Labour’s constitution the committee has the power to veto any changes proposed to the party’s rule book from being voted on at conference.

“This might be our best attempt to stop a purge,” said one former Labour official. “No one outside of the party has heard of this committee but it could be the one thing that stands in the way of the left taking over completely.”

Moderates will also attempt to shore up their position on the ruling National Executive Committee in an attempt to fight off any challenge from the left. Around 10 seats are up for election next year of which four are currently held by left-wingers.

“We need people who are going to act as a pragmatic brake on the wilder projects of the left,” added another source from the right of the party.

Mr Corbyn has moved to clear up a damaging internal party row on Europe by announcing the party will be campaigning to stay in the EU. It follows remarks during the campaign both by Mr Corbyn and his new shadow Chancellor John McDonnell that they could foresee circumstances when they might back a No vote.

But in a briefing letter to MPs, Mr Corbyn said: “We believe that Britain is better off staying in Europe, and any unacceptable changes the Government makes as part of its renegotiation, we will commit to reverse when we have the opportunity by campaigning for change within the EU.”

Mr Corbyn also wrote an article for the Financial Times in which he said that Europe was “the only forum in which we can address key challenges for our country, like climate change, terrorism, tax havens and refugees. We will not win friends and influence in Europe if we refuse to pull our weight”.

But in a sign of the tensions which still exist within Mr Corbyn’s Shadow Cabinet Vernon Coaker, who has been appointed shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, attacked Mr McDonnell over his previous comments on the IRA.

Mr McDonnell said in 2005 that it was “bombs and bullets” that “brought Britain to the negotiating table” adding “the peace we have now is due to the action of the IRA”.

A spokesman for Mr Coaker said Mr McDonnell “should think about what he said” and made clear that it was not the position of the Labour Party. “We are quite clear, we are going to stick to the same position on Northern Ireland that Labour has had for the past 20 years.”

Mr Corbyn began assembling the team of aides who will work around him. He appointed Neale Coleman, who is an adviser to London Mayor Boris Johnson, who “inherited” him from former mayor Ken Livingstone, as his new executive director for policy. He also appointed Kevin Slocombe, the former head of media at the Communication Workers Union, to be his press spokesman.Blairite Labour MPs are pinning their hopes on an obscure internal party committee to prevent left-wing activists from purging them ahead of the next general election.