Letter: Methods for electing a successor to John Smith

Sir: I was somewhat surprised by your leading article on Saturday (14 May) in which you suggested that in an ideal world the Labour Party should revert back to Labour Members of Parliament alone choosing the party leader in order to speed up the process. Given your own support for one member, one vote last year, this stance is particularly strange.

Whatever logistical problems we may have with what is an open and democratic system, it will not be helped by inconsistent and contradictory comment. Instructing the Labour Party on how it should change its constitution may be easy, but some praise for taking those radical steps that provide a democratic say to every individual involved with the party would not go amiss.

Yours sincerely,

DAVID BLUNKETT

MP for Sheffield Brightside (Lab)

House of Commons

London, SW1

16 May

The writer is chairman of the Labour Party.