Comedian defeated in bid for seat on Labour’s ruling body says party must focus on winning election

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Eddie Izzard has suggested Labour’s leadership should not seek to create new divisions in the party, after the comedian was defeated in his bid for a seat on the party’s ruling body by three Momentum-backed candidates.

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The election of Momentum founder Jon Lansman, as well as two other leftwing candidates – Yasmine Dar and Rachel Garnham – strengthens Jeremy Corbyn’s support base on the national executive committee.

However, the result led several in the party to express concern the election would pave the way for Labour to introduce the mandatory reselection of MPs, which Corbyn-sceptic MPs fear could leave them open to de-selection.

Izzard, a long-time Labour supporter whose candidacy was backed by the party’s centre-left, said he would run again at the next elections for Labour’s NEC.

“I would urge the NEC and Jeremy and the Labour party to keep an eye on the prize, the election, let’s win it,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “We’re spending all our time fighting each other, that’s not a positive thing to do.”

Izzard’s comments followed an interview earlier on the programme with Paul Mason, the economist and journalist who has been a strong supporter of Corbyn. Mason said he was in favour of mandatory reselection of MPs but did not know if the Labour leader shared that view.

“If we spend all our time fighting against each other, I don’t think that’s the way to go forward,” Izzard said. “We should be further ahead of the Tory party in the polls, that’s what I want to see.”

The comedian, who is developing a show in Paris, said he was defeated because he “didn’t have a huge organisation behind me”.

“They won because they had a very good slate, very good organisation. I ran totally solo,” he said.

Izzard’s candidacy had the support of an influential centrist Labour group, Labour First. He came fourth, giving the three Momentum candidates a decisive victory, as each received more than 62,000 votes, compared with 39,000 for Izzard.

A review of party democracy led by the former MP Katy Clark is to examine whether MPs should face mandatory reselection triggered by party members and local affiliates, which include trade union branches.

The balance of the NEC has been in Corbyn’s favour since the unexpectedly positive result in the general election last year, but the changes should give him a large majority on the body.