During the weekend "showdown" over Carole James' leadership of the BC NDP, a clear difference in the divisions between party officials and the NDP caucus became evident.
Yes, James was approved as leader by 84 percent. This vote included members of the provincial party executive, other party officials, certain members of the federal NDP and a stacked number of delegates representing organized labour.*
NDP MLAs are not permitted to participate in such votes.
MLAs are the elected representatives of the people in their ridings. The NDP currently has 34 MLAs.
No report mentions whether all of the NDP's MLAs showed up at the weekend event. However, we know that 13 of them, almost 40 percent of the NDP caucus, outright opposed or refused to show support for James' leadership.
If MLAs care about keeping their jobs, they'll have their fingers on the pulse of their communities.
Perhaps those 13 MLAs know something that their party officials, big labour management and others who circle the party backroom don't.
* I hated, hated, hated when I was a union member having my membership used to support a specific party. Wouldn't have mattered what party. Such practice is wrong and anti-democratic.
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