Independent candidates- the real threat to Labour?

It's the significance of the vote and the independent stand that matters though. There will be others Starmer has rejected whose views do not match his, but who have local influence, and who believe that Labour policies do not match the needs of local people, who will stand as independents.

Glorianny

I agree that this election isn't significant for the rest of the country but there are two important factors involved which are.
Jamie has shown that it is possible to raise a substantial sum of money to run an independent campaign.
The Labour vote will be split.
From this we could see significant numbers of seats where an independent will stand. And realise that this would split the Labour vote, so allowing a Conservative in.
The number of independent MPs might remain low, but a Labour victory would not be certain.

Why would the people you are referring to stand as independents Glorianny, why would they not work collectively and form a party which embodies their beliefs? I ask that because independent MPs would usually be non partisan, and vote issue by issue, not disaffected members of a party who share a very similar belief to each other?

But Driscoll is standing for mayor, not as an MP.

I agree that this election isn't significant for the rest of the country but there are two important factors involved which are.
Jamie has shown that it is possible to raise a substantial sum of money to run an independent campaign.
The Labour vote will be split.
From this we could see significant numbers of seats where an independent will stand. And realise that this would split the Labour vote, so allowing a Conservative in.
The number of independent MPs might remain low, but a Labour victory would not be certain.

Ilovecheese

I don't think they will be a threat to Labour, they are very unlikely to support the Conservatives. They could be a sort of voice of conscience if Starmer goes too far to the right.
I think also that what happened to Jamie Driscoll is of interest outside his own area. It showed just how authoritarian Keir Starmer is.

Also, I agree with this.

I resigned my LP membership over this - it is far more than a 'local issue'. I was already unsure about my membership given the LP stance on women's rights, and this deselection was the final straw. I hope Driscoll gets in - he and Andy Burnham will be a formidable balance to whichever party wins the GE, and whatever their politics people need to have that, I think, particularly in areas that are supposed to be 'levelling up' but get forgotten.

This is a thorny one, I think.

I don't think that independent councillors are a real threat to the main parties, but if public support puts them in power it might stop extremism in the form of people whose faces don't fit being deselected, so allow the main parties to represent their members and their constituents. The electorate should be able to decide who they want as mayors or MPs, and the parties have to respect that and represent their members.

OTOH, I understand that the point of a party is that it has particular views, and if a representative doesn't align with those views they pose a problem, so if the only way is to be independent, so be it. There is no saying that Independents will necessarily get in, but people should get to choose, as that's what democracy is supposed to be about.

I don't think they will be a threat to Labour, they are very unlikely to support the Conservatives. They could be a sort of voice of conscience if Starmer goes too far to the right.
I think also that what happened to Jamie Driscoll is of interest outside his own area. It showed just how authoritarian Keir Starmer is.

I was thinking about this the other day, as I’m reading Martin Bell’s autobiography at the moment, which is really interesting (behind the curve I know). I don’t think there will be many if any disaffected former prominent members of political parties in parliament next time, and if there are they won’t have much influence. It would be good to see some independent MPs though, a few productive disrupters who would be able to puncture the pompous and would have some credibility with the public. Maybe Ian Hislop?

I agree with Whitewave. This election is relevant to you Glorianny because I think you live in the area, but probably to the rest of the country, not so much.

I’m guessing that Driscoll will win, but I honestly don’t think this should be seen as significant in relation to the GE.