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Momentum v Progress and the battle for Labour

Momentum supporter Owen Jones and Progress director Richard Angell on Labour candidate selection

If Jeremy Corbyn and Tony Blair were locked in a room and told to battle it out for the soul of the Labour Party who would emerge triumphant? Sadly, we will never know. The next best thing's a battle between Progress and Momentum.

For those not schooled in the intricacies of Labour politics, Blairite group Progress have been around a lot longer than Corbyn-supporting Momentum, but they don't have anywhere near as many members. There is no love lost between the two factions.

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Guardian journalist Owen Jones was an early supporter of Jeremy Corbyn, and, barring a wobble when Labour had a poor by-election result, remains a strong supporter of Momentum. He thinks claims by Progress supporters that they are being "purged" from the party is ridiculous - and Progress just need to accept that their brand of politics is on the way out.

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Richard Angell is a director of Progress. He claims Momentum is guilty of forcing "moderates" - that's what New Labour-types are called these days - out of the party in an undemocratic way.

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The debate is running on twitter...

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But for some it is all a bit incestuous and pointless...

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