labourpress:

Harriet Harman MP, Labour’s Acting Leader, has today welcomed the announcement that BBC Newsnight will broadcast Labour’s first official hustings for candidates in its leadership election.

The Newsnight Labour Leadership Debate will be presented by Laura Kuenssberg and will be broadcast live from Nuneaton in front of an audience at 7pm on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel on Wednesday June 17.

Harriet Harman MP, Labour’s Acting Leader, said:

“As Labour elects our Leader and Deputy Leader, we must have the public in the forefront of our minds. We must let the public in to the debate.

“If there is one question that should drive the thinking as we elect a new leadership team it is this - which candidate has the best qualities and leadership skills most likely to win over the support of the public?

“That’s why our hustings have got to be different.

“As I said last Monday, I want members and supporters who elect our new leader to see not just how the candidates react and relate to the party faithful but also to see how they react and relate to those we need to win over.

“We need robust, tough, televised hustings which involve the public. And we cannot just hold hustings in our Labour heartlands, we have to go to areas where we didn’t win.

“That’s why I am delighted that we’ve agreed that BBC Two’s Newsnight will host the first official hustings involving a studio audience in Nuneaton and we look forward to working with other broadcasters.”