BREAKING: Labour rules out review of Coventry general election 'stitch-up' - despite outcry - The Coventry Observer

BREAKING: Labour rules out review of Coventry general election 'stitch-up' - despite outcry

Coventry Editorial 17th Oct, 2019 Updated: 17th Oct, 2019   0

LABOUR Party officials say there will be no review of the controversial selection process for its candidates for two Coventry seats at the next general election – despite a local outcry.

It follows formal complaints in Coventry and protests from supporters of local candidates, including Coventry councillors.

As we have reported, it is believed they have failed to make private longlists drawn up by national party officials. They include Coventry councillors Jayne Innes and Ed Ruane in Coventry North West, and Jim O’Boyle in Coventry South.

Longserving Coventry MPs Geoffrey Robinson and Jim Cunningham are retiring at the next general election, which could be any time after Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ‘Brexit deal’ deadline of October 31.




Asked for clarity by the Coventry Observer, party officials neither confirmed or denied that the local candidates had failed to make the longlist.

An official source, who did not want to be named, added: “The selections in both seats have been conducted in line with the party’s rules and procedures so there is nothing to review.


“Being a councillor does not guarantee a place on a longlist to become an MP.”

It follows emergency meetings this week of the two Coventry constituency parties whose members are up in arms, and a formal complaint letter by Mr Robinson last night to the party’s ruling National Executive Committee.

Labour Party officials told us they could not comment on the personal data of who had made the private longlists, and who had applied and failed.

A Labour source said: “The purpose of longlists is to narrow the field so clearly not everyone can be on that list.

“This is a hotly contested seat with many high-quality applications and of course unsuccessful candidates will be disappointed.

“Obviously if we didn’t narrow them down, we would never pick a single candidate.”

Sources added candidates had not consented to their names being made public at longlisting stage.

Candidates’ application forms and personal statements, their background and experience, and their record of Labour Party activity are all considered in the longlisting process.

On the fast-tracked selection processes used for snap elections and by-elections, which will also see NEC involvement in shortlists to go to members of local parties for the ultimate selection of a candidate, a Labour Party spokesperson said: “These fast-tracked selection processes are the only way to ensure democratic selections in such a short space of time. Members will democratically select their candidates with local members on the shortlisting panels.

“An election could be round the corner, so we are moving quickly to make sure we have candidates and campaigns ready to go to defeat the Tories so we can end austerity and transform society.”

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