CLAUDIA Webbe, a member of Labour Party’s national ruling committee, has tweeted today concerning her interest in becoming MP for Coventry South – amid ongoing local protests and ‘stitch up’ claims.
Ms Webbe has been a National Executive Committee (NEC) member since 2016, is a self-declared ‘Socialist’ and councillor in Islington, London – where party leader Jeremy Corbyn is an MP.
Coventry party members in Coventry South and Coventry North West are up in arms – where veteran MPs Jim Cunningham and Geoffrey Robinson respectively are stepping down at the next general election.
It was believed last week that no local councillors who applied made the candidate longlists for each seat drawn up by the NEC, without local party involvement, under emergency ‘snap election’ rules.
It is understood among applicants were Coventry councillors Jayne Innes, Jim O’Boyle, Ed Ruane, Maya Ali, and Becky Gittins.
Sources say the party is still refusing to confirm or deny reported speculation about the longlists.
As we reported yesterday, officials from the local parties are now being invited onto interview panels alongside national and regional party officials to reduce the longlists to shortlists – from which local party members will select their candidate.
Interviews for the Coventry North West shortlist take place tomorrow, according to our sources, as we reported yesterday.
Ms Webbe tweeted today in response to national reports she had pulled out of the running for Coventry South.
She said:”I pulled out of Luton South 10 days ago to focus on Coventry South, a place I worked, lived & undertook community organising for many years. I submitted my Coventry South application in Oct 2019 with only Coventry South on my application form, nothing else, just Coventry South.”
One source in Coventry Labour Party told us nobody locally was aware of her Coventry activities and connections.
