12:40pm Wednesday 1st July 2009
By Paul Teed
The borough’s Labour Group was said to be in “total disarray” after candidate selections for next year’s council elections were declared invalid for the second time.
The London regional Labour Party said it had been forced to step in again because of problems with “technical detail” in meetings, and it wanted to “do things exactly by the book”.
A spokesman denied that de-selected candidates had threatened to take legal action.
But a party source said: “They are afraid litigation will take place by a candidate that is seen to have been de-selected illegally.
“It would actually wipe out the party if this was to go to court.”
Labour members were left fuming in April when the regional party overturned their selections in Hounslow West, Heston Central and Heston East because they were all men. Labour’s national policy is that at least one woman should stand in each ward.
The regional party said at the time that it “had agreed to supervise the selections in Hounslow and provide potential women councillors with encouragement and support to ensure they have a fair chance of being selected.”
It organised new selection meetings three weeks ago, and former council leaders John Chatt and Colin Ellor where among those who failed to be voted in.
Councillor Nisar Malik was also defeated in Heston Central as a result of the re-selections.
Councillor Jagdish Sharma, leader of Hounslow’s Labour Group, said further meetings were needed because the previous selection “methodology” had been wrong.
A London Labour Party spokesman said: “Labour candidate selections in Hounslow have been delayed by an administrative problem, which the London Labour Party is working with the borough party to resolve - so that local members’ voices are heard.
“The quality of people putting themselves forward as candidates has been excellent, and we expect to complete the selection process shortly.”
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