A row over Harriet Harman MP’s succession has led to the dismissal of an entire selection panel – after the News revealed internal rows over preferred candidates.
Questions have been raised after an initial three-person shortlist was replaced with an official shortlist of four.
The new list now includes an alleged Keir Starmer favourite, although it is unclear who subsequently amended the shortlist.
Exclusive: Initial Camberwell and Peckham MP shortlist revealed
Earlier today (November 8), this paper reported the selection committee had chosen Evelyn Akoto, Miatta Fahnbulleh and Peter Babudu as its preferred candidates for Labour’s Camberwell and Peckham constituency.
But in astonishing developments, the party hierarchy is understood to have overruled its own committee, dissolved it, and produced a shortlist including Johnson Situ.
In a document seen by the News, discharged committee members are understood to have been accused of “a blatant attempt to undermine the process”.
“Times of crisis generate vision”: Miatta Fahnbulleh wants to be the next Camberwell and Peckham MP
Relatedarticles
In recent weeks, hopefuls have been setting forward their cases to replace ‘Mother of the House’ Harriet Harman in the safe Labour seat.
Before local party members get to vote on her successor, a selection committee whittles the longlist down to a shortlist.
On Wednesday, November 8, the National Executive Committee (NEC), Labour’s governing body, reportedly spent two hours trying to persuade members to include Situ in the final lineup.
An anonymous source close to the process said Starmer’s office’s preferred candidate is Johnson Situ because of his right-leaning politics and personal connections within the party.
They also said that Johnson Situ was favoured because he used to play football with Morgan McSweeney, Labour’s campaign director.
The source said: “We chose a shortlist of three and the regional official and the NEC kept us in the meeting for two extra hours trying to argue for Johnson even after the decision had been made and we refused to budge.”
“Situ’s politics are closely aligned to the right [of the party] and they don’t want a left-wing candidate,” they added.
The News contacted Situ, asking him about allegations that he was Starmer’s favourite and whether he’d played football with his campaign director.
Situ declined to comment and instead offered a response from Peckham Labour Cllr Barrie Hargrove saying Situ would make “a great representative” for the area and Situ is “proud to know Keir Starmer”.
Hargrove added that Situ would remain an “independent-minded MP who will always champion Camberwell and Peckham”.
The mass dismissal is the latest bout of chaos in a selection process that has already been plagued by controversy.
Just over a week ago, three members of the selection committee resigned over the decision to exclude left-wing candidate Maurice Mcleod from the process.
Explaining their decision to leave the committee, one member accused the party of “paranoia and control freakery”, adding: “It’s very clear to me that the long list was interfered with in a way that goes against natural justice and the rules of the Labour Party.”
The three candidates initially preferred by the selection committee on this occasion are understood to be those who had received the most branch nominations.
Fahnbulleh received eight local branch nominations, Babudu received seven, Evelyn three and Johnson two. Marina Ahmad and Neeraj Patil both received none.
A hustings is set to be held on November 19. The winner will be declared that same evening once all votes are counted.
The Labour Party has been approached for comment.
What this article doesn’t point out is that the selection committee was elected by local party members. Obviously the Labour Party bureaucracy doesn’t want local people choosing their own MP candidate, hence this corrupt farce of a ‘selection process’. First the bureaucrats block all the socialist candidates, then they insist on their mate being on the list despite local members not wanting him, then they sack the selection committee for disagreeing. What a joke. Kim Il Sung could learn a thing or two from this shower.