A former Rotherhithe Labour candidate for the local elections has slammed the party for the “shameful” way in which she was ditched – despite being democratically chosen to stand.
Sharon Noonan-Gunning was originally voted for on March 1 by Rotherhithe Labour party members to represent them in the local elections on May 5. Rotherhithe currently has three Labour councillors, with Bill Williams standing down and Stephanie Cryan and Kath Whittam remaining.
But Ms Noonan-Gunning, an academic focusing on food poverty, was summoned to a follow-up interview on March 30 with the broader London Labour party.
There party bureaucrats told her she was being reconsidered as a candidate, in part because of a blog she wrote nearly two and a half years ago about food inequality, charities and former leader Jeremy Corbyn.
As someone on the left of the party, it was perhaps unsurprising that Ms Noonan-Gunning was in favour of Corbyn and his former number two, John McDonnell. But, she said, she is pragmatic and open to working with the entire spectrum of the Labour party.
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Other areas she was criticised for were an alleged lack of campaigning, and not understanding how to set a legal budget. Ms Noonan-Gunning rejected these claims. She said she had been less interested in internal party politics and more involved in grassroots work to help vulnerable local people feed themselves.
The panel recommended she be deselected. At an appeal the next day, her witnesses were Simon Brears, the head of the Southwark Labour party local campaign forum (LCF), Southwark Labour chair and Goose Green councillor James McAsh, and Labour MP and fellow food campaigner Ian Byrne MP. Cllr Evelyn Akoto sent a letter of support.
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The appeal failed and Bethan Roberts – who lost to Ms Noonan-Gunning in the Rotherhithe Labour elections and was standing in the Lib Dem-held ward of Surrey Docks, was shifted over to Rotherhithe in an “emergency process”, according to an email sent by Mr Brears to Rotherhithe ward members of the party. He added that the process was “highly irregular” and “unusual”.
Ms Noonan-Gunning said: “Following my selection by Rotherhithe Labour Party members to represent them in the 5th May elections I was targeted, and underwent intensive scrutiny by Labour’s London Regional establishment, and removed as a candidate. It’s been a nightmare with my own Party. I have voted Labour all my life and joined Labour when I was 16-years-old.
“I was democratically selected by Rotherhithe branch to fight for all of our communities and for our rights that have been taken by Tory government. As a dietitian, food and health are two of the basic rights I stand up for. I continue to organise at the grassroots in our communities and workplaces so we can defend these and all our rights. I have broad support within Rotherhithe and Southwark Labour. This is shameful business.”
The Labour party in London declined to comment. Bethan Roberts declined to comment.