It’s a busy day in Labour land, following the mishandling of the Diane Abbott disaster. But now Mr S hears of a fresh row brewing in another of Labour’s London safe seats. In 2019, the Corbynite candidate Apsana Begum was chosen to replace the moderate Jim Fitzpatrick for the Poplar and Limehouse constituency. Her first two years as an MP were dominated by her trial for housing fraud, of which she was cleared in court in July 2021.
She subsequently fell out with her constituency party to such an extent that in July 2022, the local branches and their affiliates voted for a full ‘recall’ process to determine who would contest the seat for Labour. Begum had been signed off sick the previous month, saying that she had been ‘subjected to a sustained campaign of misogynistic abuse and harassment’. Since then the situation has only continued to fester, much to the frustration of some within the local party.
With an election now called and polling day looming, some have decided to go public with their grievances. Steerpike has obtained correspondence sent earlier this month from members of Poplar and Limehouse to the NEC, urging them to ensure a selection vote for Begum’s seat. With regards to the 2022 recall process they say that:
The primary reasons for triggering this process were related to the MP’s lack of visibility and productivity during her three-year tenure. It was observed that she had not actively engaged in her role, including handling casework. Local representatives faced difficulties in establishing communication with her, as she did not have a dedicated constituency office. Following the vote, there was a period where the MP was unwell; however, we hope that she has now recovered and is capable of fulfilling her responsibilities effectively. We urge for a resolution on this matter that prioritizes the input of ordinary members. Disregarding the voices of members may lead to widespread resignations from the party, an outcome we wish to avoid.
Mr S even hears that concerned members have reached out to election chief Morgan McSweeney in their bid to block her from standing again. But with Labour MPs conscious of the so-called ‘Gaza effect’, will the party feel forced to stand by one of their few female Muslim parliamentarians? Watch this space…
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