Labour’s unappealing choice in Northamptonshire

As we noted yesterday, despite being suspended by the Labour Party because he is ineligible to stand (due to a previous conviction), Lee Barron cannot be replaced as Labour’s candidate for Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner. The nominations have closed – it’s too late.

But it’s now become clear that it is also too late for Barron to withdraw, so rather than there being no Labour candidate, Lee Barron will stay on the ballot paper.

However, as Barron is barred from standing, if he wins the election on November 15th he can’t become the Police and Crime Commissioner, so there would have to be an expensive by-election. The post would become vacant straight away with an acting PCC appointed by the Police and Crime Panel until the by-election was held (within 35 days).

So Labour is in the unfortunate position of either hoping for a candidate who has been suspended to win (in the hope that we can win the by-election), or hoping for Barron to lose, so that the party is spared what would be an embarrassing by-election.

Not an appealing choice, either way…