Exclusive: Labour activists failed in last-ditch bid to halt Richmond Park selection

Labour members selected a candidate for the Richmond Park by-election despite an eleventh hour bid by some activists to force the party to stand aside.

A group of activists attempted to table a motion of “no selection” at the hustings meeting on Saturday. The candidacy was ultimately won Christian Wolmar, a rail expert and author, who will take on independent candidate and ex-Tory Zac Goldsmith on December 1.

The bid to halt Labour’s participation in the by-election was vetoed by officials from London Labour who made it clear the purpose of the meeting was solely to select a candidate. The session had been advertised online as purely a hustings meeting.

Neal Lawson, chair of pressure group Compass, which campaigns for alliances with other parties, today claimed in a LabourList article that “at least half the people” at Saturday’s meeting had doubts about whether Labour should put up a candidate. He also cited the example of the Haltemprice and Howden when none of the major parties stood against Tory David Davis when he triggered a by-election on civil liberties in 2008.

A separate source told LabourList that the number of members who opposed the selection process on Saturday was far fewer than half of those present.

It is understood that party staff took the view that it is not for individual constituency Labour party (CLPs) to enter pacts with rival political parties. The Lib Dems have chosen a candidate, Sarah Olney, but the Tories and UKIP are not opposing Goldsmith.

Jeremy Corbyn visited Richmond Park on Saturday to congratulate Wolmar on his selection in what could be taken as a sign that the party leader also wanted Labour to contest the seat.

“Fantastic to be in Richmond Park yesterday with Labour’s by-election candidate christianwolmar,” he wrote on Twitter on Sunday.

Wolmar said he had received several messages demanding the party stand down but said the arguments “do not stand up to scrutiny”.

“Remember this is the Liberal Democrats who signed up to austerity, the bedroom tax, increased tuition fees and lots more that was unpalatable,” Wolmar wrote today on LabourList.

Last month Lisa Nandy, Clive Lewis and Jonathan Reynolds called on the party to consider standing down in Richmond Park.

A spokesman for the Labour Party said they would not comment on a private meeting.