Former PPC beats Unite official at end of controversial Watford selection

Labour members in Watford tonight chose a local campaigner as their parliamentary candidate for the second time ahead of a prominent trade union rep.

Chris Ostrowski beat taxi driver Mike Hedges by 218 votes to 82 in one of the most controversial selections in recent memory.

Hedges, chair of Unite’s London and Eastern political committee, came second in the contest after backing from Momentum.

He was missed off the initial shortlist and then later added after his supporters argued the local panel had failed to take into account his raft of nominations.

The selection was subsequently postponed following a dispute over postal vote applications. Labour officials last year accepted procedural errors had occurred but insisted party rules had been followed.

Ostrowski, who runs an English language training company, was Labour’s candidate in the target seat last year.

Full story on LabourList on Wednesday.