Corbynsceptics score victories in London Assembly candidate selections

The Corbynsceptic wing of the Labour Party has scored key victories in the London Assembly candidate selection contests that have concluded this week.

Although the party will not officially announce the selection results until Friday, a number of outcomes and vote breakdowns have been leaked early to LabourList and other media outlets.

Candidates endorsed by Corbynsceptic group Labour First have done particularly well in constituencies, almost sweeping the board in the selections for specific seats.

Out of the constituencies, only Patsy Cummings was selected from the Momentum slate in the selection race. It was closely-fought, with just 25 votes between Cummings and rival Rowenna Davis.

Although Momentum-backed hopefuls did better in the London-wide list, this shortlist was criticised by Corbynsceptics who said only ‘moderates’ also in the running for constituencies had been included.

But it has been pointed out that the London-wide list comprised every one of the candidates who was eligible to be included, having won the nominations of five local parties or affiliated organisations.

Instead, Corbynites have suggested that it was a tactical error for the centre-left to have stood candidates running for both the wider list and specific seats.

Two Labour left candidates, Elly Baker and Sakina Sheikh, topped the poll for the list, while Corbynsceptic-endorsed candidates came third and fourth but were withdrawn on the basis that they were also selected for seats.

This allowed two additional Corbynite contenders, Liam Young and Preston Tabois, to be included on Labour’s London-wide list of selected candidates.

LabourList understands that many of the results were on a knife-edge. In Brent and Harrow, there were just five votes between the two candidates, who gained 624 and 619 respectively.

In Barnet and Camden, Momentum’s Faduma Hassan gained the most first preferences, but Anne Clarke won overall after other candidates were knocked out and second preferences were taken into account.

However, in Havering and Redbridge, Judith Garfield won decisively with 696 votes in the last round against another local councillor, Momentum-backed Bob Littlewood, who received 371.

Those opposed to the current Labour leadership are particularly pleased with the London selection results after also winning the West Midlands metro-mayoral selection contest that saw Liam Byrne picked as Labour’s candidate.

It has also been pointed out that a very early freeze date was applied – September 26th, 2018 – which meant only members who joined before this date were eligible to vote in the London Assembly selections.

Labour’s selected London Assembly candidates

Barnet and Camden

• Sagal Abdi-Wali
• Anne Clarke – selected
• Faduma Hassan
• Miriam Mirwitch

Bexley and Bromley

• Stefano Borella – selected
• Sunny Lambe

Brent and Harrow

• Aghileh Djafari Marbini
• Krupesh Hirani – selected

Croydon and Sutton

• Patsy Cummings – selected
• Rowenna Davis

Havering and Redbridge

• Andrew Achilleos
• Judith Garfield – selected
• Angelina Leatherbarrow
• Bob Littlewood
• Vanisha Solanki

Lambeth and Southwark

• Marina Ahmad – selected
• Taranjit Chana
• Shahina Jaffer
• Maurice McLeod

North East (Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest)

• Sara Hyde
• Emine Ibrahim
• Sem Moema – selected

South West (Hounslow, Kingston and Richmond)

• Candice Atterton – selected
• Sandra Keen

West Central (Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster)

• Rita Begum – selected
• Sophie Charman-Blower

London-wide list (four to select)

• Elly Baker – 8,936 – first
• Sakina Sheikh – 8,550 – second
• Marina Ahmad –  8,480 – withdrawn from list due to being selected for a seat
• Sem Moema – 8,170 – withdrawn from list due to being selected for a seat
• Liam Young – 8,081 – third
• Preston Tabois – 7,042 – fourth
• Murad Qureshi – 6,679

A single transferable vote system was used for the selections, in which voters rank candidates and preferences are redistributed if no contender receives 50% of first preferences.

The London Assembly elections will take place on May 7th, alongside the election of the London mayor. Sadiq Khan is standing for re-election for Labour.

The Tory candidate is Shaun Bailey, while Siobhan Benita is standing for the Lib Dems and former Conservative MP Rory Stewart is running as an independent.

Khan recently made a key election pledge to introduce a green new deal for London and make the city carbon neutral by 2030, if re-elected in May.