Bullying findings against Tory MP spell potential by-election in Wellingborough

Potential by-election in Wellingborough

Good morning. Two weeks ago, on October 3rd, our email focused on the news of a potential by-election in Blackpool South, after reports that a suspension would be recommended for Tory MP Scott Benton, who had been caught in a cash for questions sting. A big 14 days later, not only is a by-election in Blackpool South still on the cards, we are now likely to see another by-election, this time in Wellingborough. Parliament’s Independent Expert Panel has recommended a lengthy suspension for the sitting Tory MP Peter Bone over allegations of bullying and one instance of sexual misconduct, involving the MP exposing himself to a staff member. The suspension is long enough that, if approved by MPs, it will trigger a recall petition in the constituency, which if it receives sufficient support could in turn trigger a by-election.

The Northamptonshire seat will undergo slight boundary changes at the next election, to become Wellingborough and Rushden. Wellingborough and Rushden Constituency Labour Party (CLP) told LabourList that they were “appalled to hear of the serious allegations that have arisen against Peter Bone. This is not the expected conduct of an MP and our thoughts are with the alleged victim in wishing they get the support needed. Peter Bone is currently and has shown on many occasions that he is not a true representation of the people of Wellingborough and Rushden. We all deserve better and as such we call on him to do the right thing and resign”.

Labour doesn’t yet have a candidate in the seat, but LabourList understands that the local party is ready for a quick selection to take place. Bone had a majority of 18,540 in 2019, but took the seat from Labour in 2005.

Selections

Last night, Joe Morris was selected as Labour’s candidate in Hexham. A former aide to Labour MPs including Bill Esterson, Morris is from the constituency and now works at Hanbury Strategy. He’ll take on the Conservative Guy Opperman, who presently has a majority of 10,549, in a seat that’s never previously been Labour but could go our way on a good night (the swing needed would be roughly half of the one Labour managed in Selby).

From the far north of England to the south coast: the contest to be the Labour candidate in the new seat of East Worthing and Shoreham is also hotting up. LabourList understands applications are expected to close later this week, and that Tom Rutland, a Lambeth councillor who lost out to Emma Reynolds for selection in Wycombe earlier this year, is one of those considering putting his hat in the ring, as is former Vicky Foxcroft aide and GMB Race chair Abdi Mohamed. Anneliese Dodds adviser Scott Gilfillan has a website dedicated to “campaigning for a Labour MP in East Worthing and Shoreham”, for which the URL is his name: with that information, I leave you to draw your own conclusions about his intentions viz., the seat. Without having made any formal announcements, he has, however, secured the backing of one key stakeholder: Love Island’s Amy Hart, a local resident, who tweeted her endorsement of Gilfillan. The newly configured seat is thought to be difficult, but not un-competitive, for Labour, who took the council in Worthing in 2022.

In other Labour news…

HS2: Louise Haigh has slammed the government over its decision to cancel HS2, saying that lack of parliamentary scrutiny on the call showed “contempt” for the Commons. She asked the Transport Secretary: “Doesn’t this fiasco prove once and for all, after 13 failed years, three discredited rail plans, tens of billions of pounds of public money wasted, thousands of homes and lives upended – they have no record to stand on. No mandate to deliver and no credible plan for the future.”

COUNCILLOR RESIGNATIONS: A number of councillors have quit the party over Keir Starmer’s stance on the conflict in Israel and Gaza, including one who accused the leadership of “effectively endorsing a war crime” (Guardian).

MID BEDS: Polling day in the by-election is this Thursday. Information on campaign sessions for tomorrow here.

TAMWORTH: Polling day in the by-election is this Thursday. Information on campaign sessions here.