Former MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle speaks out after party investigation dropped

An investigation into a former Labour MP who was blocked from standing for re-election last year has been dropped, LabourList can confirm.

Lloyd Russell-Moyle, the former MP for Brighton Kemptown, was suspended from the party and deselected as Labour’s candidate while a complaint to the party about his behaviour was investigated in the run-up to the election. Russell-Moyle at the time described the complaint as “vexatious and politically motivated… designed to disrupt the election”.

Chris Ward, a former senior Labour staffer under Keir Starmer, was later selected as Labour’s candidate for the new Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven constituency at the general election.

LabourList understands the party investigated the initial complaint and determined there was insufficient evidence to proceed, with no further action taken.

However, it is understood that Russell-Moyle was sanctioned with a formal warning for breaching the party’s Code of Conduct on Confidentiality while he was administratively suspended.

‘Complaint has had deep and lasting impact on me’

In a statement to LabourList, Russell-Moyle said that he received a letter from Labour in December confirming the complaint had been dropped and his membership of the party had been restored.

He said: “This complaint has had a deep and lasting impact on me and my health, but with this ordeal now over, I am looking forward to putting this year behind me with my reputation restored and my head held high.

“At the start of 2024, I was looking forward to becoming a Labour/Co-op MP in a Labour government. I had been selected to introduce a bill on banning conversion therapy, and I genuinely felt that my work was beginning to help shape the potential Labour government’s stance on housing, energy and climate issues, as well as scrutinising the Cabinet Office and constitutional matters.

“We were making steady progress. I am disappointed not to have been able to continue this important work.”

Russell-Moyle thanked those who had supported him, as well as his team, after he was “undemocratically removed as the local MP and they lost their jobs”.

He also said: “I’ve been warned about commenting on the disciplinary process and therefore I do not intend to say more on this topic at this time.”

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A Labour Party spokesperson said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints extremely seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures.”

Russell-Moyle’s deselection and suspension from the party came on a day of selections drama, which saw Starmer allies Josh Simons and Luke Akehurst selected and growing speculation that Faiza Shaheen would be removed as Labour’s candidate in Chingford and Woodford Green. 

Shaheen would later be deselected and go on to stand as an independent candidate, placing third. Conservative Ian Duncan-Smith won re-election with an increased majority in the marginal constituency by just under 5,000 votes.

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