Botched ballot gives former mayor a chance to kick back

Cllr Roger Robinson

THE Labour Party was last night (Wednesday) in deep turmoil after admitting flaws in its candidate selection process which saw a veteran councillor of 20 years’ experience dumped from the Somers Town ward.
Bitter recriminations followed the defeat of Councillor Roger Robinson, a highly popular figure, earlier this month. Some members and voters claimed the former mayor had been “kicked in the teeth” to make room for Abdul Quadir, the deputy mayor, whose own Highgate seat had become marginal.
They were also incensed that a female candidate was selected by default due to the party’s quota rules.
Bungling party organisers have now confirmed that they will re-run the internal vote to find candidates to stand in the St Pancras and Somers Town ward at next year’s council elections.
The move will hand Cllr Roger Robinson a second chance to stand for election in the Labour stronghold.
Party chiefs said that the vote will be re-run on Monday night because two new members had taken part in first ballot even though they had not been enrolled in the group for the prerequisite six months.
It is unclear who discovered the error or when the problem was first investigated but it has left the party in the difficult and sensitive position of re-running its most controversial selection vote.
Cllr Robinson is regarded as one of the hardest working councillors and his de-selection sent tremors through the community, distressing some of Labour’s staunchest supporters.
He lost his place when newcomer Nurul Islam and deputy mayor Abdul Quadir, who is already a councillor in Highgate but opted to switch wards, swept the board at a private session vote.
The party’s controversial equality rules meant that the third ward place went to Councillor Anna Stewart. She is guaranteed selection even at the re-vote because she is the only female candidate.
While the original shortlist of candidates will remain the same, members who failed to show up at the first vote will still get the chance to vote at the second ballot.
The branch has little more than 50 members and less than half are thought to have voted first time around.
This figure could rise in the second ballot.
Party insiders say the great fear inside the party is how a different result could be seen in the wider community.
Cllr Robinson would not be drawn on the botched ballot but confirmed that he would again stand for selection.
He said: “I don’t really know what happened, I was not involved. I went along to the other meeting, you know what happened and since then I have kept out of it.”
Cllr Robinson added: “Whatever happens we are going to have to work together as friends to help the community. There are problems that have to be overcome and we have to do that together.”
Insiders said that Cllr Robinson had been planning a comeback mission in the selection ballots due to take place in Camden Town and Highgate.
Interestingly, a selection vote for the Camden Town and Primrose Hill ward was meant to take place on Monday night but was postponed at short-notice.
The unusual move is understood to have been taken to allow Cllr Robinson and Paul Tomlinson, another beaten candidate, the chance to stand in Camden Town if they are defeated for a second time in Somers Town.
John Saynor, chairman of Camden Labour Party’s Local Government Committee, defended the system.
He said: “The Labour selection process is a rigorous one. The fact that there is a great deal of competition to be a Labour candidate in Camden shows that there is a healthy Labour Party. We have a wide variety of candidates who come with different backgrounds and bring a huge range of different skills and experiences.”