Councillor Leo Cassarani, who has been blocked from re-standing for Labour

• WE are dismayed by how our local Labour Party has deselected our fellow ward councillor Leo Cassarani.

It is our firm conviction that the reasoning of the selection panel was wrong and merely an excuse to continue the purge of progressive councillors. It’s said that Leo was rejected for having supported Cllr Paul Tomlinson’s call-in of Camley Street.

The call-in of a decision is a legitimate instrument for councillors to use once others are exhausted, and according to our party rules, scrutiny processes follow own judgments of evidence, respecting Labour values and principles. Additionally a positive outcome has resulted from this.

The proof of our loyalty to the party and to our constituents is also in our achievements. The three of us have tirelessly and passionately campaigned in the last elections, in fact winning for the Labour Party Swiss Cottage seats that had been in the hands of the Conservatives for two decades.

Since then, Leo has repeatedly demonstrated unwavering commitment to improve the lives of our neighbours; from supporting improvements in our local parks, cycling infrastructure, and helping individual residents, to standing firmly against multinational corporations, such as developer Essential Living or Deliveroo who have shown little care for the wellbeing of our residents.

Leo has shown, not only the competence and the talent to challenge what is wrong on the basis of evidence and to defend the principles our party stands for, but also to tirelessly work and ethically commit to transformational changes.

Is this not what we expect from our local democratic, progressive politicians, which is to say that they make possible what seems unlikely or impossible? We need more local representatives like Leo, we need to go beyond management of “deliverables” and metrics.

It has been an enriching and rewarding experience to serve as Swiss Cottage councillors with him. We call on our local party to review and reverse its decision and allow Leo Cassarani to run for South Hampstead.

CLLR NAYRA BELLO O´SHANAHAN & CLLR SIMON PEARSON
Labour, Swiss Cottage ward