The big names came to Camden but Labour didn’t seem to want the press to ask them questions

THE New Journal’s photo archives are stuffed full of historic images which chart the campaigns and elections that the borough has seen through the years.

But, despite the near daily arrival of famous political figures to support Labour candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali, the party has made sure to keep its big hitters away from the press.

As such, our photo album from the famous 2026 parliamentary by-election – which concludes today (Thursday) – is looking a little sparse.

This week, the new prime minister himself, Andy Burnham, came to the constituency for the second time – without any invitation for the New Journal to cover the event.

He follows Lord Sadiq Khan, chancellor John Healey, foreign secretary Ed Miliband, housing secretary Angela Rayner and many more who have come to the borough to film social media videos, but definitely not to take a question or not from the local press.

The “blackout”, which allows the party to control the narrative of every visit without the risk of a slip-up, has been attributed to time pressures by communications staff.

Instead, reporters were expected to use a press release and supplied photographs of Ms Rayner’s visit.

While local newspapers are in decline in many parts of the UK, the New Journal is still seen by one in every two people who live in the borough each week and it has been commonplace for previous London mayors such as Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson to freely answers questions from the New Journal on their visits to Camden, and former prime ministers including Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Theresa May, Mr Johnson again and, of course, Sir Keir Starmer all spoke to the paper’s reporters while serving as prime minister – if they had come here for an event.

This contrasts with Mr Burnham’s apparent lack of interest in allowing the local press to be present on either of his visits has been matched by his colleagues.

Critics have suggested the policy must be part of a wider “no risk” approach to the Holborn and St Pancras by-election and the rigid control on each step Ms Abdi-Wali has take on her road to polling day, with central office aware of the unpredictable nature of local outlets compared to the daily familiarity of the journalists from the Westminster bubble.

Liz Truss famously foundered during a tour of local radio stations during her brief time in Downing Street.

Unlike national titles, the New Journal has a policy of not using the opaque term “Labour source” for quotes provided by press officials during elections – with the same applying to all the political parties.

Ms Abdi-Wali has given two interviews to the New Journal – together totalling twelve minutes – since she was announced as the candidate last month.

Her main rival Zack Polanski has also made time for two interviews with the newspaper during the course of the campaign.