Wakefield Labour rocked by ‘stitch up’ claims

It seems that Labour’s bid to recapture Wakefield isn’t off to the best of starts. The resignation of Tory MP Imran Ahmad-Khan last month over historic sex offences gave Sir Keir Starmer’s party a chance to take back the seat it lost in 2019 and prove that Labour is on track to make gains in the Red Wall at the next election. 

Unfortunately, a row has now broken out over attempts to ‘parachute’ favoured candidates into the constituency. The entire executive of the local Wakefield branch has this week resigned after party HQ shortlisted two members in its process to pick Labour’s candidate in the forthcoming by-election. Quite something, given that Sir Keir ran on a pledge in 2020 to ‘end’ central imposition of candidates if he was elected leader.

You’d have thought that after the party’s disastrous effort in Hartlepool, Labour would be keen to avoid having a prominent Remainer fighting a Leave-voting seat. But both Kate Dearden and Simon Lightwood – the two candidates put forward – supported Remain during the 2016 referendum, in which 63 per cent of Wakefield voters backed Leave.