Wakefield Labour committee quits in by-election candidate row

The entire committee that runs the Labour Party in Wakefield has resigned in a row with party HQ in London.

The committee is angry about the way Labour's candidate for the forthcoming by-election in the West Yorkshire constituency is being chosen.

Requests for a local candidate to be in place early were ignored, they say.

The by-election was prompted by the resignation of former Tory MP Imran Ahmad Khan, after his conviction for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy.

The seat is seen as a key target for Labour, which had held it for more than 87 years before the Conservatives won it in 2019 with a majority of 3,358.

A date for the by-election has yet to be announced.

The decision of the local party's executive committee to resign was taken last night.

In a statement, the committee also claimed a rule had been breached by Labour's national executive, which would have ensured there were more local people on the candidate shortlisting panel.

The selection of a candidate is due to take place on Sunday.

The committee said: "Representations to party officials at the highest level have got absolutely nowhere with some queries not even answered."

A spokesperson for Labour Party HQ said: "We're really pleased to have two fantastic candidates on the shortlist with strong connections to the local community.

"On Sunday, local members will make the final choice on a candidate who will be a strong champion for Wakefield and represent a fresh start against a backdrop of Tory failure."