Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure to end what critics describe as a 'purge' of left-wing Labour members ahead of a key meeting of the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) next week. Several high-profile figures have been told they will not be selected as candidates for seats they previously held or contested, prompting accusations of a 'cull of leftwingers'.
Among those affected is veteran London MP Diane Abbott, who this week said she had been barred from standing again as a Labour candidate. Abbott, who had the whip restored after a months-long investigation into comments she made about racism, has vowed to stand again even as an independent. Deputy leader Angela Rayner backed Abbott, stating she should be allowed to stand and had not been treated 'fairly or appropriately'. Starmer insisted no final decision had been made on Abbott's candidacy.
Other left-wing figures facing deselection include Faiza Shaheen, who had already started campaigning in Chingford and Woodford Green, and Lloyd Russell-Moyle, suspended as Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown. Labour has selected Shama Tatler, a key figure in the centrist group Labour to Win, as a replacement candidate in Chingford and Woodford Green.
Critics point to the selection of several Starmer allies for safe Labour seats in recent days, including Josh Simons, head of the Starmerite thinktank Labour Together, and Luke Akehurst, a centrist NEC member. Trade unionists such as Kate Dearden, Mark Ferguson, and Michael Wheeler have also been chosen. Left-wing NEC member Mish Rahman accused 'Starmer's bully boys' of finding seats for their mates while targeting left-wing women of colour.
The NEC meeting next week is expected to be stormy, with the fates of several candidates in the balance. Starmer has denied deciding candidates' fates, insisting the NEC makes the final decision. His allies hold a majority on the committee, potentially allowing them to push through selections despite internal opposition.
