Questions about whether Britain’s biggest trade union tried to sway the Labour Party’s selections in two Brighton and Hove seats were being asked today (Friday 5 July).
The two seats – Brighton Kemptown and Hove – were among 41 on a list prepared by the political director of the country’s largest trade union Unite, Steve Hart.
He wanted Nancy Platts to be selected in Brighton Kemptown and Simon Burgess to become the candidate for Hove.
Three weeks ago Ms Platts was picked to be the party’s Brighton Kemptown candidate. But Mr Burgess, a former leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, was defeated in Hove by Peter Kyle on the same day.
Labour has yet to say publicly whether it will investigate or rerun the selection process or whether it will audit membership of the Kemptown constituency party.
Concerns have been expressed over the Kemptown result after Unite was accused of fraudulently joining people to the local party in Falkirk without their knowledge.
The aim appears to have been to try to ensure that Unite’s preferred candidate, Karie Murphy, was picked to represent the party in the Scottish seat.
The matter has been referred to the police by the Labour Party and Ms Murphy has been suspended by the party, along with the constituency party chairman Stephen Deans.
One Labour insider said that the result in Hove showed that the party was not in the grip of Unite.
Others were citing a series of tweets after Nancy Platts was picked for Brighton Kemptown.
Unite’s general secretary Len McCluskey tweeted: “Congratulations to @Nancy_Platts selected in Brighton Kemptown as Labour candidate – a great Unite candidate.”
Ms Platts replied: “@Unite4Len thanks Len! Unite have been amazing esp @Nick_Parrott.”
Nick Parrott is a healthcare specialist for Unite and the Brighton Kemptown constituency includes the Royal Sussex County Hospital. The hospital employs thousands of staff, many of them union members
Steve Turner, the executive director of policy at Unite, tweeted: “@Nancy_Platts wins Labour selection in Brighton Kemptown – another fantastic result for Unite’s political strategy – our values our party!”
Earlier, during a visit to Blatchington Mill School in Hove, Labour leader Ed Miliband ignored a question about the selection process in Brighton Kemptown.
He was asked whether Labour would look again at the selection process in the constituency and the integrity of the membership list but he didn’t answer.
Last week though Labour said that it would be reviewing membership procedures.
A party spokesman said: “Ed Miliband is determined to uphold the integrity of parliamentary selections and, therefore, as a result of that review we have several more measures to announce today.
“In the light of the activities of Unite in Falkirk we will end the ‘union join’ scheme.
“‘Union join’ was established before Ed Miliband became leader of the Labour Party with the aim of legitimately encouraging ordinary members of trade unions to become members of the Labour Party.
“However, due to the results of Unite in Falkirk it has become open to abuse but also open to attacks from our opponents that damage Labour.
“In particular it was a mistake to have a scheme where others pay for people to join the party. Ed Miliband has today ended the scheme.”
Simon Kirby, the Conservative MP for Brighton Kemptown, said: “I’m very happy to run against Nancy.
“But if Unite has interfered in the selection process, Labour needs to run the process again and there needs to be an investigation.
“The chance to stand for Parliament is a special thing.
“If I’d accepted money from (Michael) Ashcroft, Labour would have something to say about it. They accused me of it although it wasn’t true.”
A local Labour party member said that Unite was not the only union to support Ms Platts. He said that she had impressed many people and forged strong local bonds when she stood in Brighton Pavilion at the last general election.
She came a close second to Caroline Lucas, who became Britain’s first Green MP.
Ms Platts said: “Like millions of other working people I am a trade union member.
“I am standing because Brighton Kemptown deserves better than this Tory government.
“I will be a strong voice for all of the people living and working in the constituency and will always put them and their interests first.”
A South East Labour Party spokesman said: “Nancy Platts is already working hard for Labour and for the people of Brighton Kemptown by speaking up on the issues that matter like protecting NHS services in the city.
“Nancy’s focus is on getting jobs and growth and standing up for the people in the constituency.
“The Labour Party is determined to ensure that every Labour candidate will be selected in an open, transparent and fair way that respects the members and the traditions of this party.”
SoLabour and Unite in cahoots, this isn’t democracy! I reckon its time for the unions to be disbanded, and the labour party to slide away into obscurity.
Except individuals vote in Labour selections, not union bloc votes. The most Unite could have done is help get their favourites on the shortlist. The rest was in the hands of local members.
Labour Party member belongs to a trade union shocker! Local members choose a candidate, they get one vote each. The unions can’t even vote. Move on.
It’s not that Labour Party members belong to a trade union that’s an issue, Simon. Ed Miliband recognises that. He showed it by suspending the Falkirk constituency party, its chairman and the candidate supported by Unite.
No one here seems to be disputing that members get one vote each and that unions are not entitled to a bloc vote. But in Falkirk the union is accused of cramming the local party by paying for union members to become local party members without their knowledge. The police are investi. gating because this may constitute fraud in Scottish law. Even if it doesn’t, it’s far from ethical.
The concern here, as far as I can see, is that Ed Miliband, Nancy Platts and the anonymous spokesman have not directly addressed the concerns being raised abut the selection process in Brighton Kemptown. Nancy Platts is one of the 41 candidates in the report referred to in the story above. The person who wrote the story seems to be defending her credibility. But given what seems to have gone on in Falkirk, why is there a problem giving straightforward public reassurances?
My hope is that everything was above board here as I would like to think that we are not encumbered by the sort of malpractices undermining respect for politics, politicians and democracy in some other places.