Centrist Virendra Sharma loses heavily in no-confidence vote backed by full spectrum of Labour members
Ealing Southall MPVirendra Sharma had not attended a meeting of his local Labour party (CLP) for twenty-one months. Tonight that came back to haunt him after delegates voted by 41 – 18 in support of a motion of no confidence in him.
Delegates from all wings of the party and from all groups within the local community spoke for the motion against the man they often describe as its ‘absent MP’. When asked to attend, he stated that does as its MP, he does not ‘need to’.
Sharma has also claimed that he is too busy with parliamentary duties to attend CLP meetings. However, delegates pointed out that fellow Ealing MPs Stephen Pound and Rupa Huq attend the majority of members meetings despite holding at times front bench positions – and maintaining near 80% parliamentary attendance rates while Sharma’s attendance rate languishes at 59%.
Members have also criticised the MP for a ‘slow and inadequate’ response to case work. Speakers condemned a recent e-mail Sharma sent to all members suggesting new members were racist.
Members who had been in the party three years countered that he was in little position to judge – as he had never met them. Sharma was also labelled ‘divisive’ for comments that have upset Muslim and Sikh communities, leading to a multi-faith demonstration outside his offices before the general election asking the Labour Party to chose a better candidate.
Members have also complained that a large property development on the site of the old gasworks has been blowing noxious benzine into residents’ homes for over a year, affecting their health and leading to schoolchildren being kept inside at break-times because of the intense smell. Sharma has been criticised by members of Clean Air for Southall and Hayes (CASH) him for not visiting even one residents’ home to discuss the issue.
Rheian Davies, moving the motion on behalf of UNITE legal workers said:
Ealing Southall has some of the most deprived wards in London, with a man in Norwood Green year expected to live 6.5 years less than a man two miles up the road in leafy Hanger Hill. Austerity is literally killing us.
We need, more than ever, a strong Labour MP. Instead we have Virendra Sharma who simply doesn’t show up when needed; be it saving our town hall or seeing that constituents don’t choke on the air they breathe. He feels no need to take action on behalf of his constituents or account to the party workers who knock doors for him.
Ealing council leader Julian Bell, who doubles as Virendra’s office manager, opposed the no-confidence vote being held as a secret ballot, but the attempt to make it a show of hands vote was defeated by 44 votes to 15. The attempt was defunct – Labour rules mandate a secret ballot if only four people request it.
JLM delegate to the CLP Peter Mason argued that the motion should be dropped in the name of unity. Youth delegate Maxim Lundlack-Orr countered that this was surprising since only last week Mason had called for the whole party leadership to be expelled and JLM has tabled a motion of no confidence in Corbyn and co for its next meeting.
The SKWAWKBOX attempted to contact Sharma’s office for comment but calls were not answered. However, the SKWAWKBOX understands that Sharma – who turned up to the meeting for the first time since 2017 – was asked for comment after the vote by a local journalist and responded that the issue was an internal party matter. After the vote he said he had heard the criticism and promised to change.
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another candidate for the Tinge mob
“…Sharma’s attendance rate languishes at 59%.”
I see that he managed to turn up though to vote for replacement of the Trident nuclear status symbol rather than for something that would actually benefit his constituency.
There is something truly sickening about Labour MPs, some of them representing some of the most deprived constituencies in Britain, voting for such rubbish.
Good riddance to him!
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jul/18/mps-vote-in-favour-of-trident-renewal-nuclear-deterrent
He voted in support of Heathrow expansion apparently believing 900 extra planes a day over his constituents was in some way healthy.
A month or so ago he emailed constituents setting out the options on Brexit as he saw them, emphasising a 2nd vote. He didn’t even mention Labour Policy about a General election!
Then he went OTT with warnings about young people (those under 45 apparently!) and the need to avoid them as they are the enemy.
It’s good to see the locals taking a strong line with him. He doesn’t represent the area or his party. He certainly shouldn’t be re-selected as a candidate. May the swing of the scythe sweep across the country!
I’ve never understood the logic of having J!M delegates to a CLP. Surely they should decide who is in it! The problem is that they tend to act as a drag on the progressive movement, as seen here. Why don’t we have Muslim delegates?
Sounds like he is deadwood that needs to be deselected at the earliest opportunity.
I guess that in the absence of the power to deselect ( thanks to Lansman/McCluskey) one could see these CLP votes of no confidence as such .
It’s, dare I use the term , an ,Indicative, vote to deselect the MP.
I still rue the day when those 2 fools cost us , the membership ,the chance to sort out the “bastards” in the PLP .
How does the selection process work?
selection or did you mean Deselection Paul
Both? Is it the CLP that votes? Does it need a separate vote to de-select? I find it confusing not least because whenever there is a vote in my area I never get informed and missed an important one recently. For 3 years some bureaucrats in Labour maintain they keep recording my email address wrongly and they’re ‘very sorry’ and ‘hope for better in the future’ – but still ‘cant’ get it right. Possibly just incompetence.
Paul if you search Skwawkbox , top left is a search box there have been and are some very good articles and explanations on this topic .
I am trying not to refer you to Labour site as that to me is confusing as heck , well it was last time I looked.
Re the emailing then it could be the old Contact creator system that CLPS have to use , which was shit to say the least and is being replaced by a better version , still has teething issues tho.
Try asking your Branch perhaps to clarify exactly what email they have for you ,as the Branch Sec should also be communicating stuff to you , not just the CLP sec .
Thanks Rob, that’s v helpful.