Sharma complaint ‘playing for time’ and ‘completely unfounded’, say local members – and MP told SKWAWKBOX after votes that they were ‘democratic’
Last night the SKWAWKBOX reported the annulment of two huge majorities in favour of ‘triggering‘ Ealing Southall MP Virendra Sharma – and the cancellation of a third branch meeting that was expected to seal the result – by Labour’s London regional office.
The supposed reason for the action was a complaint by Sharma and his supporters of ineligible members participating in the vote – a complaint that local members say is completely unfounded.
When the SKWAWKBOX spoke to Sharma – who suffered a huge vote of no confidence by members earlier this year – after the first two results on Monday, he did not mention any ineligible voters or complain either about any rule breaches or the way in which the meetings were conducted:
Yeah, I mean this is the democratic system. There are five more [branches] left, let me see how they turn out. I’m disappointed, I won’t say that I’m not disappointed, but that is the democratic process.
London region stated that Labour’s regional director and the local National Executive Committee (NEC) representative had decided to scrap the entire process and start again under regional office supervision.
However, members of the NEC have told the SKWAWKBOX that they had nothing to do with the decision – they were not consulted and have not discussed the Ealing Southall trigger.
Ealing Southall members told the SKWAWKBOX that they believe Sharma is ‘playing for time’ in the hope that the calling of a general election will save him. The SKWAWKBOX could not reach Mr Sharma for comment.
SKWAWKBOX view:
There is huge anger in Ealing about the decision to cancel their democratic choice on the basis of what they say – and what Sharma’s own words to the SKWAWKBOX seem to indicate – is a spurious and unfounded complaint.
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