Rayner boyfriend’s fury at being axed in safe Labour seat
LABOUR’S civil war has erupted again as a hard-Left MP deselected by his own party claimed foul play by supporters of Sir Keir Starmer.
Sam Tarry, the boyfriend of deputy leader Angela Rayner, insisted he was put “at the centre of a manufactured political circus”.
Sir Keir is attempting to limit the influence of the hard-Left after years of Labour being mired in the electoral wilderness.
Members at Ilford South in east London voted on Monday by 499 votes to 361 to reject Mr Tarry as the party’s candidate at the next general election.
He will be replaced by the leader of Redbridge council Jas Athwal, who was set to take over the seat in 2019 but was suspended over an allegation of sexual harassment.
Mr Tarry, who was a crucial figure in Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership campaign, immediately demanded further details about votes cast electronically in the selection process.
Labour said the Left-winger, a former trade union official who was sacked as a shadow transport minister after giving interviews from a picket line, has already been provided with a list of eligible voters.
Wes Streeting, the party’s shadow health secretary and MP for Ilford North, was among the first to offer congratulations to Mr Athwal. He praised his “resounding victory”, which he said reflects his lifelong commitment to this borough and “his outstanding leadership for Labour”.
One Labour source said: “Sam Tarry will now act like a pound-shop Donald Trump and claim the vote was rigged. Luckily, the party has shut the door on conspiracy theorist cranks.”
Another source said: “MPs who supported Tarry and turned a blind eye to disgusting attacks on Jas Athwal must live with it on their consciences, knowing it was for nothing.”
But Mr Tarry, the first deselected Labour MP for more than a decade, said: “I am utterly crestfallen, not for myself but for the good people of Ilford, who deserve better than to have been at the centre of a manufactured political circus.
“I am extremely concerned about the result, which does not reflect the feeling my campaigners met on the ground, talking to members.
“I am taking some time to consider what is next, but in order to be assured of the integrity of the result, I am asking the party to share with me information of who cast electronic votes, by what method and when.
“I will continue to represent the people of Ilford South the way I have done for the past three years – with integrity, generosity and inclusivity.”