Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Councillor quits party over ‘harassment’
A DUNDEE councillor has resigned from the Labour Party, citing alleged harassment and intimidation by fellow party members.
Mohammed Asif, who was elected to represent the Coldside ward in 2007, has made a formal complaint to the party over what he described as the “appalling campaign to deselect me from the upcoming local elections”.
Mr Asif said: “I have made a formal complaint to the Labour Party about the bullying, harassment and intimidation that my family and I have been subjected to by certain individuals within the party.
“The actions include defacing leaflets and posting them to my family home.”
Mr Asif added: “I hope the Labour Party will finally take this matter seriously and take action against the culprits as their actions have become totally unbearable.
“I cannot remain in the Labour Party under these circumstances, especially when there appears to be a lack of action from officials.
“It has been a real pleasure and honour to work with my councillor colleagues in the Dundee City Council Labour group over the last 10 years and I thank them for all the friendship and support they have shown me over this time.”
A Scottish Labour spokesman said: “Mr Asif is no longer a member of the Labour Party. We do not comment on internal investigations.”
Mr Asif is standing as an Independent candidate for Coldside i n the May elections.
Other candidates are Mark Flynn and Anne Rendall for the SNP, George McIrvine and Helen Wright for Scottish Labour, Christopher McIntyre and Kristopher Hall for the Liberal Democrats, Duncan Shaw for the Scottish Conservatives, Wayne Scott for TUSC and Dundee Against Cuts, and Conor Marshall for the Scottish Greens.