Deselected councillors protest against Labour
MEMBERS of the Muslim and Sikh community protested alongside deselected councillors last Wednesday (24) against the decision by Labour to remove councillors from their elected position in Sandwell, writes Rhi Storer.
It comes after four Labour councillors of Asian background did not pass selection panel interviews to stand again as Labour candidates and that the majority of Labour candidates chosen to contest these wards next year identify as BAME.
Up to 75 people, including three of the deselected councillors, attended a protest at Terry Duffy House, the headquarters of West Midlands Labour, against the decision.
Their names are Samiya Akhter (St Paul’s), Mustaq Hussain (Oldbury), Iqbal Padda Singh (Greets Green and Lyng), and Mohammad Rouf (Soho and Victoria), the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands.
Akhter sent a letter to David Evans, general secretary of the Labour party, accusing its selection process as being “institutionally racist”, and believed the party allowed “discriminatory practices”.
Akhter claimed the Labour party has replaced “every single Muslim councillor” in Sandwell up for re-election and alleged, “not a single person of a non-minority was deselected apart from Muslims or Sikhs”.
Standing outside with protesters, the councillor, who works as a nurse, said it was a “ruthless decision” for the National Executive Committee (NEC) – the governing body of the Labour party – to deselect her.
“Last Thursday [November 11] I received my interview feedback, and it was absolutely ruthless towards me. I’ve been a sitting councillor for the Labour party in St Paul’s ward for the last four years, so you’re telling me that in the interview I was unsuccessful? Wasn’t I a great councillor then?
“Being from a Muslim and Pakistani background, I don’t see why they have differentiated against me. So I utterly see this as a racial attack personally towards myself.
“This isn’t the time to stay quiet – we need to speak up.”
Adrian Bailey, the former MP for West Bromwich West, said the response from the national Labour party is “reminiscent” of the responses by Yorkshire cricket club, who have been rocked by racism scandals.
He said: “It was just 21 years ago yesterday [November 23], that I was first elected as a member of parliament for West Bromwich West. It was the proudest day of my life.
“Little did I think, that in 21 years’ time, I would be standing outside [Terry Duffy House] to fight discrimination, to fight racism, not against the Conservatives, or other groups within our
communities, but against the Labour party.”
To shouts of “shame on them” and “no racism in Sandwell”, Bailey claimed the deselections were not in relation to ex-council leader Mahboob Hussain, who was suspended from the Labour party this year over alleged land deals.
Both councillors Singh and Akhter attempted to deliver their
letters of complaints to the headquarters – but no one was there to open the door.
Labour is yet to publish a full list of 24 candidates to contest the May 2022 elections.
Last week, the government announced it may launch an investigation into the running of Sandwell council.