Councillor fights to stand

Labour party officials have disputed Councillor Lee Anderson’s claim that he was deselected to stand as a candidate in Ashfield District Council’s elections next year.

Hundreds of residents have signed a petition calling for Coun Anderson to stand for another term as Labour councillor for Huthwaite and Brierley.

However, a joint statement by John Wilkinson and Ruth Stevens, of Ashfield Local Campaign Forum, says: “It is incorrect for Coun Anderson to claim he has ‘not been selected to stand as district councillor next year by my party’.

“Indeed, as selecting candidates does not begin until February 9, every sitting councillor and everyone wishing to be a candidate next year, is in exactly the same position.

“Where the position of Coun Anderson differs, is he was unsuccessful in his interview to be placed on the panel of candidates for the 2019 elections.

“Coun Anderson also does this process a disservice – a process he fully supported as a member of the LCF – when he claims his interview failure was due to the fact he did not support Jeremy Corbyn and that he voted to leave the EU.

“Every sitting councillor was asked exactly the same questions – none of which referred to either the leadership of the Labour Party or the EU Referendum.

“It is the standard of his replies to these questions, not his political views, that brought about his interview result – a result determined, in the case of Coun Anderson, by an independent and experienced panel of interviewers, all from outside Ashfield.”

“Perhaps the saddest aspect of this situation is that, by not having been given the facts, residents of Huthwaite are being urged to sign petitions and make personal approaches to the leader of the council.

“Neither a petition nor the council leader can make Coun Anderson a candidate.”

Coun Anderson has vowed to appeal against the decision.

He said: “I am utterly gobsmacked. For the last three years I have been one of the hardest working district councillors the Labour party has ever had.

“I have been overwhelmed by the support of locals and my own branch of Sutton West Labour. I am going to appeal this decision.”