Haywards Heath Labour Party are divided over the selection of Derek Booker as a candidate for the Bentswood By-election. Some members are concerned that Derek Booker was not a member of the Labour Party at the time of selection (although he has since joined), and so his selection was against Party rules. The Party rules (Chapter 5 Section B), say that potential Candidates must be a member of both the Labour Party and a recognised Union for at least 12 months before standing as a Labour Candidate, unless authorised by the NEC, or person authorised by the NEC (which he was not).
Worse still, Derek Booker is not only an ex-Tory, but an ex-Tory Councillor. How can Labour suggest that he will undo the damage done by the Tory adminstration, when he was part of the Tory Cabinet responsible for it ?.
A local Labour Committe member say's this will be a blow for the Tories, and may well be the reason for Derek Bookers selection. But in these difficult times Labour should be focusing on political integrity, and principle, not point scoring.
New Labour are often accused of just being Tories in disguise - now they don't even bother with the disguise!