In the Tower Hamlets Mayoral Election, Ken Livingstone has been out campaigning - for an independent candidate, Lutfur Rahman, previously deselected by Labour for “serious allegations” being made against him.
According to the London Labour Party (no less), these allegations concern “both the eligibility of participating voters and the conduct of Lutfur Rahman." Or to put it more bluntly: they were apparently grave allegations concerning vote fraud and election expenses irregularities.
Ken’s conduct is unsurprising. He is clearly attempting to ingratiate himself with the Hard Left but anti-Labour electorate in Tower Hamlets that he hopes will deliver him the Mayoralty, in the same way that they delivered the Bethnal Green & Bow constituency to George Galloway in 2005. Ken loves to show to London that he isn’t a Party Man.
However, this undoubtedly raises a major question of judgment for Ed Miliband. Can he condone this disloyalty in his official candidate for the London Mayoralty, actively campaigning against a Labour candidate?
Not according to Chapter 2, Rule A(4)(b) of the Labour Party Rules which state the following:
“A member of the party who joins and/or supports a political organisation other than an official Labour group or other unit of the party, or supports any candidate who stands against an official Labour candidate, or publicly declares their intent to stand against a Labour candidate, shall automatically be ineligible to be or remain a party member….”
So that's pretty clear then.
But my guess is that, in an early test of strength as Party Leader, Ed Miliband will be too weak, too frightened of the Left and too indebted to the Unions to ensure the proper action is taken.
