Labour’s candidate to stand in Bassetlaw has been removed from the post, just nine days after she was elected by local members.
It is understood the deselection comes after complaints relating to ‘very serious allegations’ concerning ‘protected characteristics’.
This can relate to issues surrounding race, disability, and sexuality.
The now-former candidate Sally Gimson has strenuously denied the allegations, saying she has been “thrown out on trumped up charges that only came to light five days ago”.
She added: “From the outset, I was not the preferred candidate”.
Senior Labour sources in Bassetlaw have said they are ‘immensely frustrated’ at the decision, with one accusing the national party of ‘inventing’ allegations.
The campaign to elect Sally Gimson was well under way, with thousands of leaflets printed and doors knocked in the constituency.
The party’s top decision-making body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), took the decision today, Wednesday, November 6, after the candidacy was announced on Monday, October 28.
The party has said it does not comment on internal selection matters.
However it is understood she was interviewed by an NEC panel, and that the consensus of the panel was that she should not be endorsed.
Once a person is chosen in an election by local members, they have to be ‘endorsed’ by the national party before they officially become the candidate.
Mum-of-three Sally Gimson was a Labour councillor for more than six years and was cabinet member for adult social care and for the environment and sustainability at Camden Council.
The party has until Thursday, November 14 to name its new candidate.
It remains unclear what the selection process will be for the new Labour candidate.
With a background in journalism and in charity communications, she was the director of communications for the Family and Parenting Institute where she ran, with the support of Unite, a successful campaign for health visitors between 2006 and 2010.
Labour won the seat in 2017 with a majority from the Conservatives of 4,852.
The constituency vote to leave by 67.8 percent.
