Sir Keir Starmer faces a series of highly contentious selection battles in London Labour strongholds ahead of the general election, senior party figures warned on Monday.
His most high-profile problem comes in Islington North, where a candidate is yet to be chosen to take on Jeremy Corbyn’s seat.
The former Labour leader was suspended by his successor in 2020 and sits as an independent following a row over anti-Semitism. But he has strongly hinted that he will run against the party in the constituency at the next election.
Some fear that Mr Corbyn, could split the Left-wing vote, while others said they would be concerned about the wellbeing of any candidate who took the job on. One senior Labour figure said: “That is for a braver man or woman than I.
“It depends what Corbyn does. But I think it’s likely Islington North will be selected at the last minute to give the cranks as little time as possible to wage any campaign of abuse. I think we would win, but it will not be pleasant.”
Mr Corbyn's ally Diane Abbott, the first black woman elected to Parliament and the longest-serving black MP, is also suspended from the party.
An investigation over accusations of antisemitism is ongoing and may see a new Labour candidate being selected for her seat in Hackney North and Stoke Newington.
One MP said: "She's trailblazer. No one wants to see Diane end her political career suspended. It'll have to be sorted well before the election."
In north London, MP for Enfield Southgate Bambos Charalambous has been suspended from the party pending a formal investigation into a serious complaint.
The former shadow minister has said he is “aware” of an allegation and it is “right and proper” for the party to investigate.
But no decision has yet been made over whether he will be allowed to stand for Labour at the next election.
Boundary changes also mean the capital is getting two extra MPs at the next election.
The new constituencies, one in east London and the other in south London, are in safe Labour areas.
But the new seat in Newham is looking particularly problematic for the party.
Lyn Brown, MP for West Ham since 2005 and a shadow Foreign Office minister, has reportedly indicated she will stand in the Stratford and Bow constituency, leaving the new West Ham and Beckton seat up for grabs.
However, both local Constituency Labour Parties (CLP), which traditionally choose the parliamentary candidate, have been suspended since 2021 over "a significant number of serious allegations", relating to antisemitism, the conduct of party members and electoral fraud.
It has sparked fears among a number of potential local candidates that Labour's governing body, the National Executive Committee, will "parachute in" a contender from outside the borough.
"That would go down like a bucket of cold sick," one senior Labour figure told the Standard.
"The CLP has had its problems, but the people who were causing them have left and there are a lot of good local candidates ready to step in."
Another added: "Parachuting in someone from outside Newham would go down like a sack of s***."
But another London Labour source said: "Using words like 'parachute' isn't helpful. Fact is the local Labour party in Newham has had huge problems. I think the best candidate will be a local one, but you can see why some at HQ might not."
Ilford South MP Sam Tarry, who is in a relationship with Angela Rayner, lost a reselection battle last year to Redbridge council leader Jas Athwal meaning he will not be standing in the constituency he won in 2019 again.
He threatened Labour with legal action, with his supporters accusing figures close to the leadership of ousting him over his left-wing views.
Some have suggested Mr Tarry may put himself forward for one of the east London seats.
But a source told the Standard: "He's politically dead. Anything can happen but I don't think Keir would allow it."
Sir Keir has faced criticism from some senior party figures for what is being perceived as a “witch-hunt” against the Corbynite left and figures who fall out of line.
In a strongly-worded intervention, Jon Cruddas, the outgoing MP for Dagenham and Rainham, described moves by the party to discipline Neal Lawson, a former speechwriter for Gordon Brown who heads the pressure group Compass, a “disgrace”.
Mr Cruddas, who is retiring at the next election, said: "The most rightwing, illiberal faction in the party has been handed control to decide who is and is not a member. They are settling scores and are clearly embarked on a witch-hunt – not just of the Corbynite left but of mainstream democrats within the party."
