Concerns at 'exclusions' from general election candidate longlist in Hastings

The party is going through the process of deciding who will contest the next general election in Hastings & Rye.

However an open letter, sent to the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) signed by more than 80 Labour members, has raised concerns about the ‘exclusion of multiple strong candidates from the longlist’.One of these is Maya Evans, HBC’s deputy leader and portfolio holder for housing and community development.

The open letter argues that she ‘fully deserves a chance to compete alongside other excellent candidates in a democratic selection process locally’.

It adds: “It is deeply concerning, therefore, that Maya has apparently been prevented from standing, without any grounds being given or rule breaches cited. Indeed, we note that other strong candidates have been omitted from the longlist. This is a matter of basic party democracy – CLPs should have the right to choose candidates, on the basis of Party rules.”

The letter described how no reason has been given, nor any evidence presented, with the local Constituency Labour Party ‘entirely cut out of the process, without even having received notification from the NEC’.

In a Facebook post, Ms Evans described being ‘deeply disappointed’ not to make the longlist. She had not been given any reason, despite support from trade union affiliates, which should have guaranteed her a place.

She pledged to continue working hard for Hastings Labour as ‘nothing and no one will extinguish my desire to stand up for our community’.

She also thanked everyone who had backed her campaign and spoke about being ‘touched by a huge outpouring of support from both those inside the Labour Party and outside’.

As the first woman of colour to be elected to Hastings Borough Council and the first person of colour to reach a senior leadership position, she was concerned at a ‘growing pattern of left-wing BAME women – including Labour leaders in government like myself – being prevented by the national Labour Party from standing for selection’. She added: “In Hastings, two BAME women have been blocked, despite enjoying significant local and trade union support. No justification has been given for my exclusion’.

The national Labour Party has been approached for comment.