Labour frontbencher Ed Miliband says the party's leader has got "lots of other things on his plate" amid calls for him to intervene in Broxtowe's candidate selection row. With the next general election expected in 2024, political parties are currently going through the process of deciding who their candidates will be.
In Broxtowe, Greg Marshall put himself forward again to be the party's candidate after having stood at the general elections in both 2017 and 2019. His campaign was endorsed by Labour figures including Lord Vernon Coaker and Paddy Tipping.
But Councillor Marshall, who also serves on Broxtowe Borough Council, said he was blocked from progressing to the next stage after a Labour Party meeting on February 27. The selection process in Broxtowe has now got to the stage of having a shortlist of potential Labour candidates, which Greg Marshall does not feature on.
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In response, the entire executive committee and selection committee of Broxtowe's constituency Labour party resigned. One of the unions which backed Councillor Marshall, UNISON, called for the decision to be revisited and former shadow chancellor John McDonnell called for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to personally intervene.
But Ed Miliband, Labour's shadow climate change and net zero secretary, indicated on a visit to Mansfield on Thursday (March 2) that Keir Starmer would not intervene on the matter. Speaking about the issue in general, Mr Miliband was initially reluctant to comment.
He said: "I learnt a long time ago that shadow cabinet members should not be intervening in local selections. I mean it's not for me to intervene in this selection, the national party and regional party makes its decisions.
"I don't know the details of this. I'm not going to get into this."
But as someone who himself led Labour between 2010 and 2015, Ed Miliband was asked if it would be appropriate for Keir Starmer to intervene on the matter. He said: "I certainly know in my time as leader that there is quite an important principle here, which is that the party gets on with the process of selections. I think Keir's got lots of other things on his plate."
At the election in 2019, Councillor Marshall lost to the Conservative candidate Darren Henry, whilst in 2017 he lost to Anna Soubry. But at the latter election, he increased Labour's vote share by nearly 10%.
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