A leading union is demanding that the decision to "exclude" a Nottinghamshire councillor from being Labour's candidate in Broxtowe next year is revisited. Greg Marshall, who represents Beeston West on Broxtowe Borough Council, has been Labour's candidate in the area for the last two general elections.
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%.
With the next general election expected in 2024, political parties are currently going through the process of deciding who their candidates will be. This decision is entirely down to the parties concerned and their members.
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Greg Marshall's campaign to be the candidate in Broxtowe has received endorsement from prominent Nottinghamshire Labour figures including Lord Vernon Coaker, Paddy Tipping, Milan Radulovic and the Nottingham MPs Nadia Whittome and Alex Norris.
But Councillor Marshall claims he was blocked from making it onto the longlist of candidates at a selection committee meeting on February 27. In a statement, he said: "It is with huge disappointment that yesterday I was blocked by the Labour Party from standing to represent Broxtowe at the next general election.
"Despite having the backing of the vast majority of members in the local party, eight trade unions, society affiliates, and respected regional Labour figures from across the political spectrum, the party has determined that I am unfit to stand. To add insult to this decision, I wasn't even informed directly by the party but instead had to wait to be told by the [constituency Labour party] members on the selection committee."
One of the unions which backed Greg Marshall's campaign has now issued a statement asking for Labour's decision to be revisited. The East Midlands branch of UNISON said: "UNISON is dismayed to learn that Councillor Greg Marshall, a prominent UNISON activist, has been excluded from the shortlist to become the Labour Party candidate in Broxtowe.
"Greg secured the support of affiliated unions including UNISON and has broad support from across the political spectrum. Greg has an exemplary record of campaigning locally and we are asking that this decision is revisited."
Both the selection committee and the executive committee within Broxtowe's constituency Labour party have all resigned following the decision on Greg Marshall, whilst former shadow chancellor John McDonnell has even called for Keir Starmer to intervene on the matter. A Labour Party spokesperson previously said: "Thanks to Keir Starmer's leadership, Labour is now a serious, credible government in waiting and our candidates reflect that. Robust due diligence processes have been put in place to make sure everyone selected is of the highest calibre and for that we’ll make no apologies.
"Labour has changed. Keir believes that politics can be a force for good, and that his government can restore the faith in it that 13 years of Tory government has carelessly eroded. The public rightly expect anyone asking to hold office is of the highest standard, and with Labour they can. We're really pleased that outstanding Labour candidates have already been selected in constituencies across Britain, and that work continues."
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