Mahroof Hussain was seemingly a dead cert to be selected as Labour’s candidate for the Rotherham by-election following the demise of Denis MacShane. A Labour councillor for ten years, Hussain helped fight extremism as part of a Home Office task force following the 7/7 bombings and was even awarded an MBE in 2008. So why was this local hero rejected by Labour central command? According to the Guardian:

“One Labour insider said Hussain had been the “red hot favourite” locally but as a Muslim man was deemed too much of a risk to the party in the wake of the child sex grooming scandal involving Pakistani males in the constituency which has prompted far right protests in the constituency.”

The decision provoked uproar:

Chaos at the #Labour Party selection meeting in #Rotherham as half the members walk out in protest because no local candidate short listed

— Len Tingle (@Tinglepolitics) November 13, 2012

Respect are going big in the seat…