Labour candidate selection for Croydon East has been cancelled over voter fraud claims. Allegations include large-scale tampering with membership lists, with Labour London Region officials favouring particular candidates, and concerns over online voting fraud. One elected candidate from a different Labour region with one person claiming “the online voting is dodgy as hell.” As a Labour safe seat, the successful candidate would likely have a job as an MP for life…

The current shortlist includes Joel Bodmer, Olga Fitzroy, Natasha Irons and Johnson Situ. Yesterday evening, Croydon East members got a blunt letter, seen by Inside Croydon, from Labour’s London Region, writing:

“We are writing to inform you that as a result of complaints received by the party that require investigation, the selection process in Croydon East has been paused with immediate effect. This means that the hustings meeting due to take place on Saturday has been cancelled and any votes already cast have been voided. We will be in touch with further information in due course following the conclusion of our investigation.”

One Labour member reported receiving a postal/online vote request in her name, even though she hadn’t applied for one. Another example of suspect election includes candidate Bodmer, who violated the rules by accessing the confidential CLP membership list before the selection process opened. The 200 votes already cast have been binned.

Hunt’s Autumn Statement may have delivered its desired effect, as the Tories have been given a 4 point boost in the polls. A poll by YouGov shows Sunak is now on 25 points, the highest since September, and breaking Labour’s 20 point lead, which is now at 19. Though it’s hardly something to get excited about…

Reducing the national insurance rate by 2p garnered the support of 61% of voters, including 72% of those who voted for the Conservative Party in the previous election, while 60% of voters backed the idea of compulsory work placements or loss of benefits for people unemployed for 18 months. These ‘tax cuts’ sound good, though the reality is that workers are still worse off, as people are swamped by stealth taxes, with think tank Resolution Foundation estimating the average household will be £1,900 poorer by January 2025 than they were in December 2019. Still a mountain to climb for the Tories…

Civil servants are not reacting well to being told to return to the office for a meagre 3 days per week – 60% of their working time. Guido hears that all-staff Q&A sessions have been filled with complaints against the policy on pretty much any grounds you can think of. They were never going to work without a fight…

One complaint asks: “Women do a disproportionate amount of childcare, the 60% requirement makes childcare more difficult & the policy is therefore indirect sex discrimination. Has this been considered?” Another says: “As this is clearly a political decision, can we wait until May, by which time we will likely have another government less desperate to appease the Daily Mail/GB News?” God forbid they take instructions from ministers…

Eagle-eyed co-conspirators may have seen Steve Bray’s car parked, as usual, opposite the Houses of Parliament yesterday for his regular protest/Lee Anderson boxing match. Bray’s few remaining friends on the left may finally abandon him after finding out his ride is a gas-guzzling 2011 Volkswagen Golf SE, pumping toxic diesel fumes into the centre of town. Naturally the BrayMobile isn’t ULEZ-compliant. Combined with the £15 congestion charge, that means Bray’s shelling out a whopping £27.50 every time he drives into Westminster to shout at politicians with a megaphone. God forbid he ever goes into the red…

Full Fact has to keep correcting Labour politicians on their false NHS waiting list claims. This all started on Sunday when Rachel Reeves said on Kuennssberg  “7.8 million people are on waiting lists“. Full Fact corrected her at the time, pointing out that there are 7.8 million pathways for treatment waiting to start, and only 6.5 million unique patients – they probably got the misleading figure from an incorrect Guardian article. The fact checkers got in touch with Labour, Reeves, and The Guardian, who ignored them. Angela Eagle then used the same false statistic on Tuesday, as did Starmer at PMQs on Wednesday. These are pretty basic statistics to grasp, Labour is choosing to repeatedly dish out porkies…