While some Labour candidates’ concern may be trouble finding work, others have the murky background of their former employers to worry about. Noah Law, Labour’s candidate for St Austell & Newquay, seems to be in deep water over his previous stint as an investment analyst at Finnfund from 2018 to 2023. It doesn’t exactly paint him as a man of the people…
The Helsinki-based outfit, which specialises in the forestry industry, has been accused of muddying the waters by contaminating rivers, uprooting indigenous communities, and contributing to severe repression against opponents of industrial mining across Africa and Latin America. Law, who “kept a close eye on … the forestry industry during his years at Finnfund,” might find it hard to weather this storm. Finnfund has also been accused of using Luxembourg-based holding companies to shelter from tax liabilities. One Law for some…
Keir Starmer’s crop of hand-picked candidates includes Andrew Lewin, who is standing in Welwyn Hatfield. Labour insiders are fuming about the selection – Lewin is the chief spin doctor for Clarion Housing Group, the UK’s largest social landlord, which has been the subject of huge criticism from the party. Branded one of the worst social landlords in Britain, Clarion has received 260 official fines or penalties since 2010. Awks…
Now it emerges that last September Clarion said it would dismiss and rehire staff who did not accept new pension terms. The Unison union pledged to fight the plans, saying: “If Clarion gets away with ‘firing and rehiring’ staff over legacy pensions then all other staff with different terms and conditions could face the same process. This is simply immoral.” Labour has pledged to ban fire and rehire, with Angela Rayner leading the charge. Guess who Lewin’s local campaign is backed by? Unison, of course – the union of which he is a longstanding member. You couldn’t make it up…
Clarion’s behaviour was also condemned by the Labour peer, Lord Prentis (the former Unison leader Dave Prentis) in the Lords in March. It must be one rule for Lewin and another for everybody else…
The Labour candidate for Wolverhampton West, Warinder Juss, has been distributing campaign leaflets featuring endorsements from various supporters – a routine campaign move. One particular leaflet prominently displays the endorsement of Diane Vukmirovic, the Chair of AgeUK Wolverhampton. Flirting perilously with electoral law…
AgeUK is a charity, and according to the Charity Commission, charities are strictly prohibited from promoting, or appearing to promote, any political party or candidate. Charity leaders are specifically tasked with “protecting [their] charity’s reputation” as independent. A Tory source tells Guido:
“Labour are sailing close to the wind on electoral law yet again – they keep repeating this behaviour across the country. The receipts are being kept and we are sure will be studied in due course by the Electoral Commission.”
Labour bagging a charity chair to endorse their candidate then is not quite the win they may think it is…
Another day, another Labour candidate is found posting some rather choice views. Khuram Majid, Labour’s council candidate for the Elland Ward in Calderdale has been reposting tweets that echo the comment that led Azhar Ali to be suspended from Labour. Not a good look ahead of the local elections…
One post wrote: “the US and Israel are lying about Gaza“, with another claiming that the Hamas bombings on 7th October were “inevitable” and another that suggesting Israel were not “surprised” by the attack. Starmer’s still saying he’s turned around the party…
Labour’s East Midlands Mayoral campaign is clearly going well. Labour PPC for Bassetlaw Jo White has been putting in the work to campaign for their candidate Claire Ward, proudly taking to social media to boast their successes. White posted a photo of one poster in someone’s window, writing alongside “Good to see posters up for Claire Ward“. The only issue is the person’s house is actually a Labour councillor’s rather than a swing voter…
Labour councillor Josie Potts outed White in the comments: “Lol i thought someone else in Manton has a poster, and its mine”. Perhaps there weren’t any other posters around…
Hat-tip: Brendan Clarke-Smith
It looks like Labour have taken gutter politics to a new level in their candidate selections. Councillor Scott Arthur was selected before Christmas as the Labour candidate for Edinburgh South West. He brands himself proudly as “Dr. Scott Arthur” and voters would be forgiven for thinking he was a heroic heart surgeon. His doctorate is actually in “sediment transport in sewers“. Arthur thanks “this solid educational base” for his career. A useful background for work in the Commons…
Guido assumes “Dr. Scott Arthur” will be splattered across leaflets all over effluent Edinburgh South West come the election. Talk about dirty campaigns…
