Darren Rodwell, the controversial leader of Barking and Dagenham council, has withdrawn as a Labour candidate, saying he did not want allegations about his behaviour to be a “distraction”.
Rodwell’s candidacy was in doubt after it was not confirmed by Labour on Tuesday along with other names of people running to be MPs.
In a statement, Rodwell said there was no active investigation into him by Labour but that he was withdrawing to “put family first”. He said he “completely refuted” allegations made against him in the press.
The council leader, who is white, has come under fire for a number of comments he has made in the past, including once joking he had “the worst tan possible for a black man”.
He was previously approved as a candidate by the party’s national executive committee (NEC) after apologising for those remarks. But earlier this week the Independent revealed he was the subject of a complaint about alleged sexual harassment, after a woman complained he had touched her hands and legs in an inappropriate way.
Rodwell said on Monday: “I utterly refute what is being said, specifically: I have not engaged in sexual harassment of any kind.”
Rodwell was at the centre of a row in 2022 over his comments at a Black History Month event, where he also said: “I have the passion and the rhythm of the African and the Caribbean. I used to do swing dance, because I used to love jiggling about.”
He was allowed to continue as the candidate after an apology but in a leaked email to the BBC, he was shown to have told a constituent it was “part of a smear campaign against me”.
The decision came as Faiza Shaheen, who was ousted as Labour’s candidate in Chingford and Woodford Green, said she had quit the party and said she would set out her “next steps” on Wednesday, leaving the door open to run as an independent.
Shaheen, who was removed as the candidate after complaints about her social media, has said she faced “a relentless campaign of unfair treatment, bullying and hostility”.
Labour’s ruling national executive committee met on Tuesday to confirm the names of all of the party’s general election candidates.
Labour sources told the Guardian Rodwell’s name was not on a list of 632 candidates to be approved by the party’s ruling council during a meeting on Tuesday afternoon, with party bosses still to decide who will stand in the east London seat.
The Guardian understands Labour’s candidate in Gosport in Hampshire was also not on the list for the NEC to approve. Parties have until Friday to submit their final candidates.
The final signoff from Labour’s governing body means Diane Abbott has been approved as the candidate for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, after a bitter row about her selection.
Keir Starmer said last week that Abbott was “free to stand” as a Labour candidate, after days of speculation that she could be blocked.
Abbott said on Sunday that she intended to “run and win” for Labour in Hackney North and Stoke Newington, and denied a report that she had been offered a seat in the House of Lords if she agreed to stand aside in the constituency she has represented for 37 years.
She then apparently tweeted a link to an article by the Starmer biographer Tom Baldwin headlined “Starmer on Abbott: ‘I’ve actually got more respect for Diane than she probably realises’”, with the words: “More lies from Starmer.” She deleted the post shortly afterwards. Labour officials confirmed they would in effect ignore the post.
• This article was amended on 4 June 2024 to clarify that Labour had a list of 632 candidates.
