Sam Tarry
(Picture: PA Wire)Labour MP Sam Tarry has been de-selected in his east London constituency.
Following weeks of fraught campaigning the former shadow minister failed to see off a challenge from Redbridge leader council, Jas Athwal, in Ilford South on Monday night.
Mr Athwal will now stand for the party in the constituency at the next general election after winning 499 votes from local party members to Mr Tarry’s 361.
Mr Tarry, who is in a relationship with Labour’s Deputy Leader Angela Rayner, said he was “incredibly disappointed” and intends to issue a further statement.
On Tuesday morning his team did not rule out challenging the result.
The vote came after Mr Tarry’s local constituency branches opted to trigger full reselection proceedings.
Mr Tarry was sacked from his job as a Shadow Transport Minister in July after giving broadcast interviews from an RMT picket line.
He was an ally of Jeremy Corbyn, successfully running his Labour Party leadership campaign, and some critics have said his triggering, alongside that of Poplar and Limehouse MP Apsana Begum, is an attempt to purge the party of its especially left wing MPs.
While candidate selection can be a heated issue internally within Labour, it is relatively rare for a sitting MP to be de-selected by their local party.
Mr Tarry is only the fifth Labour MP to lose a reselection battle in 20 years.
He had previously complained about the process and claimed he had evidence of “rule-breaking, voter fraud... and the dangerous whipping up of community tensions to undermine the democratic reselection process” which he said he submitted to the party.
However, ahead of the vote, Mr Tarry said he was “very humbled and excited” about Monday’s hustings and was supported by colleagues including Streatham MP Bell Riveiro-Addy and Poplar and Limehouse MP Apsana Begum.
Mr Athwal, a popular figure locally, was running to stand in Ilford South in 2019 before he was suspended by the party over a sexual harrassment allegation. He was later fully cleared.
Wes Streeting, Shadow Health Secretary and MP for Ilford North, was among the first to congratulate Mr Athwal.
He praised his “resounding victory”, which he said reflects his lifelong commitment to this borough and “his outstanding leadership for Redbridge Labour”.
“Jas will be a superb representative for Ilford South,” the Shadow Health Secretary said.
“His is an Ilford story – the boy who came from the Punjab and built an education, successful businesses, and a wonderful family here.
“He’s led Redbridge Labour to three unprecedented victories because he’s a local resident who fights as hard for our community as he would for his own family.
“I look forward to working with Jas as Ilford South’s next Labour MP.”
