Labour leader says Queen's Park and Kempton by-election candidates have been chosen locally

Brighton and Hove’s Labour leader Bella Sankey said that her party’s candidates in two by-elections next month had been selected by local members.
By Sarah Booker-Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter
Published 3rd Apr 2024, 07:49 BST
Bella Sankey | Picture: submittedBella Sankey | Picture: submitted
Bella Sankey | Picture: submitted

She was responding to former Hove council and parliamentary election candidate Nigel Furness at a meeting of Brighton and Hove City Council on Thursday (28 March).

The by-elections – in Queen’s Park and Kemptown wards – were called after councillors Chandni Mistry and Bharti Gajjar resigned in February.

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The two former councillors were expelled by Labour after claims of election irregularities and questions about where they were based. Both had roots in Leicester.

Nigel Furness | Picture: submittedNigel Furness | Picture: submitted
Nigel Furness | Picture: submitted

They were selected by the regional party rather than at local level for the local elections last May.

Mr Furness said: “These council prospective candidates that you’ve announced, you’ve been making very large of the fact they are thoroughly local people, with thoroughly local connections.

“Indeed, I know them both, so you are telling the truth, I’m glad to say.

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“Are you prepared to go further with that statement and confirm that you are now in control, or your party is now in control locally of future candidates who are being selected, rather than regional or worse still, Labour central office?”

Nigel Furness | Picture: submittedNigel Furness | Picture: submitted
Nigel Furness | Picture: submitted

Councillor Sankey said that branch members had selected both the Queen’s Park and Kemptown by-election candidates.

The selection process was organised by a committee formed of members of the three constituency parties for Brighton and Hove.

And members of the Queen’s Park and Kemptown Village Labour branches selected their candidates at hustings meetings on Friday 15 March.

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Mr Furness also asked how much the by-elections would cost. Councillor Sankey said that the bill would be £18,000 because the police and crime commissioner elections were also taking place on Thursday 2 May.

The cost of printing polling cards and posting them out would be shared along with the cost of hiring and staffing polling stations.

The closing date for nominations for the election is 4pm on Friday (5 April). To stand as a candidate, people must be over 18 and a British, Commonwealth or EU citizen who is registered and will remain registered to vote in Brighton and Hove.

Qualifying candidates must have lived in Brighton and Hove for the whole of the previous 12 months or have worked or owned land here for the past year.

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Voters need photographic identification to vote – and for those who do not have a passport, driving licence or other valid form of ID, the deadline for a “voter authority certificate” is 5pm on Wednesday 24 April.

Candidates announced so far for Kemptown ward are

  • Robert Brown (Liberal Democrat)
  • Gary Farmer (Brighton and Hove Independents)
  • Theresa Mackey (Labour)
  • Ricky Perrin (Green)

Candidates announced so far for Queen’s Park ward are

  • Camilla Gauge (Labour)
  • Dominique Hall (Liberal Democrat)
  • Adrian Hart (Brighton and Hove Independents)
  • Luke Walker (Green)
Related topics:HoveBrightonQueen's Park