London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Nov 29, 2025

Formal complaint made over Scottish Labour selection process

Formal complaint made over Scottish Labour selection process

Two Labour constituency parties have made a formal complaint about the selection process for two key Scottish seats.

The constituency parties of Rutherglen and Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse have written to Sir Keir Starmer and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.

They say they have been "inundated" with complaints by local members about a "lack of transparency".

The Scottish Labour Party said the process was properly administered.

In the letter, seen by the BBC, the Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) claim that members are concerned about the "integrity" of selections and say they "cannot continue campaigning until this matter is resolved". They also say there has been a "lack of involvement of local members.

The letter says the CLPs are "fighting every day" to give communities choice.

"They understand the need to select strong candidates to join them in that fight without delay, but for candidates to have any credibility, it is vital that members have full confidence in the selection process used," it says.

The Scottish Labour party runs its own selection process for candidates. Seats are "twinned" to ensure gender balance.

Labour MSP Jackie Baillie and MP Ian Murray were on the selection panel for Rutherglen and Hamilton West.

In the letter, the CLPs have called for a new selection panel and asked for a pause to the current selection and a "full investigation" into the process so far.

A Scottish Labour spokesperson said: "Selection processes for Labour Party parliamentary candidates are properly administered in full accordance with procedures set by the Scottish Executive Committee.

"Scottish Labour is pleased to have a number of fantastic candidates on the shortlist who will be champions for Rutherglen and Hamilton West."

A by-election could be called for Margaret Ferrier's seat as she faces a 30-day ban from the House of Commons for breaching Covid rules


A by-election could be called in the seat of Rutherglen and Hamilton West, as the incumbent MP Margaret Ferrier faces a 30-day ban from the House of Commons for breaching Covid rules.

Ferrier spoke in Parliament in September 2020 while awaiting the results of a Covid test.

She then took the train home to Glasgow after being told she had tested positive.

She lost the SNP whip and has since pleaded guilty to breaching Covid rules. She was sentenced to carry out 270 hours of community service.

The charge stated that she had failed to self-isolate and had "exposed people to risk of infection, illness and death".

She is appealing the recommendation from the Commons' Standards Committee.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
250 Still Missing in the Massive Fire, 94 Killed. One Day After the Disaster: Survivor Rescued on the 16th Floor
Trump: National Guard Soldier Who Was Shot in Washington Has Died; Second Soldier Fighting for His Life
UK Chancellor Reeves Defends Tax Rises as Essential to Reduce Child Poverty and Stabilise Public Finances
No Evidence Found for Claim That UK Schools Are Shifting to Teaching American English
European Powers Urge Israel to Halt West Bank Settler Violence Amid Surge in Attacks
"I Would Have Given Her a Kidney": She Lent Bezos’s Ex-Wife $1,000 — and Received Millions in Return
European States Approve First-ever Military-Grade Surveillance Network via ESA
UK to Slash Key Pension Tax Perk, Targeting High Earners Under New Budget
UK Government Announces £150 Annual Cut to Household Energy Bills Through Levy Reforms
UK Court Hears Challenge to Ban on Palestine Action as Critics Decry Heavy-Handed Measures
Investors Rush Into UK Gilts and Sterling After Budget Eases Fiscal Concerns
UK to Raise Online Betting Taxes by £1.1 Billion Under New Budget — Firms Warn of Fallout
Lamine Yamal? The ‘Heir to Messi’ Lost to Barcelona — and the Kingdom Is in a Frenzy
Warner Music Group Drops Suit Against Suno, Launches Licensed AI-Music Deal
HP to Cut up to 6,000 Jobs Globally as It Ramps Up AI Integration
MediaWorld Sold iPad Air for €15 — Then Asked Customers to Return Them or Pay More
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer Promises ‘Full-Time’ Education for All Children as School Attendance Slips
UK Extends Sugar Tax to Sweetened Milkshakes and Lattes in 2028 Health Push
UK Government Backs £49 Billion Plan for Heathrow Third Runway and Expansion
UK Gambling Firms Report £1bn Surge in Annual Profits as Pressure Mounts for Higher Betting Taxes
UK Shares Advance Ahead of Budget as Financials and Consumer Staples Lead Gains
Domino’s UK CEO Andrew Rennie Steps Down Amid Strategic Reset
UK Economy Stalls as Reeves Faces First Budget Test
UK Economy’s Weak Start Adds Pressure on Prime Minister Starmer
UK Government Acknowledges Billionaire Exodus Amid Tax Rise Concerns
UK Budget 2025: Markets Brace as Chancellor Faces Fiscal Tightrope
UK Unveils Strategic Plan to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains
UK Taskforce Calls for Radical Reset of Nuclear Regulation to Cut Costs and Accelerate Build
UK Government Launches Consultation on Major Overhaul of Settlement Rules
Google Struggles to Meet AI Demand as Infrastructure, Energy and Supply-Chain Gaps Deepen
Car Parts Leader Warns Europe Faces Heavy Job Losses in ‘Darwinian’ Auto Shake-Out
Arsenal Move Six Points Clear After Eze’s Historic Hat-Trick in Derby Rout
Wealthy New Yorkers Weigh Second Homes as the ‘Mamdani Effect’ Ripples Through Luxury Markets
Families Accuse OpenAI of Enabling ‘AI-Driven Delusions’ After Multiple Suicides
UK Unveils Critical-Minerals Strategy to Break China Supply-Chain Grip
Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” Extends U.K. No. 1 Run to Five Weeks
UK VPN Sign-Ups Surge by Over 1,400 % as Age-Verification Law Takes Effect
Former MEP Nathan Gill Jailed for Over Ten Years After Taking Pro-Russia Bribes
Majority of UK Entrepreneurs Regard Government as ‘Anti-Business’, Survey Shows
UK’s Starmer and US President Trump Align as Geneva Talks Probe Ukraine Peace Plan
UK Prime Minister Signals Former Prince Andrew Should Testify to US Epstein Inquiry
Royal Navy Deploys HMS Severn to Shadow Russian Corvette and Tanker Off UK Coast
China’s Wedding Boom: Nightclubs, Mountains and a Demographic Reset
Fugees Founding Member Pras Michel Sentenced to 14 Years in High-Profile US Foreign Influence Case
WhatsApp’s Unexpected Rise Reshapes American Messaging Habits
United States: Judge Dressed Up as Elvis During Hearings – and Was Forced to Resign
Johnson Blasts ‘Incoherent’ Covid Inquiry Findings Amid Report’s Harsh Critique of His Government
Lord Rothermere Secures £500 Million Deal to Acquire Telegraph Titles
Maduro Tightens Security Measures as U.S. Strike Threat Intensifies
U.S. Envoys Deliver Ultimatum to Ukraine: Sign Peace Deal by Thursday or Risk Losing American Support
×