Redbridge Council leader suspended from Labour Party over 'serious allegation'

The leader of Redbridge Council has been suspended from the Labour Party over "extremely serious allegations". Labour has reopened candidate applications for the Ilford South constituency after Jas Athwal (pictured) was suspended by the party hours before a selection decision was due to be made. Cllr Athwal said "untrue allegations" were made against him in August, but he was only advised that he had been suspended on Friday night. Party members were due to select their preferred candidate at a meeting on Saturday. A Labour source denied accusations of a "stitch-up", saying "extremely serious allegations" had been made against Cllr Athwal and the timing had nothing to do with the selection process. But Cllr Athwal said in a statement: "Untrue allegations were made against me on August 13. I responded in detail to the Labour Party on August 20, with supporting evidence including witness statements, proving the allegations were untrue. No reply was received from the Labour Party. Nothing was heard until late yesterday, my solicitor was emailed at 11pm, advising that I was suspended from the Labour Party. This is not a fair process. It is contrary to natural justice. All I seek is a fair hearing and due process. The Labour Party has had every opportunity to deal with this matter properly and fairly in the past seven weeks and chose only to act late yesterday by suspending me when I have no time to challenge that decision. This is why people are so upset." Labour MP for Ilford North Wes Streeting thanked those who had raised objections to what he described as an "undemocratic stitch-up" in his neighbouring constituency.