Insta
UK’s Labour Party Avoids Fielding Fresh Indian-Origin Candidates In General Elections; Picks None For 100 Target Seats
Swarajya Staff
Nov 14, 2019, 05:13 PM | Updated 05:13 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
In an unusual move, the United Kingdom’s Labour party has not fielded a single candidate of Indian origin in 100 target seats (which it had lost by a narrow margin in the previous general elections), reports The Times of India. In another 39 ‘safe’ seats, the party has decided to field only a single candidate of Indian heritage.
The decision is surprising also because many of these seats have large Indian-origin populations, which can comfortably swing the results there in the upcoming general elections scheduled for 12 December 2019.
Some Indian origin candidates which Labour will field will be sitting MPs, meaning the party is not putting its trust in new Indian faces. One of the Indian origin candidates Sundip Meghani who was rejected to be a candidate for the party, expressed his dissatisfaction with the selection process.
“On Tuesday afternoon the news broke that Claudia Webbe had got the seat. The NEC chose one of their own and did not bother interviewing anyone. I have received no email or phone update from them at all. I am not the only Asian candidate that did not get interviewed or treated fairly,” he said.
The Labour party has in recent months been seen to be siding with the Pakistani rhetoric on the Kashmir issue, in what many view as pandering to the British-Pakistani vote bank. Many of its leaders, including party chief Jeremy Corbyn, have expressly taken an anti-India stance on the Kashmir issue.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.