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Asian clans are target of Labour shake-up

Steve Hammond
1/ 3/2002

LABOUR Party bosses have taken direct powers to select candidates in Oldham after allegations that 'clan politics' dominated wards with a large Asian membership.

In 11 of the 20 wards in the borough the local party organisation has had powers to selected candidates for elections removed. Instead candidates for the May elections will be selected directly by a panel of lay members drawn from the North West Labour Party board.

The move follows a call on Labour leaders made in the Ritchie report into last spring's riots for a "centrally driven" approach to party membership and selection.

The report said there was widespread evidence that in wards with high Asian populations clan politics prevailed and there was a danger of inferior candidates being chosen. No wards with large Asian populations are among the 11 but local parties in two largely Asian wards, St Paul's and St Mary's, have also had selection powers removed because of evidence that some individuals had faked their membership.

Police in Oldham have launched a further investigation into claims people used fake identities to vote in elections.

In a third ward party - Alexandra - no decision has been taken on selection powers yet because an investigation into more alleged irregularities is still going on. But in Coldhurst and Werneth wards where Asian are a majority, the local parties have been 'cleared' and have retained their powers to select candidates.

All these moves follow a membership audit organised by North West party officials which required at least 25 per cent members in every ward to have their documents verified. If this percentage was not reached selection powers were removed.

North West party spokesman Kevin Meagher said the removal of selection powers was not permanent.

"They will be looked at next year and could be restored," he said. "Now we have gone through these procedures we can turn all our energies to fighting the election. Our internal problems have been giving the British National Party a free rein in Oldham."

Oldham's first Asian Deputy Mayor, Werneth councillor Riaz Ahmad, said he was satisfied with the changes.

"It has gone quite well but we can only be sure when all the new selections for the May elections take place in the near future. I don't think it can be said there is any bias against ward parties with a large Asian membership, after all most of the ward parties that have lost powers have a large white membership."

Many of the allegations made to the Ritchie inquiry concerned wards within the constituency of Labour Cabinet minister Michael Meacher. He said the selection investigation had been "fair and rigorous".

"I am happy that we can now focus our attentions on May's local elections and move on to talking about real issues like health and education," he added.