Labour’s candidacy appeal ahead of local elections goes to rejected party members

The selection process has already seen several current councillors told they will not be picked to defend their seats at the polls in May 2024.

Stuart Sansome triggered a by-election by resigning from his role as elected member in RMBC’s Kilnhurst & Swinton East ward in September.

And Cllr Dominic Beck resigned from the authority’s cabinet in October after being told he would not be chosen as a candidate for next year.

Meanwhile, there have been rumours of Labour struggling to find enough suitable hopefuls to contest all 59 seats in the chamber at Rotherham Town Hall. In August, cabinet member Cllr Victoria Cusworth used her personal Facebook page to appeal to ask for more people to step forward.

Now an email has gone out to members of the party along similar lines – but with recipients including those already turned down.

A source said: “It’s an absolute embarrassment to send these emails to these people.

“The emails have gone out to all Labour party members, but surely someone there would have been savvy enough to say hold on, we’ve already told some of these people that they are not good enough to stand.

“I suppose if they were desperate enough for candidates, they might go back to those who they had already turned down.”

Labour clarified that once someone has been rejected they cannot reapply for the same elections.