Governing body for the Labour Party overruled Watford Labour Party over its selection of the next parliamentary candidate

Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) stopped Watford selection committee from trying to keep Mike Hedges off the shortlist for candidate of Momentum.

Watford is a key marginal and any perception that a candidate is being imposed on local people by Labour party HQ or an affiliated union will end up handing this seat to the Tories. We lost by 2,000 votes at the last election. We need this seat to form a Labour government under Jeremy’s leadership.

As democratically elected members of the selection committee, who took their responsibilities extremely seriously, we are furious that an observer of the panel has behaved in a way which is incongruous with his engagement with us.

They said that in the meeting on November 26, Mr Hedges’ nomination had been given full consideration and that “all the interviews, discussions, and decisions were observed by both the regional representative and the NEC representative”.

The letter was signed by Sarah Flynn, Omar Ismail (procedures secretary), Ahsan Khan, Asif Khan, Linda Meehan and Sue Utting – demand that the original shortlist be reinstated.

The headline in The Guardian news read "Utterly damning letter by the *democratically elected* selection committee in Watford CLP about how their choice of candidates was subverted by Momentum forces on the NEC - goes to heart of Labour’s turmoil

The Liberal Mayor of Watford tweeted

'Whilst Labour in Watford are fighting among themselves, CllrPeterTaylor and I are getting on with the job delivering for our town'

Letter sent by members of the Watford selection committee to the NEC. They sent the letter after they were told that the Momentum-backed candidate Mike Hedges, who had not been included in their shortlist of parliamentary candidates, would be on it after all. They concludes he was not up to the standard of the others

Video - Jeremy Corbyn campaigning in Watford on Wednesday 7th june

Photos available Jeremy Corbyn Labour Leader Campaign Speech in Watford