AN INCENSED researcher for Labour who wanted to run as a candidate in the council elections has blasted the party over its selection process.
Linda Derrick, a retired civil servant, has ceased working for the party after claiming the process was undemocratic and has shown no regard for the hours she has put in.
Dr Derrick claimed that the February 13 meeting to select a Labour candidate for the district council by-election in Disraeli ward was ‘kyboshed’ by a group of what she called non-active party members. She said they had been rallied by opponent Mohammed Rafiq and Mayor Chauhdry Shafique, also a Labour councillor.
She said: “What I’m incensed about is you’ve got someone who hasn’t done a lot of work who gets elected by a group of men who haven’t done the work.
“It’s a small number of people selecting candidates. It’s just abusing democracy.”
She lost the vote 23 to 15.
Dr Derrick, who has been a key Wycombe Labour figure since the 2010 elections when Victoria Groulef led the group at Wycombe District Council, questioned Mr Rafiq’s knowledge on policy. She said: “I know I was by far the better candidate.”
She insisted it was not a case of sour grapes.
The by-election is to replace Mrs Groulef who recently quit. Dr Derrick said Labour having no female candidates for the May 2 county council elections was like going back to the Dark Ages.
Mr Rafiq has been a party member for about 16 years, has had one four-year term as a councillor and said therefore he has plenty of knowledge and experience.
He acknowledged Dr Derrick’s hard work in the last few years and expects she will be selected in future.
He said: “I’m sorry she wasn’t selected this time, but that’s the democratic process. There are a lot of people who know me in the party in the area and knowing that they realise I’m standing up for election, you expect them to vote for me. That’s what happens and it was absolutely democratic. We followed the rules of the Labour Party by the letter so I’m not sure why she says it’s undemocratic.”
Addressing the claim about who voted for him, he said: “There are some people who are more active than others. There are some who attend every single meeting and then there’s others who attend not so frequently.”
Wycombe Labour leader Cllr Ian Bates said: “I am sure all those voting based their decisions on the relative merits of both candidates and on no other basis. Both Linda and Rafiq are very able candidates.”
Given Mr Rafiq’s longer history in this area he said it should be no surprise that he gained more votes.
He added: “The Labour Party encourages both men and women to play the most active role they can in political activity and to put themselves forward for selection and election as councillors if they wish.” Cllr Shafique said he attended the meeting, but did not wish to make a comment due to his politically neutral role as Mayor.
