Waddon By-Election Cancelled as Pelling Fails the Shortlist

Waddon - by-election on ice 

The much anticipated Waddon by-election has been put on ice, as Labour Councillor Andrew Pelling failed to make the shortlist for Holborn and St Pancras.

Local residents had previously criticised the former Tory grandee over his decision to seek selection outside of Croydon. One resident told TheCroydon Guardian, “He should return his very generous taxpayer-funded council salary and step down immediately so a committed candidate can represent the area.”

Croydon by-election expected as Labour’s Andrew Pelling Targets Camden

CROYDON Labour’s flagship candidate has been hotly tipped to become the official Parliamentary Candidate for Holborn and St Pancras – triggering a costly by-election in the swing ward of Waddon, to which he was elected this May. 

According to a report in the Camden New Journal, Pelling was signed up to compete for the Parliamentary seat against other Labour big hitters.

A Tory source said, “It’s well known that Pelling was using Waddon as a stepping stone so he could get back into Parliament. His Labour colleagues must be very disappointed that they’ll be facing a by-election in Waddon because of his self-serving actions.”

Pelling, who threatened legal action against Labour colleagues last year, quit the Tories after his ex-wife accused him of assault. 

Would-be Croydon Labour MP Threatens Colleague Over Ex-wife Claims

Chilling: Leaked emails reveal a libel dispute in the Croydon Labour group

He’s been billed by the Labour party as the candidate who can ‘put the fear of God into people’, and by the looks of these leaked emails, Waddon candidate Andrew Pelling is living up to his reputation.

So when lifelong Labour supporter Anthony Miller wrote a piece on an incident involving the former Tory’s ex-wife, he soon found himself locked in a libel dispute in a string of chilling emails leaked to The Croydon Gazette.   

The emails, which were sent by Steven Downes, editor of the Inside Croydon blog, of which Pelling is special correspondent, warn Mr Miller that he will now have to live with the consequences of his actions. Pelling, now a high profile Labour Parliamentary candidate is clearly copied into the correspondence but does not respond to the mail chain.

The emails expose the bizarre and powerful influence Mr Pelling has over Mr Downes, a former journalist turned blogger, who is not thought to possess any formal legal qualifications.

The revelations follow a string of disclosures in the Croydon local press that the Labour group is ‘in turmoil’ and tearing itself apart. 

Mr Miller refused to comment on the emails when approached by the Croydon Gazette. 

Croydon Labour’s Flagship Candidate Secretly ‘Shortlisted’ in Carshalton, Claims Labour Blog

Eyes on another borough? Labour sources suggest Andrew Pelling is seeking to be MP elsewhere

There was fresh embarrassment for the Croydon Labour Party tonight, after the Labour History blog made claims that Waddon candidate Andrew Pelling was on the shortlist to become the MP of Carshalton and Wallington. The Labour History blog is widely regarded to be a reputable source, with over 7,000 twitter followers, including several senior members of the Croydon Labour party and the shadow cabinet, but the Croydon Gazette has yet to verify the claims despite repeated attempts to contact the Labour press office.  

If true, the scandal will pile further pressure on Croydon Labour leader Tony Newman, already heavily criticised for overseeing the appointment of some of the worst candidates in the Labour group’s electoral history, whilst dumping traditional supporters. The announcement was picked up by local journalist Gareth Davies, who claimed that the tweet could signal that Mr Pelling had bigger ambitious. Along with the majority of people in Croydon, Mr Davies has been frequently targeted by the Inside Croydon blog, of which Mr Pelling is special correspondent, the site’s editor is Steven Downes. The pair’s online antics and savage attacks have sent shockwaves through the local political community, a strategy which Labour Leader Newman refuses to condemn despite outcry from the general public.

Whilst electoral rules do allow politicians to run as parliamentary candidates whilst holding the job of a Councillor elsewhere, it would be unprecedented for an elected MP to continue with Council duties, particularly if the job resided within another constituency. Given the electoral timetable, that would mean that if Mr Pelling was successful in Waddon next Spring and was successful a year later at the general election in 2015 as an MP, he would come under political pressure to resign from the Croydon Council role after serving for only 12 months in the job, a move which would trigger a costly by-election which could place a heavy burden on Labour’s already limited finances.

Strange, but true?

The news was greeted with much amusement by local Conservative activists, “If this is true then we should hold a town party to celebrate, let’s hope he takes Downes with him and they can set up ‘Inside Carshalton’ together."

Inside Croydon's Steven Downes in Race Row Over Tweets at Indian-born Cllr

War of the Tweets - Steven Downes, Editor of Inside Croydon and Vidhi Mohan, Conservative Councillor - with images of the tweets

A senior Croydon Conservative Councillor has hit out at a string of offensive tweets posted by the leading Labour-supporting blog Inside Croydon. Indian-born Vidhi Mohan, a respected family man, was said to be horrified at the comments, which included references to his passport status and suggested that his party ´could not find a BME member with a passport.´ [BME stands for black and minority ethnic].

The Inside Croydon site is edited by Steven Downes who hit the headlines after publishing untrue allegations about Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell. The site´s Special Correspondent is Andrew Pelling, recently unveiled as the leading Labour candidate in Waddon, following stints as an Independent and a Tory for over a decade. In a recent interview with the Croydon Guardian, Andrew Pelling said, “We'll run a positive campaign.”

Vidhi Mohan said to Steven Downes, “How did my not having a UK passport in 2005 affect my ability to serve Fairfield residents? Racist and offensive blog!”

Steven Downes denied that the tweets were racist, he tweeted, "How is identifying you as not holding a UK passport when seeking election in Croydon racist?"

Pelling’s Blog Turns Fire on Croydon Labour Deputy Stuart Collins

There were further developments in the so-called ‘Pelling Revolution’ this evening as covert photographs taken at the Wandle Park revival day were published online by Labour supporting blog Inside Croydon. The images depicted respected senior Labour Councillor and Deputy Leader Stuart Collins having drinks with a Conservative Councillor with the caption, “No prizes for naming who are in the VIP area, with the free Pimms, at Wandle Park.”

The blog is authored by Steven Downes and Andrew Pelling, the former Tory who is said to be at the forefront of Croydon Labour’s transformation. He was given maximum publicity and the flagship seat of Waddon just weeks ago.

The revelations that Mr Collins is being targeted by his own side will come as shock to local Labour loyalists, who are already reeling from the sacking and public humiliation of domestic violence campaigner Karen Jewitt and Paul Smith.

‘I am not walking away’ says Dumped Labour Councillor Jewitt

Blue Labour: Longstanding Labour Councillors are Being Deselected for Tories in Croydon

A longstanding Labour Councillor, who has served the local Croydon Labour party for nearly two decades, has told a local newspaper that she won’t be walking away. Karen Jewitt, who was seen as Labour’s voice against domestic violence in the borough, was axed from her position in favour of Hamida Ali, from Purley. "I think Hamida was looking for a winnable seat and I was the casualty,” said Jewitt.

Labour leader and former ward colleague Tony Newman heaped praise on Ms. Jewitt but also warned that ‘and there will undoubtedly be one or more very hard decisions made.’ This was seen by local Labour activists as a warning that they could be replaced in favour of new blood, possibly more former Tories.

One decision that wasn’t difficult for Tony Newman was supporting former Tory Andrew Pelling to lead Labour’s Croydon campaign in the marginal ward of Waddon. It is widely expected that if Mr Pelling was to win the seat he would hold the balance of power in the Labour group and be in a good position to become a Cabinet member or even unseat Newman, gaining complete control of the Labour group.

All Change for Labour: Jewitt Out, Pelling In

Lifelong Labour activist Karen Jewitt has failed to win selection in Woodside, a constituency she has served in for a number of years. The decision was taken by local Labour Party activists and has shocked Croydon’s political community.

The news was enthusiastically tweeted out via Inside Croydon, a blog of which former Tory and now Labour candidate Andrew Pelling is special correspondent.

The Tweet announced that Ms Jewitt ‘fails to win selection.’ It was tweeted at a Guardian journalist and the editor of Labour List, presumably to spread the news as far as possible.

Mr Pelling was announced as the new face of the Labour Party last week, and received solid support from Labour leader Tony Newman, who was until recently a ward colleague of Ms Jewitt.

Labour Select Arrest-Scandal Ex-Tory for Waddon

Andrew Pelling: Waddon's candidate

With a crunch Council election on the cards in 2014, the local Labour group have decided to play a wild card by selecting controversial candidate Andrew Pelling, a former Tory for the Waddon ward.

Welcoming Andrew Pelling’s selection as the candidate in crucial Waddon ward, Labour Leader Tony Newman admitted Mr Pelling was likely to be motivated by revenge.

“(Getting back at the Tories) was probably his initial motivation when he joined the party, but he really has done the groundwork since then,” he said.

But Conservative Council leader Mike Fisher said, “As it is, I know a number of people in the Labour group are deeply wary of Andrew.”

Pelling hit the headlines after working as a city banker whilst on paid sick leave from the House of Commons.

The Conservatives withdrew the Tory whip from Andrew Pelling over allegations he assaulted his wife Lucy, who was pregnant at the time. He was not charged. His ex-wife made a number of other allegations about Mr Pelling in the local press about his opinion of Croydon voters.

The Labour Party welcomed him into the party in 2011.