A local Labour secretary has quit in protest at their choice to stand for Walton MP.
Dan Carden was selected by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to stand in June 8’s snap General Election to represent the constituency.
The 30-year-old’s nomination comes after incumbent Steve Rotheram stood down to become the first elected metro mayor in the Liverpool City Region.
Carden had previously served as an aide to the Unite union’s general secretary Len McCluskey before receiving Labour’s backing on Tuesday afternoon.
But a bitter row has opened up, with several local political figures angered at the outcome for one of the safest Parliamentary constituency seats in the country.
Ben Williams claimed he would tender his resignation as Labour’s CLP secretary for Walton, calling the result a ‘disgraceful undemocratic stitch-up’.
Further condemnation came from Joe Anderson, who stood alongside Carden and Euro MP Theresa Griffin for election, as he spoke about the result.
In a statement, the Mayor of Liverpool said: “I put myself forward for the selection in Liverpool Walton on my track record of running a successful Labour council in a major city and my desire to use those skills for Walton, for Liverpool and a new Labour government.
“Apparently it wasn’t good enough for the panel, and everyone knows why.
“I have turned the Labour party’s fortunes in the city around, alongside my colleagues, from 19 cllrs to 80 and won two city-wide mayoral elections.
“I’ve led a socialist council which despite seven years of austerity and a 64% loss in funding has defended people and services for those most in need.
“Today, we are reminded that the Labour Party is not always a meritocracy.
“But we will continue to campaign for the General Election, after which there will be more to say.”