Labour activist quits party over Kingsway selection

Mr Janjua holding his resignation letter

Another Labour Activist has quit the Labour Party amid a growing storm over the selection of Rochdale’s Labour MP’s Partner Karen Burke as Labour Candidate for the Kingsway ward.

Mohammed Amin Janjua has supported the Labour Party for many years and has been a member of the party for over twelve years.

He said: “I have this week resigned from the party because of the way the selection for Kingsway ward was carried out. I put my name forward together with several others but supporters of mine who were party members, were stopped from voting to enable Karen Burke to be selected.

“This is totally undemocratic. It seems unless you are a supporter of the MP or a member of his partner’s family you have no chance.”

Mr Janjua is the second Labour party member to quit the party over the Kingsway selection. Momammed Miah who is now standing for the Respect Party also quit Labour over the Kingsway selection.

Mr Janjua has now joined the Liberal Democrats and is fully supporting Sharon Taylor for Kingsway ward.

Sharon Taylor said: “I am delighted that Amin is now supporting me. More and more people are now realising that Labour in Kingsway have nothing to offer local people.”

Former MP Paul Rowen, who has known Mr Janjua through his charity work for the Friends of East Africia, said: “Amin is a prominent member of the Ugandan Asian business community. His resignation shows there is a problem with equality within the local Labour Party. He is the third person that I am aware of who was promised the nomination last year.”

However, a member of the Labour party, Frank Greaves-Shaw, says Mr Janjua never once attended any meetings until the night of selection.

Mr Greaves-Shaw said: “As this selection meeting took place six months ago. Why has he not taken his objections up with our Regional Office? Who would certainly [have] looked into his complaint and investigated any so called discrepancies.” 

Karen Burke has been invited to respond.