Labour deselections: Four of five Middlesbrough councillors lose their appeals

Only Councillor Derek Loughborough is successful in appealing party's decision to deselect ahead of next year's local elections

Four out of five Middlesbrough Labour councillors who have been put forward for deselection have lost their appeals against the decision.

The quintet was deselected from the Labour party following an interview and selection process for Labour candidates.

It meant they would not be able to stand as party councillors in the next election - unless they had successfully appealed.

All of the parties involved have so far declined to comment on why the councillors were put forward for deselection.

View gallery

Five Middlesbrough councillors 'de-selected' from Labour Party

View gallery

The five were:

:: Councillor Len Junier (North Ormesby and Brambles Farm)

:: Councillor Pervaz Khan (Middlehaven)

:: Councillor Sajaad Khan (Gresham)

:: Councillor Derek Loughborough (North Ormesby and Brambles Farm)

:: Councillor John McPartland (Middlehaven)

Only Cllr Loughborough has won his appeal.

“I’m over the moon that I won the appeal," he said.

“I thought it went well and they listened to what I had to say and I took on board what they had to say. I’m pleased that it went my way.

“I’m happy I’ve won the appeal and looking at standing at the next election for Labour and hopefully win and move forward from all of this.”

Cllr John McPartland said on behalf of himself and Cllrs Len Junier and Pervaz Khan: “We cannot give a formal comment at present but in the near future we will give a full and frank comment about the situation.”

Cllr Sajaad Khan was unavailable for comment.

Steve Cass, chairman of Middlesbrough’s Local Campaign Forum, said: “The appeals process has now been completed and the list of prospective Labour Party candidates is now finalised.

“We now turn our attention to electing Labour MPs, a Labour Mayor and Labour councillors for Middlesbrough and getting the best for local people.”

The four councillors who lost their appeals will continue to work as councillors until the May 2015 election.

Cllr Pervaz Khan and Cllr Loughborough were suspended last year over claims they had paid people to join the party.

After an investigation by the national Labour Party, their “administrative suspensions” were later lifted.

Cllr McPartland is the longest-serving councillor out of the five.

He represented the Park ward from 1983, then Kader ward from 1999.

He began work in the Middlehaven ward in 2003.

Cllr Junier is the second longest-serving after becoming a councillor in 2009.

Cllr Pervaz Khan has been a councillor since 2006, Cllr Sajaad Khan since 2011 and Cllr Loughborough since 2012.