Labour civil war erupts as Keir Starmer finds new rival in one of his own candidates
Clacton candidate Jovan Owusu-Nepaul was due to go up against Reform UK's Nigel Farage before he was pulled out.
A Labour Party civil war has erupted after one of their candidates became unexpectedly popular.
According to reports, Labour officials became upset after Jovan Owusu-Nepaul – who was going up against Reform UK’s leader Nigel Farage in Clacton – gained traction on social media and started to "distract" from Sir Keir Starmer’s campaign.
Following the incident, Mr Owusu-Nepaul, 27, who worked for Labour’s equalities team, has been moved to the West Midlands and the local campaign team in Clacton effectively wound down.
The move has left Labour officials in Clacton outraged as Owusu-Nepaul was starting to make waves and gain traction in a seat where Labour won just 15 percent of the vote in the 2019 general election.
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Speaking to the Guardian about the debacle, a Labour source said that at one point Owusu-Nepaul “was getting more retweets than Keir Starmer”. They added: “The officials were furious with him and said he was distracting Starmer’s campaign.”
Furthermore, in a letter seen by the publication, Labour’s general secretary David Evans said Owusu-Nepaul “was told to never come back to Clacton and…was instructed to move to the West Midlands region”.
Reacting to the news, local Labour party members in Clacton described their displeasure at the move. One member, Chris Bee, described the move as “absolutely disgusting”.
Mr Bee claimed that Owusu-Nepaul was not being allowed back into the constituency to fight what he described as one of the area’s most important general elections.
A spokesperson for the Labour Party told the publication: “We are working hard to deliver as many Labour MPs as possible in the general election and our campaigners are bringing our message of change to people across the country.”
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Before Owusu-Nepaul’s movement from Clacton to the West Midlands, the young candidate had been gaining popularity both in the constituency and around the country. He was dubbed the country’s best-dressed candidate by fans on social media.
Earlier this month, before Labour’s change in strategy, Owusu-Nepaul said: “I would like to offer my heartfelt gratitude for the warm welcome Clacton CLP, and members of the community have already extended to me.
“I know we can mount a campaign to give us a fighting chance of winning the next election and give residents in places like Clacton, Frinton, Walton-on-the-Naze and the surrounding villages a stronger voice in Westminster.”
