Sexist Labour Party members don't like strong women – MP

Published on Sunday 23 November 2008 20:56

ANNE Moffat, the embattled MP, said yesterday that sexist opponents who did not like "strong women" were responsible for trying to force her out as a Labour candidate.

Ms Moffat's East Lothian Labour Party has been suspended by the UK Labour Party following a vicious civil war.

The focus has been a concert-ed campaign by some activists to try to get Ms Moffat deselected before the next election.

Local party members recently passed a no-confidence motion in Ms Moffat, claiming their relationship with her had broken down and that the MP had "brought the party into disrepute".

But Ms Moffat walked out of the meeting before the vote was taken – a vote which had already been ruled "unconstitutional" by Colin Smyth, the Scottish general-secretary of the Labour Party.

Local activists went ahead anyway and, as a result, all party business was suspended while UK officials investigated what had happened.

Yesterday Ms Moffat hit back, accusing her critics of being sexist and for attacking her because she is a woman.

She said: "There was a group of people who were quoted as saying, 'We will vote for anybody except that trade union woman'.

"The 'woman' bit I found more offensive than the 'trade union' bit, but that's a bit of a nonsense and maybe it's just something that a certain quarter in East Lothian don't like – and that is working with women, and particularly strong women, women who won't be controlled."

Asked what she meant by that, Ms Moffat replied: "I am my own person and there are some people in East Lothian who would like to dictate how a politician does the job. I do the job the best I can for my constituents and all party members, not just some individuals."

Ms Moffat has strong union credentials. She is a member of Unison and the TUC general purposes committee.

Indeed, it is understood that much of the local unhappiness about Ms Moffat stemmed from the union block vote which saved her from facing a full selection contest last year.

Ms Moffat has faced internal criticism for some time. Four years ago, she sacked three of her staff, provoking anger in the constituency; then faced accusations – dismissed by the authorities – that she had abused her Commons expenses.

All of this has led to a strong campaign by some local party members for her deselection – which she has resisted fiercely.

East Lothian is also the local party of Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray but he has avoided getting involved. "His taking a back seat is probably the right thing to do," said Ms Moffat.

PROFILE

ELECTED in 2001 as the Labour MP for East Lothian, 50-year-old Anne Moffat has always been a party loyalist at Westminster.

In 2004, it emerged she had claimed 40,000 in travel expenses in a year, more than any other MP.

In May 2007, the former nurse was criticised again, this time for comparing Alex Salmond to Adolf Hitler.

In May this year, she was attacked and robbed near her home by a gang of youths. She was knocked unconscious and had her jewellery stolen.