Bid to replace Labour MP Anne Moffat set to go to vote

EAST Lothian Labour MP Anne Moffat will have to wait a week to find out if her local party has been given permission to deselect her.

Labour's national executive committee held a conference call yesterday and agreed a full vote on whether to allow the East Lothian party to call an all-member meeting to vote on replacing Ms Moffat as its candidate for the general election. The result should be known next Wednesday.

The move follows a 25-5 vote by the general committee of the local party in January in favour of re-opening the selection.

Ms Moffat, who was first elected in 2001, survived a previous attempt to deselect her in 2007 and a motion of no confidence the following year.

A Labour spokesman said: "A recommendation that the matter be referred to all the local Labour Party members to gauge their views, as the party's procedures stipulate, was considered. The NEC will vote on this suggestion and the decision will be known in a number of days."