Front-runner for Strang seat is voted out of key role in 'coup'

Mike Robb, who was Dr Strang's election agent in Edinburgh East, was excluded from the Craigmillar, Duddingston and Prestonfield branch's delegation to the constituency party at the branch annual general meeting last week, leaving a question mark over his post as constituency chairman.

The meeting elected former councillor Paul Nolan as branch secretary, with an automatic place on the delegation to the constituency party, along with his wife Kate, daughter Lindsay and ex-council colleague David Brown.

Sources in the branch said the move was a serious setback for Mr Robb's hopes of being selected as Labour candidate for the seat when Mr Strang steps down at the next election.

They claimed it meant he could not continue as constituency party chairman after its AGM this Thursday. But supporters of Mr Robb said the Co-operative Party, which is an affiliated organisation, had already agreed to make him a delegate to the constituency party and he was confident of being re-elected to the chair.

A Labour source said Mr Robb's defeat at the branch meeting was "bad news" for his nomination hopes, though he appeared to have been the victim of an organised coup. The source said: "There are usually only about eight people at these meetings, but this time there were 16.

Paul Nolan and some of his supporters were removed from the community council and they may be trying to use this as an alternative power base."

A branch insider said: "If Mike Robb can't get his branch to put him forward as a delegate to the constituency, it doesn't look good for his effort to become the MP."

But a source close to Mr Robb said: "He believes events at the branch AGM may only serve to show the narrow support some activists from Craigmillar have."

Mr Robb failed in his bid to be chosen as Labour candidate in Edinburgh East for last year's Holyrood elections. He declared his interest in the Westminster nomination soon after Dr Strang announced he would not fight the seat again. Former student leader Rami Okasha is also interested.

Mr Nolan said: "As this is an internal Labour Party matter, I can't make any comment."