Statement by Mark Sandell, elected chair of Brighton, Hove and District Labour Party*

On Saturday (July 9), Brighton, Hove and District Labour Party (the “City Party”) held its biggest and most successful annual all-member meeting that elected a new leadership team for the party.

Most of the places on the executive committee — and all the officers — were won by a substantial majority. Most candidates were supporters of Jeremy Corbyn and attracted up to 66% of the votes cast.

The new executive planned to use this engagement of members to win the council by-election in East Brighton for Labour. But only five days later, the 6,000-member City Party has been suspended and the election annulled by the Labour Party’s national executive committee (NEC).

More than 600 people attended the meeting, which was organised, chaired and conducted in an exemplary manner.

The atmosphere throughout was cordial and good-natured.

The subsequent count was conducted by party members who supported different sets of candidates and a variety of individuals. No complaints were made from either side about the integrity of the voting or count.

The suggestions that the meeting put members’ safety at risk is absurd. Any allegations of intimidation or poor behaviour are untrue.

There is no doubt this draconian and undemocratic intervention by the NEC has been taken because of the overwhelming success of candidates who support Jeremy Corbyn — an outcome that was simply unacceptable to the leadership of the Labour Group on Brighton and Hove City Council and and to the party’s national executive.

We demand the suspension of the Brighton, Hove and District Labour Party is lifted and the election results of the annual meeting are recognised.

We ask all Labour Party members to stay strong, stay in the party, and to work for the reinstatement of the results that our members so clearly voted for.

And most urgently, we call for an end to the smears and the false allegations so we can get on with the job of winning the East Brighton by-election, defeat the Conservatives, and put an end to economic “austerity” that is making the poorest pay for the profiteering of the richest.

• Mark Sandell was elected chair of Brighton, Hove and District Labour Party — before the results were annulled by the Labour Party’s NEC and the party suspended