SANDWELL Council’s first LGBT+ Mayor has been deselected from standing in May’s local elections, putting his political future in jeopardy.

Labour councillor Richard Jones was asked by Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) not to restand for election.

Cllr Jones has held the position of Mayor for almost a year and also holds membership with Unison, but he will now be unable to remain in his post as councillor unless he runs under a different political party.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands at least other five councillors have been asked not to stand. They include councillor Richard McVittie, the partner of councillor Jones.

Other councillors asked not to stand include Peter Allen, Zahir Hussain, Karen Simms, Manjit Gill, Thabiso Mabena, Stephen Jones – the brother of Richard Jones – and Zahoor Ahmed, who holds Sandwell Council’s environment cabinet position – an important role tackling pollution and flytipping in the borough.

Cllr Jones said he was “absolutely gutted” that Labour party members have not chosen him to re-stand for the Old Warley ward which he has represented for four years. 

He suggested both he and his partner had “exemplary" records over the past four years and that no reason has been given for the decision. He said: "We’ve been told there is no appeal.”

Cllr Jones added it was “bittersweet knowing some people locally/nationally do not feel we would be suitable for another term”.

“We will continue to advocate for those who are marginalised in Sandwell,” he said. “Thank you to all those who have supported us especially as the first LGBT+ mayoral couple in the West Midlands. We are extremely proud of what we have achieved over the past four years. Thank you.”

A Labour source hit back at the councillor's claim there was “no reason” for his deselection.

He said: “Unsuccessful applicants are told why they’re unsuccessful. So Mr Jones and Mr McVittie will both know the reasons why they didn’t get selected.

“Some candidates just aren’t good enough, or are colour blind to the issues within Sandwell. They aren’t implicated in anything else.”

Cllr Jones’s defeat comes against the background of a power-struggle over the direction of wider Sandwell politics.

A Labour spokesperson said: “The Labour party used a fair and robust selection process in Sandwell, to select the very best candidates. And we’re looking forward to working with those candidates.”

Of Sandwell’s 72 council seats, 21 are up for grabs in May. Local Labour activists fear the infighting could favour the Conservatives, who continue to target seats in the borough. “This is not in the interest of the party,” one activist said.

Several local Labour sources have described cllr Jones’s defeat as being inflicted by Labour’s NEC – which under Keir Starmer’s leadership continues to get rid of candidates loyal to the party’s ‘hard left’.

Like many Labour selections across the UK, the NEC has exerted particularly tight control over the final shortlist, with a majority of candidates loyal to Starmer’s wing of the party – as well as disempowering local activists.

One Labour source said: “There’s several things going on in Sandwell. There were a lot of people selected in 2019 who I suppose you’d call ‘below par’. People who are there for political reasons because they were very close to Unite and Momentum.

“Some good people were deselected and some good people were saved. I would say there is an element of revenge.”

The Labour source added candidates that have been rumoured to be shortlisted to stand as councillors include Jennifer Hemmingway – who failed to win a Labour seat in last year’s local elections – and those connected to John Spellar, the Labour MP for Warley.

Another local Labour activist, who declined to be named, told the LDRS it was “more of a build up of power and control” from other Labour families and factions in Sandwell.

Sandwell Labour has been approached for comment.