Labour's Croydon East members angered by party's handling of selection process

Unelected and unidentified party figures accused of interfering in local affairs

Labour members in the new Croydon East constituency are furious that unelected and unidentified party figures are interfering in local affairs, and are demanding greater transparency and accountability from the party leadership.

Labour lost both the Croydon Mayoralty and therefore control of a council they had held

The anger of the Croydon East members comes after the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) imposed a candidate on the local party without consulting the membership. The candidate, who has not been publicly named, is not from the area and has no experience of local politics.

The NEC's decision has been met with widespread anger from the Croydon East membership, who feel that they have been disenfranchised and that the party is no longer listening to its members.

Labour has lost control of Croydon Council with the authority tipping into no overall control after a lengthy

In a statement, the Croydon East Labour Party said: "We are deeply disappointed and angry at the NEC's decision to impose a candidate on us without consulting the membership. This is a betrayal of our democracy and a clear sign that the party is no longer listening to its members."

"We demand greater transparency and accountability from the party leadership. We want to know who is making these decisions and why. We also want to know what criteria the NEC used to select the candidate."

The Tories have taken the Croydon mayoralty from Labour in the latest major upset in the..

"We will not stand for this undemocratic interference in our local affairs. We will not be silenced. We will continue to fight for our democracy and for the right of our members to have a say in who represents them."

The NEC's decision is the latest in a series of controversies to hit the Labour Party in recent months. The party has been plagued by allegations of bullying, sexism and anti-Semitism, and has seen a number of high-profile resignations.

The Croydon East controversy is a further blow to the party's reputation and will likely lead to further calls for reform. The party needs to address the concerns of its members and rebuild trust if it is to have any chance of winning back the trust of the electorate.