Wolverhampton deputy mayor deselected for ex-Tory he beat to win seat
Wolverhampton Council's deputy mayor has been deselected as a Labour candidate – and replaced by the former Tory he beat in a previous election.
Councillor Mike Hardacre was deselected at a meeting of Park ward members, preventing him from standing as their Labour candidate in next May's local elections.
And in a bizarre twist the candidate selected to replace him, taxi driver Muhammad Nasim, stood against Councillor Hardacre as a Conservative when he was first elected in 2011.
Councillor Hardacre has appealed the decision amid claims of a "stitch up" over the vote count. He is due to become mayor next year but would be unable to take up the post if he was no longer a councillor.
He told the Star: "At the moment I am unable to comment on this matter because it is the subject of an appeal relating to voting irregularities."
Park ward Labour members voted in candidates for May 2023's 'all out' elections at a meeting last week.
It is understood that sitting councillors Claire Darke and Craig Collingswood have been reselected. Councillor Hardacre's appeal is believed to relate to claims of irregularities regarding the voting procedure that was used.
A Labour source told the Star: "The correct process wasn't followed. It's a proper stitch up."
Another source claimed Councillor Hardacre had "lost support" in the ward, and added: "It's questionable whether he would have won under any procedure."
Councillor Hardacre, a former headteacher who has been a Labour Party member for 48 years, was first elected in Park ward in 2011. He has previously served as the city's education chief.
He took the seat from the Lib Dems at the 2011 local election, beating Conservative candidate Nasim Ullah – who is now known as Muhammad Nasim – into second place.
Mr Nasim stood unsuccessfully for Labour in Penn in 2019, and also made a failed bid for Tettenhall Regis in 2014.
