Expenses: MP Anne Moffat faces deselection
A controversial Labour MP faces deselection after losing the backing of her local party in a vote on Friday night.
Members in East Lothian have ruled that Anne Moffat should not stand as a candidate in the forthcoming election.
It follows a series of battles between members of the East Lothian Constituency Labour Party and the MP. They have blasted her record in her constituency and criticised her for becoming embroiled in the MPs expenses scandal while in return, Ms Moffat claims she has been bullied and intimidated.
She has until Monday to lodge an appeal with Labour's National Executive Committee if she wishes.
A Labour Party spokesman said: "Members in East Lothian met tonight and considered a special resolution on whether Anne Moffat should be the candidate at the general election.
"This was carried out in accordance with the Labour Party rulebook.
Members decided that Anne Moffat should not be the candidate at the general election.
"Anne has the right of appeal if she wishes to the NEC and must do so by Monday. If no appeal is received by then the Labour Party will move quickly to allow local party members to select a new candidate."
Ms Moffat lost the vote held at a meeting in Haddington by a significant margin, it is understood.
Activists had previously signalled that they wanted to choose a new candidate to fight the seat, which is held at Holyrood by Labour's Scottish leader Iain Gray.
The local constituency party was suspended in 2008 over an earlier row about her re-selection to fight the election, widely expected on May 6.
Ms Moffat, who was first elected to serve the area in 2001, gained the support of only two of six branches in the constituency but was endorsed as the candidate through votes from union affiliates.
She attracted criticism after claiming £40,000 in travel expenses between 2003 and 2004, more than any other MP.
The party spokesman said: "The local Labour Party is now determined to win back the trust of the people of the county and unite to ensure Labour wins the general election."
Conservative candidate for East Lothian Michael Veitch said Labour was "in turmoil".
He said: "Just a few short weeks from the British general election and they don't have a candidate in the seat of their Scottish Labour leader. Labour is in turmoil.
"In less than 50 days time, voters have a clear choice. Five more years of this weak and divided Labour Party or change with David Cameron and the Conservatives."
Liberal Democrat candidate Stuart Ritchie said: "In Iain Gray's back yard the Labour party are weak and discredited.
"Gray, Moffat and the local Labour party should have been concerned with the proposed closure of the Cadet school in Haddington, the state of East Lothian town centres, and potential ward closures in East Lothian hospitals.
"Instead for the last three years all they have been interested in is their own personal feuds and egos.It's a shame East Lothian will have to wait another seven weeks to get rid of Labour and elect an MP who will fight for their constituents and properly represent them in Parliament."
Unhappy members
Willie Innes, chairman of the East Lothian Constituency Labour Party (ELCLP), said members moved to deselect Ms Moffat by 130 votes to 59.
He said the MP had not attended a constituency meeting for two years and the local party was unhappy about a number of issues, including Ms Moffat's expense claims.
Mr Innes said: "I think what the vote did tonight was lay to rest our MP's claim that it was only a small cabal that was opposed to her.
"The defining points were that the MP was continually attracting bad press and a lot of people thought the MP wasn't working hard enough in the constituency. She publicly stated recently that the local Labour Party was low on her priority list and I think members resented that.
"Now we are keen to take the party forward and to campaign on the real issues facing East Lothian."
An SNP spokesman said: "After this debacle, it is only the SNP who is offering the people of East Lothian a local champion, whilst all the Labour Party offer is local disarray."
