THE struggle for a ‘progressive alliance’ in South West Surrey shows no sign of relenting, after local Labour members unanimously passed a motion of support for the reinstatement of three expelled members last week.

Long-standing Labour activists Steve Williams, Kate Townsend and Robert Park were sacked by party HQ in May after publicly backing National Health Action party candidate Dr Louise Irvine as their preferred choice to stand against the Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt at the June 8 general election.

Labour HQ subsequently put forward its own candidate, David Black, who went on to criticise local members for betraying the “blood of your heart” after Mr Hunt was elected for a fourth time as MP for South West Surrey.

But, meeting for the first time since the election on June 22, the South West Surrey Constituency Labour Party (CLP) gave its overwhelming backing to the so-called ‘Godalming Three’ and reiterated its support for the progressive alliance.

The motion passed by members read: “The SW Surrey CLP expresses its outrage at the expulsion of three of our active CLP members, including our secretary, for supporting a progressive alliance in this constituency, as mandated by the CLP membership voting on two previous occasions. We demand the immediate reinstatement of our members.”

Members also chose to back an identical motion to the one passed by Richmond Park CLP, to allow local Labour parties the right not to stand a candidate in a general election.

The motion will be debated at the Labour annual conference, taking place this September in Brighton.