Harry Barnes MP urges anti-war party activists not to pick and mix candidates

The Labour Against the War Group has circulated a bulletin in which it says that "We are drawing up a list of campaign contact details for those Labour MPs who opposed the war and oppose the continuing occupation of Iraq.

We are urging every LATW sponsor and affiliate to get involved in campaigning for anti-war Labour MPs. If you don't have an anti-war Labour Party candidate we will tell you where the nearest one is – so you can join their campaign. There are some anti-war Labour MPs with small majorities – they deserve our support."

Of course, it is entirely reasonable for party members not to work for particular candidates, even their locally selected ones, on grounds of conscience. Some members, for instance, would find it difficult to work for someone with strong views for or against abortion. A candidate's support for the war in Iraq could also be classified as a matter of conscience.

However, there is something quite different about a group of Labour Party members organising what amounts to a boycott of particular candidates on these grounds.

Labour Party candidates are selected by due democratic process and, whilst no-one can force members to work for them, organising this collectively is a dodgy precedent and we ask LATW to retract this ill-advised tactic.