What is it about the Labour Party and sex scandals? Was Lord Glasman right about perversion and pedophilia?
Labour councillors were blocked from standing in the May elections after they demanded an inquiry into why Tom Dewey was selected as a candidate AFTER he was found with child rape images.
According to detailed reporting by Skwawkbox in The Canary this week, councillors including Hackney’s Clare Johnson were deselected after pushing for a debate and full investigation into the 2023 selection of Tom Dewey. Party officials were allegedly aware at the time that Dewey had been charged with possessing the most serious category of child rape images, yet still allowed him to stand. Dewey later admitted the offences, was convicted, and placed on the sex offender register.
Johnson reportedly overturned a centralised deselection only for the local selection process to be orchestrated against her. Local women members who tried to raise the issue were reportedly locked out of party systems to prevent discussion. Hackney’s then mayor Philip Glanville was suspended after photographs emerged of him socialising with Dewey shortly after the arrest.
This episode has received virtually no coverage in mainstream outlets to date, despite the original Dewey case being widely reported in 2022–23 by the BBC, Hackney Citizen, Hackney Gazette and The Times. Dewey was arrested in April 2022, elected as a Labour councillor in May 2022, resigned days later, and was convicted in August 2023.
A sustained pattern of sex based scandals
The deselection comes against a backdrop of multiple reported sex offence cases linked to Labour figures in recent years:
Convictions or arrests involving individuals such as Liron Velleman (repeated sex crimes against a 13-year-old), Sam Gould (indecent exposure to a 13-year-old, March 2025), and former Hackney councillor Tom Dewey himself.
Ongoing investigations into figures including Dan Norris MP (arrested on rape and child sex offence allegations).
Earlier cases such as Ivor Caplin (arrested on child sex allegations, January 2025).
Separately, Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially resisted calls for a national inquiry into grooming gangs, repeatedly accusing opponents of “jumping on a far-right bandwagon.” He performed a u-turn in June 2025 only after immense pressure commissioning the Casey report that, as revealed by Raja Miah, the outcome was attempted to be manipulated by Jess Philips, Yvette Cooper and their team to remove parts they didn’t want to be public knowledge, thus causing the start of leaks by the Casey team into the public domain to get the truth out there.
Since the announcement the process has stalled, a chair named who had no idea he was involved, then no chair appointed for months, victims resigning citing alleged cover-ups, and wrangles over widening the remit to not focus of the grooming gangs specifically but wider CSE.
Courtsdesk archive deletion of sex abuse cases
On 18 February The Telegraph revealed that a comprehensive Courtsdesk archive of 4.8 million court records and detailing over 25,000 child sexual abuse cases, repeat offenders, and geographic patterns in grooming gang scandals is due for permanent deletion on government orders. HM Courts & Tribunals Service cited “unauthorised sharing”; the company says allegations are untrue and all legal avenues are exhausted. Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy warned the loss would destroy vital evidence for journalists, researchers and the public inquiry itself.
We havnt finished with the Epstein scandal
Further embarrassment came with the deepening Peter Mandelson / Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Starmer appointed the veteran Labour fixer as US ambassador despite his well documented past association with the convicted sex offender. Fresh US Department of Justice file releases in early 2026 exposed further communications, including allegations Mandelson passed sensitive government information to Epstein during the financial crisis. Mandelson was sacked but now faces a police investigation for misconduct in public office, and his consultancy firm Global Counsel is reportedly heading into administration amid clients leaving the now toxic brand.
On Sky News earlier this month, Labour peer Lord Maurice Glasman bluntly stated that New Labour had become an alien body within the party and warned: “this is where it leads - perversion and paedophilia.” We wrote previously we hope his is wrong, but again just days later a sex related story emerges.
Labour Party figures recently involved in sexual misconduct
Even if we just keep to the higher profile sexual misconduct cases in the last few years its distressing;
Eric Joyce (former Falkirk Labour MP): Convicted 2020 of making an indecent image of a child; suspended prison sentence and placed on sex offenders register (BBC).
Lord Nazir Ahmed (former Labour peer): Convicted 2022 of serious sexual assault on a boy and attempted rape of a girl (offences from 1970s); jailed (BBC).
Tom Dewey (former Hackney Labour councillor): Convicted August 2023 of multiple counts of possessing indecent images of children (including Category A); suspended sentence (BBC, Hackney Citizen).
Sean Morton (former Moray Labour councillor): Convicted 2018 of possessing indecent images of children; re-convicted and jailed 2025 for further offences (BBC, Guardian).
Craig Edward (former Clydebank Scottish Labour councillor): Convicted 2024 and jailed 28 months for possessing indecent images of children (offences 2016–2022); removed from party after arrest (BBC).
Mike Hill (former Hartlepool Labour MP): Employment tribunal ruled July 2021 he repeatedly sexually assaulted and harassed a female parliamentary staffer; resigned (Guardian).
Chris Matheson (former City of Chester Labour MP): Resigned after independent expert panel found “serious sexual misconduct” towards junior female staff (2021–22 reporting).
Geraint Davies (Swansea West Labour MP): Suspended 2023 over multiple allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour towards junior female colleagues (Politico/Independent).
Sam Gould (former Redbridge Labour councillor and aide to Wes Streeting): Convicted April 2025 of two counts of indecent exposure, one involving a 13-year-old girl; suspended sentence and resigned (BBC, Sky).
Ivor Caplin (former Hove Labour MP and minister): Suspended by Labour 2024 over undisclosed serious allegations; arrested January 2025 in paedophile sting on suspicion of sexual communication with a child (The Argus, Morning Star).
Dan Norris (former Labour MP, minister and West of England Mayor, now independent): Arrested April 2025 on suspicion of rape, child sex offences and abduction; re-arrested February 2026 on further rape, sexual assault, voyeurism and upskirting allegations; denies all (BBC, Guardian, Sky).
Liron Velleman (former Barnet Labour councillor): Pleaded guilty February 2026 to attempting sexual communication with a child (13-year-old police decoy) and causing a child to view sexual images; offences committed December 2024 while serving as councillor; resigned April 2025 (BBC, Telegraph).
With local elections weeks away, voters in councils across Britain may now ask whether Labour’s much vaunted change includes proper safeguarding of children and transparency when its own candidates and officials face the gravest allegations, or whether raising such questions remains career ending inside the party.