A LABOUR councillor has urged more women to put themselves forward for selection ahead of next year’s city council elections.

The Brighton and Hove Labour Party has chosen candidates in 19 of the city’s 21 wards so far, with 48 people selected to stand in the city council elections in May 2019.

But Regency Ward, which was due to select two candidates on August 6, and St Peter’s and North Laine Ward, scheduled to select three candidates on August 11, have still not put forward their final shortlists.

Suspended local Labour Party secretary Greg Hadfield wrote in a post on Medium.com that the reason behind the delay is not enough women being listed on the Local Campaign Forum panels.

Labour Party rules state that, in a two or three seat ward, one candidate has to be a woman unless, in a two seat ward, there are two existing male councillors.

Hove Park Ward, which has named Nigel Jenner as its male candidate, is waiting to select its female candidate.

Mr Hadfield, a member of Brighton and Hove’s Momentum steering committee, said: “We have selected so many women in the winnable wards that there are few women left to stand in the more marginal wards.

“I’m sure there will be a call out for more women to come forward soon but I haven’t seen anything yet.”

Exactly half, 24, of the 48 candidates selected so far are women.

Of the 22 candidates selected in Labour’s eight most winnable wards, that is the wards which they tend to win in elections, 12 are women, which is more than 54 per cent.

Ten of the 13 sitting councillors who wanted to stand again in the elections next May, have been reselected.

Councillor Nancy Platts, who represents East Brighton Ward and was hired as Jeremy Corbyn’s trade union liaison manager in 2015, is the only one of these who was backed by the local Momentum group.

She said she is “delighted” to have been reselected by the members of East Brighton Ward.

Councillor Jackie O’Quinn, chairwoman of the licensing committee and representative of Goldsmid Ward, was also reselected to stand next year.

She said it was “worrying” there are not a lot of women putting themselves forward for the role of councillor.

She said: “There are a number of women selected for the safer seats, but not for the more marginal wards, possibly because of the amount of work needed for campaigning.

“I think women tend to do better at being elected, especially at local level.

“I am surprised as Brighton is meant to be so modern and go-getting, so not to have a lot of women candidates is a bit worrying really.

“We have had such an increase in membership, you’d think we would get more women coming forward.

“They should just have a go, as even if they don’t get elected, knocking on doors and meeting people gives you a lot of experience.

“It is a lot of work though, and many women have family commitments or work commitments.

“Being a councillor is like a full-time job, it’s a way of life.”