No room on the left

From Ms Liz Davies

Sir: Tom Sawyer, Labour's general secretary, says I am not a "suitable" candidate for Labour - even though I was democratically selected in accordance with the party rulebook - because I broke the whip as an Islington councillor on "numerous occasions" ("Labour split after left-wing candidate is forced out", 28 September).

As I made clear to the National Executive Committee on Monday, the fact is that I have broken the whip on Islington Council precisely two times in my five-and-a-half years as a Labour councillor.

Since the general election of 1992, more than 100 sitting Labour MPs have broken the parliamentary whip at least once. All who have been reselected have been endorsed by the NEC without qualms.

Mr Sawyer's inaccurate assertions are meant to hide the real reason for my non-endorsement. I have been removed as the candidate simply because I am on the left of the Labour Party.

Yours sincerely,

Liz Davies

London, N1

28 September