Labour demands probe into Leicester South Monster Raving Loony Party candidate

There's a new theory about how Labour's Jonathan Ashworth contrived to lose his Leicester South seat at the last general election. Apparently, it's all the fault of the Monster Raving Loony Party.

A report from The i explains:

Labour is demanding a police investigation into possible breaches of electoral law claiming an Official Monster Raving Loony candidate was used to help unseat a shadow cabinet member, i can reveal.

In one of the shock results of the election, Jonathan Ashworth who was tipped for a major role in Sir Keir Starmer's government, lost his seat to an independent candidate who campaigned against Labour’s policy towards Israel.

Mr Ashworth lost the Leicester South seat by fewer than 1,000 votes after a campaign by rival Shockat Adam focused on events in Gaza and Labour’s reluctance to demand a ceasefire.

An i investigation has learned that an occasional campaign volunteer for Mr Adam, Amaar Suliman, also ran against Ashworth as the candidate for the Official Monster Raving Loony Party under the name Mr Ezechiel Adlore.

As Mr Adlore, Mr Suliman spent almost £2,000 producing and distributing thousands of leaflets across the constituency during the election campaign criticising Mr Ashworth.

Mr Suliman’s fliers attacked Mr Ashworth’s 13-year record representing the constituency. They were headed "Missing MP alert" and asked voters "have you ever seen this man?".

Labour say they want the police to investigate the relationship between Mr Adam, now Leicester South’s MP, and Mr Suliman as they believe it raises questions over the accuracy of Mr Adam’s election expenses.

The i goes on to say that both Adam and Suliman deny any suggestion of wrongdoing and Adam has described any claim the two worked together as "bizarre and false".

h/t Mark Pack.