A LABOUR councillor who helped raise the alarm about alleged membership irregularities in Falkirk has been blocked from trying to stand as a Westminster candidate in the seat.
Linda Gow, who had also called for the party's internal report into the scandal to be published, has been kept off Labour's all-women shortlist in the constituency.
Labour's selection process in Falkirk has been dogged by claims the Unite union packed the constituency with new members to help its favoured candidate Karie Murphy, who works for former party deputy chairman Tom Watson. It was also alleged some of the sign-ups had been recruited without their consent.
The other original candidates were digital communications worker Gregor Poynton, and Ms Gow, a Falkirk councillor who helped bring the claims to the attention of the party.
An initial investigation led to the UK party suspending Ms Murphy and local Unite official Stevie Deans, scrapping the scheme used to recruit the new members, and taking over the running of the constituency.
Ms Murphy and Mr Deans were reinstated after evidence was withdrawn during Labour's re-examination of the claims.
Unite's behaviour during the collapsed investigation has since come under heavy scrutiny.
Labour pushed ahead with its selection of a candidate, with four candidates applying: ex-MSP Karen Whitefield; equality campaigner Pam Duncan; South Lanarkshire councillor Monica Lennon; and Ms Gow. After an interview with a panel this week, Ms Gow did not make the final cut. Ms Whitefield, Ms Duncan and Ms Lennon made the shortlist.
Speaking in September, Ms Gow called on Labour to publish the original investigation's findings.
Ms Gow had also criticised Watson, who brought up her role in airing the initial allegations.
She said at the time: "Tom Watson admitted he had not read the report, yet has taken it upon himself to make claims about the authorship of the letters."
Labour was forced to select a new Falkirk candidate after sitting MP Eric Joyce pled guilty to assault and left the party.
Local members will pick the winning candidate next month.
Ms Gow said yesterday: "I'm disappointed I have not been given the chance to stand for selection. I'd like to thank the local members who have supported me. I wish the three high-calibre candidates all the very best."
Scottish Tory energy spokesman Murdo Fraser said: "The mess created in Falkirk by Labour and Unite gets worse by the week. Just when you think a line has been drawn under it, another embarrassing example of petty squabbling rears its head."
An SNP spokesman said: "Despite the fact she is supposed to be leader of the whole Labour Party in Scotland, Johann Lamont has stood by and watched her party implode in Falkirk without doing anything."
A Scottish Labour spokesman said: "We are delighted the Labour members of Falkirk will have three very talented women to pick from when they come together to select the candidate they want to represent their community.
"We stand ready to get behind our new candidate when she is selected and begin earning the trust of the people of Falkirk in the run-up to the general election."
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