No details of the complaint against Bambos Charalambous have yet been made public

Bambos Charalambous, Labour Party (credit parliament.uk) — Bambos Charalambous (credit parliament.uk)

Enfield Southgate MP Bambos Charalambous has been suspended by the Labour Party following a complaint that “requires investigation”.

The local MP said in a statement on Friday (9th) that he would “co-operate fully” with the Labour investigation and that it was “not appropriate” to say anything further.

The Dispatch has reached out to Charalambous but has not received any response.

The Enfield Southgate MP and former Enfield councillor was first elected to the House of Commons in 2017, in one of the surprise results of that year’s general election. The seat had previously been held by Conservative David Burrowes, who was again defeated by Charalambous in 2019.

Charalambous had since been appointed to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet, as a shadow foreign office minister for the Middle East and North Africa. He has today resigned from this role, although he remains an MP.

Charalambous said in a statement: “I am aware that there is an allegation that requires investigation by the Labour Party. It is right and proper that process is allowed to take place.

“I will co-operate fully and play my full part. It is not appropriate to say anything further at this time.”

The Guardian newspaper, which first announced the news, reported: “It is understood there was a formal complaint to Labour’s independent complaints process. As a result, Charalambous is administratively suspended from the Labour party, which has the automatic effect of suspending the whip in the House of Commons.”

The Labour Party has not commented on the suspension.

The Guardian report added: “Labour’s new complaints process, signed off at the party conference last autumn, covers all protected characteristics, including race, disability and sexuality, and all forms of discrimination.”

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