General election: Sheffield Labour candidate criticised for failing to attend hustings over safety concerns

The hustings for the Brightside and Hillsborough constituency in the general election were held last night (June 24) at Christ Church in Pitsmoor Road, Pitsmoor. All candidates were invited, including Gill Furniss, who has held the seat for Labour since 2016.

Her election team said that Labour had “become a target of significant hostility in recent months linked to the horrific situation in Gaza and Gill receives continued communications which are beyond robust political comment”.

“Some contact has been personally abusive, intimidating and threatening.”

It also said her constituency office had been damaged, affecting other organisations based in the building.

The hustings, moderated by Huw Thomas, were organised by the church. It was attended by Green Party candidate Christine Gilligan-Kubo, LibDem Will Sapwell, Mark Tyler of the Workers Party and Maxine Bowler, who is standing as an independent socialist.

Apologies

Conservative candidate Aaron Jacob sent apologies as he has Covid and Sheffield Conservative Federation chair Steven Winstone stood in for him on the panel. The SDP candidate Jeremy Turner did not take part in the event, which was attended by around 75 people.

Steven Winstone told the audience: “It’s a bit interesting that the Labour Party didn’t turn up. It just shows how they take the city of Sheffield for granted.

“I’ve stood in Hillsborough and Brightside before as some of you may recall. I also stood in Hallam the year Jared O’Mara stood for Labour. And didn’t we just see how the Labour Party abandoned him – they should have supported him, whether he turned out to be a good guy or a bad guy – but they just abandoned him.

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“And that just shows their contempt that they think it’s their righteous seat in Sheffield – ‘anywhere in Sheffield we’re going to win’ – and we need to change that perception.”

Jared O’Mara, who was elected to Sheffield Hallam in 2017, was jailed for four years in February 2023 for fraudulent MP’s expenses claims.

Will Sapwell said that it is likely that Sir Keir Starmer will form the next government: “It is therefore disappointing and worrying that the Labour candidate isn’t here to answer questions and allow you to hear both her and Labour’s offering.

Security

“But we are here for you to hear what we’ve got to say.”

Maxine Bowler said: “She’s not been prepared to come. She cited security concerns – that’s because she thinks that people who march for Palestine are hate marchers. No, we’re not, we are peace marchers, not hate marchers.”

Gill Furniss’s campaign released this statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service following a request for a response: “The Labour Party has become a target of significant hostility in recent months linked to the horrific situation in Gaza and Gill receives continued communications which are beyond robust political comment.

“Some contact has been personally abusive, intimidating and threatening.

“The social enterprise in which Gill’s constituency office is located has suffered criminal damage and led to the groups and companies within it temporarily losing access and having to cancel community activities and sessions.

“Safety and security is paramount when decisions are made around attending events. On this occasion, it was regrettably decided that Gill would not attend.”