Bambos Charalambous has Labour whip restored after party probe

MP Bambos Charalambous has had the Labour whip restored, with a complaint about his conduct not upheld in a 10-month-long internal probe, the party confirmed.

The former shadow minister was suspended by the party last June after a formal complaint was made against him, triggering an investigation.

He was also stood down from his frontbench role on the shadow foreign affairs team, and has not returned to the position since being brought back into the party fold.

A Labour spokesman told reporters on Wednesday: “An investigation by the party’s independent complaints process has now concluded with the complaint not being upheld.

“And he’s now back in receipt of the Labour whip.”

The move allows Mr Charalambous to seek re-election as the Labour candidate in his Enfield Southgate seat.

Asked whether Sir Keir Starmer would welcome him standing again at the upcoming general election, the spokesman said: “There’s no reason for him not to. Obviously it’s for individual Members of Parliament to determine whether they want to run again or not.”

He ruled out the MP had done a deal with anyone in Labour not to stand at the next election in order to get the whip back.

Mr Charalambous said on X that he was grateful to Labour’s complaints board “for clearing my name after a thorough investigation into the allegations against me and I am delighted that the suspension of my Labour Party membership has been lifted.

“With this matter resolved, I look forward to returning to Parliament with the Labour whip restored to be the voice of my constituents once again in Westminster.”

The former solicitor was first elected in his north London constituency in 2017.

The 56-year-old held several posts in Sir Keir’s top team, including shadow minister for crime and then immigration, before being appointed shadow minister for the Middle East and North Africa in 2021.

Labour have not commented on the nature of the complaint.