Labour's Struggle with Controversial Candidates in UK Elections

Despite Labour suspending its former candidate Azhar Ali, he will still appear on voting papers in Rochdale under the party banner due to electoral law, which prohibits changes to ballot papers after publication. The party's withdrawal of support came too late to change the ballot paper before the by-election, and the candidate's appearance on the ballot is a "snapshot in time" at the point of nomination. The party has no control over the former candidate if elected, and the situation is not unprecedented, as seen in previous elections.