Watch: ‘I Will Always Be A Labourite’ – Clayton Bartolo Confirms He Will Run In Next General Election
Clayton Bartolo has confirmed he will be running in the next general election, telling supporters that he “will always be a Labourite,” even though he is now sitting in Parliament as an independent.
Speaking at a fully booked buffet breakfast with tombla (Bingo), Bartolo told his supporters: “If someone asks you whether I am running in the next election, the answer is yes. And if they ask you if I am running as an independent, I will tell you one thing: I was a Labourite, I am a Labourite and I will always be a Labourite.”
He added that he will continue to support the Labour Party in Parliament, but that details on his candidacy will become clearer once ongoing investigations are concluded.
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Labour Party CEO Leonid McKay said the party has not formally discussed Bartolo’s candidacy, and no candidate has been formally approved yet.
The party’s Candidate Commission will begin vetting all prospective candidates soon, and Bartolo’s bid has not undergone scrutiny. Prime Minister Robert Abela has the power to call an election at any point but must do so by the first half of 2027.
Bartolo was removed from the Labour parliamentary group and dismissed as tourism minister in November 2024 following revelations of a report into suspicious payments made to his wife.
The payments, totaling around €50,000 over six months in 2023, were linked to a company connected to a Malta Tourism Authority contractor.
Investigators at the FIAU suspect the funds were kickbacks for MTA work. These allegations came on the back of a damning Standards Commissioner report, which concluded Bartolo had abused his ministerial powers by awarding his then-girlfriend-turned-wife a highly paid consultancy role she did not perform.
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Video credits to Clayton Bartolo
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