The National Executive Committee of the Labour Party has met, and my man on that Committee notes the following, especially that the Organising Committee has met to decide on parliamentary selections - it needs to where there is a proposal that the normal rule should not be followed. The national rule is that where the last Labour MP was a woman the shortlist should be all women. This was followed in Reading East in 2010, and the latest decision is to depart from that in several constituencies, including Crewe and Nantwich (the late Gwyneth Dunwoody, anybody?), and - you're ahead of me - Reading East. My fly on the wall at the NEC, nice chap that he is, must buy him a drink next time we meet, comments in this way:
I thought you would be interested to note that Reading East is selecting from an open shortlist. This goes completely against the Labour Party's national policy - re-affirmed only recently, that where the last Labour MP was a woman, the new parliamentary candidate should always be selected form an All Woman shortlist.
Well, yes. Now, who lobbied them? And why?
Stampede of interested chaps?
6 comments:
Probably Tom Watson for his mate, Martin Salter. Salter always regarded himself as the MP for Reading East anyway. Since 2010, like Lembit Opik he has probably found that it is pretty chilly outside the womb of Westminster (or got sick of the stink of fish) and wishes to re-emerge - as the PPC legitimately this time - FOR READING EAST! Wonder if Clare Ward will stand for Reading West? Whatever. It sure beats stand up and wrestling. Or DOES IT?!
Logical, hmmmm?!
hmmm, Tony Jones might have something to say about that
About what? Stand up?
I am not familiar with the rules of the Labour Party, but if the rule is as said, how does it make sense to make it so that if the last Labour MP is a woman, the shortlist should be all-female? Surely that would mean that a seat which once had a woman would always subsequently have a woman. Would it not make more sense to do the very opposite - i.e. when a woman was the last MP to then have an open selection, and when a man stood down to replace him with a woman?
What about Toni Poole - wife of John Terry?
Or Tony Bennett - singing duetist with Amy Winehouse?
Or Tony Armstrong Jones? ( don't be silly - he is a sort of superannauetd royal for the cheap seats: ed).
Or the Queen?
We mentioned Tony Page earlier.
Poll is now beginning to shape up as a dog fight between Salter and Jones - Tony Blair is losing ground.
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