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Norwich South selection – the shortlist

November 8, 2011 7:53 pm

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Norwich South CLP will select their parliamentary candidate on November 19th from a shortlist of four. The date of the selection has caused some disquiet in the constituency, as it clashes with Norwich City Football Club’s match against Arsenal. In a city where most residents have some connection to the club, that could lead to a lower than expected turnout on selection day.

There are four candidates , although LabourList understands that the initial plan had been to have a shortlist of six. The final four in the running are:

Joe Goldberg

Experienced Haringey Councillor Joe Goldberg, who stood against David Cameron in Witney at the last general election. Goldberg is currently the Cabinet Member for Finance and Carbon Reduction in Haringey, and is pushing his practical political experience in local government as one of his strengths, in a solid and combative campaign focussed on the fight against the Green Party.

Clive Lewis

A local BBC TV news and politics presenter, Lewis is considered to be on the centre-left of the party. He’s a former soldier – and fought in Afghanistan – but was against the Iraq War. He’s also – as you’d expect from him job – a polished media performer.

Victoria MacDonald

Long-time activist and local councillor MacDonald is the self-styled most local candidate in the race – both living and working in the constituency. MacDonald is well liked within the constituency – and active on social media – but the success of her candidacy may depend on whether that popularity translates into votes at the final selection, and how effective her online campaigning proves to be.

David Rowntree

The best known candidate in the race – unsurprisingly as he’s the drummer from Blur – was Labour’s candidate in the Cities of London and Westminster seat at the last general election, and is training to be a solicitor. As a bone fide celebrity he obviously attracted a great deal of interest from the local press. It’s unclear to what extent his candidacy will be plagued by questions about Blur reforming though, which – perhaps annoyingly for Rowntree – broke just two weeks before the final selection. His celebrity certainly brings something different to the selection, as does his slogan – “Banging the drum for Norwich”.

We’ll be keeping an eye on the race as it comes to a close, and will bring you the result as soon as we have it.

Anonymous

This looks like three MPs looking for a seat touring the country, and one local candidates .

Nothing changes does it…..
- Norvicensian Fact Police
  
  Actually no. Two of the candidates – Clive Lewis and Vicky McDonald both live and work in Norwich.
  
  Lewis is the only hopeful that hasn’t tried to get selected in another constituency so is the candidate that could be accused least of crusing for a constituency.
  
  McDonald tried and failed in Norwich North, and the article says that Rowntree and Goldberg have stood for Labour in Westminster and Witney respectively.
  - South Norfolkian
    
    MacDonald stood as a candidate for a by-election so to accuse her of ‘cruising for a constituency’ would be totally false considering Clarke was still the MP in her home seat. You can’t get more local than living and working in the constituency.
    - Norvicensian Fact Police
      
      Blimey, I find myself overcome with an urge to spilt some hairs – but this League of Gentlemen-esque focus on local politics for local people is starting to grate a bit now.
      
      Both Lewis and McDonald work in Norwich South, Lewis lives in Norwich North – about a two minute walk from the nearest Norwich South ward. In my book that makes them both almost indistinguishably local.
      
      “Living and working in Norwich South” is McDonald’s most prominent slogan for this selection. However, when she was going for selection for Norwich North she, as far as I know, neither lived or worked in Norwich North.
      
      I’m not accusing her of horrid hypocrisy – just pointing it out to show that it can’t be that important surely?
      
      McDonald was just a member of Norwich Labour Party that wanted to stand for one of the two constituencies in Norwich. Exactly like, Lewis now in the current selection process.
      - guest
        
        If anybody is in any doubt of Clive Lewis’s qualities they should watch this video about his experience in Afghanistan and coming back to civilian life - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL3vGz_ndl0
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray
  
  But none of them appear to be from the full-time politico-research assistant mould. One journalist, one musician, a local candidate – not sure about Goldberg’s background? I don’t think that we should always look for local worthies.
  - Anon
    
    Incorrect spelling of Victoria’s surname and fact that she has been a councillor for 14 months (“long-time”?) suggests a lack of research in this article. Clive lives in the neighbouring constituency: Norwich North. So two are local.
  - Anonymous
    
    I do, we have enough cowboys doing the rounds now that end up living in London visiting the local constituency once a week for a surgery not knowing the local problems.
Guest

Trobule with Labour is it is all London centric. All about who you know. You have a significant chance of progressing by belonging to the inner London CLP’s
Anonymous

Point taken on how long Victoria has been a councillor. That was intended to say “long time activist and councillor” now amended. Clive is local, and it says local in his profile.
Anon

Can’t imagine Victoria is about to start touring the country – she lives here with her children at local schools. Going for Norwich North wasn’t exactly “cruising for another constituency”.
robert naether

No you cannot and hopefully the people will pick the local candidate, I’m sick and tired of watching people move from one area to another even if they are in the next constituency.
- John Ruddy
  
  But should we reject a good candidate purely on the basis of them not being local? If I was to stand for parliament, and be a hard working candidate, listening to local people and the local party and trying to achieve things for the local population, doe that mean I should only both to stand in my own constituency, where Labour have very little chance of getting elected? While somewhere else, someone gets elected who maybe isnt as good as I would be, but at least he/she lives there?
  
  Its a tough question, but there are no easy answers.
- Stuart King
  
  Of the selection shortlists to date, this is almost certainly the strongest. Good for Norwich South members; good for the party’s prospects in 2015.

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