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Lucy Powell selected as Manchester Central candidate

April 16, 2012 9:32 pm

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Tonight Manchester Central CLP selected their candidate for the November by-election. Around 200 members (just short of fifty percent) are believed to have attended the vote, with Ed Miliband’s Deputy Chief of Staff Lucy Powell selected.

Congratulations to Lucy, and commiserations to the other candidates.

Lucy Powell – born and raised in Manchester attending a local Comprehensive School, Powell joined the Labour Party at 15. Lucy went on to work as Director of Britain in Europe before working for NESTA to establish the Manchester Innovation Fund and was the Labour candidate for Manchester Withington in 2010 where Labour increased its vote by 3000. After the election Lucy was appointed Campaign Manager for Ed Miliband’s Leadership Campaign and after his victory became acting Chief of Staff and now Deputy Chief of Staff. Lucy is married to James and has 2 children.

GuyM

Perhaps get a picture of her that isn’t at such low resolution that when blown up makes her look like a pixelated 1980s space invader?
- Nigel Woodcock
  
  I read somewhere that she actually is a 1980s space invader.
  - GuyM
    
    The space invader has departed and a labour candidate appeared…. spooky what a change of picture can do
http://twitter.com/gonzozzz dave stone

Congratulations to Lucy. Her brief statement/profile in the M.E.N. would’ve won my vote.
http://www.facebook.com/martin.rathfelder Martin Rathfelder

A very credible candidate. Will she face a credible threat from the left?
- Nigel Woodcock
  
  sadly, not.
Brumanuensis

Well I never. Didn’t see that coming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjbPi00k_ME
- http://twitter.com/gonzozzz dave stone
  
  Stitch-up? Surely not…
  - Brumanuensis
    
    She is a psychic though, so this won’t have come as a surprise.
    
    http://www.lucypowellpsychicadvisor.co.uk/
    
    Oh, hang on a minute…
    - http://twitter.com/gonzozzz dave stone
      
      Very reassuring. Wouldn’t want to take issue with a surfeit of positive testimonials.
- Chilbaldi
  
  bigger shock than Galloway in Bradford West, this.
http://twitter.com/GrahamWhitham Graham Whitham

Oh she’s close to the party leadership. That explains it.
- treborc1
  
  These people always see to be close to somebody in power, Blair, Brown or Miliband, seems if your looking after the big boys, your name is on the safe seat list
Amber Star

Take a trip to UKPR & see today’s polls, if you haven’t already.
There’s:
LibDem Marginals
London (Boris still ahead but better news re: London Assembly)
And:
You Gov
Populus
TNS
Voting intention polls. I’m not going to spoil it – they are worth seeing for yourself.
Daniel Speight

Somehow we all expected this.

The leadership needs to realize that it’s not only the what happens, but also the perception of what happens that count. Now, many like myself feel that parliamentary candidates are clones of the existing leadership of the party which will cause the party to move even further away from its core voters and its core beliefs.
Bill Lockhart

Ms.Powell went to Oxford University. For some reason that information is missing from the biographical notes above. I wonder what the reason might be.
- AlanGiles
  
  When I think what Oxford has inflicted on my party in recent years, I was quite relieved when Cambridge won the Boat Race last week.
  - Dave Postles
    
    I supported the University of Hertfordshire Boat Club, but apparently they didn’t make the final.
    - GuyM
      
      Best look for Henley Regatta results then, maybe they will be there.
      
      The Boat Race is an historic challenge between Oxford and Cambridge only, not an open competition.
      
      Whereas a lot of people are happy to watch a race that has a historical place in the sporting character (me included) I don’t think they’d be lining the Thames for University of Hertfordshire v University of Wolverhampton or something similar.
      
      I’m sure no one is stopping your favourite University boat squad offering challenges out and using the Thames…… even if no one else is interested.
      - Chilbaldi
        
        But why are people interested in what is only a celebration of the two universities in question, when they didn’t go to Oxford or Cambridge?
        
        Seems a bit odd to me.
      - GuyM
        
        History, tradition, continuity.
        
        Plus a good excuse to line the Thames, place a bet or just simply enjoy part of the British sporting calendar
      - Chilbaldi
        
        It isn’t the British ‘sporting’ calendar though.
        
        It is a bunch of Americans brought into Oxbridge to do no-mark courses so they can row.
        
        The crews aren’t even the best amongst UK Universities.
        
        It isn’t sport. It is celebrating Oxford and Cambridge.
      - GuyM
        
        Firstly it is very much part of the English sporting calendar (I changed from British), hence why 250,000 watch it live etc.
        
        Secondly the number of Brits is about as relevant as the number of Brits in the Premier League.
        
        Thirdly the standard is pretty high with a fair few Olympic medalists having appeared in the race the last couple of decades.
        
        Fourthly, Oxford and Cambridge are our top two world standard university brands, so I see no problem supporting them over say the former South Bank Polytechnic or its like.
        
        Lastly, it is a race with nearly two centuries of tradition and it appeals to a lot of Londoners.
        
        If you want a race from the “best of” UK universities, try and organise it.
        
        I like many others are happy to endorse the elitism of our top universities and have no problem with what the Boat Race represents.
        
        Not everyone in England has to engage in activities that the left “understand” or support from a socialist point of view. In fact the one thing that would get me interested in something is if the great bearded unwashed mass of lefty “sociologist” types I remember from University didn’t like it.
      - Chilbaldi
        
        It is one of many methods by which Oxbridge’s predominance is maintained, by our Oxbridge infested media I’m afraid.
        
        You either went there yourself or have fallen prey to the propaganda.
      - GuyM
        
        But a lot of us are quite happy with elitism Chilbaldi. Elitism in all walks of life, whether it be universities, sports or business.
        
        If you on the left don’t like it tough really. You can form a government if you win an election, but you can’t instruct the millions in the UK who are anti your repulsive ideology how to think and what to value.
      - Dave Postles
        
        You may find it even more difficult to comprehend that the ‘head of the river’ in Eights/Torpids on the Isis burn their boat – probably at least £20k up in smoke.
      - Dave Postles
        
        ‘The Boat Race is an historic challenge between Oxford and Cambridge only, not an open competition.’
        
        I’m shocked, truly shocked …
      - GuyM
        
        How so?
        
        Varsity matches exist in most sports, the boat race only one of them.
        
        As I said, if you want an open rowing competition to watch you have many options, but the estimated 250,000 or so who line the Thames each year are quite happy with it as is.
        
        What i’m truly shocked about is the amount of left wingers who if they personally don’t like something which does no harm what so ever, can’t just leave well alone.
        
        I’d suggest anyone who doesn’t like the concept of the Boat Race to not watch it live or on tv, it is quite easy to avoid.
      - Dave Postles
        
        I’m shocked, truly shocked … surely it should be the number of left-wingers.
      - GuyM
        
        Only if you thought it were a clear number i.e. 25 or 432.
        
        Whereas “amount” indicates the scale of left whingers when it comes to activities not “pc” enough for the left, but which could simply be left to those who do like them.
      - Dave Postles
        
        No, you are wrong again. You can have the amount of a whole (such as the amount of left-wing opinion), but you are clearly referring to numbers in the plural. You have made the same mistake previously.
      - GuyM
        
        Nope I’m refering to the “amount” of left wingers who are anti Oxbridge by instinct. Not some finite number of individuals.
        
        The mistake if there is one is to use “left wingers” rather than “left wing”.
        
        Two things, firstly I find it amusing that you think you know better than I what I meant.
        
        Secondly I find your pedantry also amusing in that those who drop to pedantic point scoring invariably have nothing or worth to say otherwise.
      - Dave Postles
        
        You simply compound your errors. To say ‘amount of left wing’ is nonsense. To say, ‘know better than I what I meant’ is incorrect; it should be ‘better than me.’
        You can be as amused as you like about my ‘pedantry’. We all recollect your distinguished achievement of A for English GCSE.
      - GuyM
        
        As compared to your grade c?
      - Dave Postles
        
        ‘O’ Levels in my day and then ‘Use of English’. for University entrance.
      - GuyM
        
        and i took O levels as well, not GCSEs at all…
        
        so A grade O level, compared to your grade c
      - Dave Postles
        
        ’amount of left wingers’ is simply erroneous.
      - GuyM
        
        You ought to fully read the response, as i said the mistake was to not use “left wing”.
        but who really cares on a blog page?
        
        Grow up Dave.
      - Dave Postles
        
        Actually, you started all this crap, as I was merely being amusing.
      - Hugh
        
        As a fellow right winger, I regret to say DP is right: it’s not whether there is a finite number in mind or not, just that it’s possible for there to be. Left wingers can be counted. You’re right that you could use “amount” with “the left wing” as an alternative, though.
      - Dave Postles
        
        ‘Amount of left wing’ is nonsense. It would need to be ‘amount of left-wing opinion’ or similar.
      - Hugh
        
        Amount of the left wing, “the left wing” being an abstract noun.
      - Dave Postles
        
        ‘which could simply be left to those who do like them.’ I think that I have a more informed perspective about rowing at Oxford than you and how it affects other people at that University.
      - GuyM
        
        I think the 250,000 watching the boat race live on the banks of the Thames have a view of the value of Boat Race and Oxbridge rowing that makes your individual left wing subjective opinion rather irrelevant in the scheme of things.
        
        You don’t like the elitist nature of Oxbridge, nor that of certain other sports I’d imagine.
        
        It reminds me of my time as an undergraduate when every Wednesday after an afternoon of inter Uni sports I’d return to the Union bar to see a morose band of Labour members, SWP, Militant, Gaysoc and WAG all looking daggers at the sports clubs.
        
        They had invariably enjoyed yet another inquorate meeting discussing international revolution or whether to sequestrate some amount of union money for some batty class struggle somewhere.
        
        I always thought of them as the weedy, pale poor souls who used to stand on the touchline during games lessons at school desperately hoping the rugby ball didn’t come near them for fear of being dumped on their arses or shown to be hopelessly useless at sports.
        
        I guess the anti Boat Race mentality of many on the left shows them up to be much the same.
        
        Personally I’d rather be handling the complexities of a competitive sport than doing mental gymnastics on the use of the words “number” and “amount”, but you “weedy pale” types of lefty anti sport freaks need your pursuits I guess.
      - Dave Postles
        
        Actually, I was awarded school colours for football and cross country and I played football for my Oxford college. I also played for several local club sides at football. I did not achieve your outstanding heights. I do know, however, the cost to everyone else of rowing at Oxford. I believe that I’m in a more informed position than you to comment on Oxford rowing.
      - GuyM
        
        Lol.
        
        School colours?
        
        Football for an Oxford college?
        
        Is that it?
        
        Try school, London Borough, District, County School, University, Semi-Professional and old Crystal Palace and Wimbledon youth sides.
        
        Then throw in my place in the English Universities Golf Squad
        
        London Borough Athletics team for 4 years at school.
        
        Then school Rugby, Cricket, Tennis, Gold, Athletics.
        
        Then County League Cricket (Surrey and Sussex)
        
        Then University Football, Cricket and Golf.
        
        You might know a few things Dave but on playing sports to a good level you are lightyears behind,me.
        
        I’ve known rowers, rowing at Oxbridge had little or no effect on non rowers or non sports people.
        
        You are simply a reverse snob who doesn’t like the sorts who do like rowing and the like.
        
        Despite my playing football for years it comes as no surprise that you went down the football route rather than rugby. Trots wouldn’t be welcome in any rubgy team I played in.
      - AlanGiles
        
        ” you are lightyears behind,me.”
        
        And so modest with it!
      - Alexwilliamz
        
        How on earth have these weedy, pale and humourless left wingers managed to compete with those dashing and witty tories over the last century or so? I am amazed that you spend so much time on one of their websites considering their feebleness and lack of humanity. Still no wonder you find it so easy to brush aside our hopeless ideas.
        
        :cough:
      - GuyM
        
        Tell me how “socialism” is doing of late?
        
        3 terms of a Labour government with landslide majorities and did socialism make an appearance?
        
        Your “ideas” have already been brushed aside… by your own party.
      - Alexwilliamz
        
        Doing pretty weel. So well that it seems that many of it’s key ideas are embedded d within our national values.
      - Mike Murray
        
        When I was at university the sporting types were mindless morons whose definition of a good time was to get completely legless after a game of Rugby, sing lots of misogynistic songs and then round off the evening by chucking one of their number in the stream that ran through the campus. Much to the amusement of we ‘weedy, anti sports freaks’ . Needless to say all those rude male health and filial piety devotees voted Tory. Their “groupies” I assume voted LibDem.
      - GuyM
        
        Rather be getting legless and singing afew un pv songs than sitting through endless debates about international solidarity with the working classes.
        
        I wonder if they were all “mindless m orons” did they graduate or were the entire Rubgy and Football clubs doomed to failure in their finals?
- TomFairfax
  
  Clearly a Labout candidate would be ashamed not to have gone to Cambridge to recruited as a Soviet spy.
mikestallard

Lucky old James Powell!
Pattiehill

Congratulations Lucy! Welcome to join us in Redditch anytime!
FBook…Pattie Hill for Batchley & Brockhill.
Just_Another_Voter

Did she borrow Dan Jarvis’ parachute?
Diverman01

What’s she actually done outside the political ‘bubble’?
http://twitter.com/_DaveTalbot David Talbot

The usual snarky responses from the peanut gallery. Not a half-decent comment between them, alas.

Perhaps Lucy won because she, as someone born in the area, attended a local school, lived in the area and was the PPC for Manchester Withington – maybe, just maybe, she was the best candidate?

It’s a radical thought, I know.
- Daniel Speight
  
  And maybe you are right David. But also maybe should put up an argument against those like myself who see the cloning of the existing political class in Labour selections. Tell us it’s not true. Put up some numbers to show us we are wrong. Otherwise I may as well stay up here in the peanut gallery while you can stay in the more expensive seats.
  - http://twitter.com/_DaveTalbot David Talbot
    
    Daniel,
    
    It was an open selection. There were two women, a male and BAME candidate. Lucy won the plurarity of votes cast in the first round. That is pretty categoric in my view.
    
    And I’m not the one making the accusations; the burden of proof is with you to “put up some numbers”.
    - Daniel Speight
      
      OK David here’s one.
      
      What percentage of Labour parliamentary candidates have entered politics working as SPADs, bag carriers, NGO employees or such, having come from Oxbridge? Is this percentage higher than what exists in the population as a whole by a factor of 2, 4, 8, 16 or 100,000 or more? Should we look on this as a good thing or as something that opens a gap between Britain’s citizens and the political class?
      
      Just a heckle and a few nuts from the peanut gallery.
      - treborc1
        
        Another socialist from the New labour locker of middle class.
- Chilbaldi
  
  and the local university, don’t forget.
- Chilbaldi
  
  and the local university, don’t forget.
  - Jeremy_Preece
    
    What? So Labour candidates should not have an education – so we want to have only inarticulate, uneducated and very working class candidates in order to pove Labour more socialist that the SWP.
    So how does that even square with the great socilaist heros of the left of the party, such as Michael Foote and Tony Benn?
- Winston_from_the_Ministry
  
  Because the term “peanut gallery” is anything but snarky, right?
  
  And it is a radical thought, unfortunately, which is why most people will assume otherwise.
- Brumanuensis
  
  I may be among those being referred to as ‘the peanut gallery’. I’d just like to make clear I’m personally quite happy with Lucy Powell’s selection and agree with what you said about the reasons for her winning. I was just making the point that this was perhaps a bit too predictable, given her close ties to the leadership.
  
  I’d also like to share in the thrust of Daniel’s remark that it’s a touch disappointing that the four short-listed candidates consisted of three councillors and a SPAD. It’s not very diverse economically-speaking, albeit otherwise fairly balanced.
  - AlanGiles
    
    With all due respect David Talbot is yet another of those New Labour types that looks down his nose in the most supercilious manner to anybody that doesn’t share his delight at the Labour party becoming ever more right wing, stuffed with lawyers and well-heeled welkl connected men and women.
    
    Like Purple Booker, he doesn’t present a very attractive face of the Labour party and it’s traditional values to anyone who might be casually browsing this site. It gives the impression Labour is stuffed with socially mobile snobs.
    
    The fact that he now chooses a profile photo wearing a bow-tie is a fair indication of his self-aggrandisement and how he feels himself to be socially superior to the rest of us here.
    - http://twitter.com/gonzozzz dave stone
      
      “a profile photo wearing a bow-tie ”
      
      He’s obviously eager to be serving scallops and celeriac purée around the boardrooms of the City of London.
      
      Perhaps I should ditch my quirky super-hero profile pic and post one of me wearing my old hi-viz jacket and steel toe-cap boots… ?
      - treborc1
        
        Think I will stick with the photo of my hero, Nye Bevan, to those from new labour he was a commie well he is today
      - Mike Murray
        
        Nye Bevan is your hero? But you said that you were a Tory. Make your mind up.
      - treborc1
        
        I am, these days closer to Nye Bevan then Blair and Brown and Miliband.
        
        I joined labour in April 1966 left April 2010.
      - http://twitter.com/_DaveTalbot David Talbot
        
        Dave,
        
        Didn’t I see you yearning for Galloway’s return a few weeks ago? If so, any and all your comments are moot.
        
        Alan,
        
        Thanks for the diatribe. Relatively coherent, for a change.
        
        And I chose that particular picture as I thought I looked rather dapper, no? But if you put such stress and emphasis, and seemingly judge people, upon such things then I guess there really isn’t anything I can say. It says volumes about you mind. The dinner was in a Tory constituency too, if it makes you feel any better.
      - AlanGiles
        
        Don’t worry David. I have a feeling you are destined to become the Poundland version of Robin Day. Toodle-pip, old boy!
      - http://twitter.com/_DaveTalbot David Talbot
        
        Alan,
        
        Send me your address and I’ll pop a bow tie in the post. You can’t polish a turd but you can..
      - AlanGiles
        
        I am sure you must tempt a lot of people to join Labour with your incisive wit, and smug self-satisfaction Mr Talbot. A great advert for the party, I am sure.
      - http://twitter.com/_DaveTalbot David Talbot
        
        You meaning rather than your endless trolling on a Labour website, Alan?
        
        You’re right, as someone who posts endless negative comments and even passes comment on someone’s evening sartorial wear, I need to re-examine my priorities. Oh, wait.
        
        I’ll be out this weekend leafleting and canvassing in London and then Stratford upon Avon. You, I can imagine, will be figuring out your next comment on LabourList. A great advert fro the party indeed.
      - AlanGiles
        
        I am sure you’ll get your reward in heaven David.
      - treborc1
        
        New labour, god help us
      - Jeremy_Preece
        
        Well David, I think that Alan is a very sad little man.
        I gather that canvassing for Labour is worth nothing unless you wear a cloth cap and say “eeh-by-gum”.
        So Labour is now not only closed to all but one social class, but restricted to only those who conform to certain dress codes in their spare time.
        
        Sounds like a real winner to me!
      - AlanGiles
        
        Are you a genuine idiot, Jeremy or do you take lessons?
        
        What I have always said that Labour – or any party – needs to have a wide range of candidates, not just people who happened to go to Oxford or Cambridge, or look down their noses at people who have done manual jobs, and regard themselves as socially superior.
        
        The trouble with a lot of younger “labour” supporters is that they know nothing of the history of the party – except what they have been told, so people like you automatically equate mainstream Labour with the SWP as you did yesterday.
        
        Labour started long before Tony Blair came along.
      - http://twitter.com/_DaveTalbot David Talbot
        
        Ah, so you can add ‘extremely condescending’ to your increasingly-long list of faults, Alan.
        
        I’ve seen you elsewhere say that you did not vote Labour at the last general election – so who are you to lecture, and patronise, others who still fight under the Labour banner?
      - http://twitter.com/_DaveTalbot David Talbot
        
        Alan,
        
        Send me your address and I’ll pop a bow tie in the post. You can’t polish a turd but you can..
      - http://twitter.com/gonzozzz dave stone
        
        David: “Didn’t I see you yearning for Galloway’s return”
        
        I’d be very interested to see the evidence.
      - AlanGiles
        
        I always think bow-ties look so pretentious and poncey. They remind me of 5 year old pageboys at country weddings
    - Jeremy_Preece
      
      Alan – class politics at its worst and most self defeating.
      I am tierd of New Labour being used as a term of abuse for anyone who actaully wants to see Labour win the next election.
      As for all of this inverted snobbery, you all will be telling me that we need to field Labour candidates who are old Labour, (or Socailist Workers Party) and as working class as their great heros Tony Benn and Michael Foot.
      - AlanGiles
        
        Try telling people that suffered under New Labour – the sick and disabled – how wonderful “New Labour” was. Purnell and Hutton were Tory manque’ and if that truth upsets you I am sorry, but we do need candidates from different backgrounds – not just policy wonks who went to Oxford.
        
        And for Christ’s sake Jeremy, stop this silly fiction that traditional Labour equates to the Socialists Workers Party. At one time Labour stood for the less fortunate, now it wants to be seen as another Conservative Party.
      - Jeremy_Preece
        
        I have also said in previous posts that I think that there is a political class that is too narrow and so fails to connect with the electorate, and I have also said that I think it a good idea for people to go into politcs as a career change and bring real life experince.
        
        It is also true that I would choose candidates with ability, and ones who can articulate, argue and communicate a coherant political position and display a good understanding of a wide range of political issues.
        
        As with many extremist, you tend to see everything in extremes. Therefore Labour Party members (in your book) either conform to your notion of Old Labour, or they are just Tories in disguise.
        
        In this strange world of yours, education is a disadvantage, ignorance is the ultimate virtue, any asperations disqualify you from the Labour Party, and even the wearing of bow ties will get you banished for being “un-working class”.
        
        I think that your assertions that this government is no worse (or no more unfair) than the last is both wrong and crass.
        
        I very much object to the terms “New Labour” and Blairite” being used as a form of abuse, to be hurled at anyone who holds even the slightest difference of opinion to yourself, and especially towards anyone who seriously wants to see the Labour Party win the next election.
      - AlanGiles
        
        You object to the terms “New Labour” and “Blairite” Mr Preece. Yopu regard them as terms of “abuse”. I suppose that depends on whether you approved of the illegal wars and greed and stupidity of Blair.
        
        I don’t much like being called “extremist” by the likes of you. I would regard that term as abusive, but I must put up with your “extremist” jibes, just like you’ll have to put up with mine about purer-than-pure New Labour. Tough life, isn’t it?
        
        If anyone is being crass it is yourself in suggesting that I implied education is a disadvantage (and those of us who worked in real jobs helped pay for people like Talbot to go to university so he could sneer at us and feel superior). I never resented people going to university, it is just that I do not think it automatically entitles you to crawl straight out of Oxbridge into a safe seat in Parliament.
      - http://twitter.com/_DaveTalbot David Talbot
        
        Alan,
        
        I paid – and am indeed still paying – for my university education.
      - AlanGiles
        
        My apologies David. Just shows how young you are then. You sometimes give the impression you are older and “wiser” than us ordinary proles. You so much give the impression that you know everything about everything.
      - http://twitter.com/_DaveTalbot David Talbot
        
        Could level exactly the same to you Alan, though admittedly I lack the ‘part of the furniture’ vibe that you give off.
      - AlanGiles
        
        Well I am certainly older than you David, and so therefore have seen rather more of life than you have.
        
        If you think that New Labour was the best thing since sliced bread for the very poorest and most disadvantaged in society, it just proves how little you know.
        
        Don’t forget that in the years of the Dear Leader, the gap between the very richest in society and the very poorest actually INCREASED.
      - Jeremy_Preece
        
        No Alan. I have no problem with “New Labour” or “Blairite” as a description of a set of beliefs within the Labour Party. I have considerable problems with those terms being used as a term of abuse as in your case, it seems to make you feel that if you call someone New Labour, you have reduced them (by a label) to people that you don’t need to listen to, to engage with and answer. You have instead used a label that makes you feel that the other person can’t have any valid opinions.
        
        I note that you refer to me as an “idiot” in another post. Apart from being too pathetic to grace with a specific reply I take it as another sign of someone who is pretty insecure in their argument. I therefore can well understnd why you would find people who go to university to be such a threat to you.
        
        By the way, I am not a younger member of the party, I am 52, and did not go to university (but did go to teacher training, though now work in training). In my work and in life generally, I interact with a wide range of people from all walks of life. And for your information, my Grandfather was a coal miner in a small pit in the Forest of Dean, and a Labour and Independant Labour town and county counsellor in his reirement.
        
        I do not judge people by for example their ties, I also find that people who go to university generally have asperations, and most are interesting people. I also feel that you have some deep hang-ups if you think that education is there to make people look down on manual workers.
        
        Anyway, that is enough on here from me, I have to get on with some leaflets that we are hoping to drop locally for the May local elections. Enjoy your weekend.
- treborc1
  
  I like that the peanut gallery think that shows the problem with labour these days.
- Jeremy_Preece
  
  Well said David. There is too much Labour self-loathing on this site. When a Labour candidate is seelcted, as a party member, I think that the next thing to do is to get behind them and help them.
  - treborc1
    
    Blind obedience to the party, like it.
    - http://twitter.com/_DaveTalbot David Talbot
      
      Treborc,
      
      People are allowed to have views that are not yours. You seem unable to acknowledge that. And anyway, you are not even in the Labour party.
      
      Your self-righteous carping really has become tiresome, and has become a real reason to stay away from LabourList. You seem incapable of doing anything but muttering bitter tirades against “New Labour” and endlessly trolling threads with your Tweedledum and Tweedledee sidekicks, Messrs Giles and Stone (who will no doubt ‘like’ your comment, as the Pavlov dogs they are).
      
      Personally, I’m pleased that a good Labour candidate got selected in a winnable Labour seat – and so should you be.
      - AlanGiles
        
        “has become a real reason to stay away from LabourList. ”
        
        Feel free, old boy, feel free. I am sure we can do without the sight of your ugly mug sneering at us.
      - http://twitter.com/_DaveTalbot David Talbot
        
        Still trolling with your highly intelligent comment, as ever, Alan.
      - AlanGiles
        
        One might say the same about you David. “Peanut gallery” and other snide little remarks like that are highly intelligent – I daresay you got them from Alistair Campbell.
        
        Perhaps if you were like Treborc and disabled and had been a victim of the dying days of the New Labour onslaught against the sick and disabled, as purveyed by Hutton, Blair, Purnell and Freud you might be bitter against them yourself, or if, like me, you saw the effects it had on other people, you might be angry as well.
        
        But you feel free to continue your ignorant ravings against people who don’t love New Labour with the same intensity you do.
      - http://twitter.com/_DaveTalbot David Talbot
        
        The thing is Alan, I have never uttered the phrase “New Labour”. It is all in your head.
        
        You are so obsessed with those who dare to dissent from your settled view of ‘socialism now’ diatribes that you lump everyone in Treborc’s axis of “New Labour” evil.I don’t “love New Labour” I love the Labour party, and want to see it successful. You just love the sound of your own voice, and your trolling is not helping this otherwise brilliant Labour resource of a website.
      - AlanGiles
        
        “your trolling is not helping this otherwise brilliant Labour resource of a website.”
        
        Trolling?. Have you not seen some of the remarks left by some of the xenophobic Tories who post on this site?
        
        I do my best to support Labour when it deserves it, or when Tories make deeply unfair onsluaghts (you don’t seem to notice them and apply your incisive wit to them, I notice) but I do not uncritically accept all of the New Labour posturing which still continues in certain circles.
      - http://twitter.com/_DaveTalbot David Talbot
        
        Alan,
        
        Did you vote Labour at the last general election? Yes or no.
James Jacobs

I wish I could say that I was suprised but I honestly cannot.

Mike Amesbury WILL get selected for something I hope. Possibly Gorton if Gerald Kaufman retires.

I remember EdM nakechecking him in his 2009 conference speech…you know, the one that more or less launched him as possible leadership contender.

The good news for Lucy is that now he’s elected, she doesn’t have to stand against Galloway.
@benjaminbutter

Some of you are anal! Why not just be glad Manchester has an exceptional young Labour woman to represent it?!

Less moaning, more campaigning FGS! Then we might actually win.
Mr Chippy

Lets give her a chance but I share concerns about the Oxbridgisation of Parliament. It isn’t a chippy comment but an issue of diversity.

What is the fetish of being local. I had no choice my Dad was in army. I was born in Germany, moved to Canterbury, then Wembley, Edgeware, Germany again, Northern Ireland, Tidworth (Hants), then Merton, then Morden where I joined the party.

I then went to university in Colchester and afterwards lived in Balham, Harlesden, Willesden and Streatham.

I then fell in love with a woman who lived in Wrexham. According to local criteria I aint got a hope.

I consider myself a Sarf Londoner by virtue of the birthplace of my Mum and Dad.
Dave Postles

@4bb19de657a8bb7c52ed192a4543e458:disqus
‘I’ve known rowers, rowing at Oxbridge had little or no effect on non rowers or non sports people.’

That comment is simply uninformed. The cost of rowing had a detrimental effect. I was there. As to your other self-proclaimed achievements, I did not profess to attain your alleged achievements. I was countering your accusations that I was not involved in sport – and, I might add, in your usual abusive fashion. You lost the argument, so you resorted to abuse and self-aggrandizement.
You resort to elusiveness on every issue.

‘but you “weedy pale” types of lefty anti sport freaks need your pursuits I guess.’
- Winston_from_the_Ministry
  
  Get a room you two.
- GuyM
  
  Rowing is a sport that Oxbridge values, hence it funds it.
  
  It funding that sport or any other sport means a few cultural pursuits like a tiddlywinks club gets less then so be it.
  
  Once again you regress to “equality”, but guess what Oxbridge doesn’t want your sort of equality, it funds those areas it values and if you don’t like it well tough.
  
  Just as the UK public ensures the premier league has vast more money than womens top league football… again tough, equality is for wimps when it comes to sport.
  
  The very nature of sport is winning and losing and some better than others. It is the anti ethos of socialism and the crappy “prizes for all” that your ideology has dumped on education in the UK.
  
  More power to the Formula 1s, Premier Leagues and Oxbridge rowers of this world…. if you don’t like it then go join that tiddlywinks club.
Dave Postles

‘amount of the left wing’ – but what he suggested was ‘the amount of left wing’ without any definite article. I’m still unclear what ‘amount of the left wing’ actually means. I will not pursue this one with you, however. He is just a tosser.
- GuyM
  
  It means a huge bloody percentage of the left wing and whinging anti competition numpties.
  
  It means dear Dave that people like you with your complaining about elitism at Oxbridge in rowing are representatives of the “prizes for all” mentality that has ruined large sections of school sports in the UK.
  
  Lots of NUT idiots undermining competition in school looking for everyone to be “valued” and no one to ever lose.
  
  One of the school my daughters went to even had a school sports day with no races so no one would lose or feel left out. It was the most idiotic left wing twaddle I’ve ever seen.
  
  So in terms of “tossers” I’d mark that charge against socialists the world over.
Mark

What the party needs is a new Labour Leader and a shadow cabinet. The Labour Party is now promoting a party of privilege and not the party of the people.
Mr Miliband has got to go. A poor local election will seal his fate. The hawls are lining up
- Brumanuensis
  
  Damn hawls. Can’t get away from ‘em these days.
  - Politique
    
    Hawks
- AlanGiles
  
  I don’t disagree with you Mark, about Labour kow-towing to the elite, but the problem is, even if Ed Miliband went tomorrow, it would be one of the usual suspects who would replace him and you can be sure that most of the shadow cabinet would remain, albeit shifted to new positions. Thus we would still have the old expenses swindlers, the pro-Iraq war ministers, the old hypocrites sitting at the top table. It might ensure Liam Byrne got a new post (if he finally gets too scared to resign for the Birmingham mayorality) – something more in line with his ability – perhaps shadow minister for paperclips, or shadow sports minister, but there would still be the same old Cooper, the same old Balls.
  
  The other danger is that any “new” leader would almost certainly be a right-winger, since the Blairite malcontents are still convinced that what the country needs is more of the same. In their rose-tinted spectacle world they conveniently forget the Blaitr’s majority was halved in 2005, and by 2007 the country as a whole – including vast swathes of Labour supporters, was glad to see him go.
  
  Who would they choose – possibly David Miliband, who would bring even more of the old shower back into prominence, the discredited names. Or perhaps Ms. Cooper who would be about as an effective leader as Iain Duncan-Smith was for his party and would doubtless go the same way as him after a couple of carefully orchestrated party conference speeches – there they were leaping to their feet to applaud every sentence of his final leaders speech, only, a fortnight later to stab him in the front. By the way, all those people who go on about Ken Livingstone’s PPB last week, should take a look at the recording of that final IDS conference speech. The audience obviously drilled to give “spontaneous” applause and standing ovations throughout – it reeked of bogosity.
  
  I think at this stage in the game it would look like a panic measure to replace Ed Miliband, but certainly he should take an axe to the shadow cabinet and remove some of those who are so ineffective they might as well not be there.
Pingback: How not to shortlist for Police and Crime Commissioner candidates. | TopOfTheCops.com
AlanGiles

I have to respond here as the columns are allowing only one letter per line below where these immodest and boastful, self-serving remarks are made:

”
Try school, London Borough, District, County School, University, Semi-Professional and old Crystal Palace and Wimbledon youth sides.
Then throw in my place in the English Universities Golf Squad
London Borough Athletics team for 4 years at school.
Then school Rugby, Cricket, Tennis, Gold, Athletics.
Then County League Cricket (Surrey and Sussex)
Then University Football, Cricket and Golf……

….Despite my playing football for years it comes as no surprise that you went down the football route rather than rugby. Trots wouldn’t be welcome in any rubgy team I played in.”

How much more of this masturbatory self-congratulation and self-promotion is going to be tolerated o0n Labour List – always with a personal insult tacked on the end?.

He is not having a go at me for once but surely this site cannot be allowed to drift on allowing one person to display his prejudice and serve as a sort of self-run Facebook fan page.

Enough already!
- Jeff_Harvey
  
  The hopeless self-aggrandisement you mention reminds me of the satirical comedy drama Jeffrey Archer: The Truth which was shown on the BBC in 2002. This programme claimed to be based on “… the Truth, the whole Truth and everything BUT the Truth”. As likewise is every boastful comment which appears on LabourList no doubt. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to discover that many of the worst comments had in fact been authored by the venerable Lord Archer himself, anonymously, using a nom de plume! Far too much content on this site now reads like badly written fiction for this to be attributable to mere coincidence.
  - AlanGiles
    
    Despite the pretentions to gentility and great knowledge, Guy has certainly never heard the phrase ”a gentlemen never tells”. What with him, and the Colouring Book and the toff in a bow-tie I begin to feel we are being taken over by the Bullingdon Club.
    - GuyM
      
      I’m not a gentleman Alan, I’m on a site with people I fundamentally believe to be proponents of an ideology I detest, people who I have no shared interests with and who I’d not regard as “comrades” in any sense whether it be country or even species.
      
      I played each and every one of those sports to the level descibed and could give detailed info on each one, the grounds, matches, courses. On the golf side I still have the scorecards of all my uni matches in a box somewhere.
      
      I’m sorry if so many of you seem to believe we are all equal, we are not and I have no desire to be either.
      - AlanGiles
        
        “I’m on a site with people I fundamentally believe to be proponents of an ideology I detest, people who I have no shared interests with and who I’d not regard as “comrades” in any sense whether it be country or even species.”
        
        Then what are you doing here? (apart from boasting about your alleged abilities). Why not – how to put this nicely? – just buzz off?
      - GuyM
        
        Engaging in “open debate”.
        
        Click on the “about us” at the top of the page.
      - http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray
        
        No, causing trouble. Its boring. Which is why I don’t debate with you.
      - GuyM
        
        Your choice, one less socialist to deal with is a minor victory in life.
  - GuyM
    
    Whereas I suspect you are one of those weedy pale types who stood on the touchline for fear of the ball coming anywhere near you.
    
    You now denigrate anyone who has played sport at any reasonable level in order to cover your own lack of achievements.
    
    But you are a socialist, so no worth to anyone anyway. It would therefore be only in keeping if besides holding a crap ideology you were also crap at sport.
- GuyM
  
  I thought you weren’t going to respond alan, you broke your own rules yet again. I presume you just couldn’t help yourself.
  
  The discussion was on sport, I’ve played rather a lot of it at reasonable levels over the years.
  
  I know you’d prefer everyone to be equal and have no background whatsoever to bring to bear in a debate, but you realise that is totally ludicrous.
  
  Now unless you want to drop back into the insult slinging which I will if needed, why don’t you go and troll someone else?
  - AlanGiles
    
    “drop back into the insult slinging which I will if needed,”
    
    You mean remarks like:
    
    “But you are a socialist, so no worth to anyone anyway. It would therefore be only in keeping if besides holding a crap ideology you were also crap at sport.”
    
    (to Jeff)
    
    and numerous others?
    
    One day you will overstep the mark.
    
    I bet you wouldn’t have the guts to say half the things you say on here, cowering behind your keyboard, to anybody’s face?. I’d love you to do that, because unless you were also an expert boxer, (which I suppose you will say you were) I daresay you would get a damned good hiding
    
    You think ignorance is wit – it isn’t.
    - GuyM
      
      Insult slinging in terms of you and I, not anyone else.
      
      In terms of saying things to your or anyone elses face, more than happy to.
      - AlanGiles
        
        And you saying to Jeff “But you are a socialist, so no worth to anyone anyway. It would therefore be only in keeping if besides holding a crap ideology you were also crap at sport.” is in terms of me and you is it, Guy?.
        
        And when you tell other people your views on “unwashed lefty sociology types” and “the lower classes”, that isn’t insulting either?.
        
        You really should get some proper help Guy for your delusions of granduer, and this ridiculous idea that you have that you are “better” than everyone else.
        
        Of course you SAY you would say it to their face, but as you give only one name which might or might not be your real one, swe only have you word for it, just as we do with your athletic and academic and business prowess. Depends on how much your word is worth doesn’t it?.
        
        Normal people do not feel it necessary to keep coming on a forum to talk about themselves in the most flattering terms.
      - Jeff_Harvey
        
        To be honest I really don’t mind what, Guy, or any other visitor to this forum says about anything including me personally to be honest. I find all this pontificating and polemic as poignant as it is pathetic because I believe that people of this ilk convince themselves that an assortment of complete strangers, with alternative viewpoints, sit up and take notice of their venting, which couldn’t be further from the truth when all is said and done.
        
        If somebody kept accosting you and saying things like “I’m exceedingly handsome” or “I bet you wish you were as brilliant as me” or “I hate everything you believe in and stand for but want to boast and argue with you anyway” you’d probably think that they were either jesting or just a little bit insane and do your best to avoid them in future to deny them further opportunities to waste your time, upset, unsettle or annoy you.
        
        Which I think is the most appropriate behaviour.On virtual forums like this as elsewhere in real life.
      - GuyM
        
        Whereas I know I don’t like you, wouldn’t lift a finger to help you or your family no matter what.
        
        You represent what I hate in life and that makes you hateful.
        
        You are the enemy, nothing more Jeff, worth nothing more than emnity.
      - http://twitter.com/gonzozzz dave stone
        
        You’re going over the top with your attention seeking now, Guy.
        
        I’d help you if I could but I doubt that’s possible on a blog. Perhaps you should lay-off LL for a few days and reconnect with life beyond the internet?
      - Jeff_Harvey
        
        Animus perditus.
      - GuyM
        
        I’m saying we agreed to not respond to each other, I said nothing about anyone else, nor how I’d respond to them.
        
        As to the face thing, I have no problem at all… personally my view of socialists is they deserve a good kicking a few times in life for all the misery their horrible creed has dropped upon the world.
Slakah

Certain looks like an incredibly gifted candidate. Also it doesn’t hurt to have more people in the political sphere with a Science background. Very pleased, had a quick glance at her opinion articles on the Guardian (
http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/lucypowell) although it’s not all spotless as this shows
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yiDmZYiPCw .

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