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Bristol West candidate selected

July 7, 2012 3:53 pm

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This afternoon Bristol West CLP selected Thangam Debbonaire as their candidate for the 2015 election. Congratulations to Thangam and commiserations to the other shortlisted candidates. Thangam’s biography is below:

Thangam Debbonaire was a council candidate for Ashley ward in the Bristol City Council elections in May 2011, and describes herself as an active member of the local community who wants to do more for her area and city. She’s also women’s officer for Bristol West – and her website is debbonaire.co.uk.

ThePurpleBooker

Some people seriously must be having laugh. I thought they actually wanted to win Bristol West from the Liberal Democrats! Gemma Tumelty was the obvious choice, for goodness sake’s!
- http://twitter.com/RDStalker Rachel Danae Stalker
  
  Have a bit more grace! Thangham has amazing credentials!
  - Bristol Labour man
    
    What credentials, Rachel? Losing to the Green candidate in a target seat, having little experience in politics, disliked from many in the Bristol Labour party, not a good campaigner, rude to other party members and ageist towards younger candidates. Compare that to an intelligent, active, brilliant campaigner, from that part of South West England, radical, great speaker, young, very experienced. This is a seat where we need to overturn a Liberal Democrat majority of over 11,000 which we lost in 2005. It will be difficult to take it. I know you don’t understand that so how about you just stay in TOWIE land with your fellow Oompa-loompas, yeah!
- Chilbaldi
  
  Why do you say this? Debbonaire has a great CV (and a fantastic name).
  
  Point of interest: On her website Tumelty said that she would never attempt to be selected anywhere other than Bristol West. Will she now keep to this promise, or will she chase selection elsewhere?
  - Chilbaldi
    
    she also seems really impressive when speaking. No cliches and platitudes, seems very bright and original.
  - Ddf
    
    I suggest taking a screenshot of that for when she inevitably goes for selection somewhere else and says the same thing.
    - Chilbaldi
      
      I will post it here for future reference:
      
      http://www.gemmatumelty.org.uk/blog?page=3
      
      If you don’t get selected, will you stand in another seat?
      
      No.
      
      I am standing in Bristol West because I want to be the candidate in Bristol West, nowhere else.
      
      I want to be the MP for Bristol West because of my ties to the area. I
      want to stand up for people here who are really hurting in the face of
      government cuts and who have done so much for me and my family.
      
      I also have a firm belief that my local and national campaigning
      experience, and experiencing of defeating the Lib Dems in other areas,
      give me a real shot at turning the seat red again.
      
      I want to be the candidate here because I sincerely believe that my
      experience and background could help overturn a substantial Liberal
      Democrat majority – that is something we need to do for local people and
      to help return a Labour government in 2015.
    - http://twitter.com/ddom2006 Dominyk Tiller
      
      Unless you’ve spoken to Gemma personally on the issue of standing elsewhere, which seems doubtful given the tone of your comments, to say she’ll inevitably go for selection elsewhere is highly subjective.
      
      I personally would be happy for Gemma to stand anywhere in Bristol or the surrounding constituencies that’re so linked into Bristol, but that’s just my opinion. If Gemma says she won’t stand elsewhere I’m perfectly content to take her at her word; She has a passion & enthusiasm for Bristol West that makes me believe she won’t stand elsewhere.
      
      I get that people are terribly cynical of politics & politicos these days, that’s understandable, but tarring everyone with the same brush is a tad self-defeating.
    - WW13
      
      I have a LOT of Debonnaire stories which would be very damaging. Wish I’d told them during the selection- I just didn’t want to go on attack as thought Bristol W would do the right/ sensible/ intelligent thing.
      
      As it happens I wasn’t even able to get back to Bristol for the selection and the stupid process didn’t allow me a postal vote.
  - ThePurpleBooker
    
    Why should she keep that promise? She should have got the seat, she hasn’t. She had the best credentials and lost. Seriously, don’t they want to win the seat?
    - Chilbaldi
      
      why did she have the best credentials? I am especially surprised to hear you say this, given that Gemma Tumelty is a lot more left wing than you.
      
      As to your question of why should she keep this promise… Of course we can all have a change of heart, but I do think we should try to select people who exhibit integrity. I will enjoy seeing her try to spin that statement that I have posted in the future.
      - ThePurpleBooker
        
        ‘A lot more’? I know she is to the left of me which makes it significant. Thangham is to the left of her. I want a Labour government and good Labour MPs. This is what frustrates me about the party – not everyone remembers that. Bristol is an area that we need to break through, and Gemma Tumelty’s activities in the past has been brilliant. She should go for another seat in the South West and people who have been in this long-standing anti-Tumelty lynchmob. I mean come on - it is a university seat! This is a key reason why we need primaries.
      - http://twitter.com/mistyblulabour dave stone
        
        “we need primaries.”
        
        You’ll support whatever system gets your favoured/Progress candidate selected.
        
        Quit your grousing and be happy for Thangam.
      - treborc
        
        It hurts to see these New labour lot getting stroppy , my heart bleeds for them.
- Brumanuensis
  
  What a petulant response. Thangham will be an excellent candidate and she has a fabulous CV, not at all that of a typical politician.
- Guest
  
  Oh do grow up Purplebooker. What is the point of coming on here and whinging about a selection your prefered candidate lost? I didn’t back Thangham Debbonaire but clearly she will do a great job for Bristol West and will by any standards be a quality candidate.
  
  Perhaps as a Londoner you were just reading twitter and thought Ms Tumelty would walk it but the reality is she had brilliant support from loads of people most of whom came from outside Bristol and therefore didn’t have a vote.
  
  The reality is the Labour members of Bristol spoke. If it was the Labour members of London it would have been a different result but as this was for Bristol West so we can hardly blame them for choosing who they think is best for THEIR constituency.
  - ThePurpleBooker
    
    I’m expressing a view which alot of people are thinking. I wasn’t just reading on Twitter. I am fully aware of all ongoing parliamentary selections. Gemma was the best candidate. Great NUS President, fantastic campaigner, huge campaigner, great personal skills, brilliant CV and someone who can appeal to the ‘progressive vote’ that we lost in Bristol West. We have to turn over 11,000 votes to win – which we should! Some next ‘local candidate’ who did not become a council candidate is hardly appropiate. I’m sorry.
    - Brumanuensis
      
      Apart from the NUS president bit, how do any of these not potentially apply to Debbonaire? I mean, I’m sure Tumelty would have been a good candidate, but what about Debbonaire prevents her from reaching out to the ‘progressive vote’ we lost?
      
      She can’t have been that bad a candidate for the council, because she doubled the Labour vote.
      - ThePurpleBooker
        
        I’m sure Thangham Debonnaire is good and I want Bristol West to be Labour again. Now that she has been selected, I hope Thangham Debonnaire is the next MP for Bristol West but Gemma Tumelty would have been better.
        He activism, her campaigning and the fact she is extremely in touch with young people – and the LD-leaning student vote – is the reason why she should have been selected. I think party members need to remember they aren’t selecting ‘a friend of the party’ they are selecting someone who needs to win back the seat and Gemma Tumelty was best poised to do that. We are talking about ‘MP’ here not just popular party member. That is why we need primaries in seats like this, which would determine the right person to win (and that would have meant Tumelty would have been selected!)
        Jo McCarron and Gemma Tumelty should keep on going for other seats. Bristol North West, Gloucester, Kingswood, Bristol South, North East Somerset (if the boundary changes are hopefully blocked), places we can win.
      - Brumanuensis
        
        How can you be so sure that she would definitely have won a primary? I think Debbonaire’s CV would have made her just as likely as Tumelty or McCarron (my favoured candidate) to win.
        
        I mean, Bristol West has a lot of students, but they aren’t – as I know from having visited – the sum total of the electorate and they have a lower turnout, so running a student-centred strategy isn’t necessarily the best idea.
      - ThePurpleBooker
        
        Look, students turn out to vote especially at General Elections. Students make up alot of the electorate in Bristol West. Now, with Tumelty that student vote that Stephen Williams enjoyed would go straight to us. It’s not a student-centred strategy, it is the best person to connect with students and people in the wider community. Tumelty being a brilliant campaigner and an ex-NUS President (who clearly had the backing of the leadership, too) could have done that. Tumelty would have won a primary seen as students would have turned out to vote and she is that kind of person to engage with people outside of our bubble. But good luck to Thangham, because Bristol West needs a Labour MP. I hope Stephen Williams stands down to be Mayor of Bristol candidate this year and then we can have a by-election soon to get it over and done with.
      - Brumanuensis
        
        It’s a statistical fact that people between the ages of 18 and 25 have the lowest turnout:
        
        http://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/poll.aspx?oItemId=2613&view=wide
        
        I don’t see why Tumelty would enjoy a better rapport with students. The NUS isn’t that popular you know and in 2015, almost no-one who was at university when she was President will still be around.
        
        I also don’t grasp how someone who has spent most of their life outside of political roles and working with vulnerable people in the community, is less equipped to ‘engage with people outside our bubble’, than a former student politician who has spent most of her career in political roles. That’s not a criticism of Tumelty, but I’m not sure why that would naturally warm people to her.
      - ThePurpleBooker
        
        Lowest turnout, yes but in university seats like Bristol West they account for a big chunk of the vote. If that was not the case, then Stephen Williams would not have such a high majority. Come on.
        It is the fact she was NUS President, which means that she can enjoy a bigger and better rapport with students because of her experience as leading the biggest student union in the world which is very popular. Clearly, you do not know what you are talking about. All you know is anti-Tumelty vitriol.
      - http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray
        
        You think the average student respects the NUS leadership??
      - Bristol Labour man
        
        They do you idiot. Also former NUS leaders are better at connecting with young people.
      - Alan Giles
        
        Bristol Student perhaps?
        
        No need for the ad hominem.
        
        Frankly there is nothing more embarrassing – or patronising than a middle-aged man getting down with the kids as so many politicians do.
      - ThePurpleBooker
        
        An ideal situation good idea would be to have Stephen Williams stand for Mayor of Bristol. Then, a by-election in Bristol West would open up. Bristol Labour focuses all of its energies in campaigning for Marvin Rees to become the Mayor. The National party rightly campaigns on the other by-elections, such as Cardiff South and Penarth and Manchester Central to prevent another by-election disaster. Then Labour takes the Mayoralty and we increase our vote share in Cardiff South and Manchester Central but we don’t take Bristol West of the Lib Dems (probably due to low voter turnout). That way, Gemma Tumelty could be the candidate to take the seat at the next GE.
      - Brumanuensis
        
        I’m sorry, have you just suggested that the best outcome would be if we lost the seat?
      - ThePurpleBooker
        
        We don’t hold the seat anyway so we haven’t lost it. It’s a by-election so it doesn’t really matter.
      - Redshift
        
        WTF? Dig, dig, dig….
      - Twinnings
        
        This is the ideal situation, but I don’t think this open forum is ideal for this sort of strategicplanning.
      - http://twitter.com/ElliotBidgood Elliot Bidgood
        
        Great plan, I really hope that happens! Because weeks of headlines about how we couldn’t beat the Lib Dems in a by-election even when they’re at 8% in the polls would be great for the party, I’m sure. Explain to me how that wouldn’t be a “by-election disaster”?
        
        You just said you’d prefer an official Labour candidate (yes, that’s what Thangam Debbonaire is now, whether you like it or not) lose, just because you’d prefer your own candidate. Really?
      - ThePurpleBooker
        
        Firstly, they have a majority of 11,000. Secondly, turnout is always low in by-elections. Thirdly, the result would mean they get a majority of about 3,000. In a GE, they’d take the seat but a by-election is different. All what will happen is the press would say that the Lib Dems are suffering and Labour turnout was low. Come on! Anyway, it’s a possible hypothesis for Gemma Tumelty to be the PPC in 2015 which is very possible.
      - ThePurpleBooker
        
        Also on average they are on 10% standing and they were 8% in the polls during the local elections but they still held the council.
      - http://twitter.com/mistyblulabour dave stone
        
        Lib Dems didn’t hold Bristol council:
        
        http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-13280169
      - ThePurpleBooker
        
        They held control of Bristol Council.
      - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=36910622 Edward Carlsson Browne
        
        Your plan, daft as it is, doesn’t even work. Stephen Williams wouldn’t have to resign unless he actually won the mayoralty.
        
        Your favoured candidate lost, because they couldn’t convince the selectorate they were the best candidate. Get over it, and accept you might just be wrong.
      - ThePurpleBooker
        
        Firstly, you are wrong. There is a new rule where you have to resign if you want to stand for the Mayoralty or PCC. That is we are planning by-elections in Cardiff and Manchester (duh!).
      - http://www.facebook.com/people/Andrea-Parma/578831001 Andrea Parma
        
        I believe it’s just an internal Labour party rule to force mayoral candidates to resign their Commo n seats once selected not something that also applies to other parties (I don’t know LD internal rule at that regard).
      - http://twitter.com/ElliotBidgood Elliot Bidgood
        
        Mitigating factors don’t change perceptions. Bradford West wounded the party, despite being a very isolated, and failing to beat the unpopular Lib Dems in what should now be a Lib-Lab battleground given their current standing would still be played as a failure on our part by the press, and would give the Lib Dems a shot in the arm. Also, students, who you seem to think will save the Lib Dems from Debbonarie and only Tumelty could win for us (an incredibly dubious hypothesis) are both low-turnout in by-elections, and are anti-Lib Dem in any case since tuition fees. If it wouldn’t be possible to take it in a by-election, we can’t take it from them in 2015, with any candidates.
      - ThePurpleBooker
        
        Elliott that is abs0lute rubbish. Firstly, Bradford West was a circumstance whereby we had a seat we held for over 30 years and lost it to a minority party. Bristol West is a seat where the Lib Dems have a majority of over 11,000 which we have not held for 7 years. Secondly, I never said only Tumelty could win us back the seat it’s just Tumelty would be a better candidate in my view to win us back the seat. Thirdly, in by-elections turnout is very low and Labour suffers most from low turnout. In Norwich North by-election, Chloe Smith got a majority of over 7,000. In the GE, she got a majority under 3,000. If there was a General Election, we’d win but if there was a by-election we could lose and cut the LD majority. So there is a difference. I want the best candidates in our marginals not just ‘community people’.
      - http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray
        
        Frankly, I think the needs of the sizeable BME community in Bristol West who have voted primarily LD in the last couple of elections may be rather more important…
      - Twinnings
        
        ALL the BME Bristol councillors (and the Mayoral candidate) backed Tumelty.
      - http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray
        
        Only Labour doesn’t hold the areas with the largest BME populations at the moment – clearly there is a lot of sour grapes going on here because the anointed establishment candidate lost
      - Bristol Labour man
        
        Shut up you condescending racist.
      - aracataca
        
        How much would primaries cost to organise?
        I don’t know but my initial guess is that it would cost an absolute fortune and the benefit to be gained is at the very least debatable.
      - ThePurpleBooker
        
        Primaries mean we can reconnect with voters ont he doorstep. See who they want to be their next MP. Also, it won’t cost that much. So it has a massive benefit and has no risk. Sometimes you can’t trust all CLPs but instead trust the actual voters. Democracy. An open Labour party.
      - aracataca
        
        Sorry but you’re talking nonsense. The Tories did it in a couple of seats before the last election and it cost a fortune. If you’re being bankrolled by Goldman Sachs like they are then it is just about doable here and there. It means sending out around 30,000 -60,000 voting forms and leaflets for the different candidates for each constituency for a kick off ,then there’s all the counting,etc, etc,etc. All this expense would be entered into with doubtful benefits.
        It’s simply not practical to do. In the USA for example where they do have primaries the turnout at national elections is pitiful.
      - http://twitter.com/ElliotBidgood Elliot Bidgood
        
        That’s true about the Tory trials of primaries. Also, if I remember rightly, in some (most?) states in America, primaries are organised and paid for by the government-run electoral commissions out of taxes, but just as with govt funds for party funding reform, that’s a non-starter here.
        
        But in France the PS primaries that selected Hollande were conducted on a basis where each person paid a Euro each to participate. That’s the nearest thing to an idea to fund it that might work here, but I’d debate how many people would give a quid just to help select their local parliamentary candidates.
      - ThePurpleBooker
        
        You’ll know about nonsense! The Tory trials cost a fortune in a different circumstance. Primaries are not too expensive in general. People can also make a contribution to the primary as well. People want to be more involved in primaries. I do not trust all local parties, I trust the local people.
      - Redshift
        
        The local people get their say on polling day. If members don’t get a say when selecting the candidate – when do they?
      - ThePurpleBooker
        
        Polling day is not good enough. In America, France and Tory trials it worked. If we are an open and democratic party engaging with people, primaries should be a priority. The idea is that the NEC provides a shortlist. The local party members pick say the best three (so they’ve had their say) and then it is open to the public.
      - Redshift
        
        Try signing up more members rather than insisting that the members we do have are ‘wrong’
      - http://twitter.com/ddom2006 Dominyk Tiller
        
        The government would contribute to the cost of holding primaries. Democracy costs money, that’s a simple fact, what we should be arguing is whether primaries are better for democracy or not, that’s the issue.
      - Redshift
        
        Primaries would determine that the individual with the most money would be selected in what is a low turnout selection, whilst fundamentally devaluing the point of membership of the party.
        
        We group together as a ‘Labour’ party fundamentally because we believe that collectively we can fund our preferred candidate rather than having to accept someone because they have the money to fund themselves. It must be an internally democratic process. A primary is not.
        
        And by the way, I quite like Gemma…
      - aracataca
        
        This is correct Redshift. The amount of money used in the US primary system is colossal and the question: ‘What’s the point in being a member and paying my £40?’ would surely be asked by many.
    - Bill Greenslade
      
      I agree. I’m disappointed. Tumelty has a strategic sense that all the other candidates conspicuously lacked. I really do hope she is successful elsewhere,soon. She is a great talent and we need to hear her at national level. But let’s all get behind Debbonaire now.
      - ThePurpleBooker
        
        No but it is massively frustrating. The eyes of the national party is on a CLP to chose not a ‘friend’ or an active local person but someone who can be an MP taking the seat for Labour, were we need to get 12,000 to win. They need to start looking outwards. That is why I am extremely active for primaries otherwise times like this would not have happened. Tumelty was the best candidate.
      - http://twitter.com/ElliotBidgood Elliot Bidgood
        
        “No but it is massively frustrating. The eyes of the national party is on a CLP to chose not a ‘friend’ or an active local person but someone who can be an MP taking the seat for Labour, were we need to get 12,000 to win.”
        
        Surely you realise how this statement could be controversial, right? Both in the party and among the general public, there’s growing frustration with the professionalisation of politics. In this case, I figured Tumelty would walk it, because she fit that profile, but it’s a surprise to see Debbonaire get it. Also, in the primaries the Tories conducted, it was reported people preferred more local candidates over national ones. I admit that’s not a very representative, as it was only a couple of seats, but given how much people complain about it, it stands to reason it might have this effect, so primaries aren’t neccesarily the best way to enforce the will of the central party in candidate selections.
      - ThePurpleBooker
        
        There is nothing wrong with local candidates but we did have a local candidate. Look, I want a Labour government again serving in the best interests of people and that means winning over places like Bristol. I’m not interested in the will of central party as much as I am interested in what we can do to win seats like this. Primaries are a great way of communicating with people and I doubt using a snapshot of Tory selections is a good way to represent primaries. So it’s time we have primaries now.
      - treborc
        
        Of course you did filled with what you think are center right Progress types
      - Redshift
        
        You’ve just discredited everything else you’ve said by admitting you’re in favour of primaries. Cretin
      - Alan Giles
        
        “Labour Right Toughie” nee’ Purple Booker: Surely the peopls best placed to decide who is best for Bristol West Labour Party is Bristol West Labour Party itself?
        
        I think you once told us you were a London based journalist.
        
        I too am in (outer) London and I wouldn’t presume to tell people in Bristol who they should select, or to tell them in multiple posts that they had got it wrong
      - treborc
        
        Three name changes in less then two weeks, gone now the ex Lib he then used another alias and now this, it cannot be a double for William can it
      - Alan Giles
        
        It really is ridiculous – I don’t think it is William but “PB” is something else. Sadly, whatever the name used all the replies are arrogant, ill-informed and frankly sound a little unhinged.
      - http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray
        
        You mean she’s an identikit London based professional politico. Far too many of them in the PLP already
    - Owen_hayle
      
      who are you?
- http://twitter.com/ddom2006 Dominyk Tiller
  
  I supported Gemma, who was an absolutely exceptional candidate, but I’ve complete faith in Thangham to retake Bristol West if the Labour movement unifies behind her. That unity is essential though and comments like yours aren’t especially helpful.
Dexterp2001

I was blown away by Thangam at the hustings today. She was sensational. I ended up up putting her in first place, when that hadn’t been my intention when I arrived. She will be a tremendous candidate – humorous, fluent, knowledgeable and experienced.
ThePurpleBooker

Let’s be honest. We need primaries in all our seats. Then closed decisions in the party like this would not happen.
- Brumanuensis
  
  You’re giving your preferred candidate a bad name, PurpleBooker, with this behaviour.
  - ThePurpleBooker
    
    Come off, it. Gemma Tumelty was brilliant and everyone knows it. I believe in primaries and I bet frustrated party members would agree.
    - Brumanuensis
      
      Except those in Bristol West, evidently.
      - ThePurpleBooker
        
        Well, I think many in the party agree. The people I have spoken to agree too.
      - Redshift
        
        I think most in the party would prefer to keep their voting rights as a member in selections.
      - treborc
        
        They do not count…..
      - ThePurpleBooker
        
        Look, I wanted Jo McCarron to be the candidate in Stroud not David Drew, I wanted Neil Coyle to be the candidate in Bedford not Patrick Hall and I wanted Gemma Tumelty to be the candidate in Bristol West not Thangham. But I think Jo, Thangham and Gemma were brilliant candidates in truth (despite my tribal loyalty to Gemma) and I hope that Thangham Debonnaire will beat Stephen Williams. Looking at her YouTube videos, though I thought Gemma Tumelty was the best, Thangham Debonnaire was very impressive too and I will campaign for her in 2015 (or 2012 if Williams stands for Mayor).
      - StroudLeftie
        
        What’s your problem with David Drew?
    - Redshift
      
      Personally I like Gemma but the fact she lost doesn’t make the case for primaries any stronger.
      
      Party members have less and less influence and it has effected our membership levels. Don’t take away what they have got.
      - aracataca
        
        Yet again I totally agree Redshift (but it’s affected not effected -sorry).Members should be more empowered not less. IMHO this move away from properly involving members in internal party decisions was one of the more negative effects of the New Labour period.
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=36910622 Edward Carlsson Browne
  
  Let’s be honest. You have no evidence for this or any of your other statements in your comments, and you’re starting to come across as more than a little deluded.
  - Wolfieph
    
    I wonder if PurpleBooker is any way able to represent the views of Bristol West. He/She makes some ridiculous statements about the constituency being a University seat. It’s not. It’s a very diverse seat with rich and poor, many ethnic groups, young and old, students and builders. If you had followed the events of the last few weeks, you would have concluded that Gemma ran a fantastic campaign and in my view was the front runner before the hustings today. She was excellent today, as were the other losing candidates, but Thangam was on fire … the best presentation, the most lucid answers to the questions, the most personable and effective. The vote was clearly tight, but Thangam was elected and is therefore by definition the best candidate. If she can our votes, she will the votes of the people of Bristol West. She has all the credentials to be our next MP. Let’s stop trying to second guess what Williams and the Lib Dems might do and let’s now work together to present ourselves as a united front. So, Purplebooker, go back to your ivory tower or join us!
    - ThePurpleBooker
      
      I was wrong. I still believe Gemma Tumelty was a great candidate but I have been watching some of Thangham’s videos on YouTube and it seems like she has the experience and the campaigning qualities to take the seat back. She also seems to be a moderate too. Congratulations and I look forward to her beating Williams in 2012 or 2015.
    - Bristol Labour man
      
      She lost to a Green candidate, she is not liked by many in Bristol Labour, she deleted people from her Facebook page, she got her personal friends to join the party to vote for her and she is a hopeless campaigner. I think Labour Right Toughie’s proposal should be picked up by the Lib Dems or there needs to be a motion to get rid of her as our candidate.
- Redshift
  
  We need primaries like a hole in the head.
- Chris Matheson
  
  I am guessing that you would not be calling for primaries if your chosen candidate had won the Bristol selection? Then, presumably, it would have been a fair and reliable process?
aracataca

Is she especially left-wing? I didn’t pick that up at all from her website. I did however pick up a sense of somebody who seemed intelligent, articulate and committed to her local community.
aracataca

What’s the Fib Dem MP for Bristol West like?
- http://twitter.com/mistyblulabour dave stone
  
  sh*te.
  - aracataca
    
    What total sh*te or just moderately sh*te? I only ask because his majority went up a lot between 2005 and 2010.
    - http://twitter.com/mistyblulabour dave stone
      
      I know a few people in the constituency (middle-aged and not particularly political but generally labour voting in national elections) who voted for him in 2010 who say they won’t be repeating the mistake – it was the ‘vote lib get tory’ what done it.
      - ThePurpleBooker
        
        Touche. But the student vote is particularly important in unseating Williams.
      - http://twitter.com/mistyblulabour dave stone
        
        I’m with you on that. And I feel that Thangam has the credibility to motivate student voters, and others.
      - ThePurpleBooker
        
        I hope so, though Tumelty would have been better placed to do that. To be honest, despite being devastated for Gemma Tumelty (which is odd seen as I am to the right of her) I think in reality Thangham Debonnaire will win Bristol West and I hope she does.
    - Redshift
      
      It did all over Bristol. He is a shit MP, he rode the Lib Dem wave in 2005 and 2010. Pissed off a lot of people by towing the line. It’ll be payback time in 2015 and he hasn’t distanced himself from the coalition’s car crash policies.
- Kenny
  
  rubbish.
- http://twitter.com/ddom2006 Dominyk Tiller
  
  Depends. If you like your Liberal Democrat MPs to stand up in the House of Commons & in their constituencies and extoll how great what Osborne & Cameron’s Tories are doing is then yeah, he’s a fantastic MP.
  
  If you’re a student, or vulnerable, or not particularly wealthy, or wish to contact him to protest his constant defence of the indefensible, someone who voted LibDem believing they’d get a LibDem MP, if you care about local issues… Then he’s pretty awful.
  
  I’m hopeful Bristol West will lean heavily towards the latter in 2015.
Jo_mccarron

Well done to Thangam for winning the Parliamentary candidacy – she is a strong candidate and genuinely has the people of Bristol West’s best interests at heart. I know she’ll beat Williams in the next general election and will happily campaign for her. Also commiserations to Gemma and Emily, both excellent candidates.
- Labour Right Toughie
  
  Don’t give up, Jo. There is Gloucester, Kingswood (Kingswood and Keynsham) and if the boundary changes are blocked there is North East Somerset. You’d be a fantastic MP. Tristram Hunt went through two other selections before finally getting Stoke-on-Trent! You do it.
  - Redshift
    
    Isn’t Bristol NW still up for grabs?
    - ThePurpleBooker
      
      Yes, that’s true. But it will be an open shortlist.
- Brumanuensis
  
  Jo, reading up on you I thought you came across very well and I hope you’ll get a chance to represent Labour at some stage. Commiserations on this occasion and hopefully congratulations in future.
Guest

Why has “The Purple Booker” suddenly changed his/her screen name?
- Daniel Speight
  
  No big thing – just going through a change of colour. They do this every few months. It’s a natural metamorphic event and nothing to worry about, at least that’s what David Attenborough told me.
  - treborc
    
    From Ex Liberal to New labour to a progress agitator, perhaps somebody ought to put him up for office, Outer Mongolia would do.
Trevor Habeshaw

This was the first ‘hustings’ I have attended since 1945 (handing out leaflets when my grandfather was the Labour agent in Sheffield Neepsend (Labour majority 25,000)
I approved of the all-female shortlist and having read the papers, I had decided on my favourite before i got to the hall (and in the end she lost). It happens in elections.
It is a matter of concern to me that in terms of public esteem, parliamentarians in general come third from bottom of the list after George Osborne and the Thieving Bankers. It made me wonder why any of the four candidates would want to do it and what they have in their personalities which would enable them to withstand the endless (and in too many cases) appropriate public opprobrium while avoiding being lobby fodder for the whips.
After Jay, I thought the floor questions were trivial and in no way ‘forensic’ and I didn’t get any sense that, while all the candidates were ‘very nice’, we had a potential Diana Abbott or Margaret Hodge before us.
Incidentally it was good to be in such a large gathering of Labour people. On hte other hand, the organisation of the voting was hopeless.
barsacq

That’s a woman, is it?
- Steven
  
  Apparently!
- http://twitter.com/ddom2006 Dominyk Tiller
  
  Come now, that comment’s hardly necessary now is it. Judge the candidate on her policies, not whether she fits into some ‘perfect’ image repeatedly thrown at people by the media & beauty industry.
BristolWest69

Thagam Deboonaire is a truly dreadful human being who run a negative campaign and who will lose in 2015. She has alienated a huge proportion of Bristol West members- including deleting constituency members from her Facebook account (mainly Labour students!)
Petty, small minded and a political minnow. Bristol West made a MASSIVE error yesterday. Greens, Lib Dems, Tories will all be celebrating.
- Kenny
  
  Would you like some lemon with that bitter? What a nasty comment. No Thangam is not “a truly dreadful human being” . She is a strong woman and her passion for positive change was recognised by Bristol West Labour when she democratically elected. You didn’t get your first choice. I didn’t get my first choice either – but get over it and help her to win for Labour.
  - BristolWest69
    
    I have known the woman for more than ten years and she deleted me from Facebook because I dared to come out in support of one of the other candidates! Is that the kind of behaviour you’d expect from an MP?
    - treborc
      
      yes
    - Brumanuensis
      
      She deleted you from Facebook? The monster!
      
      Won’t someone please think of the children?!
Peterpiper

Just crazy that Bristol West has selected a candidate that lost a simple council election in an inner-city ward of Bristol (i.e. should be Labour) to the greens!!!

This woman is a proven failure. Never met her (I wasn’t contacted by her in the selection and have lived in ‘her ward’ for 5 years and she has never once knocked on my door- the idea that she has has ‘mobilised’ the Ashley branch is laughable).
- Twinnings
  
  I’ve met her, she’s rude.
  
  Also needs a serious makeover.
- Labourneedstowinagain
  
  Hopeless campaigner, not tough enough to stand up to the Greens or Libdems. Seriously doubt Debbonaire will take Bristol W evn with Libdems being so unpopular. Also understand she is unliked by many in Bristol’s Labour Group following recent agm contest for leadership
  - Stop Debonnaire
    
    I think anyone should be able to win against the Lib Dems with a strong and effective campaign. The LD vote should fall massively but if that is the case then we should change the candidate.
- Bm
  
  She can not beat the Greens in Bristol West or her ward – there is no hope for the Party. Even the Mayoral candidate Marvin Rees wanted another candidate. I have heard a lot about her negative campaigning and calling people out for supporting the other candidates. Not what you need from a Mp
- Brumanuensis
  
  You forget to mention that she doubled the Labour vote in percentage terms and almost trebled it in numerical terms.
  
  Still, whinge away if you must.
http://www.facebook.com/gusbbaker Gus Baker

We were incredibly lucky to have some absolutely brilliant candidates in Bristol West. Thangam is exceptional. She’s strong willed, clever and thoughtful- but most importantly genuinely listens to everyone she meets. We’re lucky to have her. Stephen Williams isn’t.
- BristolClaire
  
  You think Stephen Williams is scared to face this candidate? How about the greens (who’ve beaten her once already)?
http://twitter.com/gusbbaker Gus Baker

Anyone making comments on Thangam’s appearance seriously need to reflect on whether they would do the same to a male candidate. Exactly the reason why we need all female shortlists – and brilliant, hard-working feminists like Thangam.
- treborc
  
  Well I do not like women only short lists and I do not like the people who travel around the country looking for a seat. But appearances and she looks OK to my eyes, should really leave and not bother coming back.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray

Very pleased by this choice. She’s local and has some practical work experience which isn’t just political research. The right wingers don’t appear very happy, do they?
- WW13
  
  You think supporters of ‘the other front runner’ are right wingers? Are you kidding? Tumelty was most left-wing of the candidates (why I wanted her to win) and had strong union support.
  
  Politics must be the only career where being too-qualified makes you under-qualified. Its absurd.
  - http://twitter.com/RDStalker Rachel Danae Stalker
    
    It depends what you mean by “too qualified”. I think 20 years working at the sharp end of domestic violence and successfully campaigning to change domestic violence legislation makes someone eminently qualified to deal with everything the everyday realities of being an MP could throw at her. How such experience can possibly be LESS valuable than a couple of years running the NUS is beyond me.
    - BristolClaire
      
      Not a matter of Thangams being less qualified, its the complete dismissal of the experience gained by other candidates in the political ‘sphere’.
      
      Clearly Thangam feel that this is the case, otherwise there wouldn’t have been a poisonous planted question suggesting that ’10 years experience outside of politics’ was necessary in the hustings (this question was blatantly ageist as well, by the way, and should have been ruled out of order).
      - Chilbaldi
        
        it may be ageist. but 10 years experience of SOMETHING is the least I’d expect a PPC to have before personally giving them my vote.
        
        experience gained within the political sphere is a funny one. Good in some ways, bad in others. Our MPs are law makers and advocates for their constituents – I don’t see how any ‘political sphere’ jobs prepare you better for that than something outwith the political sphere.
        
        e.g. I don’t see how being the head of a narrow interest group such as the NUS is any better than being a domestic violence worker, lawyer, or nurse. In fact, being the head of the NUS should be seen as a sign of mediocrity given our previous experience with NUS leaders.
      - Chilbaldi
        
        and my previous point – we already have lots of career politicians. Career politician does not automatically equal incompetent, but it is good to have a mix of talent rather than a PLP consisting of the usual suspects.
      - http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Homfray/510980099 Mike Homfray
        
        Definitely. I think its good that we are getting some MP’s with sharp-end experience.
      - Stacey
        
        No. What you’ve got is a candidate. Doubt very much she’ll be an MP.
      - treborc
        
        Then again some thought she would not be a candidate didn’t they, shows that people have some sense, lets just hope that leaders of political parties have the ideology to allow the locals to get on and pick the person they want
      - Bristol Labour man
        
        Out of loyalty, we should hope she becomes one even though she shouldn’t be.
      - Bristol Labour man
        
        Please Claire, report her to the NEC. Write a letter. She should never have even been shortlisted, she’s a blooming lightweight.
    - Bristol Labour man
      
      Can you please run off to Oompa Loompa land. You know nothing about Bristol, other than Skins. Running the NUS in a seat with alot of students compared to some woman who can’t even beat the Greens is folly. Thangham should not have selected most people wanted Gemma Tumelty and Thangham used influences she had to get her way and be ageist towards Gemma. I want first-class PPCs in winnable seats not these lightweight community people who’ve had dreams of being MPs but do not have the calibre to even beat the Greens to a council seat! The reason why you support Thangham is because like you she is a failed candidate, the difference is the people of Harlow picked a brilliant candidate in a seat we need to win (not you) but in Bristol West the brilliant candidate was not picked but they picked some woman. Debonnaire should step down or be deselected before we make a mistake. 11,000 votes we need to win back. That will mean Ed and the shadow cabinet will have to loads of campaigning there because Thangham Debonnaire is so unable to do it herself. She should go and you should just audition for TOWIE.
      - http://twitter.com/RDStalker Rachel Danae Stalker
        
        You are right that Harlow CLP chose a brilliant candidate. I have never said anything otherwise – either publicly or privately – since the selection. Suzy Stride has given the whole of her adult life to serving other people – both in the UK and abroad. She works with disaffected young adults, training them up to be able to enter the workforce – working at the sharp end, seeing injustice face-to-face on a daily basis. Because of this, I have spent many hours in Harlow campaigning since the selection and have encouraged others to do the same.
        
        I used to live in Bristol, as it happens – I was a student there. But even if I hadn’t been, I’m still entitled to be shocked and appalled at the level of gracelessness demonstrated on this thread.
      - Terry_homes
        
        Typical – all withering responses are from anonymous sources!
  - Chilbaldi
    
    The issue is that people are under the illusion that being “qualified” for politics = being an NUS rep, attending think tank events, policy forums and the like.
    
    That’s one way of doing things, albeit it suggests a certain way of thinking and we also have the issue that many of our new MPs seem to follow this route.
    
    The other way of becoming “qualified” is through getting your hands dirty and doing tough work in the community. I’d bet that Debbonaire has more to offer with her vast experience in domestic violence than someone with a PPE degree who regularly attends Fabian Society debates in and around Westminster.
    - Stacey
      
      Debonnaire started a degree in Oxford, she just wasn’t good enough to complete it [FACT before anyone 'flags' this, check her LinkedIn profile etc]
      - http://twitter.com/mistyblulabour dave stone
        
        “she just wasn’t good enough to complete it ”
        
        What is it with the character assination on this thread?! One may well say of David Owen: he started off in the medical profession but ended up as Foreign Secretary – he obviously couldn’t hack it as a medic.
      - Billsilver
        
        David Owen – TRUE!!!
      - Chilbaldi
        
        I don’t really care about someone’s academic record from when they were a CHILD.
        
        John Major had something like 2 O levels ffs. Didn’t stop him from becoming PM.
      - Brumanuensis
        
        Because a university education is a clear sign of human worth and intelligence, right?
        
        How unbelievably petty and snobbish of you.
    - treborc
      
      But lawyers and accountants have so far been unable to see housing bubbles, have not seen Libor or banking crises, could not even see expenses scandal when they were stealing.
      
      So maybe being in say a Union or working at a job in which you can see the struggles and suffering may be worth more then being a lawyer barrister or accountant.
      
      One can only hope
  - Guest
    
    ” was most left-wing of the candidates” was! really! or was it pretended to be to help win the selection? I thought all the candidates played to what the constituency wanted to hear. Seeing as Tumelty’s supporters think that she’s the best thing since sliced bread and a cert for the front bench we can take it that her politics are what the leader of the Labour Party tell her they are.
    
    I don’t mean that as a criticism. Clearly she thinks she should be in the (shad)cabinet. That means taking collective responsibility. She would have been more authentic if she had actually backed some of the stuff the last Labour govt did instead of apologising to appease a few handwringing leftie CLP hacks.
  - Guest
    
    ” was most left-wing of the candidates” was! really! or was it pretended to be to help win the selection? I thought all the candidates played to what the constituency wanted to hear. Seeing as Tumelty’s supporters think that she’s the best thing since sliced bread and a cert for the front bench we can take it that her politics are what the leader of the Labour Party tell her they are.
    
    I don’t mean that as a criticism. Clearly she thinks she should be in the (shad)cabinet. That means taking collective responsibility. She would have been more authentic if she had actually backed some of the stuff the last Labour govt did instead of apologising to appease a few handwringing leftie CLP hacks.
  - Guest
    
    ” was most left-wing of the candidates” was! really! or was it pretended to be to help win the selection? I thought all the candidates played to what the constituency wanted to hear. Seeing as Tumelty’s supporters think that she’s the best thing since sliced bread and a cert for the front bench we can take it that her politics are what the leader of the Labour Party tell her they are.
    
    I don’t mean that as a criticism. Clearly she thinks she should be in the (shad)cabinet. That means taking collective responsibility. She would have been more authentic if she had actually backed some of the stuff the last Labour govt did instead of apologising to appease a few handwringing leftie CLP hacks.
    - treborc
      
      God do not tell me you have come all the way from Progress to write this, lets hope she is a lefty and not another dam Progress right winger
    - Alan Giles
      
      ”
      She would have been more authentic if she had actually backed some of the stuff the last Labour govt did instead of apologising to appease a few handwringing leftie CLP hacks.”
      
      Certain things the last government did – implementing Freud most obvious of these things, and causing extra distress to the sick, disabled and long term (through no fault of their own) unemployed CANNOT be defended by anyone with at least an ounce of decency in them.
      
      You using the term “hand-wringing leftie” reminds us yet again that there isn’t a dash of difference between right wing “Labour” supporters and their counterparts in the Coalition – you use the same terms of abuse, employ the same arrogance – people like you should be glad the Coalition is continuing our dirty work, so that dissembling individuals like Liam Byrne can appear to be critical, while at the same time being delighted that policies he supports continues to be implemented.
- http://twitter.com/mistyblulabour dave stone
  
  Could be lib-dem agents provocateurs – there’ll be a brutal gloves-off campaign for this seat. And of course, it could also be the party-within-a-party brigade trying to do a Ken Livingstone on Thangam. Guard up!
http://twitter.com/ddom2006 Dominyk Tiller

Some of the comments here are a bit frustrating. I supported Gemma, who was an exceptional candidate who enthused myself & many others to levels that’s rare to see in modern day politics, but I’ve absolute faith in Thangam as a candiate and as Bristol West’s future MP. It’s important that the Labour movement unifies behind her, the selection is over & the hard work of overturning Williams’ significant majority has to begin soon. That work can only begin if we stop trying to undermine each other as a party every time our favoured candidate loses; We saw how dangerous it can be for the party to engage in such behaviour when Ed beat David & many of the Labour right stirred up a cr*p storm that engulfed Labour to the degree we stopped being an effective opposition to anyone but ourselves.

That cannot happen locally because we cannot afford for it to happen in Bristol West. I was disappointed Gemma lost because I believe she has a connection with & understanding of people that’s uncommon in political candidates, but Thangam has a background of dedication & hard work in difficult circumstances, and that’s exactly what we need in a candidate too.

We need to move past this self-capitulation. It’s time to unify behind Thangam & get the job done of removing the stain on Bristol West that has been Stephen Williams.
- Bristol Labour man
  
  Well, that’s funny seen that many on the Labour right wanted Gemma Tumelty. Haven’r you remembered that Ed Miliband is on the Labour right?
http://twitter.com/petekc PKC

We must do all we can to turn Bristol and Bristol West red! This is the task we face.
- treborc
  
  With blood…..
Jameswilliamjacobs2

People aren’t going to forget her name in a hurry
- Brumanuensis
  
  Shall we nickname her ‘Suave’, for short?
http://twitter.com/_DaveTalbot David Talbot

A good Labour candidate has just won the Bristol West selection, and people are openly quibbling the result?

All a bit unseemly, if you ask me. Congrats Thangam.
BenMosley

Since Saturday I have read comments on Twitter, Facebook and the blogs, expressing dissatisfaction about the Bristol West result. I have also heard unkind and unnecessary comments from people about candidates who did not win. This needs to stop now. We are better than this, there has been an open and fair election and we all must respect the result. I know from recent experience that selections are tough contests, fought by people brave enough to face people they often respect and admire and share common cause with. In such contests there will inevitably be ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ and whether your candidate is successful or not – please take a step back to reflect and be gracious in victory or defeat. Above all, please remember that you are once again on the same side. … For my part, I would like to pay tribute to Emily and Jo who have led campaigns of substance and principle. These are two exceptionally talented and compassionate people who will no doubt go on to serve the party well in the future. Equally, I would like to take this opportunity to express my own personal tribute to Gemma, who I am proud to call a friend and who over the course of her campaign earned my respect and support. Importantly, Gemma has shown me the potential we have as a party. There can no longer be ‘no go’ areas in Bristol and we must do more to reach out to the people we claim to represent and once again be a community movement. Gemma, Emily and Jo -thank you. I would like to welcome the selection of Thangam as Bristol West’s parliamentary candidate. Thangam will do our party proud; she is dedicated and determined and I know she will be a formidable opponent who is more than capable of beating the LibDems in 2015. I look forward to working with Thangam to ensure a Labour victory at the mayoral, local and parliamentary elections. Well done Thangam and congratulations. We now need to follow the example set by these great candidates and come together to campaign for Marvin.Ben Mosley
Former Chair of Bristol West
- ThePurpleBooker
  
  Gemma should stand for another Bristol seat. To valuable a talent to throw away.
Delewis

I’m Darren Lewis. I’m the Chair of the Bristol Labour Party and a former Chair of Bristol West. I’m appalled by comments on this page.

A period of silence on your part would be welcomeI don’t care what faction people belong to or which candidate they supported. The process is now over and we have our candidate. It’s time to stop bickering and start fighting the Lib Dems.As for people outside Bristol backing their faction please recognise that in Bristol we don’t want your broader factional issues played out in our party. If you want to spend your time and energy on Bristol log off and come to a campaigning session this weekend.We have a challenging Mayoral election in November and then local elections in May 2013 in which we could become the largest party locally.

In the current polls Bristol West is winnable but only if both left and right. Supporters of winners and supporters of losers stop fighting each other in public.

You are doing harm to the Labour Party and no one is bigger than that.
- ThePurpleBooker
  
  You have done harm to the party by allowing us to vote for such a substandard candidate. Couldn’t you have fixed the election or something! I thought you want Labour to take Bristol West. You allowed the dumbos in the local party to pick someone who is some jumped-up, ageist, rude and old community lady who wants to make a change compared to an active, campaigner, with years of experience working in student politics (vital in Bristol) as well as energetic youth with the backing of leadership (let’s face it, 3 shadow cabinet ministers)! Reverse the mistake.
  - ThePurpleBooker
    
    I urge people to stop trying to copy my name on LabourList. That especially goes to all those lefties and naysayers.
    - ThePurpleBooker
      
      I’m saying this as a boy with a chip on his shoulder and no foreskin,
Trevor Habeshaw

I fully support and endorse the comments by Ben and Darren.
Trevor Habeshaw

Anyone know the actual voting figures for the selection?
I’ve missed them somewhere somehow.
Trevor Habeshaw

When I enquired, I was told that Bristol West Labour Party members are not allowed to see the full results of the recent election. It is a disgrace, and possibly illegal in terms of electoral law, for the full results to be withheld of an election which might have parliamentary consequences. However, I was also told that Thangam Debbonaire nearly secured a majority in the first round of voting, and was elected on second preferences. I am told that at the request of the last placed candidate (after the event!), there will not be a formal publication of the breakdown of results (as happened stage by stage in the election of Ed Milliband – in which there were also female candidates) so one might ask why Bristol West is different.Apparently the Regional Office and the NEC people agreed to this. It would be an even greater disgrace if this conclusion was arrived at because all the candidates were women, but how will we ever know? Coming last is no disgrace if there are good candidates – that’s what elections are about – and this should not be allowed to happen again.All the candidates agreed to the transferable vote process and must have known that someone would get most votes and someone else least.It is odd that the voters were unable to see how their votes were distributed.A person’s vote in a bona fide election does not belong to any of the candidates – it belongs to the voters – a state of affairs which was fought for (for all of us, voters and candidates alike) many years ago. If this result has been improperly arrived at, the the election should be re-run under clear guidelines.
Lesley

This is depressing. I’ve worked with Thangam over a long period of years and was thrilled to think an out feminist had been accepted by the Labour Party, things are really looking up. Having left the Labour Party in final disgust at Iraq, I was thinking anyway I needed to re-join, to put my effort into getting the dreadful coalition out. So apart from being unable to find any contact details on the Bristol West website, now I find streams of vitriol on what presumably is a pro-Labour blog. Is there any chance that we can work out our differences co-operatively, with a common aim, or is it still ‘boys in the playground’ stuff? I would so like to be able to join a political party and maintain my integrity. Help, please! I wonder what sort of vitriol my post will inspire from my comrades?
- Brumanuensis
  
  That’s the internet for you. Pay it no heed.
Trevor Habeshaw

Planned cuts so far:Army 20,000Navy 5,000RAF 5,000NHS 60,000Police 18,000Public Sector 730,000Remploy 1,700Bankers 2Isn’t this what we ought to be addresing rather than the (largely) tripe comments being posted?

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