The problems with our selection process

By Ian Robathan

As I posted in a previous article on the Walsall South selection, I have a major concern over the control from the centre down to the local party. On Friday I went to my first ever selection meeting not knowing quite what to expect. What I experienced was actually a pleasant surprise.

I had spoken to three candidates before the meeting and received a whole tree of literature so what they said on the day was of no great surprise. The format was that each candidate had to speak for 10 minutes, and then answer 20 minutes of questions including 4 ‘set’ questions. This meant for 5 candidates the meeting went on for nearly three hours and was comprehensive enough for members to understand what each stood for. By the time I had got home I had worked out my preferences. So in general terms I had no problems on the format, although I felt it did lack the thrust of true debate.

There was a very good turnout of around half the CLP, and the questions were searching, but I felt like, throughout the process, there were favoured candidates; the most difficult questions were put to some candidates and not others, which I felt meant not all the candidates were tested equally. It became obvious that one candidate was favoured by the councillors, who have the most influence over the members – this is where I believe democracy falls down.

This is not corrupt, but the realpolitik does disenfranchise some and leave others with no chance. It was not as bad as Tory people make Labour out to be and our system seems way better than theirs, but it can still be improved – a challenge the NEC should take up.

To me, the candidates all sounded the same; they all come from different backgrounds but said the same things. The result is that we get a hegemony of candidates that does not represent the general public as it should. The other thing I noticed was the age of my comrades, I am 38 and the average age would have been pushing 55, if not older. This constitutes a clear problem for the future.

We have to connect with younger people like myself who use blogs, who use Facebook, who use Twitter; and we have to become idealistic, democratic and open.

Regardless of what happens in May, that is the task of the party going forward.