It seems that the "local" Girl Wonder, Lauren Todd, while she was born in Consett, is in fact resident in Fenham. Which wouldn't matter, were her local credentials not pretty much the only thing to commend her. In fact, absolutely the only thing to commend her. (This may be a safe seat on paper, but when has it ever been without a local MP to ensure that status?) Oh, and she has only been a Labour Party member for eight months.
Liz Twist has a website in search of this seat. She cannot use the apostrophe correctly. And she has no policies.
I can find nothing on anyone else.
But this I know: the nomination of Pat Glass would be one in the eye of the Northern Cross, a newspaper distributed almost (if almost) solely on Catholic Church premises, but which has been vigorous and vicious in seeking to guarantee an MP in favour of partial-birth abortion for the constituency containing old citadels both of Irish Catholicism and of Recusancy, as well as the seminary for the Northern Dioceses.
Labour has broken its own rules by putting a practising Catholic on an all-women shortlist. But then, it has also broken its own rules by shortlisting someone who has been a member for only eight months. If Pat is nominated, then what will the Northern Cross do? Organise a candidate of its own for abortion on demand up to and including partial birth? By means of a leader article readable by few or no people who do not pick it up at the back after Mass? In a newspaper dependent on advertising by Catholics, to Catholics, of quintessentially Catholic goods and services?
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There are no rules against putting a practising Catholic on an all-women shortlist.
ReplyDeleteYou have to be in favour of abortion on demand up to and including partial birth. It is true that you might be a weekly Mass-goer and hold that view, even act on it as a legislator. But it is extremely unlikely. You get it in America because weekly church-going is socially more expected there. It is wildly improbable here.
ReplyDeleteTony Blair did it.
ReplyDeleteEverything about Tony Blair is wildly improbable. To put it at its politest.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Little Miss Todd will be the partial birth abortionist candidate of the Northern Cross.
ReplyDeleteNo ban, Anonymous 16:35? Who do you think you are talking to, a class of Lauren Todds? We know things.
ReplyDeleteSome of us knew them when we were a lot younger than 23. But they think that we are all thick. That is what apparatchiki, such as Anonymous 16:35 evidently is, are like. Whereas, in reality, it is they who are characteristically lacking in intellect. Hence their assumption that everyone is.
ReplyDeleteYou know perfectly well why they have broken the rule this time. You are the reason. Looks like a contest between two candidates equally acceptable to you so long as one of them doesn't join Ukip. Plus two also rans, maybe three if the BNP has a go. Without even entering it you have made this one of the most interesting races of 2010.
ReplyDeleteJust looked at Twist's site. Nothing but a template with her name stuck in as necessary. Check out her earth-shattering pledges:
ReplyDeleteI will live in the constituency, working with all of our communities across the constituency and fighting their corner here and in Westminster.
Wow! I am nearly dying of excitement.
I will have fully staffed offices, here in the constituency and in Westminster, working and campaigning to make a positive difference on the issues that affect constituents.
That's right, it's a pledge, not a given, that she will have offices and those offices will have staff.
I will work with our Labour council, our local Labour councillors, our trade unions and external organisations, to represent the interests of our communities and to push for the jobs, the regeneration and the public services they need.
Are you still awake?
I will work with our young people, to identify their hopes, their concerns and their priorities and to campaign with them for the services they need now and for the future.
Translation: "I'll go into the sixth forms every couple of years."
I will work and campaign with you and for you, to win back council seats for Labour and to return the fourth-term Labour government we need to make a real difference to the lives of people in the communities across North West Durham.
I'll campaign for Labour when there are elections on. Yes, that is also a pledge, not a given.
The conduct of the Northern Cross has been despicable. If your friend and mine, Bishop Kevin Dunn, has still been alive, then that rag would have been closed down by now. Better still, you would have been brought in as Editor-in-Chief as a base to campaign from.
ReplyDeleteThis is the only seat that Pat will ever be interested in. None of the others can say that. And it's only 60 grand so that's not her reason.
ReplyDeleteMark, I love the way that she emphasises her campaigning to keep Blaydon Labour. Boy, that must be hard work. Still, she seems to be something of a Dave Anderson protégé. And there are a lot worse than Dave Anderson.
ReplyDeleteBut the website is an insult. You couldn't have a clearer indication that she knows she's guaranteed a seat somewhere, especially now that all shortlisting is central. Well, let her clear off to that somewhere, then.
Consett Catholic, as you say, Bishop Kevin is dead.
Anonymous, quite so. On the latter point, while we don't wish to be vulgar, I certainly couldn't say that. And on the former point, even I wouldn't say that.
+Kevin definitely wanted monthly coverage for you in the Northern Cross from the middle of last year until the Election. If he had seen how it has stopped your pro-life, pro-family, pro-worker and anti-war initiative in favour of Emily's List he would have closed it down. A great man and a great loss.
ReplyDeleteBt that loss is a fact.
ReplyDeleteThe sycophancy of EVERYONE in the North-East media towards NuLab never ceases to amaze me.
ReplyDelete