I am always proud that Tony Blair banned me for life from the Labour Party. The news coming out of the City of Durham parliamentary candidate selection process makes me especially so at the moment. There are similar horror stories emerging from several other constituencies.
North West Durham has of course been there and done that. Its Constituency Labour Party was given absolutely no say whatever in the selection of its parliamentary candidate last time, and it ended up with somebody who had never previously set foot here.
The official line from the party nationally was that nobody in North West Durham was capable of being a Member of Parliament, or even of having any role in selecting a candidate. The only sitting Councillor to sign the candidate's nomination papers, something that hardly anybody did, had been elected for the first time only days before. With a candidate who had given an address in Sussex on the ballot paper, the Conservatives still managed to take 34.5 per cent of the vote.
The official line from the party nationally was that nobody in North West Durham was capable of being a Member of Parliament, or even of having any role in selecting a candidate. The only sitting Councillor to sign the candidate's nomination papers, something that hardly anybody did, had been elected for the first time only days before. With a candidate who had given an address in Sussex on the ballot paper, the Conservatives still managed to take 34.5 per cent of the vote.
As for the machinations next door, and in other places besides, look at the wealth of Blair and his circle, and then consider the fact that the right-wing-if-anything municipal machine controls more or less the whole of Labour local government. For all practical purposes, the Labour Right has limitless funds. Limitless.
Another hung Parliament is coming, however, and we need our people to hold the balance of power in it. A new party is now in the process of registration. After nearly 30 years of suggestion, speculation, and even a sort of preparation, I will stand for Parliament here at North West Durham. The crowdfunding page is here, and buy the book here. Please email davidaslindsay@hotmail.com. Very many thanks.
Another hung Parliament is coming, however, and we need our people to hold the balance of power in it. A new party is now in the process of registration. After nearly 30 years of suggestion, speculation, and even a sort of preparation, I will stand for Parliament here at North West Durham. The crowdfunding page is here, and buy the book here. Please email davidaslindsay@hotmail.com. Very many thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment