Amicus backs Streatham and Ealing Candidates
Last night I participated in a meeting of the London Region Political Committee of the Amicus section of Unite, which voted to give the union's backing (and any branch nominations where appropriate) to the following candidates in parliamentary selections:
Ealing Southall - Sonika Nirwal (Ealing Council Labour Group Leader)
Ealing C & Acton - Seema Malhotra (former GLA candidate and Fabians Chair)
Streatham - Steve Reed (Lambeth Council Leader)
The Streatham nomination in particular was hotly contested by a number of very strong candidates.
Union rules require all other members of the Amicus panel to now stand aside in those seats.
All 3 are excellent candidates and stand a very good chance of being selected.
posted by Luke Akehurst at 3:35 pm
17 Comments:
Who else was up for Streatham?
On a procedural point, don't branches have to nominate more than one candidate in selections these days - at least one male one female? Does that not apply to union branches too?
5:17 pm, July 03, 2007
That's why the NEC have just shortlisted two men (Virendra Sharma and Jo Sidhu) for tomorrow's hustings. I feel ashamed to be a Labour party member.
5:47 pm, July 03, 2007
"Who else was up for Streatham? "
Kingsley Abrams
7:59 pm, July 03, 2007
It doesn't apply to affiliates - only party branches. Party branches can nominate a man, a woman and an additional BME candidate.
8:28 pm, July 03, 2007
great news for Steve in Streatham! like it.
11:22 pm, July 03, 2007
Luke,
It's not quite true to say that "It doesn't apply to affiliates - only party branches. Party branches can nominate a man, a woman and an additional BME candidate."
Party branches must (not can) make three nominations, and affiliates can (not must) do the same.
My information from comrades in Ealing Central and Acton is that most affiliates who are nominating are making three, and it's disappointing that Amicus didn't do the same (although I agree that Seema is an excellant candidate). Still, at least you've nominated a woman unlike the NEC in Southall.
12:47 pm, July 04, 2007
Amicus only ever nominates 1. Otherwise we would potentially be competing against ourselves in the final shortlist.
12:51 pm, July 04, 2007
Hmm .....Steve Reed in Streatham. Another arch Blairite.
3:43 pm, July 04, 2007
But, given the spectacular victory in Lambeth against the tide, he's clearly a good campaigner, for which I'll forgive him his politics...
5:20 pm, July 04, 2007
But Kingsley Abrams is also a good campaigner - Ive had various dealings with him on Lambeth business and always been very impressed. He may not have some of the sparkle of Reed but he is very dedicated as a local campaigner and would be well respected.
12:59 pm, July 05, 2007
I'm just not sure Streatham is ready for another Blair ultra who will slavishly follow the New Labour line and treat members with contempt. It is fair to say that Abrams does comes from a different school of politics. And also its worth noting that members all over lambeth brought about the victory there, not one man. That said, he is a good candidate and it'll be an interesting selection to watch. I hear another Blairite, Val Shawcross is in the running.
10:24 am, July 06, 2007
That's odd, I thought that the timetable hadn't been set for Streatham and that potential candidates weren't allowed to canvass support yet? Aren't Amicus going against the rules of the Party in making a selection?
10:48 am, July 08, 2007
Won't Streatham be an all-women shortlist now that Ealing has gone for a man? We do need to keep up the gender balance across London.
10:50 am, July 08, 2007
Sheila, I'm not sure its an issue in that part of London. The Streatham seat is surrounded by female labour mps - Kate Hoey, Tessa Jowell, Harriet Harman and Sibhain McDonagh. If anything, women are overrepresented in that part of London
2:18 pm, July 08, 2007
Thanks Steve, you might be ok then.
10:41 pm, July 08, 2007
I would expect that Walthamstow will be AWS rather than Streatham.
2:19 pm, July 09, 2007
Why can't they both be AWS? Would it be a bad thing if there were more women MPs in London than men?
11:48 am, July 10, 2007
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