Labour puts emergency selections procedure in place

alexhilton Thu Oct 04, 2007 at 05:59:59 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

With the temperature high on election fever, the Labour Party has set in place its selection procedure in case the Prime Minister goes to the country this Tuesday.



In the event of a Tuesday announcement, it is believed that the NEC will take ownership of all outstanding selections with the key officers, including Mike Griffiths, Harriet Harman and Jack Dromey, overseeing the procedure. Should Dromey declare an interest in any constituency he will be barred from taking part in organising selections - he has been linked to Margaret Hodge's Barking seat and to Streatham.

Many NEC selections panels are likely to include MP Keith Vaz to ensure there is a BAME influence on the proceedings - and should the election be called on Tuesday, the shortlists will be complete by the end of Wednesday. CLPs will be expected to hold all-member selections hustings on the Thursday, Friday or Saturday at the latest.

Constituencies that are unable to meet this timetable will have the option to adopt an NEC imposed candidate and it is believed that Regional Directors are already negotiating with "unwinnable" seats to secure names of suitable candidates in that eventuality.

Overall, the Labour Party seems to have come up with a procedure that avoids the need for wholesale imposition of candidates and to ensure there is as much democratic engagement as possible afforded to Party members in Labour held seats and target marginals, given the excruciatingly tight timescale.

However - the "parachute regiment" referred to in the last minute selection of favoured sons may still have an influence in selections with two ministers, including one member of the Cabinet, believed to be co-ordinating unofficially the adoption of favoured candidates.


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Labour puts emergency selections procedure in place | 10 comments (10 topical)

Re: Labour (#1)

by Loz on Thu Oct 04, 2007 at 08:08:12 PM GMT

Apparently he is not going to - the polls have closed slightly (4 points according to a yougov poll).

If I were advising Brown - I would have him come out tommorow (if he's not going to call an election) and making it clear that that was the case.

Because he will look bad next week if the press are still going mad over this and he does nothing.

He needs to mean what he says and be straight with the British people, who I don't think really want an election.


Re: Labour (#7)

by flyingrat on Fri Oct 05, 2007 at 08:04:20 PM GMT

A November poll would be a disastrous idea. With the change in the clocks and sunset at around 5pm or earlier, it is a terrible time to be holding a vote. The electorate are still in the "shock" of BST ending and may be more inclined to give an incumbent a pasting at the polls.

 May or June, traditional election times, are the best bet.


[ Parent ]

Re: Labour (#9)

by SamRussell on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 08:58:30 AM GMT

Couldn't he offset that potential bad feeling with a Saturday election?  Might need to go through Parliament though...


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Re: Labour puts emergency selections (#2)

by NorthernMonkey on Thu Oct 04, 2007 at 08:13:03 PM GMT

Yep, I think he'll hold off for a while.

Let's just go for June 2009 which is the natural date. All this non-stop talk of the election has ended up forcing the Tories to look united when they're actually not. Brown should cool it down now.

I don't think the country is ready for an election now anyway.


Re: Labour puts emergency selections (#3)

by swatantra on Thu Oct 04, 2007 at 08:25:53 PM GMT

All Gordon has to say is: 'We already have a mandate a and a working majority: no elections this year.' But we really do have to look to the future, fixed term parliaments and PR if Labour is to remain as a governing party. And the legslation has to be passed in this parliament, otherwise it will never be passed.


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Re: Labour puts emergency selections (#8)

by Wilberforce on Fri Oct 05, 2007 at 10:57:03 PM GMT

He could have said that at the end of the Confernce Week... and maybe he should have... at the end of the Conference love fest, of course we were on a high, but it was a mistake to let it go to our heads. We dominated the media for a week, then it was the Tory turn this week. It was inevitable the polls would show  a big bounce after conference, but we should have just said that 'The only debate about the election is in the media, we are getting on with running the country,' and slapped down the queries time and again.

If he did, we might even have a bigger poll lead. now.

Somehow, I sense that in that last week Gordon Brown changed from a trusted statesmen and refreshing change from Tony Blair, to just another politician in the eyes of some of the swing voters.

I sincerely hope he can turn that around, as I think its more a case of bad advice from those close to him, than a lack of judgement on his part.  

I am finding it hard to get people to open their doors when campaigning evenings now, it will be even harder in a months time....


[ Parent ]

emergency selections procedure (#4)

by streathamlad on Fri Oct 05, 2007 at 12:10:43 AM GMT

Jack Dromey isn't going for Streatham.  Never was.  Shortlist will be Steve Reed (who should stick to trying to turn around one-star Lambeth), Val Shawcross, Chuka Umunna and AN Other.  And AN Other will win!


emergency selections procedures (#5)

by alexhilton on Fri Oct 05, 2007 at 12:11:24 AM GMT

Thanks to Luke for correcting me - of course Mike is no longer Chair - the new Chair is Diane Hayter


Re: emergency selections procedures (#6)

by TonyH on Fri Oct 05, 2007 at 02:34:14 PM GMT

Luke writes on his blog:

"This may all be academic now given the latest polls, but I do think it shows that whilst LabourHome is a great source of selection gossip, some of it is posted in haste and not 100% accurate."

Thanks for the correction Luke but a little diplomacy and tact would help also...


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Re: emergency selections procedures (#10)

by grayee on Sat Oct 06, 2007 at 11:54:13 AM GMT

it would be far too boring if it was 100% correct.


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Labour puts emergency selections procedure in place | 10 comments (10 topical)