Left Campaign Managers Fight Back

grimupnorth Fri May 18, 2007 at 12:39:38 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

Those of you posting  about alleged malpractice in the McDonnell camp on nominations might care to read the following letter  from campaign group managers Alan Simpson (Meacher) and Mike Wood (McDonnell).As it says, the real story is being denied a  vote at all.







We were disappointed at Patrick Wintour's piece on the leadership challenge to Gordon Brown (Report, May 17). For the record, the rules for which left candidate went forward were agreed by us as campaign managers, not just the candidates. It was agreed that the initial meeting would look at signed declarations of support for each candidate, followed by a process of representatives from both teams checking out duplicate or uncertain declarations. Marsha Singh's declaration was one of several that were to be clarified.
This process was undertaken on an entirely comradely basis. Marsha's nomination was properly allocated to Michael Meacher, but made no difference to the overall result, which was amicably agreed. The real political story revolves around the denial of the party's right to have an election for its next leader. Both John McDonnell and Michael Meacher come out of this with great credit and integrity; the same cannot be said of an article more obsessed with tittle-tattle than the big issues of our time.
Alan Simpson MP
Mike Wood MP



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Left Campaign Managers Fight Back | 4 comments (4 topical)

Re: Left Campaign Managers Fight Back (#1)

by Curlew on Fri May 18, 2007 at 01:06:37 PM GMT

As Singh nominated for Brown it is quite clear that he likes to spread his choices around. Certainly not a man of his word?

We need to be careful now, analysis will prove that Brown means to eradicate all opposition (I think his psyche fears it)- expect more dirt to be dished in the future.


Re: Left Campaign Managers Fight Back (#4)

by grimupnorth on Fri May 18, 2007 at 05:07:53 PM GMT

If there is dirt to be dished we won't be the ones in trouble....let's face it Reid got booted out of the picture and the leadership race because of some nonsense involving a drunken proposution to "Red" Dawn Primarolo 13 YEARS AGO.Primarolo just happens to be, er ,one of brown's key allies.I thought that was outrageous.I was propositioned around the same time by someone who is a a key Blairite after a dinner with Kinnock. Let's just say it was hardly a trauma.....


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Re: Left Campaign Managers Fight Back (#2)

by mattwardman on Fri May 18, 2007 at 01:48:55 PM GMT

I thought the events had been: 1 - Massive campaign to sign up majority of Labour MPs to nominate Brown. 2 - Brown welcomes contest. 3 - Not enough MPs left to nominate anyone else due to 1. No? Quite happy to be corrected if I turn out to be wrong. Matt


Re: Left Campaign Managers Fight Back (#3)

by Mikael on Fri May 18, 2007 at 02:50:49 PM GMT

Not much to correct, it sounds quite right to me - but I might interpret in a different way...

Personally, I would have put point 2) as "Brown lies and claims he would 'welcome a contest' in order to make his 'victory' (which he did not win, if you see what I mean) appear to be more legitimate, and point 3) as " Not enough Left MPs to nominate McDonnell - no other candidate had declared - due to 1), as well as to the fact that, after 10 years of NuLab, the PLP membership has been grossly distorted and no longer represents the Party's rank-and-file."

I hope that's what you meant! Was it???


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Left Campaign Managers Fight Back | 4 comments (4 topical)