Walthamstow kicks off . . . . Black men (again)
John51 Thu Aug 23, 2007 at 02:13:15 PM GMT 
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Whenever people talk about who the best candidate might be for a parliamentary selection, they talk up their local credentials. Black (African Caribbean) men have again been disenfranchised by the Labour Party with the decision to hold an AWS in Walthamstow, following on from the AWS in West Ham, and the AWS in Hackney South.
Labour has just one male African Caribbean MP (David Lammy), the same number as the Tories, and a whopping two African Caribbean women (Diane Abbott and Dawn Butler), yet Labour holds 18 of the 19 seats where African Caribbean's alone make up at least 1 in 6 of the population
[ Camberwell and Peckham - 35.2% - Lewisham Deptford - 30.2% - Tottenham - 28.6% - Vauxhall - 28.2% - Hackney South and Shoreditch - 27.8% - Brent Central - 25.9% - West Ham - 25.1% - Croydon North - 23.9% - Dulwich and West Norwood - 22.9% - Streatham - 22.3% - Hackney North and Stoke Newington - 21.8% - Southwark North and Bermondsey - 20.5% - Birmingham Ladywood - 18.6% - Edmonton - 18.6% - East Ham - 18% - Lewisham East - 17.7% - Leyton and Wanstead - 17.3% - Walthamstow - 17% - Lewisham West and Penge - 16.8% ]
No Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic woman has yet won an all women shortlist in a winnable Labour seat. Not one, in what 12, 13 years! NOT ONE. No business or public authority would be able to get away with a recruitment procedure that prevented BAME men from applying, without any improvement in the recruitment prospects for BAME women.
[ Camberwell and Peckham - 35.2% - Lewisham Deptford - 30.2% - Tottenham - 28.6% - Vauxhall - 28.2% - Hackney South and Shoreditch - 27.8% - Brent Central - 25.9% - West Ham - 25.1% - Croydon North - 23.9% - Dulwich and West Norwood - 22.9% - Streatham - 22.3% - Hackney North and Stoke Newington - 21.8% - Southwark North and Bermondsey - 20.5% - Birmingham Ladywood - 18.6% - Edmonton - 18.6% - East Ham - 18% - Lewisham East - 17.7% - Leyton and Wanstead - 17.3% - Walthamstow - 17% - Lewisham West and Penge - 16.8% ]
No Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic woman has yet won an all women shortlist in a winnable Labour seat. Not one, in what 12, 13 years! NOT ONE. No business or public authority would be able to get away with a recruitment procedure that prevented BAME men from applying, without any improvement in the recruitment prospects for BAME women.
It is a disgrace that our Labour Party continues to implement just such a policy.
What justifiable criteria can there be for AWS in seats with high BAME populations like West Ham, Hackney South and Walthamstow, whilst at the same time having open selections in seats like Easington, Copeland and Normanton.
I am not here advocating All Black shortlists, because I think that it is important that local people should have the chance to represent their local communities. But that means local Black and Asian people too.
Nearly 40% of Labour MPs in London are women. No other major region comes close to matching this achievement. Nationally, we have just 3 African Caribbean MPs. 13 BAME MPs in total. Walthamstow should have been Open.
Since the NEC must be aware of this fact, their decision to exclude local Black and Asian men from Walthamstow must mean one of the following:
1/. Addressing gender inequality is more important than addressing racial inequality
2/. The Party just does not really care about increasing its number of BAME MPs, and is content to take the Black Vote for granted.
What justifiable criteria can there be for AWS in seats with high BAME populations like West Ham, Hackney South and Walthamstow, whilst at the same time having open selections in seats like Easington, Copeland and Normanton.
I am not here advocating All Black shortlists, because I think that it is important that local people should have the chance to represent their local communities. But that means local Black and Asian people too.
Nearly 40% of Labour MPs in London are women. No other major region comes close to matching this achievement. Nationally, we have just 3 African Caribbean MPs. 13 BAME MPs in total. Walthamstow should have been Open.
Since the NEC must be aware of this fact, their decision to exclude local Black and Asian men from Walthamstow must mean one of the following:
1/. Addressing gender inequality is more important than addressing racial inequality
2/. The Party just does not really care about increasing its number of BAME MPs, and is content to take the Black Vote for granted.
Enlighten me comrades, which is it?
Walthamstow kicks off . . . . Black men (again) | 27 comments (27 topical)
Walthamstow kicks off . . . . Black men (again) | 27 comments (27 topical)
