Leeds West Result

andycharlwood Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 12:27:40 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

I know Andrea will be waiting for this!





The results for the Leeds West parliamentary selection were,

First round:

Rachel Reeves     76
Alison Lowe        73
Jo Coles             33
Emma Hoddinott 2

Second round (Jo Coles and Emma Hoddinott eliminated)

Rachel Reeves    96
Alison Lowe       88

Turnout, 91.5%


Its interesting to see the actual result in the light of some of the ill informed, not to say malicious postings made by anonymous posters on this site back in October last year, after John Battle first announced his planned retirement. Derogatory comments were posted about both Rachel and Alison, and some posters said neither had a hope of winning, yet they came first and second.

Other posters, claiming to have inside knowledge of the CLP, also predicted apocalyptic results if there was to be an all women shortlist. In the event, there was an all women shortlist, voted for by the Leeds West GC by a large margin, not imposed by region or the NEC, and not a single member resigned as a result.

I guess the lesson is to take anything posted by anonymous posters with a large pinch of salt!



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Leeds West Result | 16 comments (16 topical)

Re: Leeds West Result (#1)

by HenryG on Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 01:34:42 PM GMT

Congratulations Rachel! A close result. Commiserations to Alison and the others.


Re: Leeds West Result (#2)

by Andrea on Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 06:42:47 PM GMT

"I know Andrea will be waiting for this!"

yes, I was! :-)
Thanks for the result.

It was a 2 way fight in the end. Jo Coles didn't particularly well as she was far behind the other 2 on first round.
Congratulations to Rachel Reeves.



Re: Leeds West Result (#3)

by archbold on Sun Sep 16, 2007 at 12:22:37 AM GMT

Yeh, the woman won!


Re: Leeds West Result (#4)

by ChrisPaul on Mon Sep 17, 2007 at 11:21:27 AM GMT

I'm finding that choice a bit disappointing though Rachel is a most excellent candidate in many ways.


Re: Leeds West Result (#5)

by lastword on Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 11:13:54 AM GMT

Class is alive and well in Leeds West.  Rachel could have been selected anywhere, Alison - a working class local mixed race woman - not so.


Re: Leeds West Result (#7)

by andycharlwood on Wed Sep 19, 2007 at 01:45:41 PM GMT

I think it is both wrong and deeply patronising to say that Alison wouldn't be able to get selected elsewhere. She came second in Leeds North East in 1995, and would be a strong candidate with a good chance of selection wherever she stood.

Being the most local candidate can be a double edged sword in selections. On the one hand you already have a base of supporters, on the other you have probably made some enemies who don't want to support you too.


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Re: Leeds West Result (#6)

by whatever on Tue Sep 18, 2007 at 05:40:29 PM GMT

Class is alive and well in Leeds West.  Rachel could have been selected anywhere, Alison - a working class local mixed race woman - not so. ????????????

So what happened to letting the people decide and the best candidate winning ? Is Leeds West a middle class gang of racists or did they just decide that someone is just better than someone else. Maybe the losing candidate ought to look at why she lost and what see her from being favourite to being runner up (In her own constituency) Although I think that with an AWS it shows that anti men sexism is alive and well Leeds. Women quota here AWS there. Not really a fair battle is it


Re: Leeds West Result (#8)

by whatever on Wed Sep 19, 2007 at 03:50:48 PM GMT

http://www.blink.org.uk/pdescription.asp?key=15456&grp=66&cat=217

Just when you thought things couldnt get sillier. Now there is talk of all black shortlists all because the runner up is the runner up. A black women didnt get selected as PPC so although it was a AWS it isnt enough. Now they want an ABS but will it be a AWABS? and then if someone fails to win will they look for AWABSM(Single mother) shortlist ? and then will it be AWABSMWH(With headache) and if that doesnt work will the NEC and Region demand AWABSMWD(with disability)........... oh this nightmare just doesnt end. As someone who was at the count of Friday I can honestly hand on heart say that the best woman won. Rachel will prove to be an immense credit to the people of west leeds.  


Re: Leeds West Result (#9)

by Just Labour on Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 12:15:20 AM GMT

Given the close result clearly either was considered to be a credible and quality candidate - only one person could win though.

I know Rachel and know that she'll be an asset to the PLP. If Alison is as good as Rachel then she should find somewhere else fairly easily (whether AWS ABS or ABWS!).

I have found Blink to be pretty blinkered and to see racism within the party every time a black candidate fails to get selected.


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Re: Leeds West Result (#10)

by Parishpumpspin on Wed Sep 26, 2007 at 07:51:30 AM GMT

Alision is big enough to look after herself and know that she had 10 years to get it right (and the experience of seeing her mate Maggie Giles Hill turned over by a simular margin in 1999 in Leeds Central). As for Leeds west being "middle-class" that is quiote funny, I suggest some on here make their way to Armley and Bramley before they spout.

I feel sorry for Emma, more credable than that vote suggests (although she could do with being less "flakey" on supporting Government).


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Re: Leeds West Result (#11)

by officer on Thu Sep 27, 2007 at 04:52:49 PM GMT

Really disappointed in the result - given a local, active, respected councillor who would make an excellent MP we have had to watch the dirty tricks campaign played by some of Rachel's supporters - lead by a group of local councillors most of whom don't live in the constituency and had no vote in the selection. Thec ampaign saw Rachel's camp making personal comments about Alison and "leaking" critical stories to the press. On the night Rachel was the poorest performer at the hustings and Alison, closely followed by J Coles, the best. Where did we go wrong - I would suggest by having a small enough membership that the candidates could call on them all personall yand elicit promises, and by almost half of the membership having postal votes and not being there at the hustings.


Re: Leeds West Result (#12)

by andycharlwood on Thu Sep 27, 2007 at 08:13:44 PM GMT

Officer, I can understand your dissapointment at the result, but that is no excuse for spouting utter drivel!

Rachel recieved the active support of three councillors who live outside of the constituency, Bernard Atha, John Illingworth and Ted Hanley. Bernard has represented Kirkstall on Leeds City Council since 1974, and John Illingworth is also a longstanding Kirstall councillor. I am sure anyone who has met Bernard would agree that he is one of the loveliest people you could meet in politics or any other walk of life, and the idea that he, or John Illingworth, who is as straight as they come, would be part of an organised dirty tricks campaign against anyone is simply risible.

Rachel also recieved the support of councillors Jane Dowson, Liz Nash and Denise Atkinson, all of whom live in the constituency.

And leaking critical stories to the press? What critical stories? The YEP's reporting of the story was straight - pretty much repeating the candidates cvs. There was one unpleasant column by John Thorpe, which was unpardonably rude about Alison, but he also pretty much accused Rachel of being a carpet bagger up from London, so I really can't see what you are getting at. The rest of the story was also incredibly ill informed - mentioning candidates who hadn't even applied for the seat - so I can't see that anyone will have been much influenced by it.

I think most people at the hustings had pretty much made up their minds already, so their views on the speeches reflected the decisions that they had already made. I wasn't at the hustings, but I gave lifts home to three of Rachel's supporters from Kirkstall afterwards, all of whom thought Rachel had given the best speech.


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Re: Leeds West Result (#13)

by whatever on Wed Oct 03, 2007 at 12:53:32 PM GMT

You see thats the problem when u live in a democracy. Free choice and secret ballots. The questions that really need to be answered are 1) why alison low fail to get the support of `her` constituency ? 2) why can people not accept the final result and move on ?.  Mrs Lowe has trumpetted ad nauseum that she has been a councillor in West Leeds for nearly 20 years. she has been chair and vice chair of west leeds CLP for the last couple of years. So how can such a `Godsend` lose ? Well maybe its because people thought she was a poor performer at the CLP and not really that brilliant as a front bench councillor. Some people are simply not destined for greatness. Some people are. And some people just cannot resist bring race into the equation.    


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Re: Leeds West Result (#14)

by whatever on Wed Oct 03, 2007 at 12:57:16 PM GMT

By the way... I think Rachel is destined for great things and Mrs Lowe needs to move on and decide which seat she wants to contest next. Maybe East Leeds would be a sure fire thing ? Or is she waiting for an all black all woman shortlist ?


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Re: Leeds West Result (#15)

by officer on Thu Oct 04, 2007 at 10:40:46 AM GMT

Alison has made it clear all along that she was only interested in being an MP in her own constituency. She did not bring race into the issue and I would be interested to hear an example of where she did. I appreciate that Rachel has won the contest and she may well go on to great things but I still don't think she is the right person for Leeds West.


Re: Leeds West Result (#16)

by whatever on Thu Oct 04, 2007 at 12:56:17 PM GMT

Ms Lowe insisted that skin colour was not a factor in her defeat and that her rival had won “fairly and squarely”, but added: ‘The reason why black people are not getting elected is that the unions are not backing us.’
 
she added: “Black people are becoming pessimistic because there is no commitment from the government to encourage Black people to get into parliament. In my view I was the best candidate.”

Aha......very politically correct its not that I am black or that people are racist or anything (honest) but the unions dont back black people and the labour party and the government dont encourage black people to get into parliament.................. errm so she didnt win because she was black ? I dont think people in the labour movement are stupid enough to racially discriminate against anyone, by her own claims she has been a councillor for nearly 20 years and she has chaird the CLP. surely the CLP would be representative of the views of people......... anyway its time to end this Rachel won, Alison lost. Fight to make sure Labour win and win in Wortley and take control of the council


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Leeds West Result | 16 comments (16 topical)