The new General Secretary of the Labour Party is...
doctordunc Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 08:30:17 PM GMT 
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...comrades here on Labourhome will no doubt be surprised and saddened to learn...
...NOT ME!
I've received a very polite letter from "Rockpools" explaining that they 'will not be taking [my] application any further'. Apparently, after meeting with NEC officers, a 'long-list of candidates to be interviewed' has been agreed. (I do think it might have been nice to describe it as a short-list - however long it actually is - for my self esteem!)
However, they do go on to say 'it is no great pleasure to have to write this type of letter' (I do wonder whether this is why the party has paid a private executive recruiting firm to appoint the post, so that such things can be typed with a straight face!) - apparently the General Secretary role 'generated much interest and captured the attention of some very talented professionals from a variety of sectors'. I'm now on tenterhooks to find out which of these dynamic, talented individuals will be selected for the post!
Anyway, they thanked me for my time and effort (bless) and also invited me to 'a series of Senior Executive Development Workshops'!!
On a slightly more serious note, it is of concern that we appear to be seeking a private-sector-style business executive to take this role now rather than a party figure. Because of past incumbants I thought 'York Labour Club - tick; Ph.D - tick; reputation for slavish loyalty - tick' - the job was mine! Clearly we are approaching a different era: when it asked for current salary on the application form it gave an example (I can't remember what it was but it was many times higher than my own) and the list of possible 'current jobs' before it got to 'other' was all very much on the senior executive/manager level. Is this what we want from our next General Secretary? Great if it is! I'm not 100% sure. Party figures haven't always been fantastic; but it helps to understand the party and the movement, I should have thought.
Anyway - thanks for all your thousands of best wishes messages for my application (!) and the many members of the 'Doctordunc for General Secretary' Facebook group, but the dream is over!
(PS: Just in case the proximity of my tongue to my cheek isn't entirely obvious on the screen I should mention that that Facebook group never really existed!!)
I've received a very polite letter from "Rockpools" explaining that they 'will not be taking [my] application any further'. Apparently, after meeting with NEC officers, a 'long-list of candidates to be interviewed' has been agreed. (I do think it might have been nice to describe it as a short-list - however long it actually is - for my self esteem!)
However, they do go on to say 'it is no great pleasure to have to write this type of letter' (I do wonder whether this is why the party has paid a private executive recruiting firm to appoint the post, so that such things can be typed with a straight face!) - apparently the General Secretary role 'generated much interest and captured the attention of some very talented professionals from a variety of sectors'. I'm now on tenterhooks to find out which of these dynamic, talented individuals will be selected for the post!
Anyway, they thanked me for my time and effort (bless) and also invited me to 'a series of Senior Executive Development Workshops'!!
On a slightly more serious note, it is of concern that we appear to be seeking a private-sector-style business executive to take this role now rather than a party figure. Because of past incumbants I thought 'York Labour Club - tick; Ph.D - tick; reputation for slavish loyalty - tick' - the job was mine! Clearly we are approaching a different era: when it asked for current salary on the application form it gave an example (I can't remember what it was but it was many times higher than my own) and the list of possible 'current jobs' before it got to 'other' was all very much on the senior executive/manager level. Is this what we want from our next General Secretary? Great if it is! I'm not 100% sure. Party figures haven't always been fantastic; but it helps to understand the party and the movement, I should have thought.
Anyway - thanks for all your thousands of best wishes messages for my application (!) and the many members of the 'Doctordunc for General Secretary' Facebook group, but the dream is over!
(PS: Just in case the proximity of my tongue to my cheek isn't entirely obvious on the screen I should mention that that Facebook group never really existed!!)
The new General Secretary of the Labour Party is... | 7 comments (7 topical)
The new General Secretary of the Labour Party is... | 7 comments (7 topical)
