Eastleigh selection – the shortlist
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After longlisted candidates were interviewed by an NEC panel in London today, the shortlist for the Labour selection in Eastleigh has been announced. Tomorrow night Eastleigh CLP members will have a chance to choose their candidate for the by-election. The shortlisted candidates – and what we know about them – are below:
John O’Farrell is an author and broadcaster – best known in Labour circles for his book “Things can only get better”. He grew up in Maidenhead, where he stood as Labour’s candidate in the 2001 General Election (which was the subject of the BBC documentary Losing My Maidenhead). O’Farrell has also published four novels, and was a writer on both Spitting Image and Have I Got News For You, as well as being a former columnist for both The Independent and The Guardian. Update: O’Farrell has now received the backing of the GMB.
Darren Paffey is a Labour Councillor for Peartree Ward in nearby Southampton. He’s also a lecturer in Spanish and Linguistics at the University of Southampton. He has lived in Santiago, Chile where he also taught English and researched bilingual education policy.
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Least said is best I guess.
True. John O’Farell might just give Labour a fighting chance in Eastleigh. Still a tough one. But my goodness, the town will really find itself in a rut if they elect Maria Hutchings. She’s like a talking Daily Mail.
O’Farrell has now been selected, btw, according to Twitter.
Pingback: Eastleigh by-election: your essential round-up of the latest campaign news
Why does the fucking NEC choose the shortlist and not the CLP exec? No fucking democracy as usual!
Why does the fucking NEC choose the shortlist and not the CLP exec? No fucking democracy as usual!
Why does the fucking NEC choose the shortlist and not the CLP exec? No fucking democracy as usual!
Because institutionally the NEC does not trust the CLP?
Self-selecting corporation versus self-selecting localism, and both have different agenda. And both disdain the local members, and none of them care much for the prospective MP’s particular passions, and she or he cares nothing at all for the Party, merely wanting to self-promote.
Is this not how politics works, in practice?