Filuwaúrdjan
Realpolitik
Atlas Institution
Posts: 67,858
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« on: April 18, 2009, 08:20:42 AM » |
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Normally I wouldn't bore people here with this sort of thing but this is a) an unusually nasty fight even for a multi-faction race in an open seat (it's almost as bad as some of Godsiff's selections down the years..) and b) has had an unusual amount of media profile for a couple of different reasons.
Erith & Thamesmead was created in the '95 redistribution out of the parts of the old Woolwich (going back further, old Woolwich East) seat and most (I think) of the old Erith & Crayford seat. It's M.P since its creation has been lefty John Austin, who gained Woolwich from the SDP in 1992. Austin had a five digit majority in 2005 and is retiring. Many candidates (details will follow) put their names forward for the Labour nod and a strange, nasty race ensued. A while ago, Austin complained to the General Secretary about rules over postal votes being allegedly breached. And so on and so forth.
To cut a long story short, last night the selection meeting (due for today) was called off because a ballot box had been tampered with (read: been broken into and the ballots inside (postal votes that had been cast already) ripped to pieces). The selection will be re-run at a later date and they'll be an investigation into what the hell happend; not that there's much of a chance of finding the culprit.
Anyway. Candidates (it's AWS)...
Marianne Alapini (a councillor over in North Kensington).
Emily Bird (no idea).
Angela Cornforth (councillor for the Plumstead ward).
Georgia Gould (daughter of Philip Gould (yes, that Philip Gould), has been the focus of most of the media interest. She is 22).
Melanie Johnson (former M.P for Welwyn Hatfield and a former junior minister. Has turned up at quite a few selections in recent years; including Sedgefield).
Rachael Maskell (a union official; Unite).
Teresa Pearce (a former councillor from Bexley).
Jagir Sekhon (councillor for the Abbey Wood ward).
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