- Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
 
 - Courtesy The Times......................
 
 ``Labour reveals `secret list`as selection row deepens.........
 
 The hypocrisy is Labour`s selection policy on women candidates only selection panels................
 
- Guest 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
 
 - Suicide from labour, in denying 50% of the population they can't be sure of getting the best candidates.
 
 Imagine the uproar if there were men only shortlists
 
- Keith Sansum1 - Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
 
 - Well this debate was always likely to take off, and now here it is.
 
 So lets get into why,
 
 Labour at top level some years ago decided to involve more women in politics, a great idea, and one that should be applauded
 but then they announced how they would do it.
 They decided like today because a small, part of the party still remain in the past and think women shouldn't be in politics
 (obviously other parties suffer even more on this-) but this was the wrong way.
 Why?
 well for starters by forcing women in selection processes, this may not result in the best candidate, but also stops maybe better candidates to stand.
 
 In years gone by even women themselves in the local party were against these women only shortlists, stating that this is a slur on women, as they should be elected by the party activists/membership, and not imposed, and doesn't get the best results for the party.
 
 Without doubt this will damage the labour party at both the local level in Dover, and UK wide.
 - ALL  POSTS        ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS 
- howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
 
 - agree with that assessment keith, most women would feel patronised by the women only short lists. 
- Jan Higgins - Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,922
 
 - I am not sure whether positive discrimination ever really works in any job application, it can result in the best candidate not even getting an interview. - -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard  and getting even more difficult at times.
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- Guest 745- Registered: 27 Mar 2012
- Posts: 3,370
 
 - The biggest hypocrisy of the labour party, is that it profess to support the working class 
 
 They forgot to mention,,  they meant the eastern European working class .
 
- Keith Sansum1 - Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
 
 - Im willing to stick to the heading
 Jan we agree here
 
 As for the wider issues they are probably best in another thread
 - ALL  POSTS        ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS 
- Guest 745- Registered: 27 Mar 2012
- Posts: 3,370
 
 - Jan Higgins
 
 You do realise that you are on a political thread
 
 The threads you are complain about   ,,constantly,,
 
- Keith Sansum1 - Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
 
 - careful keith b - ALL  POSTS        ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS 
- Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
 
 - Personal observation leads me to believe that the proportion of women in politics (or business, for that matter) is about equal to the number of women who want to be there. From my experience in business, women generally do at least as good a job as men but very often men and women are good at different things. ("In politics, If you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman." - Margaret Thatcher) 
 
 Labour have well and truly shot themselves in the electoral foot on this issue.
 - I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson 
- Jan Higgins - Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,922
 
 - Keith Bibby
 
 I constantly complain about the same old subjects being raked over again and again plus the childish tit for tat comments, that does not mean I do not read them or have an interest. Do you have a problem with that or is it me in particular.
 - -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard  and getting even more difficult at times.
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 
- Keith Sansum1 - Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
 
 - Peter we agree on that
 
 jan you post on whatever you want
 - ALL  POSTS        ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS 
- Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
 
 - Falkirk.......Labour fix Women Candidates only panels........Unions fix Falkirk.........they don`t like it up-em......... 
- Keith Sansum1 - Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
 
 - They won't be able to cover this one up
 now we are seeing a big fall out between milliband and the largest union  unite
 - ALL  POSTS        ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS 
- Guest 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
 
 - This is the state of party politics, at a time we need strong opposition we've got clowns. 
- Keith Sansum1 - Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
 
 - I don't disagree David - ALL  POSTS        ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS 
- howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
 
 - watched the shadow minister angela eagle tie herself up in knots on the box yesterday, completely unconvincing performance. 
- Guest 716- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 4,010
 
 - Agree.............Courtesy Independent.....
 
 Unite? Labour in crisis as union chief Len McCluskey turns on Ed Miliband, as
 
 Tom Watson resigns
 
 Labour's biggest donor and Unite leader accuses party leader of a 'smear' and a 'stitch up'
 
 as Tom Watson resigns from Shadow Cabinet
 
 Labour was at war with its biggest donor after Len McCluskey, the leader of Unite, accused Ed
 
 Miliband of a "smear" and  "a stitch-up" in a bitter dispute over the union's influence inside the party.
 
 Mr Miliband was engulfed in his  biggest crisis since becoming Labour leader as Tom Watson
 
 resigned from his post in charge of the party's 2015 general election campaign. He had been
 
 criticised by some senior Labour colleagues amid controversy over Unite's attempts to install
 
 Karie Murphy,  the manager of his Commons office, as the party's candidate in Falkirk, Scotland,
 
 at the  election.
 
 Ms Murphy and Stephen Deans, chairman of Falkirk Labour Party, were suspended from the
 
 party as Labour rushed out the results of its internal inquiry into allegations that Unite recruited
 
 up to 100 party members in the hope of securing Ms Murphy's nomination.
 
- Keith Sansum1 - Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
 
 - This takes me back to 26 years to the days of the MILITANT party who infiltrated the labour party, took it over in many of its branch's including at that time priory branch.
 
 Open warfare took place for a number of years, and at times became quite public, like the labour party conferences where Kinnock attacked Hatton
 and the NUM leader walked out of conference.
 
 In those dreary days I wondered what I had joined as a newer member branchs time was taken up with in fighting, threats, intimidation, enquiry, suspensions expulsions.
 The militant party at the time were very well organised, but damaged the labour party for many years
 - ALL  POSTS        ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS 
- Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
 
 - I vowed to stay out of political threads as much as I could but I have to voice my opinion on this one.
 
 For the first time in 42 years I do not know if I will be voting at the next G.E.
 
 I do not feel that any political party, sadly I include Labour in that list, are no longer representing myself and my family.
 I can understand why many are at odds with Labour and I share your views on Labour shooting themselves in the foot with it's women only list's.
 However, that was a National decision and I think it is wrong to level this issue at local level and not right that Claire should be involved or blamed for it.
 
 Keith.
 I have to say that I understand you have issues with the Labour party but I find your letters in the Mercury, calling for people not to support Claire because she was part of a process that probably she was against herself but unable to say so, is unfair on and unjust on her.
 It is wrong to say that Claire was forced in selection processes, you have stated yourself that she would probably have won under any process, I believe she definitely would have won.
 
 Attack the Labour Party for instigating this process by all means but please stop using Claire as beating stick, she deserves a chance and is a worthy candidate and probably my last hope of clinging on to a dream that once again Labour might remember just who it is, they are supposed to be representing.
 
 If elected, I don't know how she will fair in making the changes that are needed to turn things around for the better in London but I do know she will work hard and make a difference, for our local communities, just as she is doing now.
 - "My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"