Tuesday 12 November 2013

Brent Central selection committee to interview ALL nominated candidates

The Selection Committee for Brent Central's Labour nomination have certainly given themselves a hard job on Saturday November 16th.  They have decided to interview EVERY candidate who has been nominated by a ward or affiliate of the Labour Party on that day and then to draw up a short list for a ballot of members.

The female candidates are:

Sabina Khan (Dudden Hill, Kensal Green, Mapesbury, Welsh Harp, Willesden Green, Cooperative Party, GMB Hendon)
Dawn Butler (Dollis Hill, Harlesden, Stonebridge, Tokyngton, CWU Harrow)

The male candidates:

Zaffar van Kalwala (Duddden Hill, Harlesden, Stonebridge, Tokyngton, GMB Region, GMB Hendon)
Parmijit Dhanda (Kensal Green, CWU Capital, CWU North/NW London, USDAW Harlesden)
Kingsley Abrams (GMB London Central, Unite Clerkenwell and St Pancras)
Mike Katz (Mapesbury, Jewish Labour Movement)
Liaquat Ali (Dollis Hill)
Imran Ahmed (Willesden Green)
Tony McNulty (Cooperative Party)
Sundar Thava (Welsh Harp)
Patrick Vernon (Unison)

Somewhat prematurely, and not accurately, Operation Black Vote LINK  have hailed Brent as having the first all-Black short-list:
For Labour Party bosses, this unexpected all-Black short list must be a manner from heaven because in at least 10 selection battles, many in BME areas, no BME candidate has come through. Complaints about the Labour party taking the BME vote for granted have been steadily growing.

Whichever of these talented candidates wins the selection, Labour still has to do a lot more to ensure that it reflects the support that it undoubtedly gets at any one election.

Good luck to all the candidates.

The full list is: Dawn Butler, Kingsley Abrams, Zaffa Karwala, Sabina Khan, Patrick Vernon,Pramjit Dhanda, and Imran Ahmed.



8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't really understand why the Green Party are so interested in Labour's selection - don't you have your own candidate to choose?

Martin Francis said...

Fair question. Firstly as the blurb says this blog is for all who share concerns about environmental and social justice and oppose cuts and privatisation. That includes Greens, many in the Labour Party. independents, activists and even some Lib Dems such as Barry Cheese who are to the left of some Labour Party members. What happens regarding the Brent Central nomination is important to us all in that respect, particularly after our recent experience with Sarah Teather.

Secondly I want to contribute to a healthy local democracy by providing information which is not otherwise available through the local press. This includes stuff on the LP nomination but also on what Brent Council is proposing regarding its budget, regeneration, benefits etc where I can examine reports in some detail and draw out the implications.

The Green Party is concentrating on the 2014 Euro elections and local elections at present and Brent GP has not yet selected parliamentary candidates for 2015.

Anonymous said...

A politer response than the disingenuous questioner warranted, I'd say. Nevertheless, a useful opportunity to point out the (what-should-be) obvious.

Anonymous said...

Brent would be a far less democratic place without this blog. Scrutiny of local politics and politicians is sadly lacking both within the Council and the local Labour Party. Please keep up your excellent work Martin.

Anonymous said...

I agree with everything you just said!
Thank God for Wembley Matters.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely right. As an outsider who works in Brent but doesn't live there, I hope Brent people realise what a service Wembley Matters provides. The response time on the site is difficult to reconcile with the amount of active personal participation Martin manages at events, meetings, demonstrations, celebrations etc etc etc.
Activists don't come more active than this!

Martin Francis said...

Blimey, you've made me feel exhausted just reading that last list - and I have two days in schools and an allotment to look after in addition! Thanks for the positive feedback - it will help me keep going.

trevor said...

I still believe that The person That is given the responsibility of serving the people of this borough should be one that is unquestionably passionate about Helping the people of this borough.
What is the point of holding surgeries each month for example, When you Have a "anything goes Attitude" Towards Smoking for example?
About 100,000 people in the UK die each year due to smoking.
Last Week 5 people died While riding bikes on London roads.
The Public Response Was Naturally one of Shock And
Perhaps many wondered How Could That Happen in Just one Week?
The Response from The politicians was predictable in that they tended to blame the cyclists by suggesting that they didn't follow the rules of the road.
The reality is though, no one except the Cyclists Know what truly caused those fatal accidents.
The public are now calling for new laws for cyclists, whether the government will actually Introduce New Laws, only Time Will Tell.
either way something must be Done to prevent more people needlessly dying while cycling on London roads.
The Irony however is that those 5 deaths came about by accident, but the 100,000 deaths that occur as a result of smoking is self inflicted.
simply cause those 100,000 people were born and grew up in a Country in which the government is extremely corrupt and put profit before principle.
this is why when the original plan to introduce cigarettes was put before them, They didn't reject it even though they were well aware of the dangers of smoking, They put profit before Principle and gave their consent.
This is Why People in general Believe That politicians regardless of what comes out of their mouths, What is is in Their Hearts is what Tends To be motivating force.
They Put The making of Money ahead of everything else, and because they have set their own standards on governing, They give the impression that it is OK to do what you think is right and even when you know right from Wrong, it's OK to Do Wrong simply you are in Charge at that particular Time.
But what has Time Revealed?
Hasn't it Shown that the General Anything goes, We can do what we want, you must obey us, We know what we are doing approach doesn't work?
The Politicians see a need for rules but they decide for themselves when it is OK to Break those Rules.
but when we break them they come down on us like a Ton of bricks!
if you gave a Hopeless alcoholic the responsibility of driving a Bus, would you express surprise When He/She Crashes the bus Leaving the passengers seriously injured and even dead?
If you Gave a Certain deceased Ex DJ That had a history of Abusing Children The job of Looking after Children and Later found out that he abused Them rather than Teach Them, would you express shock ?
if a Alcoholic is unsuitable as a bus Driver, and a abuser of children is unsuitable for the Job of working in a Nursery, Then is a group of people That give their consent to something that causes 100,000 people to die each year, fit to govern the country?
Think about it?