Last night the Calder Valley Labour Party selected Stephanie Booth to represent the party at the next General Election. Steph Booth beat local Hebden Royd Mayor, Susan Press, by 95 votes to 52.
This is second time lucky for Mrs. Booth having been previously beaten for the PPC by local town councillor Janet Oosthuysen by just five votes.
Janet went on to be vetoed by the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee in January following revelations that she had received a police caution for damaging her ex-partner’s car.
It is widely rumoured and believed in the Calder Valley that close supporters of Steph Booth briefed the press with these and other revelations in what was ultimately a successful attempt to unseat Janet and install Mrs. Booth.
It looks like the Steph Booth faction got their way in the end but will the Labour Party unite behind Steph Booth – We’ll see!!!
Hat tip to the fallen (this blog also makes interesting reading for a view of internal machinations of the Labour Party): http://grimmerupnorth.blogspot.com/2009/04/i-lost.html
Wrong, John. I got 52 votes – steph got 95.
At the hustings, ie the people who actually turned up to hear us, I got 35 votes and she got 22 so it was the power of the postal vote machine which won it. I happen to think Parliamentary candidates should be elected by a majority of Party members who have actually heard all contenders speak – or at least had a chance to – in a formal capacity. Perhaps I am old-fashioned that way. Janet won fair and square in July last year and our chances of retaining the seat would have been much greater had we had nine more months’ campaigning under our belts.
Oops – My brain flagrantly refuses to ‘do’ numbers before either 11am or three coffees, whichever comes sooner.
Have corrected the posting now.
The postal vote at all levels is a strange beast which has the habit of reducing any political discourse to soundbites and game of tactical advantage. I think they increase turnout but are in danger of reducing political involvement to X-Factor-esque “press the red button now”.
They also have the habit of deciding a vote long before polling day and before all the arguments have been heard.