So the Tory won in Norwich North. No surprise there, but certainly an own goal committed by Gordon Brown getting rid of a popular MP like Ian Gibson. I agree with Susan Press on this especially the point about how the constituency Labour Party supported Gibson (the Chair resigned as well, and seems like many LP activists refused to canvass for imposed LP candidate Chris Ostrowski, who, apparently has swine flu…….!!) and so did Hazel Blears have the ‘support’ of her CLP yet….. the LP NEC decided to refuse Gibson the right to run again at the next election hence his decision to quit now…hence the by-election… But Blears is in the clear….
So to me it looks distinctly like double-standards, why has Blears got away with being allowed to stand again at the next election while Gibson was stopped? When it comes to the expenses scandal …. Blears was up to her neck in it… yet the NEC made an example, a sacrifice more like, of Ian Gibson. What he did regarding his expenses wasn’t exactly clever but there was far far worse behaviour (yes, Hazel….I mean you!)
Why not Blears and/or the others (including ministers) who have seemingly got away with their pilfering and flipping?? Instead the NEC made a couple of examples just to show willing and as Susan argues (asking the question if Labour loses the by-election):
…then maybe it is time for Labour activists to mount a campaign questioning why a Labour rebel was singled out for the slaughter- and why others remain in office.
Quite!!
Btw there was an excellent article regarding Norwich North and Ian Gibson in the latest Labour Brieifing (sub only).
Oh, and ….
Craig Murray (Put an Honest Man into Parliament): 953
Not a bad result for Craig, and pretty good for the Greens too.
Cameron has been doing a similar thing, using the expenses scandal to get rid of old-school Tories while protecting his cronies, only on a much bigger scale.
Yes, quite, and there are double-standards such as why oh why wasn’t Hazel deselected????
…too bad they aint going to win the General Election
[...] that this was an own goal by Brown – if proof were needed – needn’t look any further at the differences in [...]
Am I the only one who realises that she has only become an MP for 6 months (intended)??
Soon as the General Election comes she will lose her place when all MP’s are re-elected (thats the seats not the people).
Whereas MP’s have around 3-5 years to prove to the people they are worthy or re-election – she has 6 months… nothing great will change in that time, she is an MP not counsellor for the local council.
What a big deal over nothing, cmon…
(I so mean that post – my spelling and grammar went out of the window.)
I hope you are right and she does lose her seat.
But the scandal was that there need not have been a by-election in the first place. The NEC of the LP decided to make an example of Ian Gibson (over expenses scandal) by not allowing him to run for the next election, Gibson decided to quit now.
The travesty was that Gibson was a well liked MP. Labour didn’t have to lose. The NEC pissed off the CLP, where the Chair resigned and LP activists refused to canvass for the imposed candidate.
And of course there’s the hypocrisy. Hazel Blears was supported by her CLP along with Gibson’s. Yet the NEC over turned the wishes of Gibson’s local Labour Party BUT left Blears alone. Why?
When it comes to expenses Blears is up to her neck in it and she wasn’t deselected. Gibson was. Where’s the justice!
I wonder whether Gibson will stand as an independent at the next election.
The problem is New Deal Scandal, it is a very big deal…as it further exposes the lack of democracy and hypocrisy within the LP.
The NEC got rid of a well respected MP yet cabinet ministers are still around and Blears is. Why didn’t Brown and co. do anything about them?
Well, as we know it’s Mandelson calling the shots.
Correct me if I am wrong, but Ian Gibson lost his job because of the following:
“The Daily Telegraph revealed last month that Dr Gibson used his parliamentary expenses to help pay for his daughter’s London home before selling it to her for around half its market value.
He designated it as his second home and successfully claimed for the mortgage interest, council tax and utility bills, a total of almost £80,000. But has conceded that he spent only three nights a week there while his daughter used it as her main residence.”
On reading the comments about how he was a popular MP it seems to be forgoten that he commited fraud. £80,000 of costs for a house he sold for half it’s market value!!!
It is right that this man lost his job, and wrong that others did not lose their jobs for similar fraudulant claims. I will celebrate when Blears goes!!!