by Chris McLaughlin
DEMANDS for an inquiry are to be made into an unusually high number of postal vote applications in the selection of Labour’s candidate in the safe Westminster seat of Erith and Thamesmead.
Figures obtained by Tribune suggest that more than a third of the 279 eligible voting members in the south east London seat being vacated by sitting MP John Austin have applied to vote by post rather than turn up in person at the hustings on April 18.
The calls for an official investigation from at least two members of the National Executive Committee follow concerns expressed by Mr Austin, who held the seat at the 2005 election with 11,500 votes, over the level of postal applications.
There are also suggestions that members are being deterred from attending in person in order to affect the outcome of the ballot by ensuring that some candidates are not heard “live”. Party rules allow postal votes only for those unable to attend for legitimate reasons “not for those who choose not to attend”.
The contest has been fraught with controversy, with allegations that one candidate, Georgia Gould – the 22-year-old daughter of Tony Blair’s polling guru Phillip Gould – has been “parachuted” in
with the help of a Blairite machine involving Alastair Campbell and former party general secretary Margaret McDonagh.
Party members have told Tribune that supporters of Ms Gould have been canvassing the use of postal votes, but Ms Gould has not responded to Tribune’s emailed questions.
The selection process has been taken over by party head office which cancelled a scheduled shortlist meeting in order to prevent any of eight candidates being eliminated; the procedures secretary has been relieved of his post; and Mr Austin has released an impassioned plea to every party member for a local candidate, Teresa Pearce, to be selected.
It has now emerged that the Westminster branch of Unite (Amicus) has challenged the choice of Rachel Maskell as the union’s candidate in the race. Barry Spate, secretary of 0693 branch – whose delegate to Erith and Thamesmead is the MP Mr Austin – has written to union joint general secretary Derek Simpson claiming the process of selecting Ms Maskell was “anti-democratic” and against union rules.
The rules state that: “Any branch’s nomination in any selection process shall be decided by the Regional Political Committee and the National Political Committee, in conjunction with the branch delegate(s) to the relevant Constituency Labour Party”.
However, Mr Spate was informed by head office that Ms Maskell, a national officer of the union, had already been chosen as Unite’s candidate before the Westminster branch’s scheduled meeting to discuss a nomination.
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The Labour establishment is operating like an old Soviet style nomenklatura in seeking to impose Georgia Gould on this seat. Wow potentially another ex-Oxbridge graduate in Parliament, what a massive boost for diversity as they really are under represetned at the moment.
Labour did much worse in Clare Shorts old seat. In the Ladywood selection, the party delayed the selection by a year, members who had lapsed had been deemed eligible to vote by the NEC in Jan 09, Gordon Brown didn’t respond to not even one letter of complaint. My only consolation is that Labour wont be in power after 2010.
Georgia Gould is winning this selection based on sheer hard work and getting more members to support her than anyone else. That and being the best candidate.
The allegations about “imposition” and “parachutes” are silly – as are the attacks on her age and background. She’d be accused of those things wherever she stood and whatever she did, simply because of who her dad is and the fact she knows a lot of senior people in the party.
The other candidates, incidentally, all have photos of themselves with various MPs and Ministers in their literature.
We should let candidates win on merit.