by Chris McLaughlin
Labour treasurer Jack Dromey has been shortlisted for the safe seat of Birmingham Erdington amid mounting controversy over the party’s secretive handling of selections.
He is on a list of four contenders – including a former and two sitting local councillors – which emerged shortly after the noon deadline on Friday February 12.
The decision follows the announcement from sitting MP Siôn Simon that he is to stand down at the general election, leaving a majority of 9,575. Mr Dromey was previously thought to have been interested in Leyton and Wanstead (Labour majority 6,857,), but encountered local opposition as an “outsider”.
Fresh questions are being asked over the process of whittling down longlists, with many hopefuls being turned away without interview or explanation. The rationale behind the choice of all-women shortlists is also being questioned after a number of seats might have been expected to qualify – such as Erdington and Leyton – were declared open contests by a special panel of the party’s National Executive Committee.
The AWS option is designed to ensure more women candidates in winnable seats. But in Wales both Pontypridd (Labour majority 11,428) and Islwyn (16,787) have been declared open elections. In Ashfield (10,213), at least two of retiring MP Geoff Hoon’s special advisors are thought to be canvassing the seat.
