Don’t blame the NEC for late departures

by Ann Black
Monday, March 29th, 2010

Trevor Fisher (Letters, Tribune March 19) says that a strong Labour candidate should have been in place months ago in Stoke Central. This would indeed have been desirable, but he overlooks the fact that Mark Fisher only announced his retirement a couple of weeks ago. Is Trevor Fisher really saying that Labour’s National Executive Committee should have removed a popular and long-serving MP over the heads of his constituency party?

It is actually MPs who are treating members with contempt by delaying their decision to stand down until the last minute. If they had given proper notice, constituencies would have been free to longlist, shortlist and select their candidate in time to mount a full campaign. The only restrictions would be where all-women shortlists were specified. Stoke Central has been granted an open selection.

Members of the NEC would then be left to handle a few unavoidable vacancies, such as that caused by the tragic and untimely death of Ashok Kumar, and could use the extra time to get on with campaigning in their own and neighbouring seats. Nothing would make me happier.

This post was first published in the Tribune letters section in the magazine dated 26 March.

The only place you can read all of Tribune's articles as soon as they are published is in the magazine. To find out more about subscribing from as little as £19, click here.

About The Author

Ann Black is an elected member of the Labour Party NEC
  • swatantra

    Not a very edifying sight, seeing all this clutch of MPs trying to squeeze the maximum golden handshake or pension or future prospects as directors in their final weeks. Fact is no MP is ever going to fall on hard times. Most will be getting by on their state pension anyway and can live on that supplemented by speaking engagements, writing books and TV appearances. Can the NEC please ensure that there is no automatic elevation to the Lords otherwise the rank and file are going to get pretty annoyed and will be kicking up a stink after the Election is over.

  • swatantra

    Not a very edifying sight, seeing all this clutch of MPs trying to squeeze the maximum golden handshake or pension or future prospects as directors in their final weeks. Fact is no MP is ever going to fall on hard times. Most will be getting by on their state pension anyway and can live on that supplemented by speaking engagements, writing books and TV appearances. Can the NEC please ensure that there is no automatic elevation to the Lords otherwise the rank and file are going to get pretty annoyed and will be kicking up a stink after the Election is over.