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Bethnal Green and Bow Selector: Lady Arabella Wins
Although there was much speculation that "boring" white middle-aged "Ronnie" Biggs - second last to be added to the final shortlist - would storm to victory it was his nemesis "Lady Arabella Snooty" (as Biggsy's people joked) who took the win. The PPC's real name is Rushanara Ali. She was backed by the defeated former incumbent and girl-about-town Oona King.
Several accounts I've had of the final hustings - held two days before the vote to "avoid intimidation", or provide an extra 48 hours of it - gave that meeting game, set and match to Dr Rupa Huq, big sister of the Daily Mirror page three girl Konnie Huq. This success was due to forgetting platitudes and presentation and using the real P word with passion.
POLITICS finally made it onto the agenda in the last of six speeches in the final hustings of a two month campaign. Less than 20% of the selectorate attended the hustings however. Advice for next time (a) get the backing of the retiring MP or previous incumbent; (b) stick the politics in early and mean them; (c) get seriously organised. More when I have it.
SPOOKY TRIVIA: Clash Bankrobber on the stereo as Ronnie goes down.
SOME OF THE NUMBERS presented with a side serving of gossip HERE.
13 comments:
It's Rushanara btw
Corrected, thanks. Heat stroke I think.
Also, Biggs was the 5th name on the short list. Abbas was the final name on the list.
There are rumours (scurrilous i'm sure) that it was the good Dr who has been calling her Lady Arabella as well as talking up her own chances under a psydoname.
her chances were always over-rated on the blogsphear and i've not heard of anyone else call her that apart from online!
(She also started her husting speech by saying "it's not all about Oxbridge educations you know". Most people agree, but was a bit out of order)
Well, anonymous, good to have a regular on here. But for your information the selection race is over and sticking up for "Ronnie" now - which was my own coinage - is not going to help anyone.
Are you the same one who complained on Dave's Part that Ronnie was getting a bad press by being called boring? When the other five were facing far worse allegations and far worse lampooning.
Rumours about Dr Huq running a sock puppet at Dave's Part are ridiculous. Not her style. I know exactly who that commentator is/was and it is/was not Rupa, or I might add any of the other candidates before you start on them.
As Oona herself said the best candidate does not necessarily win, the best organised one does. This is also the case to an extent for elections of course so I hope that the Rusanara machine harnesses the power of Bethnal Green and Bow Labour, recruits more members, and puts Respect and the Lib Dems to the sword.
Apologies for putting Biggsy sixth rather than the fifth he deserved.
"She also started her husting speech by saying "it's not all about Oxbridge educations you know". Most people agree, but was a bit out of order"
If you had been pay attention to the speech you dozy plank
Her point was
It's not about oxbridge educations on CV's it's about politics
For the record Dr Huq was educated for her undergrad at Cambridge and has a phd at UEL so ffs she aint so stupid to go around attacking people for being educated.
OOOO-er. Anonymous vs Anonymous, like Kramer vs Kramer. Right here, right now. How exciting. Dummies spitting everywhere!
Chris,
Not me on the other posts, though i think Ronnie is big enough to defend himself, i thought i would share the whispers i have heard.
Anonymous,
Dozy plank! I guess this is the high-class political debate these blogs are famous for.
You need to calm down a little. I'm well aware of her history, i have seen her literature many times and well aware she is clever.
Although, she should have realised that the criticism on the blogs of Rushanara (who i agree will destroy any liberal/respect/con candidate hands down) is that she went on about her Oxbridge education too much.
Rupa's line was taken by many i discussed this with (whether she meant it like that or not) to be a snipe at Rushanara.
I don't think Dr Huq would do that on purpose, but she should have been aware that it could be mis-construed by some (especially in the Rushanara camp). I'm well aware of what she meant thank you very much!
Maybe an "unfortunate use of words" would have been more accurate than "a bit out of order"
Does anyone have the numbers on the voting? how much did she end up winning by.
I've read it went to the final round (and she was well ahead in all of them) but haven't seen any figures.
Funnily enough anonymous 15:12 I think that Ronnie's ability to take care of himself has been exaggerated. He was stone favourite and managed to snatch defeat etc.
Funnily enough too I think that if Dr Huq were to have been repeating Ronnie's cracks about Arabella, Lady Snooty etc it would be just that and my spies can identify the very occasions when these terms were first passed by Ronnie into semi-public circulation.
Anonymous 15:29 still not seen the figures. Won't the East London Advertiser have them?!
Hi, Have blogged all this myself. www.rupahuq.co.uk
It was always going to be a difficult seat for an outsider so not too surprising. My first line on Thursday was actually "It may seem odd to say but something's been rather absent from this Labour party selection process and that's... politics." The next bit addressed how "We've all done brilliant cvs: Oxbridge degrees, pictures with our kids to make us look us look human. Me too". Not as stated above.
Unlucky Rupa, as you say, tough one to win. I thought all candidates were strong in different ways.
I like your blog, think you should write another book!
Some of the numbers HERE.
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