Ealing Southall By-Election: Some Hot Spicey Gossip

As mentioned earlier the comments on LOL's Ealing Southall story have been interesting. Here's a taste:

Gurjeet Singh of the Sikh Federation pointed out Rod Liddle's diary piece in Sunday's Times on KKK Tourette's Syndrome. Afflicting Geoffrey Robinson.

Then anonymous Gurjeet Singh returned and pointed out three things:

1. Most if not all MPs that have come from all-women short-lists for the last ten years, since the 1997 election have been white. LOL comment: This is true, and in by-elections under Open lists only two (white) women have been picked these last ten years.

2. The Sikh Federation want an Open not AW shortlist in such constituencies as they feel this is more likely to deliver a BME candidate. LOL think this is rather spurious and disingenuous in this particular case. Ealing Southall near 100% to select BME whether AWS or Open.

3. We think Sonika Nirwal, Jasbir Anand, Gurcharan Singh etc. should all be on the short list so local members of the Labour Party can make a choice.
Our preference is for a visible Sikh as we have none in the Commons or Lords. This is why Gurinder Singh, Dr Harkirtan Singh etc. who are all believed to be in the running are also options.
'Visibility' for a Sikh is critically important - practising and non-practising Sikhs know the significance of this.

Then we have a Tory troll who claims:
Walked down the broadway today (Sat) and the place is covered in Tony Lit posters with pic of him.

This is swiftly rebutted:
For God sake do not lie. You must have seen posters at Tory campaign Headquaters Not a single poster can be seen in Southall Broadway.

Then we have news that the Tory candidate Tony Lit - whose father stood as an Independent in 2001 but supported Labour on the GLA in 2004 - has reached the Tories only after a rebuffed approach to the Lib Dems who have inevitably picked their 2005 candidate for another tilt.

Ealing Southall resident Dr Sherlock Huq and therefore LOL scoops Dr Watson's revelation that Tories are careless, even getting their own Council leader's name wrong.

And then there is a V Sharma hat tip to a story reporting a defamation suit against Cllr Jasbir Anand, another local candidate. From someone who had allegedly assaulted her.