Labour Selection Trauma: Erith and Thamesmead Questions:

Still checking some of the details of the Erith and Thamesmead information I've been provided with. Meanwhile some light relief. Above you'll see one of the erstwhile contenders, one Marianne Alapini, with comrades at the G20 rally recently.

Something of a political chameleon the Kensington and Chelsea councillor has already moved her tanks off the E&T lawn and now has now retrained her New Labour big guns on Woking in Surrey. That's the wonder of Facebook. Instant Karma Karma Chameleon. Her personal website HERE meanwhile is shooting blanks at present. Possibly being refettled for the new task? Out with the "Old" and in with the "New" I'd wager.

Marianne is one of those potential PPCs and LG candidates who qualifies for the affectionate term "snapper". Cllr Alapini is I'm told collecting a veritable who's who of Labour and Trade Union blicks. Ready to be suitably (and/or inappropriately, as appropriate) captioned as the positioning, nay triangulation of the next selectorate begins.

New Labour Woking is more likely to see Marianne's collection of gurning Cabinet figures I'll be bound. In Erith and Thamesmead BOTH the leading contenders are local women. One at least ten times more hard working than the other. Both would be comfortable with the term "socialist". A glowing endorsement from the original Bennite would be quite a coup for any of their six, count 'em, rivals.

If I were a betting man and someone were running a book I would put ten bob, at least ten bob, on the following NOT being close to what Mr Benn actually said about Marianne unfaithful:

The people of Erith and Thamesmead will surely be delighted to have a daughter of Barack Obama representing them in parliament!"
"Marianne is a hard working Labour councillor who will be a great representative for the great constituency of Erith and Thamesmead!"

Marianne shares Kenyan roots with the Mighty BO. A daughter of Kenya then. It's true. But hands up if you can hear the Mighty Benn uttering this puff? We've all done it. That doesn't make it right. As the MPs mostly ain't saying to the Bishop.

FOOTNOTE: The person who read me this quote off one of MA's publications sounded like they were ringing from the Clapham Omnibus, I'm On The Bus!" they began (they didn't but couldn't resist), my notes are a little hard to decipher, so my apologies if this has become even less word perfect as a Benn quote than it was.

POST SCRIPT 12:01: Someone's just asked me whether Marianne Unfaithful left Bruce Kent and the Free Palestine comrades on her literature. Good question. Anyone know?