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That NEC Chain Letter: It's Far Too Complex and Snitty
Support the sentiment of course. But don't much like the worthy but rather pissy activists letter being pimped HERE and HERE (sign here). This is what I would be tempted to send instead:Dear NEC Chair
We call on the NEC to require that all Labour MPs face a CLP "confirmation meeting" in the next four weeks. Such meetings superceding previous process and recommending one of four options:
This process, followed by fast tracked, disciplined and comradely selections, as needed, will deal proactively and positively with the reputational risk of the few tainting the many.
We offer this process as a gift to all parties to follow with indemnity from Con-Lib style "you've taken our idea!" style jeering. Apart from a few idiot bloggers, irreverently independent of the party.
Ignore the miserable finger-pointing chain letter. No-one will actually be sentenced to an eternity of regret if they don't sign it and forward it to ten people.
Keep the faith! Keep up the good work!
Best wishes
Labour of Love
7 comments:
Like your approach better. Only concern is I'm not sure how practical a reselection in every constituency is - could it actually be done? And it would be important to make sure it wasn't a chance for local factions to have another go at deselecting a sitting MP with an exemplary record when they'd already been reselected once.
Point 1 would be a "confirmation hearing" which would last an hour or so and be done with. This would hopefully apply to most LP MPs.
There would be no branch or affiliate "trigger" meetings with whips reports passed round and all that. This corruptible system regularly saves duffers and offs good MPs.
If a vacancy under 234 the process would need to be very quick and straightforward. This would encourage local candidates in most cases, quickies with low costs and no chance for manipulation. Hustings would be almost mandatory for the selectorate. None of this PV on demand.
And no one could even be referred to stages 2 or 3 or 4 unless they had serious question marks against them on the matter of expenses and related integrity matters e.g. squalid donations arrangements.
No sectarian gangs taking out rivals. Verboten.
PS No parachutes and hands off from party officials in all but exceptional circumstances.
PPS Might apply same to PPCs in questionable circumstances e.g. parachutists and those where excessive PVs turned over hustings.
Chris
Good start but it's bloody complex and a half. I think a lot has to take place at an independent accountant level before it gets into politics. A system like the independent police complaints thing where another force (assoc) comes in.
Local stuff can be incredibly devisive. It's genuinely time to reach for the Bogdanor & start doing constitutions - we have an open goal here. Let the parties fight it out but ensure democracy. It's parliament that will have to respond. I don't support proportional rep shite but.... all good stuff.
It's a genuine opportunity for Parliamentary reform. Liked your letter - that's exactly the way forward. Quick, clean, clever. 1 year's just about long enough - anything less is quite stressful.
Thanks Dick
The Telegraph have so far mauled about 150 members, and they are now planning to do the other 500. There are a good number of the 150 with relatively minor errors of judgement IMO.
Seems to me that all the parties need to positively endorse the excellent and the pretty good, to chide the small-time chancers and the careless fools and at very least sweat them a bit, to offer the next lot ordeal by selection with some slight potential for redemption, but to kick out the bottom 10%, even 20% giving the electorate the job of choosing on policy matters and work rate and so on.
I was amazed to see Margaret Moron endorsed by her Loot On South CLP. The feckwits. For this reason I think the centre should be allowed to specify or at least recommend 123 or 4 for the most infamous cases.
They need to be rid of this idiot. The Electoral Calculus says she is almost bound to lose, even without the Dry Rot. At least a fresh, clean candidate would have a chance to hold. I'm surprised the local party don't get that.
I'm impressed with Ian McCartney for realising his claim was excessive and paying the money back, but (relatively) ages ago. Sure he was going OTT along with the crowd but he came to his senses.
645 others may be wishing they were as smart. Which is not something they usually feel about IMcC.
Toast. Hasn't Ian McCartney got a phone - Claire Short phoned him!
I don't care. Toast.
Toast and alcohol 1:00 AM Dick?
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