Labour scraps all-female shortlist for Liverpool mayor

I note that "I hatemyselfordoingthis' has not responded to my request for exactly what they meant by saying that they " didn't agree with my gender politics".

I suspect this is because they are most likely unable to articulate why. If they are like most in the Liverpool Labour group - they will simply follow the crowd, and not bother to actually listen or investigate thoroughly for themselves........as should a democratically elected member of any chamber.

The Labour party is being destroyed from within - by a combination of ideological obsession, and by the modern curse of identity politics.

If anyone thought that Jackie Weaver was a heroine, they ought to spend some time in the chamber of Liverpool city council. Handforth parish council couldn't hold a candle to it.

Fully agree with this! My CLP is an absolute mess. Corrupt councillors, members too busy fighting each other to fight the tories. Just toxic.

Anne O Byrne also launched into an abusive tirade against the Greens in the chamber on at least one occasion - calling them " all privileged and middle class" for the temerity of suggesting that the council could make £30K of savings a year if councillors gave up their free parking permits?
That really pressed her buttons didn't it? How many working class woman actually have their own car, let alone a free parking permit?

Well I disagree with your gender politics so it's not through that lens

What sort of 'gender politics' do you think I espouse? I'd be interested to hear? Because i suspect that you don't actually listen, either.

Besides, what do you make of such behaviour - from a purely democratic point of view? Do you think that a deputy mayor should refuse to listen to an invited speaker? And make such a big virtue signalling display of that?

As have I @Justhadathought - and I agree its a hot mess, but then so is Labour as a whole, hence the embarrassment

What did you make of her flouncing out of the chamber and refusing to listen to an invited speaker, on the subject of single sex spaces? And then standing to cheer Joe anderson as he launched an abusive tirade against that speaker; who was articulate, informed and reasonable?

She loves to play up 'being a woman, and supporting women" when it suits her particular ambition, it seems to me.

Well I disagree with your gender politics so it's not through that lens.

As have I @Justhadathought - and I agree its a hot mess, but then so is Labour as a whole, hence the embarrassment

So, in what way dd you consider Anne O'Byrne to be an "excellent" candidate? I'm very curious, given how she behaves in the chamber?

As have I @Justhadathought - and I agree its a hot mess, but then so is Labour as a whole, hence the embarrassment.

You sound like a conspiracist yourself tbh @Justhadathought**

Not conspiracy, no. I've just had quite a lot of insight into the machination of the Liverpool council chamber over the years.

You sound like a conspiracist yourself tbh @Justhadathought.

That or scrap the whole model as Rothery and O'Byrne wanted to do anyway

That's what they say, and yet they were part of the group that voted to retain it. The Labour group unanimously decided to retain it.

I imagine that everyone in the Labour is now plotting and planning on who to install as leader in any return to the old model. It is all so self serving. They know that if they wear a Labour rosette they'll have a job for life. It was clear to me that certain local councillors were eyeing cabinet roles in return for votes. Being a councillor in Liverpool is often a family enterprise, with successive generations all occupying a seat. Many have no other occupation, either - relying on the stipend for a living; and any extra responsibility payments are a bonus.

There are several names of white men who are rumoured to be on the new short list. The Labour Part are finished

I suspect that there are several more twists and turns yet......

Personally I just want the right candidates; good, capable candidates. It doesn't matter if the best candidate is male. As long as that is not Frank McKenna ( out of the frying pan and into the fire).

I'd like an experienced, charismatic outsider, personally. Preferably an independent, even though i know that is unlikely.

No not at all. I'm utterly wearied of the whole thing. And this is a blunder and plays into the ongoing negative narrative of "cleaning up the city"

It is not a "narrative". it is real and it is happening. Both the police and the government are involved. The culture of politics in Liverpool, and especially in the Labour group is toxic. Derek Hatton has even been back on the scene - and was one of those arrested.

The city needs to be able to work with which ever is the government of the day - in the service of the city and its people; not be used as a pawn in an interminable ideological war.

I'm in Liverpool and I have left the party over this. The whole party is toxic. The behaviour of the National Exec over this issue is a disgrace.

Why let it get until the ballots were about to be sent out to get rid of an all female short list with no explanation. They were scared their preferred candidate wasn't ahead. Just so happens the person who was ahead is a woman of. Colour. It's a smack in the face of democracy.

What kind of incompetent fools have we got running this party and what hope have we got of them making an effective opposition.

I am politically lost. There is no one to represent me.

There are several names of white men who are rumoured to be on the new short list. The Labour Party are finished.

Anne left whistleblowing around the culture of his leadership and bullying. My feeling is that they want Anna Rothery off the list, but don't want to appear racist

Anna Rothery was being used as a proxy . She ticked all of the inter-sectionalist boxes. Suggestions that Unite/Len McCluskey had a direct interest in installing a candidate that wouldn't uncover any of his involvements with recently arrested businessmen.

None of this is any good for the city. The city really needs a very big broom. I'm utterly sick of young and inexperienced Corbyn/Momentum candidates replacing far better, more experienced councillors and MPS. The new Left wing faction is only interested in local issues if they dove-tail in with ideological issues.

I invited the replacement MP ( for Louise Ellman) for Liverpool Riverside, to a meeting that I'd arrange, with a number of her female constituents, to discuss their concerns around self ID and reform to the GRA. She blanked that invitation.

All she seems interested in is Toxteth and her BAME constituents; forgetting that Riverside is really quite big and diverse and she is is there to listen to and speak for all.

No not at all. I'm utterly wearied of the whole thing. And this is a blunder and plays into the ongoing negative narrative of "cleaning up the city".

I agree with you re Luciana Berger, her experiences were dreadful.

But I disagree with your analysis and solution.

I think they are seriously risking the mayoral seat tbh

Nobody was asked whether they wanted to continue with the mayoral model; yet the Labour group unanimously declared they wanted it to continue - for political reasons, and for the personal ambition of at least one of the candidates.

What they now risk happening, with their internal warfare and squabbles ,is the government stepping in and running the city in the interim.

@Justhadathought. is that you Keir

Let me guess you are a leftwing/momentum conspiracist?

No! I used to be a member of the Labour party but now spoil my ballot. The Labour party is a no-go area for me as long as they declare that TWAW/no debate and refuse to listen or engage with women's groups in an open and democratic way.

Kier Starmer is a wet lettuce as far as I'm concerned - and has the impossible job of trying to appease factions within the party and somehow present a united front to the country. Oh, and rid the party of its associations with anti-semitism.

I'm an old school leftie and feminist, every day there seems to be a new story which makes me less and less likely to vote Labour. I'll vote for Andy Burnham in the Greater Manchester mayoral election in May but won't vote for the party in the council elections, looking at independents or SDP as a protest vote.

If the local party thought these were the best candidates, it should be there decision

I don't know who decided on the initial short-list. It too was imposed. My son is a member of the local Labour party and was not given a say. Whoever created that short-list was naive in the extreme. Both the government and the police are currently investigating corruption within the council, and each of these three candidates had positions of seniority at the time of the alleged corruption and knew very well what was going on; one of them actively involved in a very public way.

@Justhadathought. is that you Keir?

Sorry a few typos. I feel strongly on this issue and was typing at pace.

This isn't an anti women thing, per se, it's an anti left wing thing
It's primarily about trying to get Anna Rothery, off the list because of her Corbyn endorsement, which given her exemplary track record, is giving me the rage. All the candidates are excellent

I live in Liverpool and would strongly disagree that al of the candidates are " excellent". All three have been closely involved, very closely, with the previous alleged corruption which is currently under both police and government inspection.

One of those candidates, while talking the talk about 'women and girls' actually flounced out of the chamber at which a woman had been invited to address the council chamber on the issue of single sex spaces and provisions. She flounced out in a show of 'not listening' to transphobia. She then re-entered the chamber and voted on the issue. That is not democratic. she consulted not one woman, and she refused to even listen to the views.

She also has form for vitriolic abuse of anyone who stands in her way. I've see video evidence.

Two of the candidates were being used as proxies for those behind the scenes who wanted to install a pro -Corbynite candidate - in spite of the fact that Corbyn has got nothing to do with the issue that Liverpool currently faces. The national Labour party wants to avoid a run in with the mayor of a major city, and wants to avoid the slip backwards to wards association with anti-semitism. the city has lost tow good female, Jewish MP's on account of this.

As for Anna Rothery, she has a low profile in the city; hardly anyone is aware of her 'track record', so I'm not sure what is so excellent about It? she was being used as a proxy as far as I'm concerned.

Liverpool needs an independent outsider to break through the cultural stranglehold that holds the city back.