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Sheffield Central Labour Candidate - Abtisam Mohamed vs Eddie Izzard

263 replies

fromorbit · 11/10/2022 15:19

If you are based in Sheffield please lend your support to Abtisam Mohamed a strong local woman candidate, a solicitor of Yemeni descent and longstanding Labour Councillor who has done valuable local work for the community including on nurseries. Sheffield Central is a safe Labour seat so whoever is selected is going to Parliament. Eddie Izzard has also launched a campaign but besides being a celebrity, has more glitz than steel, hasn't lived in Sheffield since being a student, plus as we all know is unclear about who they are.

Mohamed has an inspiring story, worked her way up to get a great career going and is focused on getting practical stuff done. She will make a great MP.

Abtisam Mohamed interview
www.thestar.co.uk/news/politics/sheffield-councillor-launches-her-bid-to-become-a-city-mp-3871921

Abtisam Mohamed Campaign page including a great video lots on her local concerns for the city:
abtisammohamed.com/

In contrast Izzard's campaign, getting loads of press coverage, is thin on detail:
www.eddieizzard.uk/

The local paper talked to people who questioned Izzard's chance of winning a few months back:

"In contrast, Jane Armstrong questioned her claim to run in the city.

She wrote: “I had heard this for a while and if she is fancying Central I know a lot of Labour members in that area who are really hostile to having her as a candidate. Not because she isn't nice person, but because people do not like celebrities being parachuted into wards above local candidates."
www.thestar.co.uk/news/politics/eddie-izzard-sheffield-readers-share-their-thoughts-on-comedians-bid-to-be-city-centrals-next-mp-3821984?itm_source=parsely-api

Apparently several other councillors may be standing as well so it should be an interesting contest.

I am not sure when the cut off point if you join Labour locally you will get to vote on who the candidate is. The actual contest has not yet begun yet but if I were local I would be signing up.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
14
Datun · 09/11/2022 11:59

nilsmousehammer · 09/11/2022 11:37

Considering how Izzard has chosen to publicly discuss and highlight Izzard's invasion of female spaces and Izzard's derisive and intimidating behaviour towards females who dare to show Izzard anything but delight and applause for doing so, I don't think Izzard gets to opt out of having to state the quiet bits out loud when Izzard is expecting people to vote for Izzard. Particularly when half of Izzard's voters are female and will include many females being fucked over in the exact way Izzard has chosen to demonstrate.

Show quote history

Quite.

"When we move on to discuss how self-ID reforms would affect women-only spaces she becomes impatient at being seen as the spokesperson for the trans movement. “I don’t have all the answers,”

No shit. That means you can't justify using the women's toilets on the basis of anything other than, I want to.

Which, in a completely predictable twist, IS the bloody answer from everyone who does it.

nilsmousehammer · 09/11/2022 11:37

fromorbit · 09/11/2022 11:28

The last branch ward meeting Nether Edge and Sharrow Ward has nominated Rizwana Lala & Abtisam Mohamed

Here are the results from all wards:

Broomhill & Sharrow Vale: Rizwana Lala, Abtisam Mohamed
City: Mike Buckley, Rizwana Lala
Nether Edge and Sharrow Ward: Rizwana Lala, Abtisam Mohamed
Manor Castle: Eddie Izzard, Abtisam Mohamed
Walkely: Rizwana Lala, Abtisam Mohamed

So with all 5 in Abtisam and Rizwana are ahead with 4 nominations each. Izzard and Mike Buckley have 1. Reminder this just shows local support before shortlisting.

The shortlisting for the MP candidate selection is happening sometime this week. Rizwana Lala, Abtisam Mohamed should be certain to go through. Councilor Jayne Dunne has a tonne of union support so she is also likely to make a shortlist if they go for three.

It seems Mason has no hope. The question is whether the committee decide to put Izzard or Buckley on the list. Even if they do the overwhelming support for Abtisam and Rizwana at branch level means any 4th selection would be a token candidate who would have little chance of winning.

The big surprise looking from outside is the lack of support for Jayne Dunn at party branch level. She has a pretty impressive record as a councillor. twitter.com/JaynePDunn/status/1590021551403184129

Eddie Izzard has now been interviewed by New Statesman despite the fact they are no hopers for securing the seat.
archive.ph/kq4DA

Apparently Izzard can't solve the debate over single sex spaces and thinks it is nothing to do with them. :
"When we move on to discuss how self-ID reforms would affect women-only spaces she becomes impatient at being seen as the spokesperson for the trans movement. “I don’t have all the answers,” she says. “I happen to be trans. All I can do is say how it is for me. I can’t come in and wave a magic wand and solve all the problems, because some people are very entrenched.”

Also he seems happy on Rosie Duffield being in the party, just thinks she should change her opinion.

Considering how Izzard has chosen to publicly discuss and highlight Izzard's invasion of female spaces and Izzard's derisive and intimidating behaviour towards females who dare to show Izzard anything but delight and applause for doing so, I don't think Izzard gets to opt out of having to state the quiet bits out loud when Izzard is expecting people to vote for Izzard. Particularly when half of Izzard's voters are female and will include many females being fucked over in the exact way Izzard has chosen to demonstrate.

lifeturnsonadime · 09/11/2022 11:32

I have never forgiven The Guardian for running his front page piece boasting about how he loves to turn off his womanhood and turn on his masculinity if he is approached by blokes in the street - how he loves how well he can terrify them – on the very same front page as Sarah Everard. She should have just switched to her man self and all would have been fine.

I had totally forgotten this but yes I felt the same way.

Thanks for the updates OP.

Original poster
fromorbit · 09/11/2022 11:28

The last branch ward meeting Nether Edge and Sharrow Ward has nominated Rizwana Lala & Abtisam Mohamed

Here are the results from all wards:

Broomhill & Sharrow Vale: Rizwana Lala, Abtisam Mohamed
City: Mike Buckley, Rizwana Lala
Nether Edge and Sharrow Ward: Rizwana Lala, Abtisam Mohamed
Manor Castle: Eddie Izzard, Abtisam Mohamed
Walkely: Rizwana Lala, Abtisam Mohamed

So with all 5 in Abtisam and Rizwana are ahead with 4 nominations each. Izzard and Mike Buckley have 1. Reminder this just shows local support before shortlisting.

The shortlisting for the MP candidate selection is happening sometime this week. Rizwana Lala, Abtisam Mohamed should be certain to go through. Councilor Jayne Dunne has a tonne of union support so she is also likely to make a shortlist if they go for three.

It seems Mason has no hope. The question is whether the committee decide to put Izzard or Buckley on the list. Even if they do the overwhelming support for Abtisam and Rizwana at branch level means any 4th selection would be a token candidate who would have little chance of winning.

The big surprise looking from outside is the lack of support for Jayne Dunn at party branch level. She has a pretty impressive record as a councillor. twitter.com/JaynePDunn/status/1590021551403184129

Eddie Izzard has now been interviewed by New Statesman despite the fact they are no hopers for securing the seat.
archive.ph/kq4DA

Apparently Izzard can't solve the debate over single sex spaces and thinks it is nothing to do with them. :
"When we move on to discuss how self-ID reforms would affect women-only spaces she becomes impatient at being seen as the spokesperson for the trans movement. “I don’t have all the answers,” she says. “I happen to be trans. All I can do is say how it is for me. I can’t come in and wave a magic wand and solve all the problems, because some people are very entrenched.”

Also he seems happy on Rosie Duffield being in the party, just thinks she should change her opinion.

OP posts:
mauvish · 04/11/2022 19:42

Thank you for the updates!

Original poster
fromorbit · 04/11/2022 19:06

Councilor Jayne Dunne has successfully passed a motion for a Period Equality Charter for Sheffield which also provide support for women having the menopause

twitter.com/JaynePDunn/status/1587867136357285888
More background on this:
www.thestar.co.uk/news/politics/calls-for-free-period-products-across-sheffield-as-one-in-five-young-women-cannot-afford-them-3894848

Jayne has picked up support from a whole bunch of unions. Useful if she makes shortlist. Thread here:
twitter.com/JaynePDunn/status/1588133902694088704

Neil Kinnock President of Labour Labour Movement for Europe endorses Abtisam Mohamed
twitter.com/Abtisam_Mohamed/status/1588453625499729921
Kinnock also earlier endorsed Mike Buckley
twitter.com/mdbuckley/status/1587386682848038913

Dr Lala has raised the plight of Asylum Seekers locally:
www.thestar.co.uk/news/politics/asylum-seekers-left-to-starve-and-eat-food-chewed-by-relative-in-sheffield-housing-3905654

She also picked up an endorsement from Aslef union who previously also endorsed Jayne Dunne.

Meanwhile Paul Mason has had the honour of being attacked by the Morning Star with Andrew Murray picking icely at the keys for "Sheffield Central, beware". Murray, a hardcore Corbynite and former communist doesn't have much time for Mason's brand of leftism a "weary trudge from orthodox Trotskyism to hard-line Starmerism". Which of Mason's many crimes backing Trotsky, Starmer, Ukraine, NATO or being anti Brexit upsets Murray the most is difficult to say.
morningstaronline.co.uk/article/f/sheffield-central-beware

OP posts:
BernardBlacksMolluscs · 04/11/2022 09:36

Thank you for the updates, I am following with fascination

Original poster
fromorbit · 04/11/2022 09:12

Broomhill & Sharrow Vale branch went for Dr Rizwana Lala and
Abtisam Mohamed.

Abtisam and Rizwana are ahead with 3 nominations each. Izzard and Mike Buckley have 1. Reminder this just shows local support before shortlisting.

Jayne Dunn has a bunch of local union endorsements which are also important.

Owen Jones has endorsed Dr Rizwana Lala as the "best candidate" over the more centrist Izzard. Jones doesn't generally get involved in these local selections so interesting.
twitter.com/OwenJones84/status/1588295570036527104

OP posts:
Weezol · 03/11/2022 15:20

So far so good. Thank you for the update.

Original poster
fromorbit · 03/11/2022 01:01

The first three ward branch meetings of local Labour party branches met tonight to decide on two people from the longlist they are nominating. This is not the final vote this will indicate who will go through to shortlist, but it is a strong indication of levels of support locally and who is likely to win in the end.

Results so far:
Manor Castle: Eddie Izzard, Abtisam Mohamed
City: Mike Buckley, Rizwana Lala
Walkely: Rizwana Lala, Abtisam Mohamed

Abtisam and Rizwana are ahead with 2 nominations each. So looking like locals are ahead.

Broomhill & Sharrow Vale meet tomorrow, Nether Edge next Tuesday.

OP posts:
Original poster
fromorbit · 31/10/2022 00:02

Great article in The Sunday Times on the contest featuring quotes from major players. Abitsam comes off well, Izzard doesn't.

"Izzard and Mason are attracting all the headlines, but these starry names are lagging behind Mohamed, a 42-year-old local councillor and lawyer who has attracted major union endorsements and the coveted Blomfield endorsement. Her particular focus is on youth investment and the climate agenda.
Mohamed moved to Yorkshire from Yemen with her family as a young girl. “This is my home,” she says. “You can only be a good constituency MP if you have a good grasp of what’s going on locally. I have a real understanding of what Sheffield needs.”
Labour has moved towards selecting more local candidates in recent years, and the Sheffield members I spoke to weren’t sold on Izzard or Mason. “I don’t agree with helicoptering people in,” says Rachel McLafferty, 40, a college administrator who is backing Mohamed. “My opinion is that MPs should be drawn from the local community,” she added.
Labour members in the city’s large student community tended to agree. “I’m a fan of Eddie Izzard as a person, but personally I like candidates who have been on the local council,” said Winko Kyawoo, 20, a molecular biology student at Sheffield University. “Being an MP isn’t the glitz and glamour. It’s about the day-to-day office work, and making sure vulnerable people get the advice they need.”

Eddie Izzard the joker takes on Paul Mason the firebrand. But Sheffield just wants a local
archive.ph/SfluJ

OP posts:
MilkshakesBringAllTheCoosToTheYard · 30/10/2022 21:11

To whom is EI going to be spreading this supercharged knowledge of Sheffield though? Is EI planning on doing films and tellies and associated press tours while serving as an MP? I mean, surely time will be split between parliament and the constituency, both of which kinda know where Sheffield is...

goldfinchonthelawn · 28/10/2022 17:20

Fascinating. One is a politician who is focused on Sheffield's needs and one is a narcissist who is focused on himself and absolutely desperate to list all his faint connections with Sheffield. He's run in nearby hills. He used to get the bus outta there to Edinburgh! Wow. Makes me long for him to lead the town. Whadda gal he is.

I have never forgiven The Guardian for running his front page piece boasting about how he loves to turn off his womanhood and turn on his masculinity if he is approached by blokes in the street - how he loves how well he can terrify them – on the very same front page as Sarah Everard. She should have just switched to her man self and all would have been fine.

And ever since reading that fucking piece of garbage about how being a woman is a lovely fun choice for Eddie (while Sarah got murdered for stupidly being a woman 24/7 - my words, not his) I have just despised the man. Utterly despised him.He is the walking definition of check your privilege before you open your big butch square-jawed gob.

Original poster
fromorbit · 28/10/2022 17:02

Anyone enjoying Izzard's musings in the Guardian check out the latest interview for more of the same:
www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/local-news/eddie-izzard-loving-sheffield-should-25371441

Meanwhile Abitsam has been to a local food bank:
twitter.com/Abtisam_Mohamed/status/1585645591081517056

OP posts:
TheClogLady · 28/10/2022 15:33

Emotionalsupportviper · 28/10/2022 14:47

Doan't mention stardust ta me!

That bliddy stuff's a reet bugger to shampoo out on a whippet - get's right in ta tha skin!

Show quote history

😆

Emotionalsupportviper · 28/10/2022 14:47

Heliotroper · 27/10/2022 20:55

It is great that he is taking time out from his busy life to shower a bit of stardust and glitz onto the poor little northerners

Doan't mention stardust ta me!

That bliddy stuff's a reet bugger to shampoo out on a whippet - get's right in ta tha skin!

ItsLateHumpty · 28/10/2022 13:52

Ha! IE is supposed to be EI, he’s so famous my autocucumber had a momentary lapse 🫠

ItsLateHumpty · 28/10/2022 13:49

Heliotroper · 27/10/2022 20:06

““If they do want a supercharged councillor, there are great people there. But the thing that I bring that is different, is their activism has been local and my activism has been national and international .. Because I have a personality, I am a character, and I am known across the UK and across the world, people will be saying: ‘Eddie Izzard, so tell me about Sheffield. Where is Sheffield?’"

Could he be any more condescending? I am sure the locals will love this sort of attitude.

Agree with the other responses to this cringe myself inside out ‘they all know who I am cos I am so very famous dontcha know’ blurgh

I am very much looking forward to his cancellation by Graham Norton and cohorts who have very recently chided that ‘celebs’ should shut up and sit down as their voices are an irrelevance in this discussion……

Obvs I didn’t wait for long, I have stuff to do, and well you know GN is not about to remonstrate with IE being as they are both blokes.

TheClogLady · 28/10/2022 11:22

Matt’s substack: mattgoodwin.substack.com/

and Wikipedia entry:

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Goodwin

He’s an interesting academic to follow for anyone interested in the strange political climate in the UK - his analysis on why Brexit won is thoughtful and in-depth, unlike most political commentators (and he himself was a remainer).

Labour are downright stupid if they aren’t paying attention to him.

Sheffield Central Labour Candidate - Abtisam Mohamed vs Eddie Izzard
TinselAngel · 28/10/2022 11:21

"Vote for me, I'm more famous than Sheffield is" Hmm

Ereshkigalangcleg · 28/10/2022 11:21

It seems all the fluffing and hype has gone to Eddie's head.

Datun · 28/10/2022 11:19

Helleofabore · 28/10/2022 10:47

I can't believe he actually said this? Has he been misquoted or something?!

well some paraphrasing has been done. However the intention and the gist is about right.

I haven't pored over it word for word, but it looks like he did say all those things. Scattered across the article. And that's just putting them all in to one paragraph.

TheClogLady · 28/10/2022 11:05

RoyalCorgi · 27/10/2022 17:18

I'd like to know the source of that figure. I'm not disputing it, but it would be good to be able to cite it.

Why are Labour willing to alienate the electorate? I don't know, but I would guess that a) they are keen to get the youth vote, and much larger proportions of young people believe TWAW than in the electorate as a whole and b) Starmer is probably surrounded by young policy dudes who reassure him that this is a really important civil rights issue and the only people who disagree are silly old women who are such bigots that there is no point trying to win their vote.

Show quote history

Matthew Goodwin is an academic who studies that sort of stuff so it might be his own work? He’s particularly interested in things like the Red Wall and NE shift towards Tories post Brexit

Tweet from July
twitter.com/goodwinmj/status/1549813447990312960?s=46&t=0tw6mhua1vPKo55_XwkuFg

I can’t read this but looks to be what the tweet is related to:

www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/07/17/penny-mordaunt-setback-new-poll-shows-would-lose-rishi-sunak/

Helleofabore · 28/10/2022 10:47

I can't believe he actually said this? Has he been misquoted or something?!

well some paraphrasing has been done. However the intention and the gist is about right.

Helleofabore · 28/10/2022 10:46

And little people of Sheffield, you don’t need a ‘supercharged’ councilor! They have only experience locally and not my world wide experience! I will put you on the map with my scintillating conversations where those supercharged councilors will be just locals, and remain locals for ever.