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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.

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TheClogLady · 27/10/2022 14:31

I was just listening to Matthew Goodwin on Brendan O’Neill’s podcast and he said that the TWAW position is held by around 5% of the electorate.

Crazy that Labour are willing to alienate themselves from voters like this.

Iliveonahill · 27/10/2022 14:27

TheClogLady · 27/10/2022 14:25

Oh wow.

This could kick off some interesting responses!

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It’s on Facebook on the MPs page. I don’t agree with most of what he says but in terms of sex and gender he says what a lot of people think.

TheClogLady · 27/10/2022 14:25

Iliveonahill · 27/10/2022 14:19

A conservative MP Lee Anderson has been reported to the police for hate crime. He commented on Eddie and toilets. Will be interesting to see if the police have the time to investigate this.

Oh wow.

This could kick off some interesting responses!

Boomboom22 · 27/10/2022 14:22

Ffs it should be a crime for Eddie to be in the womans toilets! He us already on record as harassing teenage girls in there who challenge him! The world has gone mad, and now abti goes and puts out that twitter.

Iliveonahill · 27/10/2022 14:19

A conservative MP Lee Anderson has been reported to the police for hate crime. He commented on Eddie and toilets. Will be interesting to see if the police have the time to investigate this.

ChristinaXYZ · 27/10/2022 13:59

Abtisam Mohamed along with the other candidates has put her name to this twitter.com/EddieIzzardLab/status/1585249647450542080 whilst I realise it rebukes those indulging in racism as well as perceived transphobia I don't think they usually put out statements like this and I don't imagine that the level of racism has changed so one assumes that it is really a call to protect Izzard from women with views he does not like.

It would be good for Sheffield to have a good local candidate but I don't think Abtisam Mohamed is likely to be any different on gender than the vast majority of Labour politicians.

If she came out as GC would she even get elected. Will any GC woman ever be picked to stand for any elected role if she is 'out' before the election?

Melroses · 27/10/2022 12:50

KatMcBundleFace · 27/10/2022 09:31

Isn't that just the co-op's nomination?

I think it's all still ongoing but she is definitely in the lead?

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Yes - I was a bit previous there 🙄

Original poster
fromorbit · 27/10/2022 12:03

The contest is still on we just had the long list of 6 candidates still early days.

Run down of bios:
labourlist.org/2022/10/six-make-longlist-to-be-next-labour-candidate-for-sheffield-central/

There are 6 people standing Abitsam has a bunch of endorsements from unions, the Co-op party and local individuals as does Jayne. They are clearly the frontrunners. The union endorsements will indicate support in local branches who get a vote in the final selection.

We are entering a campaign period after that the local party leadership will run out a shortlist it seems near certain Abitsam and Jayne will be on it maybe one or two others. Some time after that they will go to a vote.

I think it is fairly certain Mason will not make shortlist. Izzard is a maybe, really depends on outperforming the locals Mike Buckley and Dr Rizwana Lala. I think Buckley is most likely to make the shortlist if it is three as he is well known to local party.

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KatMcBundleFace · 27/10/2022 09:31

Melroses · 27/10/2022 02:35

twitter.com/abtisam_mohamed/status/1585007137440555008?s=21&t=s3d1qoRVP_zHDYoGwJxNGw

She got it 😀

Isn't that just the co-op's nomination?

I think it's all still ongoing but she is definitely in the lead?

Jellyjunction · 27/10/2022 09:30

I don't think she's been selected yet? Just nominated by the outgoing mp?

MagpiePi · 27/10/2022 09:24

I've slightly missed the boat as Abtisam has been selected, but even so...

Sheffield Central Labour Candidate - Abtisam Mohamed vs Eddie Izzard
Original poster
fromorbit · 27/10/2022 08:24

As long expected the current Labour MP Paul Bloomfield has now endorsed Abtisam:
www.thestar.co.uk/news/politics/sheffield-central-paul-blomfield-mp-endorses-abtisam-mohamed-in-race-to-be-next-labour-candidate-3894520

Joint statement from all 6 candidates against abuse, racism and transphobia in the contest:
twitter.com/Abtisam_Mohamed/status/1585247467637211137

Comments by a Tory MP on the race have been controversial to say the least:
www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/oct/26/tory-mp-under-fire-for-transphobic-comments-about-eddie-izzard

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MagpiePi · 26/10/2022 16:01

Maybe he was in boy mode when he said he wouldn't stand on a women's shorlist. We might get a different opinion when he's in girl mode.

(is this going to get deleted becasue I called EI he?)

cosmiccosmos · 26/10/2022 12:04

It's irrelevant that EI said he wouldn't stand on an AWS, what's important is that Labour would let him if he said he wanted to.

Are we supposed to be grateful that a man who says he is sometimes a woman has said they won't take a place from a woman!

Runningintolife · 26/10/2022 11:44

Good statement

Original poster
fromorbit · 26/10/2022 00:01

Longlist coming through seems to be six names:

ABTISAM MOHAMED, Jayne Dunn , Eddie Izzard, Paul Mason, RIZWANA LALA, MIKE BUCKLEY

Details:
labourlist.org/2022/10/six-make-longlist-to-be-next-labour-candidate-for-sheffield-central/

Abdi was not longlisted he had built some local support though. There are complaints that Mason and Izzard made the list and he didn't:
twitter.com/Abdi_SHF/status/1584842316388655107

Jayne Dunn has picked up the endorsement of Unison, a major union.

Izzard has issued a statement saying he wouldn't stand on an all women shortlist:
twitter.com/EddieIzzardLab/status/1584636817856679936

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Lottapianos · 25/10/2022 15:20

Really enjoyed Julie Bindel's podcast. She's spot on about how utterly bloody boring and self absorbed he is, and how he knows jack shit about politics

HeadAboveHeadBelow · 25/10/2022 14:42

BrokenFridgeDrawer · 22/10/2022 16:57

Julie Bindell has done a great podcast on her substack

juliebindel.substack.com/p/eddie-izzard-is-a-man#details

I really cannot undrstand anybody who is not supporting Eddie here, and hoping the other candidates succeed.

The whole mess is because people inside the Greens and Lib Dem like Aimee Challonner and their ilk have been allowed to skulk around in the shadows whilst pulling the strings.

Izzard will bring this inot the blazing sunshine.

It is the best thing that could happen and will have the man in the street wake up to the issues.

Yes I have listened to Julie Bindels podcast too and its really worth a listen as she actually attends a talk with him and interviews a few of the audience in the breaks and afterwards.

axolotlfloof · 25/10/2022 09:18

Absolutely Sheffield Women need a local woman representing them.
Izzard is a disgrace.

Original poster
fromorbit · 24/10/2022 08:13

Latest developments.

Izzard is claiming to be on the longlist before the results have been officially announced, presumably a leak if accurate:
twitter.com/EddieIzzardLab/status/1583786335311376384

Abitsam has now got the endorsement of the Labour Movement for Europe. That is a bit of a kick in the face for Izzard considering his position on the EU.
twitter.com/labour4europe/status/1583171441796599808

Good local summary on the campaign so far with run downs on the candidates. Agrees the likely winners are Abitsam or Jayne:
www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/p/eddie-izzard-paul-mason-and-the-massive?publication_id=320151&isFreemail=true

Rosie Duffield has doubled down on her refusal to recognise Izzard if Labour makes misgendering a crime in some way. Separate thread for that
here:
www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4661143-daily-mail-23-10-22-mp-rosie-duffield-will-refuse-to-call-eddie-izzard-a-woman-and-says-arrest-me-now-if-misgendering-becomes-a-hate-crime

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BrokenFridgeDrawer · 22/10/2022 16:57

Julie Bindell has done a great podcast on her substack

juliebindel.substack.com/p/eddie-izzard-is-a-man#details

I really cannot undrstand anybody who is not supporting Eddie here, and hoping the other candidates succeed.

The whole mess is because people inside the Greens and Lib Dem like Aimee Challonner and their ilk have been allowed to skulk around in the shadows whilst pulling the strings.

Izzard will bring this inot the blazing sunshine.

It is the best thing that could happen and will have the man in the street wake up to the issues.

TheClogLady · 18/10/2022 20:09

Ah, soz. I did Google go check but obviously wasn’t paying enough attention to the date on the results of my search!

Original poster
fromorbit · 18/10/2022 16:37

TheClogLady · 18/10/2022 10:47

It is great news.

and also not surprising, because angry Twitter TRAs are not able to influence that much at a CLP level except in small pockets of superwoke areas (Brighton, N London, Central Manchester etc).

The period of mass membership of Corbynites is over, so CLPs are largely back to being run by the same sensible cllrs and party secretaries as ever, perhaps with a few younger/newer members who stuck around.

Shame they’ve lost so many active women (some with decades of membership) in the process.

Around parliament, however, I’d imagine a lot of the younger SPADS and civil servants are still far more IDPOL influenced than everywhere else. This group is also going to be over represented at party conference.
Presumably that’s why it’s so hard to get sensible policy proposals up from CLP through to the National Party.

Rosie being reselected shows both her CLP, and her constituency, appreciate her, and I’m sure that’s a multi faceted appreciation, not on any a single issue.

My own MP has always been a very accessible, community minded sort of person, despite being a parachuted candidate. That she turns up to the opening of an envelope and stays to the end to help with the washing up is indicative of her genuine interest in the people she represents. I don’t always agree with her, but I do appreciate her.
She’s being replaced by a local chap next GE.

That Rosie remains Chair of the Labour Women’s PLP is also something to appreciate. I just wish a few more felt able to stand beside her in a more publicly visible way.

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Rosie is no longer Chair of the Labour Women’s PLP. She was for 2.5 years though. She decided not to stand again. The fact she was elected twice shows how women Labour MPs are way more terfy than they openly admit. Her replacement Karin Smyth, Shadow Minister for Social Care, according to Rosie is sound on women's issues.

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Original poster
fromorbit · 18/10/2022 16:24

Nice summary article in the Guardian doesn't hold out much hope for Izzard. Thinks the real contest is between Abitsam and Jayne as I was thinking :

"Blomfield, who won a 27,273 majority in 2019, is expected to endorse Abtisam Mohamed, a councillor, lawyer and community organiser who moved to Sheffield from Yemen as a toddler in the 1980s when her father got a job in the local steel industry.
Sheffield insiders think that neither Mason nor Izzard have a chance of winning the nomination, noting that the city has a long history of choosing local candidates rather than outsiders. David Blunkett, who ran Sheffield city council before becoming Sheffield Brightside’s MP and ultimately home secretary, has endorsed Mohamed.
Jayne Dunn, another local councillor who has won the endorsements of the GMB and Aslef unions, is seen as Mohamed’s main rival. Dunn says she is “not a typical politician”; she was once a homeless single mother on benefits. She ran to be Labour’s candidate for the South Yorkshire mayoralty but lost to Oliver Coppard.
Labour’s national executive committee will decide on the longlist within the next week. Then, the executive of the constituency Labour party (CLP) will largely be in charge of the shortlist."

www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/18/journalist-paul-mason-joins-labour-race-in-sheffield-central

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