Labour scraps all-female shortlist for Liverpool mayor

[stumbledin]

Labour has been accused of a “stitch-up” after scrapping its all-female shortlist in the race for the next mayor of Liverpool, with one candidate threatening legal action if the decision is not reversed.

The party reopened the selection for a mayoral candidate on Tuesday shortly before ballots were due to go to party members, with none of the existing candidates invited to apply.

Last week, the party “paused” the voting process in order to reinterview the candidates: Rothery, Wendy Simon and Ann O’Byrne. The three women, who are all Liverpool councillors, are well-known figures in the city’s political circles.

Wendy Simon is currently interim mayor, Ann O’Byrne is a former deputy mayor and Rothery is the current lord mayor.

(Please note! I dont know all the background to this, and I think it was all women because that is who the local Labour Party chose. I think the issue is as much to do with them not being is the Starmer mode. But do wonder if Labour central would have felt so entitled to get rid of candidates in this high handed way if they had all been men.)

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/feb/23/labour-scraps-all-female-shortlist-for-liverpool-mayor

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.
Labour have got form for this kind of shit though tbh like when they tried to shoe-in Euan Blair into the Bootle safe seat. He got his arse handed to him, mind.

Don't know anything about any of them. But what a pity Labour High Command never stepped in regarding Joe Anderson, who, if I remember rightly, was a bit of a regular character in Private Eye.

Ah yes Joe Anderson, quite the fella. Who remembers his response to Liverpool Resisters?

Responding to the Liverpool ReSisters statement, the Mayor said he had no intention of meeting with a group which he claimed was behind "intimidation and abuse."

In a fiery two-minute speech Mayor Anderson said: "This council or this chamber have united against the behaviour of the ReSisters in defacing public art in what I believe to be, and I am proud to state, that was done in a hateful way (that has) resulted not only in transgender groups and individuals but myself and other councillors being subject to a torrent of abuse.

"That (behaviour) isn't about equality. That's not about fairness, that's not about having an open debate, it's about bullying, it's about intimidation and it's about proposing hate against people that are different and that's something that every single person in this council rejects.

"That's why you never got any applause. If you approached it in a different way and wanted to have a sensible discussion with us then we would have listened. but we won't tolerate abuse of members of this community that we respect, value and love.

"And when you get that in your head I'll sit down and meet with you and discuss your concerns. Until then, I won't meet with you. "

Postscript:
(Unrelated to the above tirade)

Joe Anderson was arrested in December on suspicion of bribery and witness intimidation.

Euan Blair! WtF????????

I'm not Labour and often point out that they get unfair coverage in the media, but it just seems every week there is some c* up.

What hope of a decent opposition party when they are constanty tangled up in their internatl feuds?

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

I just dont get it.

Everyone's confused, Stumbled!

I was hoping this discussion would start here but didn't feel quite qualified to do so.

They basked in the positive PR of the all-woman shortlist and then did this. As pp said, it is looking more like it is an issue with Rothery and a purging of the socialists.

However they have told all three women they cannot reapply moving forward. They are all immensely capable and experienced. How on earth it has come to this, at the eleventh hour, who can say. And nobody knows who they are going to parachute in.

Eddie Izzard maybe

I'm a lifelong member, to my current embarrassment

Oh aye they tried to put Euan Blair in for Bootle, literally the safest labour seat in the country. It was so embarrassing. Cherie's from up the road in Crosby but yes WTAF.

Anne, Anna and Wendy are all well liked and respected. Anne and Anna in particular. I'm absolutely enraged about it.

I think they are seriously risking the mayoral seat tbh.

It's quite a stunt to have pulled, @Ihatemyseleffordoingthis. Am watching through my fingers at this point.

Local news repeated the line that all the candidates were too connected to the former mayor...

Yes. I'm fairly certain that the real reason Labour don't want these candidates is because of the upcoming mayor scandal.

@StocksAndScares

Yes. I'm fairly certain that the real reason Labour don't want these candidates is because of the upcoming mayor scandal.

this!

2 of the 3 were Andersons deputy mayor, they've all got very close ties to him

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/feb/23/labour-scraps-all-female-shortlist-for-liverpool-mayor

"2 of the 3 were Andersons deputy mayor, they've all got very close ties to him"

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.

Council might scrap the role instead, though. It's basically just a souped up leader of the council anyway.

With these shenanigans the people of the city could easily vote in a Lib Dem mayor.

Well, getting shot of AWS, even accidental ones, is one way to ensure the wrong type of woman isn't given the job.

The Lib Dems wanted to try and scrap the mayoral model when Joe was first arrested. Guess they'd be in with a chance now. And I'd previously have considered voting for them, but not now.

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.

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

@Justhadathought. is that you Keir?

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.

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.

@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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.