Sheffield Central Labour Candidate - Abtisam Mohamed vs Eddie Izzard

[fromorbit]

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.

I'm not sure I'm convinced about PP standing in Sheffield. I think I'd rather see a local woman up against Izzard. Isn't Jean Hatchet in Sheffield? I know there's a lot of ill feeling between the 2 of them and I'm not always a fan of JH (last time I saw her on here I seem to remember getting told off about something, probably PP related). But if she has that local connection, JH could really capitalise on Izzard's parachuted-in celebrity status.

I suppose it's too much to hope that JH and PP might sit down together and come to an agreement?

I've no idea whether JH is even interested in standing by the way, just musing out loud.

if Jean is still a Labour member she won’t be allowed to stand against an officially endorsed Labour candidate and retain her membership.

Do current 18 - 21 year olds have much of an idea who Eddie Izzard actually is? Other than for being trans? I imagine most of his comedy will have passed them by, he is probably more recognisable in that age group for his acting/voice work.

I'm about 20 years older than most current students and Eddie Izzard is old enough to be my dad.

I saw this earlier
Abtisam is a local candidate with experience of community work

regardless of anything else, that makes her the better candidate in my eyes. I don’t know how the selection process works though.

I like Eddies video but there’s no mention of any community work at all.

Izzard states that she's genderfluid, like she's not a binary trans person, though she has medically transitioned somewhat. Obviously I'm desperate to see an actual 'out' trans person in parliament, but Abtisam Mohamed seems good too - there's also another candidate, Abdi Suleiman, who seems great. All look like they'd make excellent MPs.

WRT KJK as an independent candidate, like, she wouldn't get her deposit back - it's a relatively progressive area with lots of students, how do you think they are going to react to someone with no connection to the place, who has made islamophobic remarks in the past, is far too au fait with the far right and froths with hate at trans people on her YT channel? Like, really?

Like, I don't know. Like, I would hope they would use their eyes and ears and do their own research of the candidates.

I would hope that something everyone could agree on!

You have an ‘actual out’ trans person in Parliament, Jamie Wallis, surely you embrace JW under the trans umbrella?

Izzard states that she's genderfluid, like she's not a binary trans person, though she has medically transitioned somewhat.
What medical transition has taken place?

I bet Keir Starmer is crossing all his fingers that Abtisam Mohamed gets selected. Imagine putting all that work into avoiding an issue only to have it blown wide open by Eddie Izzard

I’ve no doubt izzard will be selected & also win

and I can’t wait to see the sunlight pour in…..

but it really pisses me off that as usual a woman is being pushed aside so a man can live his ‘best life’

What medical transition has taken place?

An opportunism transplant?

Not to derail from the seriousness of the discussion but the above comment did make me smile a wry smile!

His little vid is all me me me. I know someone in the constituency. They are more impressed by Abtisam Mohammed.

Surely if izzard is gender fluid the pronouns should be they?
I dont think izzard had transitionecin any way, if you think top surgery I think prosthetics.
Theres already an out trans person in parliament, Jamie Wallis I think is the name.

KJK might not much care about a refund, the main point is to show up this shit show. Money is not the the issue.
Students through history have shown very little interest in voting full stop. I don't see that suddenly changing for this one event, especially after the lib dems nick Clegg complete fuck up.

I dont think she froths, I dont think she hates trans people, she simply fights for women and thinks we matter and deserve our own spaces, I do too. She is just much much better at getting air time, putting across her point well and standing her ground. And she is of course willing to do this where I wouldnt be.

I wouldn’t give Eddie Izzard the time of day. When he was awarded an honorary doctorate at Sheffield University, at the degree ceremony he bragged about not completing his undergraduate course, but getting a doctorate anyway. It was such an insult to all the students who were collecting degrees that they’d worked really hard for for several years.

Is the word “froth” just an abusive word used for women by men? It’s only women that froth …………

This is quite a disgusting move. A white, wealthy, politically-inexperienced EI parachuted into a ward where a woman of colour with an immigrant background is standing and well-qualified to stand. EI's participation there wil force Abtisam Mohammed into the gender debate and the ensuing abuse. I have zero doubt that she's well accustomed to dealing with misogynistic, racist and xenophobic people, however, this will undoubtedly raise her profile with a lot of people who will add to those attacks if she states that she knows what biology is, or even hints that she might.

The Labour Party allowing EI in there is directly opening her up to a high rate of abuse.

There's a lot of talk about how white feminists don't care about women of different ethnicities - which I don't buy into, although not saying it doesn't happen. It's tricky here because I feel it's patronising to even raise the issue. At the same time, we know that Muslims and women and immigrants face increased level of abuse, so I don't think it should be ignored either. I believe Abtisam Mohammed can fight her own battles for the position she wants and I also believe she shouldn't have ever been put in a position - especially for an over-entitled celebrity - to have to engage in this particular one.

If KJK does stand then that will remove some of the heat from AM, but will also make it a single issue election in which other candidates cannot fail but get involved.

The newspapers must be rubbing their hands in glee at this prospect.

I find it very arrogant of Izzard to use his celebrity platform in a push to fulfil his long-held desire to become an MP. It doesn’t seem to matter to him which constituency he stands in and it is very unpalatable that he is willing to displace a local woman with proven community links who has clearly worked hard for the local area. It’s
all very “me, me, me.”

I think she will need to keep her cards close to her chest on this, until she wins, otherwise its career suicide. Sad but true.

Why doesn't EI just cut out all the work and go straight to identifying as the prime minister

I'm in Sheffield central, not sure everyone has declared yet but am feeling positive about Abdi so far, although will have to do some research on them all. Im not likely to be voting for EI.

twitter.com/Abdi_SHF/status/1579447377320378370?t=f3Bqgr1lK9j6npuUKeoVvg&s=08

Wow, I saw EI's video yesterday and assumed Eddie had been selected. That's... a certain type of over-confidence, isn't it?

I hate when celeb candidates are parachuted into seats, it's insulting to the grassroots members and councillors who have grafted away for years.

What steps has Eddie taken to transition?

I also doubt there has been any breast development. Because they still take male roles and I doubt that Eddie is wearing a binder to do them.

And I am laughing that someone has made out that a brief moment decades ago going to uni at Sheffield is sooo much better, like, than KJK standing with no connection. That is rather a very long stretch.

This ^