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.

““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.

Yes, that is a cringeworthy level of arrogance. Does he really believe he is better positioned to represent Sheffield constituents than those who live and work there and understand issues at a local level?

That whole Guardian piece was pure cringe. His arrogance is off the scale and he seems to have no self-awareness. Also hope that normal people see through him and he comes last. Might send a message to the wider Labour party to get their heads out of their backsides on this issue

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

and his quotes make basic political errors as they are full of statements that do not look good to start with and can be twisted further by opponents who will be broadcasting that Eddie is saying that nobody knows where Sheffield is

Massive Own Goal considering the short list will be drawn up by some people who are local councillors and local CLPs have close councillor connections.

Not going to help the campaign at all if Sheffield people have seen it. Lots of Labour MPs were councillors.

It's abusive to photograph a man coming out of the women's toilet?

Eddie is legally male.

Ouch, that was badly phrased. I realise EI is obviously going to have to position this as a national v local experience thing, which is ok in itself. Perfectly fine to say I think my time on the NEC is particularly helpful and qualifies me better than the other candidates who haven't been on the NEC because list of reasons. But that was emphatically not the way to put it! And Izzard is smart, a good writer. Why did they think this was a good idea?!

including being photographed by a gender-critical feminist using the women’s toilet

The horror. Perhaps he/she/they could pop back into boy mode when he/she/they needs the loo, I'm sure it's quicker and easier, and leave women in peace.

This also implies that they hung over the cubicle door while Eddie was going, which is entirely dishonest.

Let’s face it. There is a low bar for abuse these days for some groups, yet women are expected to just dismiss a cream pie and not call it violence.

"Hello little people of Sheffield, England! I've come to rescue you from your geographical misfortune. I'll be able to tell all my global celebrity mates at my London parties, in London, about where you are (between London and the North Pole) and show them photos of you going about your daily lives in your charming country ways. Don't forget to vote for me so you can see me representing you on the telly, whilst talking about myself and my life!"

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

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.

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.

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/

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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!

😆

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