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Post by johnloony on Feb 7, 2024 22:56:43 GMT
The Green Party has officially disowned their candidate Mr Otten will not be endorsed by the party in the upcoming election and nor will he participate in media interviews, canvassing or any hustings – but he has not been kicked out of the party, the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands. The retired lawyer and tribunal judge said in a statement that he has stepped down from the race in order to stop distractions from the Green Party message. However, the candidate list has already been made official, meaning voters will still be able to tick the box next to his name under the Green Party banner when they go to the polling station on 29 February. Mr Otten’s statement read “The Green message is too urgent and too important to be distracted by some regrettable social media posts I made a number of years ago. In the interests of the Green Party I have decided to leave the stage. This suggests that he tweeted some islamophobic tweets in 2013-2015 www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/155089/rochdale-byelection-green-party-candidate-no-longer-endorsed-by-party-just-weeks-before-voters-go-to-the-polls |
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john07
Labour & Co-operative
Posts: 15,809 
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Post by john07 on Feb 7, 2024 23:03:00 GMT
Question that I don't know the answer to... how many by-elections have had two or more former MPs stand, like with Galloway and Danczuk? Particularly former MPs from the same party. The 1981 Warrington by-election, won for Labour by former Labour MP Doug Holye against former Labour MP Roy Jenkins, is the only one I can think of. There are probably more. Hartlepool in 2021 had three former Labour MPs standing - Dr Paul Williams for Labour, Thelma Walker for the Northern Independence Party, and Hilton Dawson for the North East Party Haltemprice and Howden in 2008 had two former Conservative MPs standing - the incumbent David Davis, plus Walter Sweeney as an Independent. Another example ot two former MPs standing in a byelection was Croydon North in 1948 (Harold Nicolson, former National Labour MP standing for Labour; Don Bennett standing for the Liberal Party). Manny Shinwell against Ramsay MacDonald in Seaham in 1935? |
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Post by batman on Feb 7, 2024 23:34:29 GMT
Macdonald was a sitting MP
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Post by mattbewilson on Feb 7, 2024 23:52:20 GMT
that wasn't my experience but I accept I wasn't there as often as others. To me it looked like a genuine swing from Tories to labour rather than tactical voting. Also ironic given it was a net a swing against I remember the national polls at the time and just how many core voters we were losing to Galloway. I think there was genuine crossover support for Kim as the best person for the job in a race where her and Galloway were the only candidates with any profile whatsoever. I agree re Kim's candidacy but from my TBF limited experience it seemed clearly a two horse race which perhaps swung in our favour in the last week when the kissgate stuff was in the Sunday papers. It was certainly I surprise to me, and I'd guess a few here if I remember the prediction competition at the time, how well Galloway did. Yes he was a thorn in the side during the campaign but I don't think he was expected to get a good chunk of the vote |
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Post by carlton43 on Feb 8, 2024 0:23:40 GMT
The Green Party has officially disowned their candidate Quotes from the Local Democracy Reporting Service Mr Otten will not be endorsed by the party in the upcoming election and nor will he participate in media interviews, canvassing or any hustings – but he has not been kicked out of the party, the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands. The retired lawyer and tribunal judge said in a statement that he has stepped down from the race in order to stop distractions from the Green Party message. However, the candidate list has already been made official, meaning voters will still be able to tick the box next to his name under the Green Party banner when they go to the polling station on 29 February. Mr Otten’s statement read “The Green message is too urgent and too important to be distracted by some regrettable social media posts I made a number of years ago. In the interests of the Green Party I have decided to leave the stage. ADVERTISING “As nominations have now closed, my name will still appear on the ballot. However, I will not take part in any media interviews or join any platforms for hustings, and neither will I be involved in any campaigning. “I am really delighted that the Green Party is on the verge of making major breakthroughs in a number of constituencies in the next general election. Strong Green representation in parliament is needed now more than ever.” A Green Party spokesperson said: “The Rochdale Green Party candidate has said that he has ‘decided to leave the stage’ following social media posts made some years ago. As nominations have now closed, his name will still appear on the ballot. However, he will not take part in any campaigning between now and polling day. “We do not comment on disciplinary matters regarding Green Party members. These are internal matters. However, we are clear, we condemn all forms of racism and discrimination and do not accept it from any Green Party representative or spokesperson.” George Lythgoe, Local Democracy Reporter This is wonderful and quite priceless. A freshly picked candidate is nearly immediately cast off by his party for Thought Crime and Wrongspeak! Is it Reform or the Conservatives? No. It is the Blessed and Hallowed Green Party. And to make our cup runneth over the candidate is not a loud-mouthed white van man but a retired lawyer and sometime judge. Now we know that the Thought Police are after everyone! The Woke have started to consume themselves. I just love it. The Daft have truly inherited the Earth. |
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Post by minionofmidas on Feb 8, 2024 0:56:13 GMT
Speaking of the daft... this popped up in my tl.
I don't see where this person sees 'close' friendship. If I were to try to read between the lines of this pre-october tweet mentioning Ellman's role in a different millennium and not her more recent parliamentary service (and thus indirectly the way it ended) would imply sthg else to me. Likely 'friend' just stands for party colleague (comrade) here?
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Post by doktorb🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ on Feb 8, 2024 5:57:49 GMT
From the Telegraph (paywall protected)
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Post by Pete Whitehead on Feb 8, 2024 7:28:32 GMT
Macdonald was a sitting MP And it wasn't a by-election.. |
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Post by batman on Feb 8, 2024 8:08:52 GMT
Speaking of the daft... this popped up in my tl. I don't see where this person sees 'close' friendship. If I were to try to read between the lines of this pre-october tweet mentioning Ellman's role in a different millennium and not her more recent parliamentary service (and thus indirectly the way it ended) would imply sthg else to me. Likely 'friend' just stands for party colleague (comrade) here? Indeed, the headline could be something like "Labour candidate is in same party as pro-Israel Labour group shock" |
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Post by doktorb🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ on Feb 8, 2024 10:23:13 GMT
George on the stumps:
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Post by Forfarshire Conservative on Feb 11, 2024 8:41:05 GMT
Speaking of the daft... this popped up in my tl. I don't see where this person sees 'close' friendship. If I were to try to read between the lines of this pre-october tweet mentioning Ellman's role in a different millennium and not her more recent parliamentary service (and thus indirectly the way it ended) would imply sthg else to me. Likely 'friend' just stands for party colleague (comrade) here? He's also an anti-Israeli conspiracy theorist and has a history of fundraising for an extremist mosque. He's an oddball tbh, and if this is the changed Labour Party, well... |
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Post by jakegb on Feb 11, 2024 9:17:28 GMT
Not a great selection by Lab, I feel.
In the volatile circumstances we live in, I could see this going to Galloway (on a v low turnout), with Lab triumphant in Wellingborough and Kingswood.
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Post by batman on Feb 11, 2024 9:39:01 GMT
My friend is refusing to campaign further in this in the light of the comments. Labour can disown him (Ali, not my friend of course!) in advance, or if he does scrape in the Whips would need to have very sharp words with him demanding a retraction, an apology & an undertaking that he will not say rubbish like this in future. I now wish both he & Galloway could lose, but that's not a realistic hope
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The Bishop
Labour
Down With Factionalism!
Posts: 38,988
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Post by The Bishop on Feb 11, 2024 10:21:43 GMT
Let's be blunt shall we, in this byelection it is either him or Galloway. I fully realise that a few outright Tory nihilists would happily see the latter win, but even responsible people on the right must realise what a disaster that would be - and how big a boost it would be to the very worst AS conspiracy theories.
I fully accept that some Labour people will not want to campaign for Ali after this, and that is entirely their right. Though unless any more similarly damning stuff turns up, I don't expect the party to formally disown him given the alternative.
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Post by philvn on Feb 11, 2024 10:21:47 GMT
My friend is refusing to campaign further in this in the light of the comments. Labour can disown him (Ali, not my friend of course!) in advance, or if he does scrape in the Whips would need to have very sharp words with him demanding a retraction, an apology & an undertaking that he will not say rubbish like this in future. I now wish both he & Galloway could lose, but that's not a realistic hope Do you think Galloway really has a strong chance of winning? What percentage of the population is Muslim here (something like 20% I'm guessing)? We wouldn't expect him to poll strongly outside of the Muslim community would we? I know Bradford West is something like 60% Muslim, and he hasn't come very close since that win in 2012 (I know he did well in Batley and Spen but ultimately wasn't super close to winning). |
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The Bishop
Labour
Down With Factionalism!
Posts: 38,988
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Post by The Bishop on Feb 11, 2024 10:24:34 GMT
Galloway's campaign schtick pulled in a significant number of non-Muslim voters in his 2005 and 2012 wins (and at Batley and Spen as well) We should be wary of assuming he only appeals to one demographic even if that is his undoubted base.
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Post by mattbewilson on Feb 11, 2024 10:27:42 GMT
The south Asian vote in batley was 12% and it's unlikely Galloway won all of them
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nyx
Non-Aligned
Posts: 1,043
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Post by nyx on Feb 11, 2024 10:40:00 GMT
Let's be blunt shall we, in this byelection it is either him or Galloway. I fully realise that a few outright Tory nihilists would happily see the latter win, but even responsible people on the right must realise what a disaster that would be - and how big a boost it would be to the very worst AS conspiracy theories. I fully accept that some Labour people will not want to campaign for Ali after this, and that is entirely their right. Though unless any more similarly damning stuff turns up, I don't expect the party to formally disown him given the alternative. If the party stands behind one antisemitic conspiracy theorist just because one of his opponents is another antisemitic conspiracy theorist, that's a pretty bad look for Starmer's Labour. I'm personally hoping the Lib Dems might be able to pull it off– if Labour disowns Ali and stops campaigning, giving the Lib Dems a free run at it, it'd be difficult but a win on 30% or so with a split opposition shouldn't be impossible. |
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YL
Non-Aligned
Either Labour leaning or Lib Dem leaning but not sure which
Posts: 4,915
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Post by YL on Feb 11, 2024 10:41:26 GMT
My friend is refusing to campaign further in this in the light of the comments. Labour can disown him (Ali, not my friend of course!) in advance, or if he does scrape in the Whips would need to have very sharp words with him demanding a retraction, an apology & an undertaking that he will not say rubbish like this in future. I now wish both he & Galloway could lose, but that's not a realistic hope Do you think Galloway really has a strong chance of winning? What percentage of the population is Muslim here (something like 20% I'm guessing)? We wouldn't expect him to poll strongly outside of the Muslim community would we? I know Bradford West is something like 60% Muslim, and he hasn't come very close since that win in 2012 (I know he did well in Batley and Spen but ultimately wasn't super close to winning). The existing Rochdale constituency is 30.5% Muslim according to the 2021 census. Batley & Spen is 23.1% Muslim, and Bradford West 58.7%. |
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Post by mattbewilson on Feb 11, 2024 10:52:35 GMT
Do you think Galloway really has a strong chance of winning? What percentage of the population is Muslim here (something like 20% I'm guessing)? We wouldn't expect him to poll strongly outside of the Muslim community would we? I know Bradford West is something like 60% Muslim, and he hasn't come very close since that win in 2012 (I know he did well in Batley and Spen but ultimately wasn't super close to winning). The existing Rochdale constituency is 30.5% Muslim according to the 2021 census. Batley & Spen is 23.1% Muslim, and Bradford West 58.7%. can i ask your source, that's significantly more than when i checked the census data |
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