johnr
Labour & Co-operative
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Post by johnr on Sept 8, 2013 21:14:53 GMT
I hear it is to be AWS for Labour as well. The Scottish Herald wrote in an article dated 16 December 2012 that the Scottish National Executive decided for an AWS for Dunfermline without waiting for the full constituency pairing process. Always the Herald was suggesting some names 2 months ago: Cllr Cara Hilton (daughter of former MSP Cathy Peattie and assistant to local MP Thomas Docharty), Fiona Yates (daughter of Cowdenbeath MSP Helen Eadie and wife of a Kirkaldy Cllr) and Cllr Lesley Laird (daughter of former STUC chairman John Langan). Have you heard if they are really in the race? They all sound plausible. Any other women rumoured? They were suggesting Shirley-Anne Somerville for SNP. I've not herd that Cara he expressed an interest in standing for parliament, but of course that doesn't mean to say she won't apply. She would be a good candidate if she did. I believe this both Fiona and Lesley are on the parliamentary panel, so are qualified to stand, likewise, from what I know they would make great candidates - although I know Fiona's husband Gavin better. |
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Post by finsobruce on Sept 8, 2013 21:31:00 GMT
The Scottish Herald wrote in an article dated 16 December 2012 that the Scottish National Executive decided for an AWS for Dunfermline without waiting for the full constituency pairing process. Always the Herald was suggesting some names 2 months ago: Cllr Cara Hilton (daughter of former MSP Cathy Peattie and assistant to local MP Thomas Docharty), Fiona Yates (daughter of Cowdenbeath MSP Helen Eadie and wife of a Kirkaldy Cllr) and Cllr Lesley Laird (daughter of former STUC chairman John Langan). Have you heard if they are really in the race? They all sound plausible. Any other women rumoured? They were suggesting Shirley-Anne Somerville for SNP. I've not herd that Cara he expressed an interest in standing for parliament, but of course that doesn't mean to say she won't apply. She would be a good candidate if she did. I believe this both Fiona and Lesley are on the parliamentary panel, so are qualified to stand, likewise, from what I know they would make great candidates - although I know Fiona's husband Gavin better. The SNP were thinking about this much further back according to the Herald: www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/ex-msp-voted-sexiest-woman-at-holyrood-877069 |
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Tony Otim
Green
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Post by Tony Otim on Sept 9, 2013 8:49:12 GMT
Will the Scottish Greens be fielding a candidate? I have no inside knowledge, but I would hope so, if for no other reason than to keep the party name on ballot papers in the run up to the Euros. It's certainly not one of our more promising areas - haven't broken 1000 votes even on the list since 2003, but we did manage to field one of our only 3 candidates in Fife last year in Dunfermline South. I would expect there to be 3 or 4 saved deposits (the Conservatives might be touch and go, but will probably just get over 5%) If they stand and throw the same amount of cash at it as Aberdeen Donside, UKIP will comfortably come 5th, but I doubt they'll top 5%. |
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johnr
Labour & Co-operative
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Post by johnr on Sept 9, 2013 10:10:42 GMT
If they stand and throw the same amount of cash at it as Aberdeen Donside, UKIP will comfortably come 5th, but I doubt they'll top 5%. Well, it is closer to Edinburgh for them.. |
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Tony Otim
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Post by Tony Otim on Sept 9, 2013 10:19:00 GMT
Although actually I think Fife is probably much stronger for them than Edinburgh.
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Post by LDCaerdydd on Sept 9, 2013 14:29:52 GMT
Any of the three Labour regional members prepared to stick their neck on the line and resign to stand as Mark McDonald did in Aberdeen?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2013 16:42:40 GMT
Any of the three Labour regional members prepared to stick their neck on the line and resign to stand as Mark McDonald did in Aberdeen? As long as it doesn't leave their place to be taken by a defender of Robert Mugabe, I am all in favour. |
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johnr
Labour & Co-operative
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Post by johnr on Sept 9, 2013 16:55:43 GMT
I think Richard Simpson would be very brave to do so considering its AWS.
I have heard a rumour that Clare Baker might, though. It depends on whether she would get selected.
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andrea
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Post by andrea on Sept 9, 2013 20:55:27 GMT
From Stirling MP: "Applications from Labour Party members invited for Scottish Parliament by-election in Dunfermline, deadline 5pm this Thurs 12th September".
It's now an open shortlist (according to Lord Foulkes)
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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Sept 9, 2013 21:08:43 GMT
Byelections are always an open shortlist.
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andrea
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Post by andrea on Sept 9, 2013 21:16:00 GMT
Byelections are always an open shortlist. I knew it for Westminster. I was unsure about devolved parliaments because I've never read the full procedural guidance for Holyrood selections. |
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Post by Devonian on Sept 10, 2013 6:07:57 GMT
If they stand and throw the same amount of cash at it as Aberdeen Donside, UKIP will comfortably come 5th, but I doubt they'll top 5%. Well, it is closer to Edinburgh for them.. It will probably be the same candidate. Otto Inglis was the UKIP candidate for Dunfermline and West Fife in the 2010 Westminster elections so I would think he would be the favourite to be the candidate again in this by election. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 10, 2013 10:15:09 GMT
No bely laughs, but a few smirks already. Why would a sitting MSP like Shirley Ann Somerville give up a cushtie number to lose a by election two years out from the next SGE when the SNP are all but certain to go backwards making incumbency critical for career survival? Shirley-Ann Somerville is not a sitting MSP. |
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Tony Otim
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Post by Tony Otim on Sept 10, 2013 10:16:36 GMT
Why would a sitting MSP like Shirley Ann Somerville give up a cushtie number to lose a by election two years out from the next SGE when the SNP are all but certain to go backwards making incumbency critical for career survival? Who appointed her as sexy? Is it wise to demean her as "sexy" in discussion of her suitability to replace a SNP dinosaur binned for his sexist attitudes to his womenfolk? Boogie - you're usually more on the ball - Shirley Ann Somerville hasn't been an MSP since 2011, being the only SNP candidate in Lothian who failed to win her FPTP constituency and the SNP not getting any seats from the list. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 10, 2013 11:01:23 GMT
She is 'Chair of communities' or such like for Yes Scotland, until September next year anyway.. |
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johnr
Labour & Co-operative
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Post by johnr on Sept 10, 2013 11:22:13 GMT
Byelections are always an open shortlist. I knew it for Westminster. I was unsure about devolved parliaments because I've never read the full procedural guidance for Holyrood selections. Was certainly discussion on twitter the other night from SEC members and others that this would be AWS. It could be that Dunfermline was going to be AWS in 2016, but that the by-election changes it. |
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johnr
Labour & Co-operative
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Post by johnr on Sept 10, 2013 11:24:33 GMT
And why would Clare Baker give up a salary when she will be candidate for a safe regain next time and top the list in any case? And why does every Labour AWS consist entirely of the daughters of the Labour great and good? Fraser and I will go down to campaign in Gods Own Kingdom. Not sure for who yet. I would argue that, at least in strong Labour areas such as Fife, the list seats are NOT safe. Its only become that way now because labour failed to win large numbers of constituencies - such as Dunfermline. A labour revival in Fife, with the party picking up lots of seats across the region could make list MSPs vulnerable - the reverse of what happened in 2011 in fact. |
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Tony Otim
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Post by Tony Otim on Sept 10, 2013 11:33:54 GMT
And why would Clare Baker give up a salary when she will be candidate for a safe regain next time and top the list in any case? And why does every Labour AWS consist entirely of the daughters of the Labour great and good? Fraser and I will go down to campaign in Gods Own Kingdom. Not sure for who yet. I would argue that, at least in strong Labour areas such as Fife, the list seats are NOT safe. Its only become that way now because labour failed to win large numbers of constituencies - such as Dunfermline. A labour revival in Fife, with the party picking up lots of seats across the region could make list MSPs vulnerable - the reverse of what happened in 2011 in fact. Labour should be looking at winning back this seat and Kirkcaldy next time. Tricia Marwick might prove a lot tougher to shift and after that you're looking outside Fife to Stirling or Clacks and Dunblane, which again are going to be harder for Labour. So in a good year, the list seats might go, but if Labour only pick up two constituencies, they should still have at least one list seat as well. |
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johnr
Labour & Co-operative
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Post by johnr on Sept 10, 2013 11:41:52 GMT
I would argue that, at least in strong Labour areas such as Fife, the list seats are NOT safe. Its only become that way now because labour failed to win large numbers of constituencies - such as Dunfermline. A labour revival in Fife, with the party picking up lots of seats across the region could make list MSPs vulnerable - the reverse of what happened in 2011 in fact. Labour should be looking at winning back this seat and Kirkcaldy next time. Tricia Marwick might prove a lot tougher to shift and after that you're looking outside Fife to Stirling or Clacks and Dunblane, which again are going to be harder for Labour. So in a good year, the list seats might go, but if Labour only pick up two constituencies, they should still have at least one list seat as well. Labour failed to win any lists seats here in 1999 or 2003. It could be argued that if we serious about forming the next Government, we ought to be aiming for that level of performance. |
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andrea
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Post by andrea on Sept 10, 2013 12:10:42 GMT
I knew it for Westminster. I was unsure about devolved parliaments because I've never read the full procedural guidance for Holyrood selections. Was certainly discussion on twitter the other night from SEC members and others that this would be AWS. It could be that Dunfermline was going to be AWS in 2016, but that the by-election changes it. I believe the plan for 2016 is to go back to the pairing system used in 1999 (pairing 2 next door targets together. Then the 2 CLPs would meet together and select 1 man and 1 woman. SEC would then allocate the 2 winners to seats in question). I think that the Dunfermline situation *may" have been something like this: the SEC considered to have an early selection because of Walker's problems and so the potential of a vacandy arising before 2016 and so they considered an AWS without having to wait for the full pairing process. However, the by-election came in too early and so they reverted back to traditional by-election rules with open selection. As for list MSPs and their future....I guess Richard Simpson (born in 1942) could retire in 2016. Helen Eadie (1947) could possibly consider vacating Cowdenbeath. |
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