So Close but So Far!

’T is better to have fought and lost, than never to have fought at all…. and all that Jazz"

On Saturday at the GC meeting I was not selected to be one of the final 6 candidates. I am of course disappointed but can now start to get my life back together! I would like to thank all the people who supported me. I would never have got as far as I did without their enthusiastic help and encouragement.

There are now 6 excellent candidates for the Bethnal Green & Bow membership to choose from on the 28 April 2007. Good luck to all of them.

The most important thing is that a Labour Party MP is elected for Bethnal Green & Bow next time.

I have learnt a lot during the past few months and even though things didn’t work out the way I hoped this time. I will consider contesting all possible future selection processes.

Once again, many thanks not only to my supporters but to the many members who gave me time and space to talk to them about their issues, about my ideas and about my politics. It was (mostly!) a pleasure and an absolute privilege.

Short list decision day tomorrow

Sorry I haven't had the chance to post anything recently. Tomorrow the Bethnal Green & Bow General committee will decide who else will be in the final shortlist of 6. Four have already been selected. So I am up against 7 others. We will each give a 5 minute presentation then candidates will be allowed to talk to GC members and answer questions. Should be interesting! Picture of Robert "Rab" Smith and I talking about estate issues. Rab is a UNISON steward and housing caretaker (and local resident).

We're Backing Ayub for Bethnal Green & Bow

Ayub would make an excellent choice to be our MP. He is a someone who will bring everyone together at the next election. He would win Bethnal Green & Bow for Labour.

Jane Downey, local resident, works in Tower Hamlets, long serving Labour Party member and CLP affiliated delegate.

The Final Countdown for Bethnal Green & Bow

Nominations have now finished. Two candidates have secured 51% of the nomination votes. This means they automatically go on the short list. The candidates are: Lutfur Rahman and Rushanara Ali. Well done.

This leaves the following candidates with nominations from whom the rest of the shortlist will be drawn from. They are:

Rupa Huq
Shiria Khatun
Ayub Korom Ali
Helal Abbas
John Biggs
David Edgar
Abdul Asad
Moti uzzaman
Shirajul Islam

The two females ie Rupa and Shiria will automatically be placed on the short list because of the 50% rule. Congratulations.

This means the remaining two candidates will be chosen from the following:

Ayub Korom Ali
Helal Abbas
John Biggs
David Edgar
Abdul Asad
Moti uzzaman
Shirajul Islam

So two of us out of the above seven will be selected at a shortlist committee of Bethnal Green & Bow General Committee on April 14. I am really looking forward to this.

Then the six shortlisted candidates will face a husting on April 26 with polling day count on April 28.

Whitechapel update - Bethnal Green & Bow

Second to last branch selection meeting. At the very Tower Hamlets "Berner Estate Clubroom". There was a very different atmosphere today amongst candidates "lobbying" outside and local members coming to vote. People were very tense and serious. There was about 30 odd non ward members outside talking about the merits of various candidates. I thought that candidates, branch members and "observers" were on edge (this includes me!), calculating who was there, who hadn't turned up, why hadn't they? Would they honour their pledges????

I did not get this nomination (I think I know why) however, the level of support was pleasing and I look forward to the GC shortlisting process.

We're Backing Ayub for Bethnal Green & Bow

Local trade union steward and Labour Party activist Fuzlul Chowdhury says “Ayub is very hard working, intelligent and experienced. He is a credit to Tower Hamlets and the Labour Party”.

Bow West Decides

Bow West is a much bigger branch and there was better representation tonight of candidates "lobbying" members. Due to time restraints I have not "worked" Bow. However, I was able to chat to a number of local members while we waited for the doors of the centre to be opened. I'll be very "busy" in the next few weeks!

Click on the photo to expand.

Local residents passing by were most amused about what we were doing and why! Only two more selections meetings to go.