- Wed May 03, 2017 12:57 pm
#504273
I'd like to set down a few thoughts on the Women's Equality Party, and I'd appreciate input as to whether I'm barking up the wrong tree.
I noticed the WEP were standing against that little toad Philip Davies in Shipley, but also noted that Labour were in second place and the only party with a realistic chance of kicking him out if the vote didn't split. This was commented on by the Guardian as wellhttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... es-shipley
The "non partisan" WEP have now put up 4 further candidates - all running against Labour incumbents.
The most egregious is against Catherine West, in Hornsey & Wood Green, and shadow Foreign Office Minister. As a disclaimer, I know her from my Labour activist days, but you could not get a more feminist MP, nor hard-working constituency representative. She voted against Article 50 (WEP is supposedly in favour of remain), for EU citizen rights, and is great on human rights, women's issues, and LGBT rights, as well as the treatment of refugees. She'd also like Ken Livingstone expelled rather than suspended.
I also admire the fact she's brave enough to put out an election leaflet which not only has a picture of Jezza on it, she's pictured holding a "refugees welcome here" sign!
Catherine overturned a huge Lib Dem majority in 2015, defeating Lynne Featherstone. The 'non partisan' WEP candidate against her, Nimco Ali, is a personal friend of Featherstone, and also endorsed her at the 2015 election. The endorsement leaflet can be viewed here https://politicalscrapbook.net/2015/04/ ... rs-of-eve/. Ali also endorsed Zac Goldsmith for the Mayoral election, and was offered the Conservative candidacy of Bristol East for this election, but turned it down. When West's pro-women stance has been pointed out to Ali (Ali is an anti-FGM campaigner, but West raised FGM in her maiden speech), she's said that the Lib Dem candidate is a woman so voting for her won't let a man in if she splits the vote.
She just has to run against Labour as it's an anti-equality party.
and of course West stood against an "amazing feminist" in 2015 https://twitter.com/NimkoAli/status/858240740165550080
So, the WEP battle in Hornsey seems to be at least in part motivated by personal animosity. Nationally, WEP seem to be making life difficult for Labour by vote splitting. That could be a coincidence, or not.
Thoughts?
I noticed the WEP were standing against that little toad Philip Davies in Shipley, but also noted that Labour were in second place and the only party with a realistic chance of kicking him out if the vote didn't split. This was commented on by the Guardian as wellhttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... es-shipley
The "non partisan" WEP have now put up 4 further candidates - all running against Labour incumbents.
The most egregious is against Catherine West, in Hornsey & Wood Green, and shadow Foreign Office Minister. As a disclaimer, I know her from my Labour activist days, but you could not get a more feminist MP, nor hard-working constituency representative. She voted against Article 50 (WEP is supposedly in favour of remain), for EU citizen rights, and is great on human rights, women's issues, and LGBT rights, as well as the treatment of refugees. She'd also like Ken Livingstone expelled rather than suspended.
I also admire the fact she's brave enough to put out an election leaflet which not only has a picture of Jezza on it, she's pictured holding a "refugees welcome here" sign!
Catherine overturned a huge Lib Dem majority in 2015, defeating Lynne Featherstone. The 'non partisan' WEP candidate against her, Nimco Ali, is a personal friend of Featherstone, and also endorsed her at the 2015 election. The endorsement leaflet can be viewed here https://politicalscrapbook.net/2015/04/ ... rs-of-eve/. Ali also endorsed Zac Goldsmith for the Mayoral election, and was offered the Conservative candidacy of Bristol East for this election, but turned it down. When West's pro-women stance has been pointed out to Ali (Ali is an anti-FGM campaigner, but West raised FGM in her maiden speech), she's said that the Lib Dem candidate is a woman so voting for her won't let a man in if she splits the vote.



So, the WEP battle in Hornsey seems to be at least in part motivated by personal animosity. Nationally, WEP seem to be making life difficult for Labour by vote splitting. That could be a coincidence, or not.
Thoughts?
"The architectural style is early maniac" - Vila Restal