Saturday, December 01, 2007
Discrimination?
The Welsh Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Pontypridd, Councillor Mike Powell, has an interesting letter in this morning's Western Mail.
Mike, who is in a strong second place to challenge a 13,000 Labour majority at the next General Election, nearly doubled the Welsh Liberal Democrat vote in that constituency in May and is well positioned to defeat Jane Davidson in 2011. He considers the postponed European selection for our party and asks:
If this lack of a female candidate in any of our Welsh Liberal Democrat selection processes is to result in the process being postponed until we have one, willing or otherwise, then why was the leadership election for the Welsh Assembly and Welsh Party leader not halted too, or is there a different rule for Mike German to the rest of our party?
It is a good question.
Mike, who is in a strong second place to challenge a 13,000 Labour majority at the next General Election, nearly doubled the Welsh Liberal Democrat vote in that constituency in May and is well positioned to defeat Jane Davidson in 2011. He considers the postponed European selection for our party and asks:
If this lack of a female candidate in any of our Welsh Liberal Democrat selection processes is to result in the process being postponed until we have one, willing or otherwise, then why was the leadership election for the Welsh Assembly and Welsh Party leader not halted too, or is there a different rule for Mike German to the rest of our party?
It is a good question.
Comments:
<< Home
Any opportunity to attack Mr German eh Peter!
Also you are seriously deluded if you think the current state of the Lib Dems in turmoil offers any hope of overcoming a 13,000 labour majority!
Also you are seriously deluded if you think the current state of the Lib Dems in turmoil offers any hope of overcoming a 13,000 labour majority!
I am not attacking Mike I am just noting that there should have been a contest for the Welsh leadership. As for the current state of the Liberal Democrats, you should underestimate us at your peril.
Am amused that the Labour party's friends still think that they're in a position to take their rotten boroughs for granted!
The sooner the foreign weed that is Labour withers away the better.
The sooner the foreign weed that is Labour withers away the better.
# posted by 
: 3:57 PM
: 3:57 PM
Come come Peter, post all of my letter or none of it, it is all relevant and not to be taken out of context.
Gender differences
SIR – I must fully agree with Martin Shipton’s analysis and reasoning in his article “Let women decide if they want to stand” (November 26). For me, as a Welsh Liberal Democrat, the article hits the contentious issue of positive discrimination firmly on the head. It is discrimination, and we must have no truck with discrimination in any form.
That said, may I be allowed to take this opportunity to apologise here and now to any would-be female applicants who wish to stand as a Welsh Liberal Democrat in the forthcoming council elections in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
You will not get selected to stand for election just because you are a woman, though I am sure you will be if you are deemed the best candidate wishing to be selected to contest a council seat regardless of that fact.
As an aside, I am now left pondering a question that no doubt other party members and interested parties must be asking themselves too.
If this lack of a female candidate in any of our Welsh Liberal Democrat selection processes is to result in the process being postponed until we have one, willing or otherwise, then why was the leadership election for the Welsh Assembly and Welsh Party leader not halted too, or is there a different rule for Mike German to the rest of our party?
CLLR MIKE POWELL
Trallwn Ward, RCT Liberal Democra
SIR – I must fully agree with Martin Shipton’s analysis and reasoning in his article “Let women decide if they want to stand” (November 26). For me, as a Welsh Liberal Democrat, the article hits the contentious issue of positive discrimination firmly on the head. It is discrimination, and we must have no truck with discrimination in any form.
That said, may I be allowed to take this opportunity to apologise here and now to any would-be female applicants who wish to stand as a Welsh Liberal Democrat in the forthcoming council elections in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
You will not get selected to stand for election just because you are a woman, though I am sure you will be if you are deemed the best candidate wishing to be selected to contest a council seat regardless of that fact.
As an aside, I am now left pondering a question that no doubt other party members and interested parties must be asking themselves too.
If this lack of a female candidate in any of our Welsh Liberal Democrat selection processes is to result in the process being postponed until we have one, willing or otherwise, then why was the leadership election for the Welsh Assembly and Welsh Party leader not halted too, or is there a different rule for Mike German to the rest of our party?
CLLR MIKE POWELL
Trallwn Ward, RCT Liberal Democra
Peter,
You just cannot be serious in suggesting Mike Powell poses a credible threat to Jane Davidson in 2011. Firstly 2007 was a low point in the tide for Labour vote and this will not be repeated in 2011. Secondly Jane Davidson is one of the most talented people in the Assembly and recognised as a top quality Minister whose performance in the Education brief was outstanding.
I don't think even Mike Powell himself would seriously try and compare himself to Jane Davidson. The people of Pontypridd know they have a class act and are not about to swap a premiership player for one from the Welsh League.
You just cannot be serious in suggesting Mike Powell poses a credible threat to Jane Davidson in 2011. Firstly 2007 was a low point in the tide for Labour vote and this will not be repeated in 2011. Secondly Jane Davidson is one of the most talented people in the Assembly and recognised as a top quality Minister whose performance in the Education brief was outstanding.
I don't think even Mike Powell himself would seriously try and compare himself to Jane Davidson. The people of Pontypridd know they have a class act and are not about to swap a premiership player for one from the Welsh League.
Curious that 'activist' has a very different view of Jane Davidson's time in the Education brief than most of the education professionals that I know ... such breathless admiration isn't the first reaction that comes to them when JD's name is mentioned!
Not that it'll matter, national factors will decide whether she stays on in her safe seat (ie. abuse of democracy), and sadly, a major one will be how widespread apathy will be amongst Labour's traditional supporters. Not sure that 2007 will be the lowest spot there - things didn't get better, and now they can only get worse :o)
Not that it'll matter, national factors will decide whether she stays on in her safe seat (ie. abuse of democracy), and sadly, a major one will be how widespread apathy will be amongst Labour's traditional supporters. Not sure that 2007 will be the lowest spot there - things didn't get better, and now they can only get worse :o)
# posted by : 12:51 PM
: 12:51 PM
you should underestimate us at your peril.
is that a comment by Peter Black or some Bond villan! Be serious please Peter!
is that a comment by Peter Black or some Bond villan! Be serious please Peter!
"You just cannot be serious in suggesting Mike Powell poses a credible threat to Jane Davidson in 2011. Firstly 2007 was a low point in the tide for Labour vote and this will not be repeated in 2011"
Its funny you say that "Activist,"
I feel sorry for Labour activists (as much as it is possible to do so.) Labour friends of mine spent two years between 05-07 seething with excitement that once Blair was replaced by Brown, everything would be ok.
How wrong they were! I assure you that by 2011, Labour will be in big, big trouble. Just as an example, I'm sure the hard-working families of Pontypridd will be thrilled that their bank account numbers have been potentially given away to criminals by the Labour party.
Despite rarley agreeing with Mike Powell's approach to inter-party stuff, I have to say, if I was a voter in Ponty, I would be very fond of him. You'd always know that he would put the people of Ponty before the party, his attitude to the Welsh Lib dem leadership shows that. Hardly something that can be said of Davidson and all the other talentless, "god given right to govern" Labour valleys politicians.
I assure you "activist" the day will come when Labour have to stop taking certain communities for granted, it will come soon and I am convinced that Ponty will be one of the first places this happens.
Post a Comment
Its funny you say that "Activist,"
I feel sorry for Labour activists (as much as it is possible to do so.) Labour friends of mine spent two years between 05-07 seething with excitement that once Blair was replaced by Brown, everything would be ok.
How wrong they were! I assure you that by 2011, Labour will be in big, big trouble. Just as an example, I'm sure the hard-working families of Pontypridd will be thrilled that their bank account numbers have been potentially given away to criminals by the Labour party.
Despite rarley agreeing with Mike Powell's approach to inter-party stuff, I have to say, if I was a voter in Ponty, I would be very fond of him. You'd always know that he would put the people of Ponty before the party, his attitude to the Welsh Lib dem leadership shows that. Hardly something that can be said of Davidson and all the other talentless, "god given right to govern" Labour valleys politicians.
I assure you "activist" the day will come when Labour have to stop taking certain communities for granted, it will come soon and I am convinced that Ponty will be one of the first places this happens.
# posted by : 10:38 AM
: 10:38 AM<< Home
