Is that David Edgar the playwright?

Yeah, I wondered that too. Surely not? Anybody know?

I don't think it's that David Edgar. Here's what RESPECT said about last year's Tower Hamlets council elections:

New Labour lost its leader Michael Keith, deputy leader, mayor and several other cabinet members, including the controversial Cabinet member of housing David Edgar.

I don't know why he was 'controversial', but 'controversially radical' doesn't seem very likely.

Edgar and Korom Ali. The former the NL house candidate I believe. The latter backed ahead of the altogether more impressive Dr Huq by Unison.

Er, sorry Biggs and Korom Ali. Former etc. Or am I just gibbering ...

Edgar was the lead councillor for housing on TH Council, and a big cheerleader for the legalised bribery that is council housing stock transfer (ie quasi-privatisation)

All that and he lost his council seat to a RESPECT candidate - what a CV!

Telling it like it is. I suppose that if I told this lot to there faces they would stop bugging me for support but then I would only get half the bitchy comments about the other contenders.

There are several problems with Rushanara.
Never had a proper non political job
Never been a candidate anywhere
Lives in Newham
Up herself - She may have gone to poxbridge put she needs to realise that people who haven't aren't so thick that they need reminding of the fact every 5 mins.
Oona's candidate - while it pains me to say it she did take a safe labour seat and lose it to a Scottish tosser in a catsuit.
The list goes on and on....

BGB must be the seat in the country most ill suited to a middle aged white pro politico that of course wont stop Biggsy being near the top of the leader board. Access to the membership list for years. Dull as ditchwater. May well clinch it.

Lutfur Rahman and Helal Abbas. Rahman is the sharper of the two but the bangladeshi blokes treat being an MP as a great honor so come across as arrogant puff balls. The is also a tendency to view ethnic links as stronger than party poilitical ones. Apparently there is a tape circulating of LR thanking people from respect for help in the selection. One for Ted no doubt. Expect copious amounts of shit to hit fans all over the consituency.

Which leaves Rupa and Shiria. Lets start with Shiria, the asian Ruth Kelly as she plops them out at a rate of knots which may explain why she has been around for all of about 5 mins politically. Pissed off more than a few people with vote for the bangladeshi's line at the elections. This is actually a Labour Party kicking out of offence but it would be typical BGB politics to select someone like that. Fits the right demographic.

It must be a strain for Rupa comming here from ealing all the time. Has the double edged sword of being an outsider. Smart, good politics, experienced, right demograhic, not a bangali village idiot. Therefore no chance as this is BGB and we elect Scottish egomanic tossers to parliament and select pro war labour candidates.

Oo-er. Wasn't expecting that lot. That last post I mean. Phew! In favour of my friend Dr Rupa Huq whose poxbridge credentials and famous younger sister Konnie have passed the Bitch by.

The bitch is well aware of Dr Huq's educational achievements and has nothing against poxbridge just poxbridge grads who think that an 18 year olds alevel results give them a lifetimes right to be patronising to the rest of us.

The Blue Peter thing is embarrasing and not a selling point. It's not an endorsement of Rupa as I haven't decided who to vote for yet. Still need to be convinced, why her, why BGB. It just when I go down the list of contenders the expletives tend to focus around the other candidates.

Don't want a candidate living in Ealing and I don't know if she's going to move here if she gets it which is a problem.

I think a young asian women would be a good thing to put up in the election and she is obviously talented and classy compared with rest of the field (not difficult) I can't deny that. It's just the Bitch always backs a winner and is not convinced that such a rsult is gpoing to happen. Ideally Huq but might end up voting for Biggsy to stop the respect collaborators. Don't want a career politician though I want someone who can think for themselves.

The above just says it all about Labour Party types.

Various acolytes of the 'important', here to dish the dirt on the 'opposition' or big up those that they hope will be or are in political relationships with them.

Meanwhile the hooded wannabe assassins look up to various careerist hopefuls who are scrambling overthemselves to see who can get the selection jackpot and its associated largesse.

Very little has changed since Hogarth drew it

A pox on them all.

Blimey. Just refreshed this after lunch to see a plethora of new stuff that wasn't there before. The shortlist's been announced by the way see http://www.rupahuq.co.uk and no doubt Ted Jeory in due course. Also FYI I have always said - and reiterated it again on Saturday - that if selected I would move to the constituency on day one. Incidentally none of the other women candidates live there.

associated largesse - my arse

Go sell your social jerker somewhere eh.

Very little has changed since Hogarth drew it.

Trots still effect f all

BGB Bitch, Do you want to try that again (in English or Bengali, I'll get the message in either)

I may not be an SWP member but who do you really think has the interests of someone living in the Ocean estate more at heart - future Dame Oona, those following in her path (although surely not quite as dim) or someone flogging SW at Bethnal Green tube?

Flogging SW does nothing for the working class. Silly tossers like Peter Mandelson did that and even he grew out of it. Gaining and retain power from conservative interests actually does more for the working class.

Ask people what is more important to them SW or the NMW. I think most sane people would say NMW

SW or WFTC

You get the picture.

I may not be an SWP member but who do you really think has the interests of someone living in the Ocean estate more at heart - future Dame Oona, those following in her path (although surely not quite as dim) or someone flogging SW at Bethnal Green tube?

What about a short arsed spiv, filling the hole that grovelling for cash in Bagdad has left by doing chat shows six days a week and grovelling for cash in the Big Brother house?

Nah it was Stephen Byers who was a swappie.

Mandelson was a tankie.

That's another thing I cant stand about trots of various sorts, when they finally grow up they turn into the most right wing bunch. Abolish inheiritance tax - my arse. Except we could take the money from the 6% of estates that pay it before they die and hear even more moaning ninnies and there sympathieziers

How much effect has the (pitiful) minimum wage had in Tower Hamlets? Many of the employers would have to pay above this level anyway, in London, because of wage competition - even incl. people like McDonalds.

There are, of course, a fair number of people still working below the NMW level. As I reported - http://southpawpunch.blogspot.com/2006/12/national-minimum-wage-channel-nasty.html - numerous employers openly advertise non-NMW compliant jobs in ads, with little fear of enforcement so what chance for a worker toiling in a garment sweatshop of them getting his/her legal minimums?

But the big lie is about Galloway. He’s one of yours (an old style Labour left) than one of ours (a Trot) - as he’d be the first to point out.

It’s a shame that the SWP still give that opportunist cover he doesn’t deserve, and so tar all of us revolutionary socialists (he’s always mentioned to me as the number one example of what’s wrong with ‘far lefties’, like ‘Red Ken’ once was). If Trots do turn right wing, then criticise those right-wingers (such as Byers) but that’s no rebuttal to their politics 20 years previously.

What’s Labour ever done for Tower Hamlets? It’s a sea of poverty between two of the wealthiest places on the planet, the City and Canary Wharf. I don’t think you understand just how hated Labour are, and just that fact could get a Respect MP elected again.

I look forward to that, if only to put a spoke in the career aspirations of all those slugs scrabbling for selection. Or as they’d put it - feeling bound to put myself forward to see whether one might be of service?

How much effect has the (pitiful) minimum wage had in Tower Hamlets? Many of the employers would have to pay above this level anyway, in London, because of wage competition - even incl. people like McDonalds.

There are, of course, a fair number of people still working below the NMW level. As I reported - http://southpawpunch.blogspot.com/2006/12/national-minimum-wage-channel-nasty.html - numerous employers openly advertise non-NMW compliant jobs in ads, with little fear of enforcement so what chance for a worker toiling in a garment sweatshop of them getting his/her legal minimums?

But the big lie is about Galloway. He’s one of yours (an old style Labour left) than one of ours (a Trot) - as he’d be the first to point out.

It’s a shame that the SWP still give that opportunist cover he doesn’t deserve, and so tar all of us revolutionary socialists (he’s always mentioned to me as the number one example of what’s wrong with ‘far lefties’, like ‘Red Ken’ once was). If Trots do turn right wing, then criticise those right-wingers (such as Byers) but that’s no rebuttal to their politics 20 years previously.

What’s Labour ever done for Tower Hamlets? It’s a sea of poverty between two of the wealthiest places on the planet, the City and Canary Wharf. I don’t think you understand just how hated Labour are, and just that fact could get a Respect MP elected again.

I look forward to that, if only to put a spoke in the career aspirations of all those slugs scrabbling for selection. Or as they’d put it - feeling bound to put myself forward to see whether one might be of service?

"But the big lie is about Galloway. He’s one of yours (an old style Labour left) than one of ours (a Trot) - as he’d be the first to point out."

Absolutely right.
And the Labour party should've got rid when his financial "behaviour" first came to light.

The forgotten brigade 2007 - alive and still dreaming.

He’s one of yours (an old style Labour left) than one of ours (a Trot) - as he’d be the first to point out.

I had a brush at one remove with Galloway in the early 80s, when he was in between constituencies and filling in time at War on Want. Soon after he came in he sacked the Manchester area organiser and closed down the Manchester shop, on the grounds that it wasn't paying its way. (It's the Oxford Road Oxfam shop now. I miss that shop, and not only because I volunteered there - it was more like a radical bookshop than your average charity shop, in terms of atmosphere, availability of meeting room upstairs, willingness to take a pile of those leaflets etc. They're a scarce resource, those shops.)

I met the (now ex-)organiser by chance some time afterwards, and she told me about one particular long and inconclusive wrangle she'd had with Galloway. After realising her points were making absolutely no impact on him, she said, "Oh well, I'm just a child of the sixties." At which the great man, suited and booted as always, beamed and replied, "But so am I!"

Phil's Galloway anecdote: Mmmm yes that was a great shop. International Labour Reports produced from there for a while - saw Dave Spooner only a couple of weeks ago at the Man Wit selection hustings - and other such projects.

Brian Candeland (now a Green PPC) was something to do with it. City Life's founding collective had our office in the Athletic Union back room and our tea time mostly in the Gemini Cafe, so WoW was a staging post. Didn't GG get into some trouble at WoW?

Funnily enough, I knew that woman (who lived in Longsight or Levenshulme, if I'm correct) and Galloway's comments were pertinent.

He is a child of the 60s in a Saturday Night, Sunday Morning way. That woman, from what I recall, was a child of the 60s in a Woodstock way. Whilst all the Easy Rider kids may have bought a Mondeo, there may still be one or two old style Labour MPs left with the Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner.

But all those films are poor. We need a Battleship Potyomkin.

"Didn't GG get into some trouble at WoW?"

His expense faking was the stuff of lechend.

When supposedly at a conference in Athens,his credit card claims started coming through from a Greek Island.
His 4AM taxi receipts were notorious and as Simon Fanshawe,one of the trustees said
"If you employ someone like George you have to have proper financial controls in place.Sadly we did not"

"I had a brush at one remove with Galloway in the early 80s, when he was in between constituencies "

Why he had to leave Dundee is indeed a very interesting story

He is a child of the 60s in a Saturday Night, Sunday Morning way.

Good point. But more Room at the Top I'd have said - certainly GG's more Lawrence Harvey than Albert Finney.

Quite an ageing Mancunian leftie meeting of minds going on here. Anyone else out there who remembers Grass Roots, the Green Door bakery et al? (I'd include Shantih, except that I don't remember it myself.)

I even remember Grassroots when it was in Oxford Rd, before moving to the city centre.

But I was a Teenage Trotskyist, a Bramhall Bolshevik no less (George Best's former stainless steel house was on my road), so the big city was always a long way away with the nearest night bus only going as far as Hazel Grove.

On Harvey - are you thus suggesting that GG has been brainwashed to assassinate whom? Blair is clearly the Sinatra figure but who is the Angela Lansbury character? Hilary Clinton?

Sorry, this is getting seriously off the point.

But then that has stopped this post turning into what otherwise would have happened - it would been have been like the recent post on Labour Party Black Sections - all the chamchas from the different BG&B factions would have used the opportunity to make anonymous slurs against their rivals, on behalf of their Dadas.

But anyway, to drag this conversation southward again, Labour really must think long and hard about their selection process for the next election. The level of contempt for New Labour in that area is way beyond the jaded and unfocused disillisionment of the national mood. They've managed to take a really safe Labour parliamentary seat and pretty safe Labour council, and lose one and turn the other into the most marginal of marginals. They're a shoddy principle-free bunch, and TH Labour party, if it has any sense at all, shouldn't select anyone with any connection at all to the current Labour council or current (or previous) Labour MPs.

almost unanimity on the subject of George Galloway

I think anyone with half a bit of common sense and savvy can smell out a strutting demagogue like Galloway at 100 yards, he's shifty and devious but strangely at home in Respect

why on earth would anyone trust such a person in a position of power is beyond me

Galloway's a wrong 'un and transparently so, everyone else can see that, except the culties in SWP

Its not just the students in the SWP who've been taken in.
Galloway went ahead and let Chris Bambery publish allegations that the Oil Ministry documents showing George as the recipient of Oil Vouchers were forgeries.
This despite the fact that Galloway had already employed a specialist to examine them.
Guess what? George was told they weren't forged.

I've little time for Galloway but even less for some of those making posts here.

There's endless allegations made without any back up given. On what basis does 'Tim' make these comments? Maybe he is reporting form elsewhere - if so, link it.

And who is he, anyway? I blog anonymously (to protect my employment) but I can be reached through my site, legal papers served etc.

These characters could be anyone and could just be making stuff up - quite possibly for their own Labour Party reasons. I'd read this stuff with a small salt mine at hand.

On my site, you are invited to back up allegations or they are deleted.

I think you'll find a book in the near future will answer some of your concerns Southpaw.
The Dundee stuff and War on Want stuff is an open secret.
Galloway was sussed as a spiv in the late 70s in Dundee.
Why do you think a sound trade unionist was put up in the safe Labour ward Galloway had been selected to fight?

And the Baghdad documents?
Well why do you think Georgie has never claimed they are forged?
Ask Oliver Thorne.

Wrong film. Right era.

Billy Liar.

Who is Oliver Thorne?

Speaking of wages at McDonalds do you know that there were actually gasps when "Lady Arabella" amidst her "don't you know who I am?" and "Oxbridge donchaknow?" high handedness claimed her first job was "working for the man who wrote Labour's 1945 manifesto".

All those gathered who had started with paper rounds, washing up in greasy spoons, picking hops in the fresh air, flipping burgers, and of course in one or two cases running errands and turning tricks, well they all gasped those people. Shame on Lady Arabella I say. Go and stand in Kensington and Chelsea.

I'm not sure if misplaced reverse snobbery is the best way for us to pick a candidate.

- wouldn't it make a bit more sense to discuss what these candidates stand for, and what they would try to do for the area as an MP, rather than where they went to uni, or where they happen to live now.

So someone moves to Newham - gasp!! that is all the way over the other side of the Lee Valley! It is really a different world over there isn't it?

One thing i agree with BGB Bitch about is that we shouldnt choose a career politician. The last thing parliament needs is another MP who got the job becuase they thought it was simply the next step up from being a cabinet councillor- and has no iterest in national policy.

However I think it would be a good idea to pick someone with some experience of politics - both David Edgar (not the playwright), and Rushanara Ali - have done some time either in Parliament or the Council, but have done a lot more working with, and establishing local charities in the area.

If we dont want a career politician, and we are also to discount people that work in the community and with charities - what does BGB Bitch think is the best career history for a future MP, for one of the poorest areas of Britain?

David Edgar, like Dave-id Cameron, is not at the races. He's out.

Bitch: Does Arabella = Rushanara? Bit cryptic that. Who calls her that? Never seen it anywhere else before.

Lucas: There's nothing wrong - necessarily - with career politicians. But aside from Rupa who has been real-working, raising child etc, even living up North a bit, living down kooky sister etc - arguably the most famous 'deshi in the UK - but also seeking election they are all pretty much in the political elite mainstream aren't they?

Following links at BLINK I also found Rupa campaigning re Bangla sweat shops with ASDA etc. THAT is relevant to local working people, more than high faluting think tanks or arguably failing councils.

And while Rupa was up here in Manchester she risked and faced down opprobium from party officials by getting up at various anti-war meetings including a LATW Fringe in Blackpool when the issue was red hot.

Sorry if this comes over a bit harsh. But from my POV BG&B would be missing out if NOT selecting passion and action over craven and boring low-risk careerism.

Where does all this rubbish about Rushanara Ali being posh come from? Her family came to London from Sylhet with nothing, she grew up in a poor bit of Bethnal Green, went to a local school and Tower Hamlets college and then - yes - went to Oxford University. I think she moved to Newham (a mile away?) because she couldn't afford to buy anywhere in Bethnal Green! The problem with Oxford is that it doesn't admit enough people from normal backgrounds like Rushanara - just because she got there doesn't instantly make her a class traitor.

No one has said that she is posh or a class traitor. However I don't think it is very wise to seemingly base your pitch for the seat on a "I went to Oxford, I worked for Oona and I work at the young foundation" line.

Tony went to Oxford, didn't stop him from taking taking the UK into the biggest foreign policy disaster since Munich. Nor is it a sensible way of choosing MP's by what there A level results were as you would hope that they achieved things after the age of 18.

Oona was a million times better than GG but at the end of the day she ignored the wishes of her constituents and lost the seat. This is not a great endorsement.

Finally I don't want someone who is working for a think tank and even if I did I would rather have Richard Brooks. Ideally I would rather get someone with some real life experience.

I dont think that Rushanara Ali has based her pitch on a "I went to Oxford, I worked for Oona and I work at the young foundation" line.

They are certainly all true, but after being canvassed by her, i wasnt left with that impression at all. She seemed to have a very good understanding of the area- and as i said - the need to bring us as a community back together

Plus, BGB Bitch now seems to be arguing that Oxford Graduates are somehow more likely to take the country to war. despite working for Oona, i gathered that Rushanara has been very open about her opposition to the war - she was on the march!

So who was at the hustings last night?

Over 2 and half hours of solid local politics- heavy. I woke up this morning feeling like i'd been drinking.

Anyone there, and change their minds? For me it galvanised a few things. Lutfur and Abbas put on solid, but bog standard performances. Nothing much to inspire really.

Shiria's speech was pure 'car crash TV'. She handled the questions a little better- but the speech was truly awful. at one point she proclaimed to know exactly how Parliament works, due to session teaching some kids how to speak to MPs - I've worked here for a year now, and i've never heard anyone make such a bold claim - it just doesnt work like that.

Rupa and Biggs put on amusing stand-up comedy type routines - Rupa more than Biggs. Both quite funny, but their ideas seem to stem from quite a cynical and sarcastic attitude to life. I think we need a more positive candidate/MP than that. we have some massive challenges, which will not be helped without a positive creative approach to policy- especially when they will often be campaigning for greater resources for the area, at the expense of other parts of the country.

i'm definitely still going to support Rushanara Ali - maybe ill give Lutfur my second preference - but i’m not sure about that at all yet. Rushanara just seems to have a better grasp of what is possible, and has some very interesting ideas about bringing us together - in a real concrete fashion.

we need someone who wont just pipe up in parliament every time budgets are being discussed to ask for more money for the area- yes, we need that obviously - but we need more than that

- someone that will really engage locally, and use what they learn to both constructively inform policy debates, and work with local actors- that benefit the area, not just in terms of resource allocation - but in also in terms of shaping policy so that it better engages with the human resources that we already have locally.

so- bit of a long-winded summary of the evening - but i think overall it left me thinking that we need a creative candidate – like Rushanara Ali. i dont think there are any easy answers to our local problems, and i definitely dont think that Rupa and Bigg's speeches particularly made me think that they could offer anything more than flippant easy answers

For me, Rushanara was the best candidate last night. Seemed to know the issues best - both local and national - and was a good speaker.

I agree with Lucas that Shiria's speech was terrible. And the others ranged from so-so to mediocre.

For me, Rushanara was the best candidate last night. Seemed to know the issues best - both local and national - and was a good speaker.

I agree with Lucas that Shiria's speech was terrible. And the others ranged from so-so to mediocre.

Great! So we've got our puppet....

Thank God for this blessing to Bethnal Green and Bow, we will now be run by the Gavron-Mulgan power base - just what we needed - the olde establishment imposing their worthy social experimentation on the poor east-enders through their little protege.

What a relief, all those years of moulding her, getting her into Oxford even though she didn't make the grades, getting her all those government jobs even though she couldn't think for herself, giving her a directorship even though she hadn't actually ever done anything, all paid off at last and they can now sip their champagne in their lordly mansions with smug satisfaction.

I love politics, don't you?

I love politics, don't you?

I certainly love all this anonymous mud-slinging - it's raised the tone of Dave's blog no end.

Is there anyone out there with an opinion on the BG&B selection process that they'd be prepared to put their own name to?

What do you expect from Labour Party and careerist types? Do they wonder why they are distrusted so much and are seen as a parasitical cancer?

I hope it's a good lesson to anyone, especially young, who thinks Labour can be a force for positive change. Just look at the lowlifes that are their members.

I do hope Respect crushes the personal ambitions of whoever is selected for Labour in BG&B. If only Respect did that with a socialist.

Hello Phil, I am prepared to say that I am resopnsible for comment at www.rupahuq.co.uk on it all

@Rupa Huq

But you're not though, are you?

Your post uses a very dishonest method of casting aspersions on the selected candidate. It’s as bitter as bitter can be, doubtless the frustration of thwarted career advancement. I’ve copied your post and would consider posting it on my blog if your career sensibilities kick in and you later remove it.

You state a 'Mike Smith' (who he?) answered a survey that includes allegations of privileged access to membership lists and other inane slurs such as 'having appeared on screen in tacky underwear'. Anyone reading this will presume these comments are about the successful candidate.

After reporting all this, you sign off with the incredibly weasel words - 'Dunno if I agree with all of the above but undoubtedly Rushanara will make a brilliant candidate and MP.'

If you are going to make allegations, put your name to them. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if they are all true and that there are similar black marks against all the candidates.

And how close are you to BGB Bitch? Are you BGB Bitch?

If I may offer you some advice, if you want to advance your LP career you obviously need to play even dirtier than your opponents, in future.

I mean you're no worse than the rest. But revolutionary socialists will always oppose you and your ilk. Those who offer no more than a few temporary reforms when there is a whole world to be won.

Career advice from a trot - next up the ghost of Saddam on how to be nice to Kurds