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Showing posts with label General Election 2010. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General Election 2010. Show all posts
Friday, 7 May 2010
Rise of Blue in the Black Country - but Ian Austin holds on to Dudley North
Some sad losses of the night include Rob Marris, Wolverhampton South West, Sue Hayman in Halesowen & Rowley Regis and Lynda Waltho in Stourbridge. It was the night the Black Country went blue in Dudley, though Labour managed to hold on to Dudley North. It was a well deserved win for Ian Austin, now with a reduced but decisive 600 majority which was confirmed on a recount this afternoon. I've had the good fortune to be able to work with Ian over the last two years. As Regional Minister he's played a huge role helping alleviate the impact of the recession on the regional economy - a role that has taken him well beyond the boundaries of Dudley. But I've also seen his pretty amazing commitment as a local to Dudley North, and if Ian had not won it would indeed have been a big loss for the people of Dudley. He's a fighting force against the Tories and a fearless advocate for principled politics, and the rights of his constituents. News of the win has certainly made my afternoon!
A historic election - first Asian Women MPs elected
I'm sure this will get some coverage in the unravelling that follows the election results, but just for the record, this election is another historic first for Labour. On Labour results I've managed to check so far, we've seen four Asian women elected - Rushanara Ali in Bethnal Green and Bow with an astounding 11,500 majority, Shabana Mahmood, who has been a fearless candidate and who has won with a 10,000 majority in Birmingham Ladywood, Yasmin Qureshi in Bolton South and Valerie Vaz in Walsall South. You can find my previous Tribune/Compass piece on this democratic deficit here - and from me, well done Rush, Valerie, Shabana and Yasmin - really proud of you, and proud that you are Labour women.
The night of the long count - Labour's election stunners
What an amazing night. Just home from Birmingham count where I witnessed some real twists and turns through the evening. Liam Byrne – almost doubling his majority in Hodge Hill. When he told me I really was nearly in tears - it was overwhelming. His winning speech was one of the best of the night. Shabana Mahmood in Ladywood left Lib Dem candidate Ayub Khan standing at the starting line – his result half that of her vote. In fact so low he didn’t even bother to stay for the count. And Gisela Stuart. A Labour hold in Edgbaston, a swing of just 0.5% to the Tories. Phenomenal. Just minutes before had told me I was being far too positive about the possibility of her winning. I went downstairs to talk to Shabana who was getting accustomed to the prospect of winning, surrounded by family and campaign team, when there popped up on screen that Labour had held Edgbaston. Just a provisional result of course – and it was another 2 hours before it was fully verified and then declared. As someone said, politics can be cruel – but it can also be kind.
Monday, 3 May 2010
The Story the Media chose not to tell you last Friday – the Story of Jacqueline Denny
Labour List Blog:
Last Friday Labour launched final week election posters in Birmingham, at an event attended by the national media. Part way through the event, the drivers of a passing refuse collection lorry began shouting at the gathering, where Gordon Brown was standing with around ten of the Cabinet. Whilst distracted the refuse collection lorry apparently clipped a car, which then went into a bus stop. Luckily no one was injured.
As you can imagine, the loud bang caused real concern and for a moment it wasn’t clear whether the event would stop. None of us knew the seriousness of what had happened, and whilst Peter Mandelson calmly held it together, officials and police, as well as some of the media, ran over to see what had happened. It became clear that whilst the car was a write off, there were no evident injuries. The event then continued.
After the speeches, Andy Burnham led the Prime Minister over to meet a woman who was standing near me. Her name was Jacqueline Denny. She was a Labour supporter who had been introduced to him earlier that morning, who wanted to say thank you to Labour for their investment in the NHS. She had not had any previous contact with the Labour Party.
The day before she had been given the all clear from breast cancer, aged 65. She’d been diagnosed with breast cancer around 3 years earlier, shortly after her husband died. At the time she was still coming to terms with her husband’s death, and she described the faultless care she had received from the NHS though that time, not just medical but emotional. She’d been operated on very quickly and received very good drugs following the operation, all of which she believed contributed to her recovery.
She wanted to say thank you to Labour, and felt that she really wanted to say something positive in the election campaign. She had phoned a radio station in Birmingham, and someone had suggested she call the Labour Party. She phoned the regional Labour Party, and told her story. That night, she was invited to come and see the cancer pledge being launched the next morning.
In her own words, she had phoned because she was fed up with the negativity she was hearing in campaign coverage and wanted to talk about something positive, mainly her experience of the NHS. Indeed, not just her experience but that of others. This included her young grandson, who recently had to receive treatment at a specialist hospital unit in Stoke, where the family had been offered accommodation near by so they could be near the toddler.
The reason why she felt so strongly was that the treatment she and her family and friends were receiving was no accident. The treatment she received was because Labour had invested in the NHS, and brought the waiting lists down. She wasn’t a statistic, she wasn’t a number, she was a real person. And this is what Labour’s choices had meant for real people.
She recounted also the story of how things had changed from the Tory years. In the eighties, as a mother of four young children, she was told by her GP she had varicose veins and needed treatment. In Feb/March of that year, she was given an appointment around Feb for July 22nd. She went on July 22nd that year, to be told she wasn’t on the list.
When she enquired, they found that the reason was that the appointment was for the following year. Apparently even the GP was shocked. She was told that in order to speed things up she would have to go private, just to see a consultant and get on his list, let alone get treatment. The mum of four young children, from an ordinary working family with limited income, had to find £100, just to be seen by a consultant. And if she hadn’t been treated quickly, she could now have been suffering from ulcers and other potentially more serious conditions.
Recently someone close to her in her family had a similar varicose veins problem. She was referred by her GP to the same hospital, Solihull, and was treated within a week and a half. In Jacqueline’s own words, it was amazing.
She didn’t call the media on Thursday and come to a Labour Party event on Friday to tell everyone to vote Labour. She did want people to think about the election, and stop the negativity. She also wanted people to take the NHS into account when they cast their vote, because she didn’t want to risk a return to the old days, or to take health services for granted. She also remembered previous recessions; the number of home repossessions, high unemployment. And in the view of this ordinary mother and grandmother from Birmingham, this recession had been different. The effects of it had been reduced, and Labour had led the country through it.
Jacqueline was filmed speaking to Gordon and interviewed by almost all the media. Notes were taken. Recordings were made. But her story did not receive the coverage that a negative story would be likely to receive.
However Jacqueline’s story has been inspiring for me, for those that met her. I’ve recounted it on the doorstep across London and in the West Midlands over the weekend, and her words “I’m not a statistic. This is what Labour had done for real people.”
The media acted like paparazzi on Friday, and I wasn’t the only one to think of Princess Diana and the distasteful photography of her car crash. Luckily the driver was not injured, and apparently said later he would still be voting Labour.
So when you read about Labour’s so called election car crash, remember that the real story was that of Jacqueline Denny, who wanted to thank Labour for what has been done for her and her family, and to tell other voters too. I hope you find it as inspiring as I did as we go into the final days of the campaign.
Last Friday Labour launched final week election posters in Birmingham, at an event attended by the national media. Part way through the event, the drivers of a passing refuse collection lorry began shouting at the gathering, where Gordon Brown was standing with around ten of the Cabinet. Whilst distracted the refuse collection lorry apparently clipped a car, which then went into a bus stop. Luckily no one was injured.
As you can imagine, the loud bang caused real concern and for a moment it wasn’t clear whether the event would stop. None of us knew the seriousness of what had happened, and whilst Peter Mandelson calmly held it together, officials and police, as well as some of the media, ran over to see what had happened. It became clear that whilst the car was a write off, there were no evident injuries. The event then continued.
After the speeches, Andy Burnham led the Prime Minister over to meet a woman who was standing near me. Her name was Jacqueline Denny. She was a Labour supporter who had been introduced to him earlier that morning, who wanted to say thank you to Labour for their investment in the NHS. She had not had any previous contact with the Labour Party.
The day before she had been given the all clear from breast cancer, aged 65. She’d been diagnosed with breast cancer around 3 years earlier, shortly after her husband died. At the time she was still coming to terms with her husband’s death, and she described the faultless care she had received from the NHS though that time, not just medical but emotional. She’d been operated on very quickly and received very good drugs following the operation, all of which she believed contributed to her recovery.
She wanted to say thank you to Labour, and felt that she really wanted to say something positive in the election campaign. She had phoned a radio station in Birmingham, and someone had suggested she call the Labour Party. She phoned the regional Labour Party, and told her story. That night, she was invited to come and see the cancer pledge being launched the next morning.
In her own words, she had phoned because she was fed up with the negativity she was hearing in campaign coverage and wanted to talk about something positive, mainly her experience of the NHS. Indeed, not just her experience but that of others. This included her young grandson, who recently had to receive treatment at a specialist hospital unit in Stoke, where the family had been offered accommodation near by so they could be near the toddler.
The reason why she felt so strongly was that the treatment she and her family and friends were receiving was no accident. The treatment she received was because Labour had invested in the NHS, and brought the waiting lists down. She wasn’t a statistic, she wasn’t a number, she was a real person. And this is what Labour’s choices had meant for real people.
She recounted also the story of how things had changed from the Tory years. In the eighties, as a mother of four young children, she was told by her GP she had varicose veins and needed treatment. In Feb/March of that year, she was given an appointment around Feb for July 22nd. She went on July 22nd that year, to be told she wasn’t on the list.
When she enquired, they found that the reason was that the appointment was for the following year. Apparently even the GP was shocked. She was told that in order to speed things up she would have to go private, just to see a consultant and get on his list, let alone get treatment. The mum of four young children, from an ordinary working family with limited income, had to find £100, just to be seen by a consultant. And if she hadn’t been treated quickly, she could now have been suffering from ulcers and other potentially more serious conditions.
Recently someone close to her in her family had a similar varicose veins problem. She was referred by her GP to the same hospital, Solihull, and was treated within a week and a half. In Jacqueline’s own words, it was amazing.
She didn’t call the media on Thursday and come to a Labour Party event on Friday to tell everyone to vote Labour. She did want people to think about the election, and stop the negativity. She also wanted people to take the NHS into account when they cast their vote, because she didn’t want to risk a return to the old days, or to take health services for granted. She also remembered previous recessions; the number of home repossessions, high unemployment. And in the view of this ordinary mother and grandmother from Birmingham, this recession had been different. The effects of it had been reduced, and Labour had led the country through it.
Jacqueline was filmed speaking to Gordon and interviewed by almost all the media. Notes were taken. Recordings were made. But her story did not receive the coverage that a negative story would be likely to receive.
However Jacqueline’s story has been inspiring for me, for those that met her. I’ve recounted it on the doorstep across London and in the West Midlands over the weekend, and her words “I’m not a statistic. This is what Labour had done for real people.”
The media acted like paparazzi on Friday, and I wasn’t the only one to think of Princess Diana and the distasteful photography of her car crash. Luckily the driver was not injured, and apparently said later he would still be voting Labour.
So when you read about Labour’s so called election car crash, remember that the real story was that of Jacqueline Denny, who wanted to thank Labour for what has been done for her and her family, and to tell other voters too. I hope you find it as inspiring as I did as we go into the final days of the campaign.
Saturday, 17 April 2010
Stoke's new Labour Voice - Tristram Hunt
Had a great day in Stoke today - where the newly selected Labour candidate Tristram Hunt was clearly well into his stride, campaigning hard for the mandate to be Stoke-on-Trent Central's Member of Parliament. We met at the campaign HQ for Rob Flello, and then headed off for the #labourdoorstep. I was surprised at how open towards Labour people were - in an area that was supposed to have a high level of support for the BNP. People raised bread and butter issues like jobs for young people and cost of living. Issues that I hope after a fourth term will no longer be top of mind, because we'll have found a way to solve them. Good luck Tristram - your selection may have been controversial, but like Mike Ion, I believe you'll be a fantastic MP.
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
Neil Kinnock joins Rusharana Ali at launch - Uniting the East End
I joined Rushanara Ali at her launch event, which was held in a packed community centre in East London. It wasn't the first time I've been out with Rushanara - an old friend and someone who continues to hugely inspire me. She's standing in Bethnal Green and Bow, Labour's target seat no 32. It's currently got a notional Respect majority and is one of the most deprived constituencies in the country. The UK Polling Report website explains how it loses the Tower of London, St Katharine's Docks, Wapping and part of Shadwell to Poplar and Canning Town. With 11 candidates and some complex community politics, she faces a real challenge winning back the seat for Labour. But if she pulls it off, it wont be long before the people of Bethnal Green and Bow feel the impact on their lives of her political leadership and influence.
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