Labour to introduce all-women shortlists for Warwickshire

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Labour is hoping to win back seats in Warwickshire with general election candidates selected from all-women shortlists.

But party officials are tightlipped amid widespread expectations that Coventry North East – where Bob Ainsworth MP is standing down – will also have an imposed all-women shortlist.

Three of the county’s key target seats will have one – including Nuneaton, where former BBC presenter Miriam O’Reilly is on a “long-list” of just two against 22-year-old councillor Victoria Fowler.

Amid Tory accusations of national party manipulation, the party confirmed Rugby will also have an all-women shortlist.

Coventry city councillor Lynnette Kelly has already been selected from an all-women shortlist to stand in Warwick and Leamington.

A West Midlands Labour spokesman said four of the 15 West Midlands region “battleground” seats were in the Warwickshire. Of those, only North Warwickshire will not have an all-women shortlist.

The party is prioritising all-women shortlists in winnable seats. They could include the Labour strongholds of Coventry North west and Coventry South – if and when respective MPs Geoffrey Robinson and Jim Cunningham decide to step down. Both are adamant they intend to fight the next general election, expected in 2015.

The Labour spokesman said: “Men still outnumber women in the Commons by five to one. For Labour, it is three to one. It’s a proud record, but more must be done.”

He denied any national party manipulation in Nuneaton, where we recently reported the prospective candidacy of former BBC Countryfile broadcaster Ms O’Reilly – who succesfully sued the BBC for ageism, and has worked closely with Labour frontbencher Harriet Harman MP.

He said: “The selection process in Nuneaton is run by a panel of local members who are appointed by local members. They are fully responsible for the process.

"Miriam O’Reilly has lived and worked in Warwickshire for much of her professional life and was raised in the West Midlands.

“The Conservatives in Warwickshire need to concentrate on the issues that matter most to local people, such as ensuring that the Tory-led county council turn the street lights back on, and fighting hard for the jobs and growth that people need.”

Ms Fowler is a Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council councillor, and ex-Youth Parliament member who fought to prevent county council youth service closures.

The winning candidate will be announced on July 6, the same month as in other key battleground Warwickshire seats.

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Blatant sexism!

Give us the best person for the job irrespective of gender/colour/sexual orientation or anything else!

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Labour decides on all-women MP shortlist for the safe seat of Coventry North East

Coventry is set to have its first female MP in decades after a Labour decision to have an all-women shortlist in the safe seat of Coventry North East.

The Telegraph months ago reported the likelihood of an all-women shortlist in what is one of the safest Labour seats in the country – after Bob Ainsworth announced he will stand down at the next election, expected in 2015.

Coventry has not had a female Labour MP since Audrey Wise in 1979.

The Telegraph has learned the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) decided weeks ago to include the seat in its drive to increase democratic representation by boosting the number of female MPs in the Commons.

Three of four Warwickshire candidates already in place have been chosen by the local constituency party from all-women shortlists.

They are Coventry councillor Lynnette Kelly (Warwick and Leamington), Vicky Fowler (Nuneaton) and Claire Edwards (Rugby).

It remains to be seen if Coventry South or Coventry North West would also have an all-women shortlist, were long-standing MPs Jim Cunningham or Geoffrey Robinson to stand down.

But both are adamant they want to stand at the next election.

The first to announce an interest in standing for the Coventry North East seat is Coventry city councillor Colleen Fletcher.

Local would-be candidates and members across the UK have been eyeing the seat for months.

There is speculation that city councillor Faye Abbott – the West Midlands assistant crime commissioner – may also seek to stand.

Other local Labour party members tipped to potentially stand include city councillor Maya Ali and Dr Randhir Auluck, who works at Coventry University and is involved in the council ruling Labour group’s executive committee.

Outsiders who it is rumoured could throw their names into the ring include Ruth Smeeth, a party activist involved in anti-fascist group Hope Not Hate; and Ayesha Hazarika, who has worked as an adviser to Labour frontbencher Harriet Harman.

There have also been unsubstantiated rumours that ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair’s son Euan Blair might be interested in putting himself forward for a Coventry seat.

A candidate is expected to be in place by Christmas. The local constituency party will meet next month to set a timescale and a long-list of candidates will be drawn up by a selection committee, with input from members, branches and affiliated unions.

The candidate will eventually be later selected from a shortlist by a “one member, one vote” ballot of the local party.

A West Midlands Labour spokesman said: “Local members do have their say in this.

“It’s not a case of the NEC ruling from above and looking at a spreadsheet. Local views will be taken on board before any decision is made.

“The Labour party is committed to increasing female representation in politics. That’s why we’re extremely proud that ten of 15 marginal battleground seats have female candidates in place.”

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That "safe seat" may not turn out to be so safe!

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Female councillor 'front runner' in city MP race

THE ALL-WOMAN race to succeed Bob Ainsworth as a city MP has seen a Coventry councillor emerge as favourite for the post.

The Observer can reveal Coun Colleen Fletcher is in line for the Coventry North East job after she received the highest number of nominations in the area.

A senior Labour source within the constituency said the Upper Stoke councillor had done 'remarkably well' and was now the front runner in what had been a keenly-fought battle.

She also picked up three of five Labour union nominations and is now favourite for the post, which became available after former defence secretary Mr Ainsworth announced he is to step down at the next general election.

Coun Fletcher, who has had three separate spells as a councillor going back to 1992, is chair of the city council's scrutiny co-ordination committee.

Her nearest rival is Coventry University lecturer Randhir Auluck, who is the daughter of Labour councillor Malkiat Singh Auluck. However, she was surprisingly beaten by Coun Fletcher in Coun Auluck's own ward of Foleshill.

Other candidates likely to be interviewed for the post this weekend include deputy police commissioner Coun Faye Abbott - who won Wyken's nomination, where she is a ward councillor - and Tory-turned-Labour supporter Coun Maya Ali. Party supporters Christine Thomas and Pat Seaman are also thought to be in line for an interview.

They will then get the chance to canvas supporters who have been party members for 18 months or more before a final decision on who will be Labour's nomination for one of the safest seats in the country is made on Saturday, December 14.

However, the decision to have an all-woman shortlist for the post is understood to have upset some members. The Observer has been told certain male councillors with parliamentary ambitions are 'extremely disappointed' at not being able to compete because of their gender.

The decision was made by the party's national executive committee and means the city will get its first woman MP since the 1970s.

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the decision to have an all-woman shortlist for the post is understood to have upset some members.

Had they decided an all male line-up there would've been an outcry. This really isn't on, we want the best candidates, not the ones that fit the colour/sex criteria.

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Colleen Fletcher selected as Labour candidate for Coventry North East



Councillor Colleen Fletcher has been selected as Labour's candidate for Coventry North East at the next general election.

Constituency party members this afternoon selected her to replace Bob Ainsworth MP - from an all-women shortlist of four candidates.

She said: “I am honoured to have been selected by members as Labour’s candidate to be the next MP for Coventry North East.

“What happens in Coventry matters to me.

“I am born and bred in Coventry. I went to school at Richard Lee Primary School, Lyng Hall Comprehensive School, and Henley College.

"My mum, Dot Dalton, was a councillor, and I was raised in a compassionate, caring, Labour family. I know Coventry like the back of my hand, it’s part of me and that is why I care about what happens here.

“Local people who I speak to tell me time and time again that prices are rising, but their wages aren’t. People are being hit by a cost of living crisis, but this country’s Tory-led Government is doing nothing to help.

“If elected in 2015 Labour would freeze energy bills for 20 months and create a tough new watchdog with the power to force energy companies to cut their prices when the cost of energy falls.

“Labour would stand up for local people hit by this cost of living crisis.

“Locally I will be working closely with Labour Councillors and MP Bob Ainsworth to deliver for local people in Coventry North East.

The 58-year-old was Mr Ainsworth's favoured candidate.

She beat fellow councillor Faye Abbott, Coventry University academic Dr Rhandir Auluck, and long-standing youth services union rep Pat Seaman.

Coun Fletcher is set to be Coventry's first female MP since 1979 in one of the country's safest Labour seats.

A West Midlands Labour Party spokesperson said: “Colleen Fletcher has got everything needed to take on the Tories.

“Colleen will be going door-to-door to speak to local people about their concerns and explaining why we need a One Nation Labour Government to turn this country around.”

Coun Fletcher has been a councillor for 13 years, and is currently a councillor for Upper Stoke on Coventry City Council.

She is Chair of the Labour Group as well as Chair of the Scrutiny Coordination Committee.

She has been a member of the Labour Party for over 30 years, and is married with two grown-up sons.