Vanessa is a former member of the Labour Party and Phil very kindly joined a couple of years ago to vote in the Labour leadership election but neither appear to have attended, watched or noticed the 2015 Labour Party Conference where the local government selection rules were amended. The most obvious impact of the changes was to make selection more like a reselection process hence the introduction of a vote at the shortlisting meeting for or against any sitting councillors to determine how many vacancies are to be filled. This is commonly referred to as a 'trigger ballot' and is just like the process we have for selecting candidates for parliament.While many of us still prefer the simpler, traditional open selection process that Vanessa and Phil describe as the 'accepted' method, that is no longer what the 2017 Labour Party rules mandate - so in every ward selection in Hounslow and every ward selection in the rest of the country this year, like last year, this new fangled method is being implemented.There is no trickery or skullduggery involved, it's not an option, it is mandatory - and every Labour selection is being run that way now. It may look like a short cut for sitting councillors but as many have found it can also be sudden death. They don't get the right to attend, to speak or to vote in these meetings and if they lose that ballot except in one case so far that is the end....As for timing of selection meetings - we have had 34 meetings to arrange before Christmas, so some nights have or will have one, some two, several three (like on Wednesday) and some four meetings. These are all arranged subject to the availability of a venue and independent scrutineers and all are done in consultation with the local elected branch officers.I hope the above helps put some of these rumours to rest.Best regardsTheo
Theo Dennison ● 2811d