Forum Topic

A Bye-Election soon next door?

Following the recent passing of Mr Alan Keen, MP for Heston and Feltham, the  constituency next door,....one assumes that a bye-Election will be held in the weeks ahead.That should arouse national and local interest...and visitors from all over the country knocking on doors.

Jim Lawes ● 5006d39 Comments

David Cameron has ordered the slaughter of the first born.  The slaughter of the first born is a good idea.  David Cameron thought of this idea before Labour did.If this idea fails to come to fruition it is all the fault of the Liberal Democrats.  Fortunately the Liberal Democrats will not be needed after the next general election.  The Conservatives will win the next general election with an overall majority.The Conservatives will win the by-election in Feltham and Heston.What do you mean opinion polls?  Does not compute...does not compute...

Phil Andrews ● 4990d

"Does the irony of this statement escape you?"Oh don't Phil,it's too easy!! :0)It's a full moon tonight,may explain stuff.

Tony Wood ● 4990d

"... has a parade of Political people out and about in Feltham ..."Feltham hey. That will be a first for most of them.

Steve Taylor ● 4990d

"No known policies other than the Party line"DavidDoes the irony of this statement escape you?

Phil Andrews ● 4990d

She appears to be the worst type of careerist politician.  Never has even managed to get elected to Hounslow Council.Doesn't live in Hounslow.No credible achievements.No known policies other than the Party line.Probably a raving Eurofanatic.

David Giles ● 4990d

... has a parade of Political people out and about in Feltham ...

Sarah Felstead ● 4992d

Keith I agree - Europe needs Bus-Pass Elvis now!

Vanessa Smith ● 4998d

They're all in the first half of the alphabet. Call that choice? Where's Zebedee?

Susan Kelly ● 4998d

Phil,Thanks for that.He sounds like he makes more sense than the rest of them put together.I jest not...

Keith Iddon ● 4998d

It would appear we are getting the leader himself.  From Wikipedia:"The Church of the Militant Elvis Party is a frivolous political party in the United Kingdom. The leader of the party is David Bishop who also goes by the nickname of Lord Biro/Bus-pass Elvis. The party has 6 registered campaign groups i.e. 'Bus-pass Elvis Party', 'Elvis Defence League', 'Elvis turns Green Party', 'Grumpy old Elvis Party', 'Militant Elvis Anti-Tesco Popular Front' (MEAT-PF) and the 'Elvis and the Yeti Himalayan Preservation Party'. The party is concerned with the depletion of the Amazon rainforest, climate change, the power of Tesco on the British high street and the power of large corporations. A book on Elvis noted that 'an obviously ironic attitude toward Elvis is used in the service of rather serious anti-imperialist political objectives'. It deregistered in December 2008, but re-registered in March 2010 and stood in the 2010 general election in Kettering, gaining 112 votes."

Phil Andrews ● 4998d

Yes - Aaron Aardvark was always thought to be the name to have in local elections!

Vanessa Smith ● 4999d

I'm not sure whether it applies in a general election with only one candidate standing on each ticket, but in a local election there are always some voters who think they only have one vote, and tend to select the first name on the list for their chosen party or group.

Phil Andrews ● 4999d

'I rather like the sound of Bus-Pass Elvis.'...  I have often wondered - does it help to have your name first on the list?

Sarah Felstead ● 4999d

I rather like the sound of Bus-Pass Elvis.

Vanessa Smith ● 4999d

BISHOP, David (Bus-Pass Elvis)BOWEN, Mark (Conservative)CHARALAMBOUS, Andrew (UKIP)COOPER, Roger (English Democrats)CROUCH, Roger (Liberal Democrats)FURNESS, David (British National Party)GOLDSMITH, Daniel (Green)HALLAM, George (London People Before Profit)MALHOTRA, Seema (Labour)

Phil Andrews ● 5000d

The only silver lining in this is that the odious Ellar was thwarted.

Vanessa Smith ● 5001d

Pursuing Socialism in today's Neo-Liberal Labour Party is tantamount to necrophilia.

John Connelly ● 5002d

Sadly not - and if there was they'd avoid the F&H party like the plague!

Vanessa Smith ● 5002d

Of that I am in no doubt.  But was there a Dennis Skinner or a John McDonnell anywhere in the running?

Phil Andrews ● 5002d

What they're going to get is another 'career politician' I'm afraid, and one who won't listen either.

Vanessa Smith ● 5002d

Not that Labour Party selection processes have anything to do with me, but if they had she would probably have been my choice.  She would appear to have the strongest local connection of those shortlisted and she is young, personable and bright.Her record at local elections is not particularly good, in particular she was the candidate who failed to hold the "safe" Labour seat in Brentford when Luke Kirton tore up the script in 2002 (and subsequently demonstrated that it is possible to be an excellent local councillor in Brentford without having to be a slave to a national party and its whip), but I don't think the blame for that can be laid at her door. I've already wished Mark Bowen luck so I'm not sure whether I'd be in danger of contradicting myself by doing likewise in her case, but I am pleased that Labour would appear to have opted for the local(ish) candidate.  Having been unlucky in her efforts to be elected to the local authority she will have the last laugh if she is representing Feltham and Heston in Parliament after December 15th.

Phil Andrews ● 5002d

Looks like F&H have come out of the neanderthal era and chosen a woman, rumour has it she is the niece of Jagdish Sharma. She has been a friend of Ruth Cadbury for years, wouldn't have been my choice but hey-ho!

Vanessa Smith ● 5002d

I would agree with you Paul that on the face of it this young lady seems a real catch. Unfortunately my dealings with the F&H party over the years leads me to the conclusion that good sense has b****r all to do with selections.  But, having said that Ellar is out which is very good news, to quote one Craig Revel-Horwood - a disAAAster dArling! Now thankfully avoided.

Vanessa Smith ● 5003d

She would stand a good chance, judging by other by-elections over the past eighteen months. Ex-military are well respected by the electorate.

Susan Kelly ● 5003d

This young Lady would get my vote (If I was allowed to vote )Finally a candidate who's done s something useful with her life rather than the rest of the short listed candidates Sophy Gardner is a former RAF Wing Commander, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. She was also in charge of RAF transport and refuelling assets during the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Afghanistan operations 2001-2, for which she was awarded the MBE. She’s an advocate for the newly former Labour Friends of the Forces, and runs her own communications strategy consultancy.

Paul Allen ● 5004d

The final shortlist:http://labourlist.org/2011/11/feltham-and-heston-the-shortlist/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LabourListLatestPosts+%28LabourList%29JL.

Jim Linwood ● 5004d

Interesting Labour list. I know a lot of people in Feltham who will not vote for an asian candidate if they are not "local". They may not vote even if he/she has a good local background. Sadly, Feltham has a hard core racist element.

Neil Chippendale ● 5004d

Thanks for that Jim.Obviously I am not privy to the selection processes and the criteria Labour uses to longlist and shortlist its candidates, but from the information given a local connection doesn't appear to count for very much (Seema Malhotra excepted).  I think this demonstrates that service to the party is more highly regarded than a commitment to the community.  Mark Bowen will quite rightly make a lot of this if a candidate without a Hounslow connection is chosen.  Alan Keen's success was down at least in part to his personal popularity amongst large sections of the community.

Phil Andrews ● 5004d

Shortlist of Labour candidates here:http://labourlist.org/2011/11/who-will-be-labours-candidate-in-feltham-and-heston/JL

Jim Linwood ● 5004d

Word has it (from good authority) that the Labour Party will be selecting their candidate Sunday..and Lib Dems on Tuesday.Mark Bowen has been chosen to stand for the Conservatives.

Jim Lawes ● 5004d

Will Labour be stupid enough to put Ellar up as their candidate? They've only got a few days to select someone and get the papers in.

Vanessa Smith ● 5005d

He looks older than 13,I thought your hometown was where you were born,perhaps it's a hometown of convenience?  I don't understand life anymore,advancing (I hope) years I suppose.

Tony Wood ● 5005d

Mark Bowen representing the Conservatives once again:http://www.felthamandhestonconservatives.org.uk/news/mark-bowen-confirmed-conservative-candidate-feltham-and-heston

Phil Andrews ● 5005d

Which will suit the party with the best organised activist base in the constituency.

Phil Andrews ● 5005d

It's all pretty short notice, with Labour not even having a candidate at the moment. Darkest time of the year, no one wanting to come out in the cold evenings. Record low turnout?

Susan Kelly ● 5005d

I take your point Tony, although the party that begins with the advantage has nothing to gain and everything to lose by dragging things out.  If there was an election in the constituency tomorrow Labour would win.  They're not allowed to call it for tomorrow, so December 15th is the next best thing.

Phil Andrews ● 5005d

I can't see why the LibDems wouldn't put up a candidate,though I suspect some (maybe a majority) of their voters are pretty angry with the party for entering a pact with the Devil. If that's the case,I doubt their votes will go to the Devil as a protest. It will as you say "be interesting".  I can't say I've ever seen a politician fight shy of a media circus at election time,they're all egocentric optimists... until the Returning Officer speaks,that is.

Tony Wood ● 5005d

As Labour have a reasonably comfortable majority they will want to get this over with before it can become too much of a media circus, with all the added uncertainty that that has the potential to bring.

Phil Andrews ● 5006d

Well, fancy that! Leave the keyboard for an hour and one's semi-hunch results in an announcement on the Front Page!15th December is the date...so things will be happening quickly.Wonder if the Lib Dems will put up a candidate!!At the last Election in 2010, Labour received 4658 votes more than the Conservatives..but then 6679 had voted for the LibDem candidate. Interesting!

Jim Lawes ● 5006d