Diego_Sideburns Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 The vacancy arising from the death of Michael Meacher means Oldham will be in the political spotlight, as the first test of the electorate under Corbyn's Labour leadership, although the commentators might feel a 14,738 majority is too tough a challenge to get excited about. The short-list to become Labour’s candidate comprises: Oldham Council Leader and Council Leader of the Year in 2014, Jim McMahon; Mohammed Azam, a former Oldham councillor for Alexandra ward from 1999-2004; Chris Williamson who lost the Derby North seat at May’s General Election; and Jane East, a Christian Aid worker who says she stands for “fairness, honesty and equality” and is “an ordinary person standing up for ordinary people”. The circus started on Tuesday when Farage turned up in Royton. http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/95013/farage-roadshow-rolls-into-town Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latics and England Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 (edited) No contest here. McMahon will be Labour candidate and will win comfortably. When you consider that the decline Oldham saw over Meacher's 40 odd year tenure didn't stop him romping home every election, there is no chance that we will see a power shift in the near future now he is no longer with us. Not a fan of McMahon personally but I do look forward to there being a new approach to representing the borough. Edited November 5, 2015 by Latics and England Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 No contest here. McMahon will be Labour candidate and will win comfortably. When you consider that the decline Oldham saw over Meacher's 40 odd year tenure didn't stop him romping home every election, there is no chance that we will see a power shift in the near future now he is no longer with us. Not a fan of McMahon personally but I do look forward to there being a new approach to representing the borough. I'm not so sure McMahon will win the Labour candidacy. He would have been a shoo-in before Corbyn and might still be but, maybe not now...? What don't you like about McMahon? He seems a bit of a bully but things have started to happen on his watch (whether that is down to him or coincidence). I'm hopeful he might do a bit more for the town as MP than the less than zero his predecessor did for 40 years... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueatheart Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I'm not so sure McMahon will win the Labour candidacy. He would have been a shoo-in before Corbyn and might still be but, maybe not now...? That was my first thought. I can't say I know too much about the other candidates but if the rumors of Corbyn infiltrators at a local level are true then whichever has the most militant tendencies will be winning. The Tories are selecting their candidate tonight I believe. I can see UKIP doing well, the Tories will probably lose votes due to the tax credits saga. Still a labour safe seat but I would like the majority to reduce to mean McMahon has to work at it rather than being a lifer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Still a labour safe seat but I would like the majority to reduce to mean McMahon has to work at it rather than being a lifer. Great isn't it - 40 years (or more?) of no government of any hue needing to lift a single finger for a town where election results are somehow a foregone conclusion... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Also, if the good things that are happening in the town are directly down to McMahon would we be better off with him remaining as council leader rather than becoming MP? A bit like how Dunn should have remained a player..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 This article doesn't even mention McMahon http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/voters-must-choose-between-labours-past-and-jeremy-corbyns-future-at-the-oldham-by-election-a6722386.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24hoursfromtulsehill Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I noticed the self-absorbed Blairite bint didn't get a look in. Bravo. Were I a betting man, I'd have put my mortgage on McMahon before Meacher was even cold. Both Azam and Williamson are coat-tailing Corbyn. I'm not a massive fan of coat-tailing even if I agree with the views being coat-tailed. McMahon is probably a bit too clever to be seen to be on one side or another in the Corbyn / anti-Corbyn stakes and doesn't need to get involved in all that bollocks. The meeja will take a McMahon victory in the nomination as a Corbyn defeat, which is so ludicrous I don't know where to start. McMahon will win the nomination because he's got huge local popularity, knowledge, and profile, and not because he has views one way or the other about Corbyn. Keith Vaz chairing the panel is another massive joke, by the way. I don't think UKIP will do as well this time as they did in by-elections in the last Parliament. One reason is the Tories harvested their share of the UKIP vote (meaning well-to-do racists) but Labour didn't harvest their share (meaning down-at-heal racists). Tories might not bother so much when they have zero chance of winning. I'm always wrong about elections, incidentally, especially if they're outside London. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24hoursfromtulsehill Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I'm hopeful he might do a bit more for the town as MP than the less than zero his predecessor did for 40 years... Difficult to know what any given MP can actually do for their constituency beyond representing them. They're not getting you a bridge or a business park, like, for instance, Spanish parliamentarians are able to secure. The rhetoric is always that MP r spent most of his time talking about the economy. The management of the economy affects all aspects of life in a constituency and all constituents, ergo MP r has represented his constituents. MP y, who has served in the SAS, represented her constituents by making speeches about defence for five years. Defence of the realm benefits everybody in the constituency etc. Meacher took a solid line for 40 years on the environment and the virtues of the command economy, which his constituents clearly believed would benefit them. His views unexpectedly came back in vogue with the nationalisation of certain cretinous banks in 2008, and are now mainstream in Her Majesty's Opposition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24hoursfromtulsehill Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 This article doesn't even mention McMahon http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/voters-must-choose-between-labours-past-and-jeremy-corbyns-future-at-the-oldham-by-election-a6722386.html ...and is a truly pisspoor analysis of the situation in all other ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24hoursfromtulsehill Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Great isn't it - 40 years (or more?) of no government of any hue needing to lift a single finger for a town where election results are somehow a foregone conclusion... The question on everyone's lips is: did Harry Bosch vote for or against the alternative vote system in the referendum? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted November 5, 2015 Author Share Posted November 5, 2015 McMahon's speech to the Labour Party Conference in September: http://lgalabour.local.gov.uk/web/lgalabour/news/-/journal_content/56/330956/7516304/NEWS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 The question on everyone's lips is: did Harry Bosch vote for or against the alternative vote system in the referendum? He doesn't remember... I'd be amazed if I didn't vote for something different to the status quo after never having been able to take part in that democracy thing I hear so much about.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Why didn't that quote bring 24's name with it? Has he got his Prediction League cheating mechanism enabled???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 It's there now. Hmmmmm..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24hoursfromtulsehill Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 This thread has got written all over it. Come on Mods! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I expect McMahon to win comfortably. A Corbynista would be at real risk from UKIP I think, both because it would be obvious they'd been fiddled in and because the, "Do you want a friend of Putin/Hamas/General Galtieri/Darren Kelly's mum/Satan running the country," would play strongly here. It would also send a lot of the 8000 Tory votes to AN Other who might beat them. As Mr T says, McMahon could do nothing as an MP. Looks as if he makes about £42k as a Cllr and Leader too so would need to use his expenses well be be hugely better of as an MP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 McMahon wins decent article on him http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21665072-revival-labours-moderates-will-come-local-government-jim-mcmahon-reluctant-maquisard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24hoursfromtulsehill Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 I expect McMahon to win comfortably. A Corbynista would be at real risk from UKIP I think, both because it would be obvious they'd been fiddled in and because the, "Do you want a friend of Putin/Hamas/General Galtieri/Darren Kelly's mum/Satan running the country," would play strongly here. It would also send a lot of the 8000 Tory votes to AN Other who might beat them. As Mr T says, McMahon could do nothing as an MP. Looks as if he makes about £42k as a Cllr and Leader too so would need to use his expenses well be be hugely better of as an MP. The thing is...anyone with McMahon's local profile would win, Corbynista or not. McMahon the Corbynista would win exactly the same number of votes as McMahon the Red Tory. It's got almost :censored: all to do with Corbyn. What do MPs get paid nowadays? £75,000? I'm gonna say something controversial now. £75,000 for that job and that life is not enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 The thing is...anyone with McMahon's local profile would win, Corbynista or not. McMahon the Corbynista would win exactly the same number of votes as McMahon the Red Tory. It's got almost :censored: all to do with Corbyn. What do MPs get paid nowadays? £75,000? I'm gonna say something controversial now. £75,000 for that job and that life is not enough. Not controversial at all that. At least it shouldn't be.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Sir Oink A Lot from the Raving Monster Looney Party enters the fray http://www.sunnation.co.uk/jim-mcmahon-chosen-as-labours-candidate-for-oldham-by-election/?CMP=spklr-_-S9SunSocial-_-TWITTER-_-SunNation-_-20151106-_-Politics-_-271319361-_-Imageandlink Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudemedic Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 (edited) The thing is...anyone with McMahon's local profile would win, Corbynista or not. McMahon the Corbynista would win exactly the same number of votes as McMahon the Red Tory. It's got almost :censored: all to do with Corbyn. What do MPs get paid nowadays? £75,000? I'm gonna say something controversial now. £75,000 for that job and that life is not enough. I would agree if it wasn't for the ridiculous expenses, and the fact they can have another job, employ family members etc. The MPs pension is a bit custier than the standard civil service pension as well. They get a decent amount of holiday too. Edited November 6, 2015 by rudemedic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 I would agree if it wasn't for the ridiculous expenses, and the fact they can have another job, employ family members etc. The MPs pension is a bit custier than the standard civil service pension as well. They get a decent amount of holiday too. There's nothing standard about the civil service pension... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24hoursfromtulsehill Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 The expenses regime is quite tight these days. The main thing is MPs can claim only for rent rather than mortgage interest, meaning no London property entry at the taxpayers' expense. I don't even mind the pensions. Everyone gets pissed off about civil service pensions but it's the meanest and most stupid criticism of anything ever. The fact is that the civil service standard should be the general workplace pension standard. It isn't the general workplace standard because most employers are mean and short-sighted, resulting in massive company cash reserves and a ludicrous false economy in pensions and financial services. Generally though, if you want representative democracy to work, you have to pay for the punters who do the representing. Otherwise you get total bellends working a fourth-rate trade, which currently describes too many MPs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAV Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 Bickerley?? The ukip bloke was standing for middleton and Heywood in the last election Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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