We've been told that three enthusiastic and well-qualified candidates were keen to put themselves forward to party members – yet only one ended up on the shortlist.
The trio were:
Elaina Cohen, close friend and parliamentary assistant of Perry Barr MP Khalid Mahmood.
Camille Ade-John – Vice Chair of Khalid Mahmood’s Perry Barr constituency.
Hendreina Quinnen – the ultimate winner.
All three met the criteria of Labour’s selection panel, and as late as Saturday afternoon were expecting to have the chance to put their case to the assembled throng.
Yet by 5.30 a nine member party panel (only three of whom came from the constituency) had decided that only Hendreina should be shortlisted.
It was a simple “yes” or “no” vote and with Mahmood Hussain urging the 60 or so members present to back her, she romped home with 98% of the vote. Who knows, maybe next time Hendreina might even crack the 100% barrier.
Party hacks detect in all this a playing out of the rivalry between former allies Khalid Mahmood and Mahmood Hussain. Khalid’s selection as an MP owed much to Mahmood’s mastery of the “dark arts” of politics but now it seems the two have fallen out.
I sense to record somewhere in history that Shirley Chisholm was an African American to go for the presidency of the USA. Yet Jessie Jackson submitted his name twice for the presidential seat but did not even secure the nominations from his own party (Democrats) but did not get it twice.
In 2008 saw major changes in the American elections for the first time we have witnessed the first African American President (Hurricane Obama). The question was put by the American people and the rest of the world will Obama’s election campaign be based on anger or bitterness.
Instead we saw a campaign that introduced:
• Removing all barriers to participation
• Enabling channels for dissent & debate
• Give supporters better informed; and
• Reward hard work and entrepreneurialism
I have met all three candidates in the Lozells and East Handsworth Labour Selections and it is in my opinion that one of them is a rising star which actually meets the criteria to help Labour to win seat in Lozells and East Handsworth by elections. Her name is Hendreina Quinnen as she will be the best candidate to
• Remove all barriers to participation
• Enabling channels for dissent & debate
• Give supporters better informed; and
• Reward hard work and entrepreneurialism
Good luck with your elections in the Lozells and East Handsworth by elections and remember where you come from, from humble beginnings
