Those running the Labour Party in the West Midlands have been ducking and diving for years. They were so sure of themselves they ran their appeal against earlier judgement to the House of Lords. M’ Lords have passed judgement today (21/11/2007). The person who has taken them on is Raghib Ahsan. Congratulations Raghib! Justice has been done and seen to be done so the petty officials who have taken the law into their own corrupt hands are exposed. Not that there are likely to be changes. They have presided over postal voting fraud – a case is still pending.
This year the wheeling and dealing continues as the sitting councillor for Handsworth Wood is imposed as a candidate. As last year the Regional Office came up with the offer that if 20% of the eligible membership of the ward wanted a selection then that would happen. The difference this year is that the offer came from the reconstituted Birmingham Labour Party and its secretary Keith Hanson. Yes, but just remember who Keith Hanson is. He’s a West Midlands Labour Party paid official, side kick to Ian Reilly. I have told Mr Reilly he should go before for his incompetence. The loss of 6 councillors at one fell swoop, his role in the selection procedures for the Perry Barr MP when postal voting was an issue. Yes Ian knows how it’s done and he failed to check it when it went for real in the local elections. But he’s still there in his bunker. No one ever sees him, it’s Keith who is the fall guy in the front line!
Still it’s not my problem now, I’m just sorry for old comrades in the Labour Party who choose to continue to endure their officers’ bizarre behaviour promoting the halt, the lame, the no-hopers and worse, the corrupt and crooked.
Raghib hasn’t finished with them yet so watch this space.

No if I’m selected as a candidate for next May I shall enjoy taking them on. Plenty of ammo. In education there’s the academies where in some places creationism has entered the curriculum. The financial backers of the schools pick heads who believe in it. No good as heads and schools are stuck with them when staff rebel. In health they may be backing away from privatization but City Hospital is still an issue in this neck of the woods with little sign of New Labour doing much about it. The management of the Sandwell and City Hospital Trust is stuffed with Sandwell Labour Councillors. Last meeting I attended when they were discussing the future of the hospitals Bill Thomas, Labour Leader of Sandwell Council took his place late and promptly fell asleep. Oh dear.