Would-be Barrow MP Woodcock hits back at ‘jobs for the boys’ claim
Last updated at 13:24, Tuesday, 13 October 2009
A LEADING contender in the race to replace John Hutton has hit back at claims of a Downing Street stitch-up.
John Woodcock – one of the Prime Minister’s closest aides – denies any unfair advantage in the process to select a new Labour parliamentary candidate for the Barrow and Furness seat.
This follows a letter from former MP Colin Pickthall, secretary of the Ulverston branch of the Labour party, which was leaked to the Observer newspaper at the weekend.
In the letter to the party’s general secretary Ray Collins, Mr Pickthall claimed “the machine that is pushing and financing his [Mr Woodcock’s] campaign is utterly unacceptable.”
Mr Woodcock – a 30-year-old former journalist – told the Evening Mail he had to question the motives of whoever had leaked the information.
He said: “Issues about the selection procedure are a matter for the Labour Party, but I think it is a shame that people have chosen to raise this in a national newspaper in this way.
“There is a proper process for dealing with complaints and I don’t believe that anyone in the constituency would want to ignore that and stir up controversy about Barrow and Furness in the national press like this.
“I can only think that these sort of negative tactics come from outsiders who want to influence the outcome ahead of people here getting the chance to have their say.
“The majority of local Labour members I have met have said how good this selection process has been in re-energising things here.
“Whatever happens, people want to get on with exposing the threat the Tories pose to this town.
“If I win, I am determined to get out on the doorstep and engage people – I want to ask every single member of this constituency to tell me what issues matter to them.”
Mr Woodcock, who was an aide to Mr Hutton before becoming a special advisor to Gordon Brown, has had the backing of several local party stalwarts.
But he added: “The one thing I do want to put right is the suggestion that there is some kind of ‘machine’ doing all the work to help me win – I wish there was.
“The truth is that I have worked my socks off to talk to nearly ever Labour member in the constituency, and I will continue to work night and day for the people of Furness if I am selected.
“I love this area and I would be so proud to represent families here. I have paid all the costs incurred during this selection process myself.
“The people helping me have been my family, who can’t wait to move here full time for the campaign if I win, Labour members across the constituency offering their support and sharing ideas and young members here who have bowled me over by volunteering to lend a hand getting my letters out.
“I am really grateful to all of them and am now just looking forward to the final vote on October 24.”
Mr Pickthall last night told the Evening Mail he had written the letter as an individual and had no idea who leaked it or why it was only carried in the Scottish edition of The Observer.
He said he would be going into the hustings meeting with an open mind as his nomination (Jonathon Todd from Bootle) had not received branch backing.
He added: “It will depend on how the candidates perform at the hustings, how well they can speak in public and how quick-witted they are.
“Unfortunately, a lot of members will probably have firmly made their minds up ahead of the meeting.”
Mr Pickthall added he did not agree that candidates were allowed unlimited spending during the selection process and claimed that Mr Woodcock had been given a ‘flying start’.
A North West regional Labour Party spokesman said: “The Labour Party has not been provided with any evidence of rules being broken in the Barrow selection process and has full confidence in that process.”
Around 200 members of the constituency Labour Party in Barrow and Furness will be eligible to vote on a short-list of five at the hustings meeting on October 24.
As well as Mr Woodcock, the other candidates are human rights barrister Mark McDonald; Barrovian parliamentary researcher Cat Smith; Oxford city councillor Saj Malik; and London Party activist Adenike Abimbola-Akindele.
First published at 13:10, Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
My worry is that with all the help Woodcock has received from Gordon Brown, Hutton and his friends in the Labour Party, he'll be very much indebted to these people if he becomes the candidate and wins the election - rather than being able to fight for his constituents in Barrow.
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It must be nice to be a party-activist like John - he appears to have all kinds of people love-bombing this newspaper on his behalf.
I'd have to question whether Barrow's best interests are going to be served by a political-class, party-loyalist such as John Woodcock. All this support comes at a price when the division bell tolls at Westminster. Will he speak up when others want to cut the Trident replacement programme or when Labour's North-East and Scottish heartlands are competing for scarce regional development funds?If the parachute fits wear it eh John? No doubt he'll be landing somewhere else if the local members can't be persuaded of his merits....Posted by Rich on 15 October 2009 at 17:36