London Mayor shortlist published
Written by Mark Pack on 10th September 2007 – 11:01 amThe Liberal Democrats have just announced their shortlist for London Mayor. The final choice will be made by party members in London in a postal ballot.
The people are:
More details, including hustings, over at the party’s website.
Posted in Selection news
10th September 2007 at 12:39 pm
All men? :-/
10th September 2007 at 12:43 pm
No. Chamali was definitely a girl last time I saw her!
10th September 2007 at 12:46 pm
Ah, that’s better.
10th September 2007 at 1:04 pm
A genuinely interseting and different shortlist - giving Party members a real choice.
Well done!
10th September 2007 at 1:41 pm
Yes, I’m looking forward to the campaign. Should be interesting.
10th September 2007 at 1:44 pm
Brian is the obvious favourite, but I hope the other candidates benefit from an increased profile in the party.
I was very impressed with Fiyaz when he spoke at a Pizza and Politics event recently (the subject was on the Arab-Isreali conflict) and I was impressed with both his passion and moderation on the subject.
London is a different matter of course, so I look forward to finding out more. I for one have not decided yet…
10th September 2007 at 3:24 pm
Oh, come on, you don’t expect any of those candidates to beat Boris AND Ken, let alone one of them?
10th September 2007 at 4:08 pm
Not sure we can celebrate just yet, Vivian. Two male heavy-hitters and one female nobody does not equality make.
10th September 2007 at 4:53 pm
You really think Boris has a good chance of beating Ken?
10th September 2007 at 7:26 pm
Comment 7 - I wouldn’t be so confident about Boris. Everyone I speak to thinks he’s funny and will brighten up the campaign, but no-one intends to vote for him. Few people will trust him to run London. Brian Paddick on the other hand has been a police officer in the capital for 30 years, and in latter years at a very senior level. That’s experience that Boris simply doesn’t have - however much he may amuse us.
Comment 8 - calling one of the candidates a “female nobody” does not equality make either. Why don’t you try showing the candidates a little bit more respect?
10th September 2007 at 8:24 pm
I think there are lots of different opinions on whether Boris can win, but no-one has addressed my question about whether any of your candidates could beat either of them!!!!
10th September 2007 at 9:24 pm
Stuart, I recapitulate at more length: on a practical level, Brian Paddick has the history you describe and Fiyaz Mughal has a long history with the party and as an independent BME campaigner/community leader. Chamali is such an obviously outside bet in terms of experience and profile that the whole thing smacks suspiciously of balancing up the candidate sheet. Which tends to get one down, if nothing else because of the age-old problem of the need for such balancing up.
In short, I think pith, rather than disrespect, is my problem here.
10th September 2007 at 9:25 pm
Having Boris in charge of London would be like putting Grant Shapps in charge of your internet security.
10th September 2007 at 10:04 pm
Re: comment 11 - it’s all “me me me” with some Tories isn’t it!
11th September 2007 at 12:59 am
LEtters @11, I think we have actually—everyone likes Boris, no one will vote for him.
Beating Ken? That’ll take more than Boris is capable of (and both he and Cameron know it, d’you really think he wants to and plans to win?). He’s the candidate to put up a fight, nothing more.
But Paddick has substance, respect and is known, plus he’s not a politician. I think he could beat Ken. He can definitely beat Boris. Then there are the transfers to consider, and Paddick can pick up more than Boris can.
Don’t know the other two, will pay attention to the campaign with interest before making a final decision but, well, Paddick looks like a damn fine choice from here.
11th September 2007 at 1:46 am
Interesting feedback, Brian maybe the favourite but the question is ” what is the strategy for this campaign ?”
Once that has been established then the candidate or most suitable one will be instantly recognisable. Boris is the class fool, cameron’s experiment and the lipid test for his own party on key campaigning techniques.
Paddick is credible but has no political experience and has never campaigned. We will be trading on the cannabis and personal orientation issue.
Fiyaz is articulate and controversial whereas, Chamali is unknown but will have a story to tell. The major bonus for us as a party is that the candidates will enjoy previously untapped media exposure and if the bookies get it wrong then an upset could well catapult the party’s poll ratings, upwards !!
11th September 2007 at 2:57 pm
Doubt is Ken or Boris are too worried about any of them to be honest.
11th September 2007 at 8:45 pm
Is the Fiyaz Mughal the same person who was the PPC in Bethnal Green and Bow (but stood down before the 2001 election)?
12th September 2007 at 12:14 am
Ken and Boris will not worry about someone who is not yet selected.
A candidate can only win if they have absolute self belief, a great campaign and party support
Lib Dems require ambition, desire and direction. Previous Mayoral Campaigns have not had any of these. Liberal Democrats will need to find an answer to this as without it then paddick, fernando and mughal are just entries on the web.
The candidates need to be assessed on how they can differentiate themselves against Boris and Ken.
But whatever the differentiator it should not be their achilles heel. Paddick has a question of orientation and the perception of it, Mughal a party member who last conference wanted to leave the party, fernando a political entrant as opposed to senior heavyweight.
Therefore, critically if Ken and Boris are heavyweight then another entrant of their class may not help to win the air war or popular public appeal.
Your comments ladies and gentleman
12th September 2007 at 12:37 am
19 - my comment…
‘Ken and Boris will not worry about someone who is not yet selected.’
On that basis the Boris campaign can be discounted.
And as for mentioning ‘Boris’ and ‘heavyweight’ in the same sentence - you’re having a laugh surely?
12th September 2007 at 5:59 pm
Hi and thank ‘Tory HQ dissident’ for your comments; just a quick point to pick up on and that is in 2004 I had stated that if the Party did not manage to field even a few Black and Minority Ethnic Parliamentary candidates within the next 6 months, that I would consider leaving the Party.
Leicester East kicked off and we had Parmjit Singh Gill as the candidate within Leicester East and moves were made by the Party President to implement new mentoring and support functions. Things have been slow, but I was confident then and am more confident now that structurally, the tide has turned and we are now getting a flow of BME candidates through the Party. Not only are they coming through at councillor and activist level, they are also coming through at the Mayoral selection level!
The main thing is to maintain the turn around and I am supportive of the regime of change that Simon Hughes brought in and which Sir Menzies has also brought weight to. I must also acknowledge the fact that MP’s like Ed Davey, Norman Lamb and Evan Harris have been key individuals who have supported this agenda of change.
12th September 2007 at 7:27 pm
Whether it is accepted or not the media perceive Boris to be a ” heavyweight contender” he is without question entertaining and may well achieve popularity by being just that.
In response to Fiyaz’s comment, the party decided to launch a diveristy fund and if I not mistaken the strength of ethnic minority candidates ought to be in their ability to compete through their own endeavours.
13th September 2007 at 6:00 pm
Indeed it should but if there appears or is thought to be an electoral disadvantage in selecting a non-white candidate then something needs to be done to level things out and if that means local parties that select BME candidates have to be given modest extra funding to bolster their campaigns to compensate then it’s something we have to entertain.
13th September 2007 at 6:07 pm
Was it not Leicester South, Fiyaz?
17th September 2007 at 2:10 pm
Mughal was by far the best on the Politics Show - 16th Sept, 12pm BBC1. Paddick was un-prepared and Fernando looked out of her depth. On that evidence alone, Mughal is head & shoulders above the other 2. Will Paddick still win as he is white & gay remains to be seen?
1st November 2007 at 10:43 am
Whenever fiyaz comes under pressure he goes negative and sadly that sums up his bid for the post.