Monday 1 April 2013

Battle for Brent Central Labour nomination livens up

This morning's April Fool from website Left Future LINK which said Ken Livingstone was to stand as Labour Candidate in Brent Central revived my interest in the current selection process.

The Guardian Diary recently reported that it was to be an open (i.e. not all women) list and suggested this left the way open for Cllr Muhammed Butt to thrown his hat into the ring. This I very much doubt.

However things aren't looking so good either for locally grown talent such as Cllr Zaffar Van Kalwala and activist Sabina Khan.  Instead  there seems to be a move in favour of a high profile canadidate from beyond Brent to take on Sarah Teather in one of Labour's London target seats.

Patrick Vernon with Trevor McDonald
One name mentioned is that of  well-connected Hackney councillor. film maker and equalities campaigner Patrick Vernon. Last year he was short-listed for the Manchester Central seat but narrowly missed selection. In November 2012  Brent Central CLP invited him to show his film 'A Charmed Life' to party members LINK and mutual interest may have grown from there.

You can find our more about Patrick on his blog HERE

Amina Ali
Another outsider cited is Amina Ali, this time from Tower Hamlets. Amina is a Somali activist who would create quite a stir. She is founder of Muslim Women for Labour and Somali Friends of Labour and has signed up to distribute Labour leaflets in Brent LINK.

This is rather out-dated but Amina talks about herself HERE

Meanwhile Dawn Butler continues to pop up all over the place as she continues to campaign for her 'Come Back' but it is hard to find many who back her wholeheartedly. 

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Describing either Zaffar van Kalwala or Sabina Khan as 'talent' would involve a new and radical redefinition of the word.

Anonymous said...

Amusing and hopefully NOT Dawn Butler - she was USELESS - totally unseen to the majority of us - I didn't even know who she was for most of her time.

Anonymous said...

"Last year he was short-listed for the Manchester Central seat but narrowly missed selection"

he finished last in Manchester Central selection with 11 votes out of 183 (not that he was surprising given he was the candidate with less connections to Manchester of all shortlisted).

Anonymous said...

I do associate Cllr Zaffar Van Kalwala with 'TALENT' a Cllr who I see does much of it he does exactly what he says he will do.
As for Cllr Butt & Dawn Butler if they get a look in then total disappointment he does nothing as leader for Brent in my eyes as for her been there done that. & FAILED so move over let the young talent have a go!!

Anonymous said...

Sabina Khan has worked consistently in Brent Central for many years and is currently Fund-raiser. She is a law graduate and has worked for private industry. She came knocking on my door for Labour and I found her interesting and passionate person.