Analysis Breaking Exclusive

Exclusive: more rigging in Liverpool as triggered councillor offered as only option for members

Rule-flouting meeting arranged to reinstate establishment face after members voted for change

The Labour regime’s war on members and its determination to protect its own from democracy continues apace in Liverpool.

Two weeks ago, Skwawkbox reported that Cllr Ann O’Byrne had been heavily ‘triggered’ by local members in the Warbreck ward in the north of the city, who were eager to have a full selection and an opportunity for change after O’Byrne’s (and other right-wing councillors’) links to ‘BICo’, the failed ‘Beautiful Ideas Company’ and its opaque cash dealings and payouts – including money to fund a job for O’Byrne’s daughter – had raised concerns.

But members told Skwawkbox that they expected the party to pressure and intimidate other potential candidates or otherwise rig the process, to ensure that O’Byrne faced no competition in the selection vote that was to result from the trigger ballot – and so it has transpired.

Flouting the rules

Warbreck Labour members have received a letter today informing them that the selection meeting will take place on 15 August – less than the seven days’ notice mandated by the party’s rules. Locals report that Cllr O’Byrne has been canvassing support well before the meeting was announced – and the meeting has not been announced by the branch secretary as the rules would normally require. Instead, the notice has been sent by regional officer Andy Smith.

And, as members feared, they are being offered only one candidate – the same Cllr Ann O’Byrne that they just voted to trigger.

The notification reads:

Dear Colleague,

There will be a council candidate selection meeting for Warbreck members at:

7:00pm on Monday 15th August at Orrell Park Community Centre, 6 Moss Lane L9 8AJ.

Please aim to arrive between 6:30 and 6:55 to ensure that your attendance is registered prior to the meeting start time.

There will be all-out elections in May 2023 under new ward boundaries. As you know Warbreck will be made up of 3 single Cllr wards and you still need to select the candidate for Orrell Park which is an All Woman Shortlist.

All women who are on the panel have been invited to express an interest and at this time Cllr Ann O’Byrne has expressed her interest.

Agenda

1. Welcome
2. Confirmation of number of eligible members
3. Confirm questions
4. Candidate speech followed by questions
5. Proceed to ballot motion
6. Ballot

After insulting the city by writing for the Murdoch S*n, mocking democratic rights at every turn and even appointing former agents of enemy parties to control its dealings with the city, Starmer’s party continues to pour contempt on Liverpool and those still clinging to their membership in the city – and on the very notion of democracy itself.

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23 comments

  1. If the members of Orrell Park ward don’t approve of the candidate(s) at the selection meeting then voting no to the motion at item 5 is their best option. With over 7 months before the party has to officially announce its candidates for the 2023 elections, there is more than enough time to arrange another selection meeting.

    1. Indeed John, if members at the meeting vote NO to proceed to ballot, under Labour Party Rules she cannot stand, the game should be over..
      However, we have seeing the LP’s rules being subverted time and time again. Thus, I will expect the Labour Regional Office to step in and confirm her as candidate, regardless of a vote against moving to ballot.
      My guess is that the reason that no other woman is willing to stand against her is probably because those in charge of interviewing candidates for the panel have ensured that all the candidates on the panel are loyal to the Regional Office.
      Still members should vote NO to the motion to proceed to ballot, in any case to have clear evidence of the subversion the Labour Party is willing to engage to get the favourites of the leadership stand as candidates.

  2. SkwawkBox I thank you very much for reporting just ho9w fucking disgusting the labour party has become. Please start advising people of good will to move and vote for an alternative party that actually gives a fuck about us…

  3. “All women who are on the panel have been invited to express an interest “

    Is there really nobody who is prepared to stand against her?

    1. SteveH, my educated guess is that the rigging started at the selection of candidates to the panel. Only those that Regional Office approves have been selected and they have been told to stand back and allow Ann O’Byrne to get selected for this position.
      Further evidence that the Labour Party isn’t a socialist democratic Party anymore, but rather a fascist Party.

      1. Yes steve h davidh I did leave along with a quarter of a million left wing and socialists along with a few social democrats who couldn’t stomoch funding a second rate tory anti working class fascist party.You will get nowhere with the looser party….and you know it along with the rest of the hangers on…. !Well at least you’re not delusional and know exactly what youre supporting and funding….pure evil and suffering for millions of our working class.this coming winter whilst sunning yourself in your Caribbean bolt hole laughing and ridiculing some of the most vunerable people in Britain ….disabled ,pensioners children…and the unemployed with people caring for elderly relatives due to the collapse in the welfare state and the NHS . You are absolutely disgusting former comrade in the dead democratic socialist labour party…

      2. Joseph – 20% of the membership abandoned Corbyn’s Labour during 2018/19 and for the first time ever more of the ‘working class’ chose to vote for Johnson’s Conservative Party than voted for Corbyn’s Labour Party (by a massive 15% margin).

        …..and you are offering what exactly, as a credible alternative?

      3. Change the bastard record for fuck’s sake.

        You’re talking out of keef’s arse, nevermind your own.

        For the fuckteenth time, Corbyn INCREASED the membership to >500k from <200k.

        Even if he lost this 20% he still made A NET GAIN of >200k and INCREASED the numbers by OVER 100%.

        Now go away, and stop torturing people with your repetitive bullshit. Oh, and preferably expire.

        IT HASN’T WORKED AND NEVER WILL. GET THE MESSAGE, KNOBHEAD.

      4. Toffee – I wonder why 1 in 5 of members became disenchanted so quickly and decided they’d had enough and why the majority of the working class who voted chose to vote for Boris instead of for Jeremy.
        Does anyone know yet whether Jeremy will be standing at the next General Election?

      5. Retard.

        Going from 500k then back to @450k isn’t a loss ANYONES book.

        You honestly believe smarmer has actually increased the membership, and repeatedly spew the same bullshit despite providing NO. evidence.

        And yet by most accounts smarmer’s repulsing/suspending/expelling something like 300 members daily, if the rumours are even close to accurate.

        But no…. Keefs’ more popular than Corbyn within labour, and the electorate – what with keef’s stonking million-billion point lead in the polls, eh?

        What a colossal prick.

      6. Toffee – We’ll see what the actual number of fully paid up members is when the results of the NEC elections are announced at the end of this month.
        The membership desertions that I have quoted are undeniable, they are a matter of public record.

  4. I read the resume/analysis of a group of those
    selected as Parliamentary Candidates in Labour List. Apparently there are LESS women candidates
    and LESS BAME Candidates and – as expected
    – less left wing candidates.

  5. Can’t the majority just vote no and all hold a card up saying No with someone taking a photo with their phone (cue Right Wing Labour banning phones from the meeting and demanding ID but not telling anyone well not the Left?)
    And some don’t trust scrutineers, wonder why?
    Stalin would be so proud – Kier Stalin?

      1. Given that “all [the] women who are on the panel have been invited to express an interest” does anyone know who the other woman on the panel are and what their political leanings are.

      2. Item 5 on the agenda is the motion to proceed to the vote. If that is not carried then no selection takes place.

  6. Any particular reason why any shortlist should stipulate only one gender?

  7. I seem to remember that Robert McNamara once recalled how he became President of the World Bank.

    President Johnson reportedly told him:

    “I’ve given them a list of three names: Robert McNamara, Robert McNamara, Robert McNamara.”

    Now, that is an alternative way of getting the result that you want!

  8. Clearly the women should step don to spend more time with her car parks, yet if the opinions of those most active in her local party are ignored then their only option would be to resign, en masse, publicly and thereby make the point that the woman neither represents nor is supported by her constituency.

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