Labour's growing pains in Liverpool
Today we starting to see the first signs of growing pains for Labour now that they are in power in Liverpool.
Dave Hanratty, who advised council leader Joe Anderson on housing has resigned after a row over selecting candidates for next year's local elections.
Since May Cllr Dave Hanratty served as assistant cabinet member for housing to Cllr Anderson who is taking the lead for housing.
Cllr Hanratty's partner Peter Clarke had been seeking the party's nomination to replace Walton MP Steve Rotheram when he stands down from his Fazakerley ward seat next year.
But a row flared up after Cllr Anderson gave his backing to a rival candidate Daniel Hughes.
Of course neither of them are saying that this is the reason for the resignation, which in time should allow the pair to patch up their differences.
Read the full story HERE.
Selections have been particularly contentious recently for Labour. Fazakerley is not the only place there have been problems.
Croxteth, where Steph Till and Martin Cummings were eventually chosen for the up coming byelection, was also contentious.
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David Bartlett
City editor of the Post and Echo covering politics, regeneration, and urban affairs.
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I see David has mastered the art of the understatement with his use of the word contentious to describe the Croxteth
selection.....
So Cllr Dave has resigned as his Partner was not selected. Nice to see Grown up politics operating In North Liverpool!
Key adviser to Joe Anderson my @rse. Joe's diary has been online since May for all to see just how little advice Dave's been given on housing
I understand there's less to this than meets the eye, in one direction; but possibly more than David knows, in another. First, Hanratty may have been disappointed at the non-selection of his partner; but this is not the reason for his resignation. He has a new job with a housing association which is his genuine reason for standing down. However, the story doesn't end there. Why has the selection process been re-opened? 'Irregularities' in the previous selection are cited. Ricky Tomlinson would have words for this. The widespread suspicion is that the old-time fixers & bruisers in the Walton constituency got a candidate they didn't want from the independent-minded Fazakerley members. So the whole thing will be re-run until those members select a candidate acceptable to the prevailing junta - alas, not Daniel Hughes. Let's hope the Fazakerley members strike a blow against the dismal old guard, and reselect the excellent Daniel.
Or Ronnie could be talking out of his Ricky Tomlinson.
It seems that the "old timers" and one specific public transport-spirited member feel they can railroad things through and appear to have succeeded here. Favours promised to a Labour member before a certain floor crossing have now been called in and hence we see what we see.
Unfortunately a particular person, who single-handedly has managed to reduce Walton's membership numbers to the sad state they are in, has never been very good at the rule book.
Good on Hanratty for taking this on. Partner or no partner, anyone who knows anything about Fazakerley knows who has done work and who has not.
No wonder Hanratty wants it re-run. Those extra councillors allowances would be a nice little boost to the family income.
Another top class David Bartlett story! Well done David on delivering another piece of journalism which has completely missed the real story, and which wants to spin something pretty plain into some sort of political scandal.
You're going to have trouble playing with the big boys of national newspapers if this is the best you can do mate! I know you're still a kid comparatively speaking, but you should be learning quicker than this.
Did the dynamic duo vote in the General Election?
who on earth are the dynamic duo?
Just heard that Dan Hughes has withdrawn. He's got a top job working for Labour's shadow cabinet.
Further to King Kong's comments- why haven't more people got on to little Davey Bartlett's shocking standards of journalism before now?- he's just about as bad as they come with his tall tales and exaggerations- with little thought of the human consequences! Journo rule number one- check facts at all times DB
Further to King Kong's comments- why haven't more people got on to little Davey Bartlett's shocking standards of journalism before now?- he's just about as bad as they come with his tall tales and exaggerations- with little thought of the human consequences! Journo rule number one- check facts at all times DB
David's facts relating to this story are all accurate!