Not even the Health Committee had enough people for an election. Surely that is unprecedented for Labour.
This has been sent out by the Secretary to the PLP and is shown on the new Labour Uncut website.
I now invite unsuccessful candidates and anyone else who is not now elected to a select committee to apply for the following vacancies:
1. ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS – FIVE VACANCIES REMAIN
2. ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT – THREE VACANCIES REMAIN.
3. HEALTH – ONE VACANCY REMAINS.
4. JUSTICE – TWO VACANCIES REMAIN.
5. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION – FOUR VACANCIES REMAIN.
6. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY – THREE VACANCIES REMAIN.
7. WELSH AFFAIRS – FIVE VACANCIES REMAIN
So, are Labour MPs uninterested in holding the Executive to account, or are they just plain lazy?
11 comments:
That's not an inference you can make from the document you linked too.
The document suggests there were plenty of candidates but that some departments were more popular, and an election lead to some candidates not getting the department they wanted after a first round of voting. We know this because the document states there were "unsuccessful" candidates.
The document seems to refer to a second round "clearing" allocation.
Little bit unfair, there were Conservative vacancies on Environmental Audit, Northern Ireland, Procedure, Public Administration, Science and Technology, Scottish Affairs and Welsh Affairs committees.
I think we can now add filling select committee membership to the list of sausages and laws, as things we dont want to see made.
They're probably holding back until after the leadership election - presumably they're hoping for front-bench jobs and don't want to be tied down into a committee?
They've lost it all, haven't they? Lost heart, lost ability (if they ever had any), lost the Election. Of course, some continue in senior positions - like Vaz, for example. But you'd have thought that ex-Ministers (and there are enough of them, one way or another) would have been keen to make life difficult for the Government in whatever Committee. These are (with the possible exception of Welsh Affairs) Committees where the able and enthusiastic can shine. Surprising that the PLP hasn't been fending voluteers off.
I think Labour has lost its way completely. It'll take years before it reforms into a cohesive body with coherent strategy and policy. Fragmented, rudderless, and internecine, it may take years for anything remotely resembling a Leader to appear. The current contenders are particularly uninspiring.
Where are the great orators, the men and women of courage and vision? Thirteen years of paranoia and control-freakery in Downing Street have destroyed them and castrated their Party.
So, are Labour MPs uninterested in holding the Executive to account, or are they just plain lazy?
Another alternative.
They have had the shit kicked out of them and have lost the will to survive?
Well they are creatures of habit. They've been whipped, stabbed, cajoled and booted into line on every piece of minutae for years.
Given the opportunity to make a free choice and do something for themselves they've had a collective spasm of doubt. A Pavlovian Reflex action, rather like the cringing cur when a stick is waved.
They're all waiting for Gordon to descend from his eyrie, after communing with the gods and give them instruction. Or failing that, some other divine figure, wielding power and giving instruction.
What a waste, all those people suffering from collective inertia and amnesia, awaiting the next bossy boot to kick them around.
In the meantime they have to obey Hattie HaHaHairperson, which is probably no surprise at the collective inertia and amnesia.
Yawn - in Railway Eye yesterday.
Or failing that, some other divine figure, wielding power and giving instruction.
From the experience of the last 13 years, it would appear they already have that.
The trouble is, it is the ghost of Mickey Mouse and Goofey. With a little Stalin thrown into the brew.
So there weren't enough suitable candidates in round 1 who wanted to do Justice?
Iain, according to BBC Welsh Correspondent David Cornock here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/davidcornock/2010/06/elfynometer_fails_to_erupt.html Labour have filled all their places on the Welsh Affairs Committee. As I understand it four of the vacancies are Tory places.
It's probably because Labour effectively have no leader. Labour are based on authoritarian principles. So if there is no leader they don't know what to do as they depend on being told what to do. They can't think for themselves.
Another possible reason, still linked to the lack of a leader, is that they don't want to say or do anything in case it upsets one of the potential leaders. And since they don't know who is going to the leader they play safe and keep schtum.
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