Monday, May 24, 2010

Oona King to stand for London Mayor

Last night on Facebook Tower Hamlets Party comrades were busy chatting about Oona King standing to become the Labour Party candidate for London Mayor in 2012. Today it was confirmed.

I haven’t made up my mind who to support but I think it this is great news for London and the regional Labour Party. Ken Livingstone is the only high profile candidate so far and I have my doubts about whether or not he would be able to beat Boris.

Oona is a high profile and very credible candidate. Who was treated disgracefully when she lost her seat as MP in Bethnal Green and Bow in 2005. The campaign against her was characterised by shameful misogynistism and blatant “dog whistle” racism.

We need more candidates like Oona to put themselves forward.

Picture of Oona in March this year at a Karen Buck and Glenda Jackson House of Commons event with UNISON Housing Association members discussing their dispute over equalities with Notting Hill Housing Group.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope she has been chastened by defeat and recovered a little humility, something singularly lacking in her as a Labour MP as I recall. I hope she has, most MPs improve as human beings when they leave the House.

But on her past record she certainly won't get my vote.

I was fed up with Ken towards the end of his last term, but he is a very strong candidate indeed.

John Gray said...

Hi anon

I don't think she will lose much sleep over your lack of support:)

Anonymous said...

John

I dare say she won't. I am a Labour Party member but it's just one little vote isn't it. Of the three who have expressed interest I think Ken still looks far and away the best.

I've never really forgotten Oona's TV appearances as a nauseatingly sycophantic Blairite in the run up to the attack on Iraq. Perhaps she has reformed since... it was a while ago after all. We live in hope.

John Gray said...

Hi anon

bearing in mind your lack of courage while posting nasty comments anon I think the
only "nauseatingly" person you will ever see is the reflection in your mirror.

:)

Attack the politics not the person.

Jeremy smyles said...

If oona pledges to tear down Boris's HUBBLE BUBBLE Olympic monstrosity, if we're unable to stop being built in the first place, she'll get my vote! Jeremy Smyles' BORIS AT THE OLYMPIC blog sums up exactly what I think of her opposition, Boris.

Anonymous said...

John

'Nauseatingly' was an adjective applying to 'sycophantic.' I never said that she was a nauseating person as you allege. I found her sycophantic support of Blair and of the Iraq war nauseating, for obvious reasons. And judging by the reaction of the people of Bethnal Green and Bow in the subsequent election, so did many of them.

It was some years ago pf course and I hope perhaps she has changed her political outlook since then.

Anonymous said...

She's joking isn't she ?

John Gray said...

I've never really forgotten Oona's TV appearances as "being a nauseatingly sycophantic Blairite""

Hi anon - so which part of above do you now deny? that you are a nauseating anon coward is of course beyound dispute.

Jeremy smyles said...

This writer wants nothing more than for Ken Livingstone to win the Mayoral election, but...For more comment see; http://kenlivingstoneformayor.blogspot.com