A New MP for Lincoln in The Making

Lucy Rigby was selected as Lincoln's Next Labour MP Yesterday.

While "Politique" (what a fun name ;-) is entitled to his rant none of it remotely relates to Lincoln. See his rant here.


Yesterday here in Lincoln we held our selection conference for the future Labour MP for the City.


All of the candidates who wanted to stand made it to the short-list and they were all very good.


One of the candidates, Rosie, pointed out that Parliament is still hugely unrepresentative of women and that's why we need all women lists until that's corrected. Makes perfect sense to me.


All produced literature and received equal access to party events, membership etc. As a local member and councillor I received material and telephone calls from all of them despite my very public support for Karen.

Cllr Karen Lee

Rosie Kirk

Francis Rehal

Lucy Rigby

Yesterday was a very fair and transparent selection and the LOCAL Party made a very clear and measured choice to select Lucy Rigby whose policies include opposition to foreign adventuring such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This was said with great respect for the sacrifices our service personnel have made in those conflicts. We remembered at Mass today the seven  tragically killed in Afghanistan recently. Lucy, the daughter of an ex serviceman who was brought up "on the strength" understands the risks service men and women take on our behalf. I was very disappointed that Karen, who is an excellent community representative and deeply respected by the vast majority of the local party and Lincoln public, did not succeed.


That said I respect the choice of the Party, this is what democracy is all about and we have to now work with an excellent PPC who does reflect our Labour values of fairness and social justice. Lucy has campaigned in Lincoln in the past and understands the work that needs to be done to deal with the poverty, unemployment and other "inequalities" created by the real villain of this piece, the Tory led Government! As for her being an Islington Councillor and a lawyer does that mean we now discriminate against people because they are working in Islington or have had the determination to become involved in the law? (Bankers now..... - no only joking). Lucy used her knowledge of the law last year to attack the Governments stance on legal aid pointing out the severe damage to those on low or poor incomes that will now occur.


We already have a strong and hugely talented team in Lincoln fighting the Tories which includes Karen who via her scrutiny committee and local campaigns successfully challenges unfair decisions against the people. Ric Metcalf who has led us to victory on the City Council, Fay Smith Environmental Services and Public Protection, Neil Murray who has headed up our economic development including the first provision of council houses in generations to name just a few. We also have an excellent team currently in opposition on the Tory blue County Council led by former County Leader Rob Parker. Lucy will join this team bringing her own talents and we will welcome her.


Lucy will face Tory MP Karl McCartney who believes that the whole world wide economic crisis was created solely by the last Labour Government with not a banker in sight. He was "minced" on BBC Lincolnshire on Friday (23rd) by Hull East MP Carl Turner who pointed out that his Government had to borrow £158 Billion due to their failed economic policy. He also pointed out that in the budget 14,000 people who earn a Million Pounds a year or more will gain £40k a year extra. A representative of Saga, Dr Ross Altman, had just pointed out that those receiving less that £10k will lose £250 a year. Four and a half million pensioners will be worse off. All Karl could do was repeat his briefing and when challenged on VAT for static caravans for example he was lost claiming that he did not know the full details. Even when told 1000 people in his area may lose their jobs he was still unable to comment. Karl was lost at the end for a while (seemed to have dropped the phone) when asked to comment on the possible disappearance of support to help people stop smoking that Carl raised (its all here for a few weeks or so: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/e....


For Politique to talk about Ed Miliband or the Party being unelectable is simply to provide the Tories with another shield now the LibDems are heading for political annihilation. As any first year student could tell you; generally oppositions don't win elections, Governments lose them. Here in Lincoln we are going to hold this Government to account as never before and as the public begin to appreciate the huge inequalities and injustices that the Tories are creating so they will become "unelectable".