The big beasts are lining up to contest the East Brighton by-election. First the Conservatives selected 18 year old Joe Miller, and now the Lib Dems have selected a relative veteran in Dominik Sokalski, a 20-year-old university student at Sussex University.
The Greens last nigh selected its candidate, Carlie Goldsmith, a fifth generation Brightonian who proudly grew up in Whitehawk, in the area, where she also brought up her own young family. She works as a criminologist specialising in youth crime and victimisation, community safety and the relationship between social inequalities and crime.
As yet, there is no news from UKIP, but in an attempt to cause a major upset, it might field the ever youthful, Paul Perrin who, rumour has it, is over 16 years old.
With the Lib Dems holding their conference in a telephone box on the sea front, and the Greens taking a daily pasting in the letters page of the Argus following their massive own-goal over Christina Summers, neither of these parties is likely to inconvenience the Returning Officer too much.
As for the Tories, they seem determined to insult even the police in this week of all weeks. One wonders how the two Posh Boys are being viewed by the Plebs of Whitehawk? (The one thing that amazes me about the Andrew Mitchell, with almost 80% of Telegraph readers thinking he should resign, is that he has survived this long).
And then there is the Labour candidate, Chaun Wilson, who we should refer to simply as ‘The Winner’. East Brighton is Labour’s strongest stronghold, thanks to the work of sitting councillors Gill Mitchell and Warren Morgan, and that of the recently resigned Craig Turton. The chances of Labour losing this seat is about as great as someone finding Nick Clegg’s backbone.
I look forward to seeing councillor Wilson in action. She will be a huge asset to Labour as it seeks to rebuild in time for the 2015 elections.
Filed under: By-election | Tagged: Andrew Mitchell, backbone, by-election, Carlie Goldsmith, Chaun Wilson, Christina Summers, Craig Turton, Dominik Sokalski, East Brighton, Gill Mitchell, Joe Miller, Nick Clegg, Paul Perrin, Warren Morgan |
Brighton Politics Blog 
I can assure you that UKIP Brighton and Hove are not short of candidates. By-Elections can be inconvenient for professional working people at short notice, but that’s just the way it is.
I am surprised someone as well connected as yourself is not already aware of the UKIP candidate – we will be making a formal announcement in the next day or so,
In the unlikely event of UKIP scoring a win in East Brighton would their candidate spend as much time in the chamber as your esteemed leader spends at his place of employment? (clue: I’m not talking about his golf club’s saloon bar).
Can you name anything that any group of UK MEPs have actually achieved in they EU ‘parliament’?
The unelected, unaccountable commissioners are the EU ‘government’, the parliament more like our house of lords, but with even less power.
UK has elected government and unelected second chamber – EU has unelected government and elected second chamber.
That people can knowingly support such an institution disgusts me. It is most reminicent of the China or the USSR.
So surely Nigel – who is paid, let us not forget, a salary beyond the dreams of most of his constituents, by his constituents – should be in there constantly fighting tooth and nail to bring about change. Isn’t that the point of being democratically elected? Or is he simply trying to demonstrate, by dint of his own indolence, the shortcomings of European Union governance and donating his more-than-generous remuneration to good causes (before becoming a career politician at 28 he enjoyed a sterling career in banking and commodities trading, after all, so he can afford it).
Or is he just as intellectually and politically bankrupt as the rest of his soi-disant party (that’s french, Paul).
Nonetheless I await with excitement the announcement of UKIP’s candidate for the East Brighton by-election and hearing his or her proposals to enhance the life opportunities of all that ward’s residents.
Incidentally, I hear UKIP is considering ditching the pound symbols as their party logo. That’s quite a laugh, when you think about it – they’re ditching the pound when the rest of us don’t want to!
It’s ‘dated’ apparently – well Barroso’s been saying that for years!
You have two UKIP sout East MEPs – Nigel and Marta – you can ask them youself – no needs to go through me.
UKIP are likely to top the next EU polls {only beaten by cons last time)- seems a pretty good reason to run candidates – stops people telling fibs about how electable UKIP really are… and you wouldn’t want people deprived of the opportunity to vote for an jndependent Uk would you – next you’ll be denying us a referendum on it… oh…
http://www.votewatch.eu/en/activity-statistics.html
Page 20!
I’ve just read an extraordinarily bizarre post on the Green candidate on the blog of self-styled ‘Scrapper’ (yeah, I’ll bet) Duncan’s website.
Is he the most bumptious, self-regarding wingnut in B&H politics or is he just a machine-generated internet meme?
A gold plated loon and professional time waster Anyone other than a green going any where near him has already been taken in by him.
You may be a wingnut, Paul, but at least you’re neither bumptious nor self-regarding.
‘Wingnut’ scrapper Duncan Roy is doing a sterling job of destroying the Green Party on its behalf with his posts – in particular the one in which he provided the confidential Panel findings on Cllr Summers which either a Panel member provided to him or a serving Cllr provided to him.
He seems to be an unofficial spokesperson for their more malevolent urges. I don’t hear any denouncements of him coming from any serving cllrs. Surprised he isn’t being done for hate crime, frankly.
As a member of the Green Party, I agree with you entirely, Valerie. I have described his contributions to the discussions about Christina Summers as ‘poisonous’. Personally, I cannot think of a less Green political characteristic than the term ‘Scrapper’. But he used to be a barrister (or so he claims), so perhaps he deserves a little pity from the rest of us.
Your insults are clear even if you try to camoflage them – it simply shows you have no challenge of any substance.
Of all the USP’s on offer for East Brighton, surely the Green candidate offers the most appropriate background experience and training for dealing with the needs of residents in East Brighton, BPB. On paper.
Can’t quite work out though how such a busy lady would find the time to be available to ward constituents, meetings of various groups and council meetings, etc. The Greens seem top-heavy with academics and teachers who are showing us how limiting that life experience can be within local government and how much it is about treating residents like pupils they are instructing according to rather set texts. Should they be seeking to add yet another one to their ranks?
Saying that a criminoligist offers the most appropriate experience to represent the ward is somewhat insulting to the vast majority of residents. What any waqrd needs, especially one with pockets of high deprivation, is a councillor prepared to make their role central to their lives rather than peripheral. Time and time again (wither Ania?) the Greens have shown that their candidates are unwilling or unable to offer that level of commitment. Labour is by no means perfect in this regard, but our existing councillors in East Brighton offer a template for activism and engagement that all would be well advised to follow. Chaun will make a fantastic addition to that team.
I think the Green councillors, and other party members, are too busy canvassing to take any notice of this. But it’s nonsense of course.
Sabiha Choudhury is the UKIP candidate, and Jon Radford is standing for TUSAC. Could be an interesting scrap for the minor places, with low turnout likely. Will also be interesting to see who comes second to Chaun Wilson. Carlie Goldsmith looks a good candidate for the Green Party, but Tory boy may well push them into third place.
That should have been Jon Redford for TUSAC.
What is TUSAC?
Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts. Apologies if acronym is wrong.
I thought, “oh! 18 comments here, shall have a look” – and found that it was almost all, er, theorising. It’s on the ground that the true interest is to be found.
Based on a few days. ‘on the ground’ knocking on doors and talking to voters I’d say there is a huge amount of support for Labour, there was a big turnout of activists today and lots of good work done. Campaigning in East Brighton is different from my previous experiences in SPNL and Westbourne where I felt voters were still making their minds up, today pretty much every door I knocked on was Labour. I do respect, but not support, the Conservative candidate for his efforts but a number of voters did comment on his age and (lack of) life experience. I think we need some younger people on the Council but perhaps this Ward isn’t the most appropriate to field such a youthful candidate.
And as it hasn’t appeared elsewhere…
UKIP Candiate for East Brighton:-
http://www.scribd.com/doc/108472261/Sabiha-4-East-Brighton-UKIP-Brighton-and-Hove
Not a school leaver and not a fifty something male either…
Hey Bappy… surely time for an update…
Less than a week to go, waiting for the result?
Only gets reported if I am the candidate?