Leeds North East left fight back

Councillor Garth Frankland reports:

On 10th November, Councillor Norma Hutchinson was reselected by 45 votes to 33 as the Labour candidate for Chapel Allerton Ward. Norma Hutchinson a councillor for the last eight years and Chair of the Leeds City Council’s Race Relations Committee, had come under intense political pressure from the Blairite supporters of Leeds North East’s controversially selected MP Fabian Hamilton.

These supporters linked up with those of a local resident called Sharma Omprakash. Sharma had led a number of highly disruptive campaigns against a local school and the City Council. He is one of only two people banned from the local police forum because of disruptive behaviour going back many years. This unprincipled alliance came close to removing Norma at the first selection conference which had to be rerun because of voting irregularities.

In both the reselection battles in Chapel Allerton Ward and in the neighbouring University Ward telephone calls were received by Labour Party members from the campaign co-ordinator for Leeds North East who is not a member of either ward. These activities are now being investigated.

The campaign against Norma Hutchinson displayed a complete lack of understanding of the political dynamics of Leeds and Chapel Allerton and came from an attempt to install a London Blair/Eddie George agenda on our wonderful city through an unprincipled alliance.

Norma, true to the spirit of reconciliation that we have both fought for, at the meeting thanked the other two candidates and asked everyone to stand and hold hands and pledge to work together. Unfortunately a small sectarian minority refused to do this. Norma will pray and forgive them and I will try to follow her forgiveness.

I am willing to take bets that Chapel Allerton will have a swing to Labour and a turn out increase equal to any in Leeds.

previous article ·  Dec '98 index of LLB ·  write to LLB ·  LLB home page ·  next article