[Politics] Does it matter where constituency candidates come from?

[Brovion]

I can fully understand why people would have a concern.

Being local is one of the key criteria I have when placing my x. But it isn't a red line. Bowden was a great local mp despite having no links to kemptown prior to his 1st election.

Lloyd Russell-Moyle came from lewes so close to Brighton kemptown and peacehaven. His replacement was born in peacehaven and is an Albion season ticket holder having lived on London. I believe none of the other candidates in that seat live in the constituency.

In the last election tories had a 'local' joe Miller. I would likely have voted for anybody save farage instead of him as he was a wrong un based on my knowledge of him when he was a party activist and councillor pre being a candidate. His subsequent attempt to get off a drink driving charge proved me right

I tend to agree. For me rightly or wrongly emotionally it does stick in the craw a bit when someone is just parachuted in. They couldn't care less if they were in Brighton, Barnsley, Bridgend or Bridgewater, it's just a means to an end, a base from which to launch/continue their political career.

However when I put down my pitchfork and blazing torch I totally accept that it's really not the most important criteria. I'd much rather have a competent, decent and caring 'outsider' than some local chancer who feels they should represent us just because their family has been in the area since the Norman Conquest.


EDIT: Sorry to bring football into this conversation, but it is a bit like Albion players and managers. I want us to have the best we can representing us and working for us - and I don't care where they come from.

 

[Zeberdi]

Anybody who thinks the future direction of this country is less important than where a candidate comes from needs to give their head a wobble.

It’s not about the direction of the country being ‘less important’ than local issues imo that’s a different argument. It’s about who decides what direction the Country should go in and what the role of elected members of Parliament actually is.

It maybe fine to say one accepts parachuting candidates into a constituency if one supports the Party that benefits but what if it gives a party that one doesn’t support an unfair advantage? One can’t have it both ways - or at least one should be honest and say, parachuting is only ok if it helps the party I support.

Truss’s election leaflet for example is all about she has helped implement national policies in SW Norfolk. The Labour Party candidate’s leaflet is full of how those national policies has negatively effected people in the Constituency and what he intends to do about it - that’s the difference between a career politician who uses the Constituency to serve their own political needs and one who serves the people living in it. If the Tory Party replaced Truss with a different candidate more popular that Truss, the likelihood is the Tories will be harder to beat in this constituency.

 

[Happy Exile]

Luckily, the candidate of my choice, this time around, not only lives in the Lewes constituency, but also in Newhaven, which is a big plus in his favour, as many locals feel that Lewes dumps on them (literally).
Previous candidates were very much part of the Lewes set, including Baker.

I don’t agree with parachuting candidates into any area, no matter which party. MPs should represent their constituents but most just slavishly follow the party whip, which is why people are fed up with politicians.

It's interesting - historically that's true of Lib Dems and Lewes, but in Lewes now there's the perception among quite a few I know that Seaford dumps on us because the current Tory incumbent wants nothing to do with us, she's never seen in the town, has never as far as I know attended any kind of public event that's not carefully managed to avoid meeting anyone who might disagree with her, never done anything that seems to benefit the town, and seems to put all her energy into Seaford

That makes sense for her I guess as Lewes is Lib Dem/Green and Newhaven is Lib Dem, and Seaford is the largest population-density of Tories in her constituency. We really, really, need a new MP and I'm hoping it's the chap from Newhaven!

 

[halbpro]

Caroline Lucas had very few links to Brighton when she stood for Brighton Pavilion (the only one I can see is that she was one of the MEPs for the South East, which faintly counts). However, she's done an excellent job in my view and does care about the area.

Sian Berry similarly doesn't have any real links to Brighton I can find, but I don't think Labour's candidate (Tom Gray) does either, and Gray seems a bit of a tit in my view.

The Lib Dem's have Ashley Ridley who seems local from what I can tell? Stood in East Worthing and Shoreham for Parliament previously, then two local elections in Brighton. Plus does seem a decent bloke from what I can tell. However, Lib Dems have almost no hope in Brighton Pavilion IMO

 

[Baldseagull]

Not the most important factor, but a consideration.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Yes, it absolutely matters IMO.

ALL parties do it - and it stinks.

Just seems to imply that NOBOBY in said constituency would make a decent MP for whatever Party - how rubbish is that.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Liz from Labour bravely made her way up my drive a few evenings ago to ask me about my voting intentions.

I say bravely because Henry, my large Labrador, was barking quite ferociously at her whilst I sat on the doorstep dripping with sweat having just completed a run.

Henry's a complete softy, but she wasn't to know that.

Anyway, at the end of our chat she asked me how likely out of 10 I was to vote for Labour. I said six. If I had ten voting probability points to distribute, the Liberal Democats would have the remaining four.

Yesterday I did a bit of research on Tom Rutland, the Labour candidate for East Worthing and Shoreham, and quickly found out he was recently a councillor in Lambeth. He resigned to pursue his Parliamentary ambitions. From best I can tell he has absolutely no connection to this area at all, it's just a vehicle to get him to where he wants to be. That's Westminster, not West Sussex.

East Worthing and Shoreham comes calling for Labour Cllr Tom Rutland as Streatham residents seek out their missing man

If you’re a resident in Streatham Common and Vale ward then Saturday might be a momentous morning for you

www.brixtonbuzz.com

AWOL Labour Cllr Tom Rutland finally resigns from Lambeth Council to concentrate on becoming the next MP for East Shoreham and Worthing

Two by-elections now look set to take place in Lambeth following the resignation of yet another Lambeth Labour Councillor.

www.brixtonbuzz.com

My Labour voting probability is now zero out of ten.

I know all parties do this to some degree or another, but that doesn't make it right. I just don't want to vote for someone who has little/no connection to the local area.

This subject came up in this thread, and @arewethereyet?'s views mirror my own.

So, does it matter to you where a candidate comes from?

I realise this wasn't meant to be the key take from your post but:

Since when did anybody, ever, think of a labrador, even a barking one, as"ferocious"?

 

[Fitzcarraldo]

Looks like Sheffield Brightside's loss was East Worthing and Shoreham's gain previously when Tim Loughton tried to get elected in Sheffield (in 1992) before settling on East Worthing and Shoreham. Did that stop people voting for Tim Loughton previously or were you not bothered as he moved to area after he was elected and you maybe now consider him an excellent local MP?

Personally I do think that it is important to have a local connection but equally it's ok to move to the area after you're elected and it probably helps improve the overall quality of MPs being able to do so. I do think it's silly to pretend it's the reason you're not voting Labour when actually it's because you're a raving Tory though.

 

[Bold Seagull]

It’s not about the direction of the country being ‘less important’ than local issues imo that’s a different argument. It’s about who decides what direction the Country should go in and what the role of elected members of Parliament actually is.

It maybe fine to say one accepts parachuting candidates into a constituency if one supports the Party that benefits but what if it gives a party that one doesn’t support an unfair advantage? One can’t have it both ways - or at least one should be honest and say, parachuting is only ok if it helps the party I support.

We live in a representative democracy.. The whole system of government is built upon representation of the people in Parliament. Not one that is representative of the ruling body of any given political party - that’s just politics from the top down.

National policies don’t take place in a vacuum they are implemented at a local level and affect people in a myriad of different ways across the UK.

Truss’s election leaflet for example is all about she has helped implement national policies in SW Norfolk. The Labour Party candidate’s leaflet is full of how those national policies has negatively effected people in the Constituency and what he intends to do about it - that’s the difference between a career politician who uses the Constituency to serve their own political needs and one who serves the people living in it. If the Tory Party replaced Truss with a different candidate more popular that Truss, the likelihood is the Tories will be harder to beat in this constituency.

Any candidate that stands as a member of a political party is standing for what that party represents at that time. Whether its Liz Truss, or A. N. Other standing for the Conservatives for a seat, it is the Conservative candidate for that constituency that would be voted for on the basis of them representing the Conservatives. Whether they choose to parachute in a candidate or not, that is down to the politicial party and their constituency members and rules because they have the decision on who their candidate will be, and the same for all political parties.

The Conservatives were free to de-select Liz Truss and replace her with a different candidate, as could all parties if done according to their rules.

We have a representative democracy, but most representatives we choose do represent a political party, and therefore most of us elect our representative on the basis they will be following the policies of the party they are standing for.

If I am sold on Labour's manifesto for example, and that is the document that I want the basis of the next government to be formed, then it doesn't really matter if it is Joe that lives down the road as the Labour candidate, or Tom from London, my representative would be representing my vote for the Labour's manifesto for government. If there is an advantage in having Joe over Tom, then I hope the party would choose Joe, but that is down to the party.

 

[Machiavelli]

Caroline Lucas had very few links to Brighton when she stood for Brighton Pavilion (the only one I can see is that she was one of the MEPs for the South East, which faintly counts). However, she's done an excellent job in my view and does care about the area.

Sian Berry similarly doesn't have any real links to Brighton I can find, but I don't think Labour's candidate (Tom Gray) does either, and Gray seems a bit of a tit in my view.

The Lib Dem's have Ashley Ridley who seems local from what I can tell? Stood in East Worthing and Shoreham for Parliament previously, then two local elections in Brighton. Plus does seem a decent bloke from what I can tell. However, Lib Dems have almost no hope in Brighton Pavilion IMO

I'm glad someone's mentioned Ashley Ridley, just 23 and zero chance of getting elected, but he's banged on our door and is fully committed to the role. I hope the Lib Dems recognise this, and that when he stands in a constituency or ward where he's got the chance of being elected the residents judge him less by where he's come from and more by what he'll do.

 

[halbpro]

I'm glad someone's mentioned Ashley Ridley, just 23 and zero chance of getting elected, but he's banged on our door and is fully committed to the role. I hope the Lib Dems recognise this, and that when he stands in a constituency or ward where he's got the chance of being elected the residents judge him less by where he's come from and more by what he'll do.

That shows he’s passionate and engaged, particularly impressive at his age and in a no hoper as you say. Deserves to be rewarded in the longer term for sure. I saw he’s a football coach and youth worker, alongside working in retail. Really seems a guy trying to help his community

 

[WATFORD zero]

That shows he’s passionate and engaged, particularly impressive at his age and in a no hoper as you say. Deserves to be rewarded in the longer term for sure. I saw he’s a football coach and youth worker, alongside working in retail. Really seems a guy trying to help his community

This sounds like a prime example of a hard working, committed young politician who could make a big difference deserving a chance at an electable seat,

or as others would have it

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

That shows he’s passionate and engaged, particularly impressive at his age and in a no hoper as you say. Deserves to be rewarded in the longer term for sure. I saw he’s a football coach and youth worker, alongside working in retail. Really seems a guy trying to help his community

Politics, a football coach and works in retail. He really does like being in the public firing line doesnt he.

 

[Igzilla]

As far as I've heard, Tom Rutland moved down to live in Lancing nearly a year ago, so I think by now he's racked up more days lived in the area than Loughton and Bottomley combined in their entire incumbencies. To vote for someone on the basis that 'they've been parachuted in' is very blinkered, as surely the better question is 'Are they going to be a good MP?'

 

[Bozza]

As far as I've heard, Tom Rutland moved down to live in Lancing nearly a year ago, so I think by now he's racked up more days lived in the area than Loughton and Bottomley combined in their entire incumbencies. To vote for someone on the basis that 'they've been parachuted in' is very blinkered, as surely the better question is 'Are they going to be a good MP?'

His record in Lambeth would raise serious reservations about that question.

One of our councillors is missing

www.streathamstuff.co.uk

 

[WATFORD zero]

This is a local seat for local people

 

[Lenny Rider]

But you're a big Bottomley fan (that sounds worse than intended ) and he was 'parachuted' in over local prospects

That was in 1997, he replaced Sir Terence Higgins, I wasn't quite up the workings of the constituency party, as I'm not now, but one of Sir Peter's claims, which I clearly wouldn't refute, was that there was no local candidate prepared to follow Big Tel, hence why SPB moved from Eltham to Worthing.

I like Carl, he's worked his balls off not only on WBC but helping run the Worthing Food Foundation, regardless of my own politics he should have been 'shoo in' for East Worthing and Shoreham, and he would have won, what a great shot in the arm for the Food Bank movement, having one of their most passionate operatives sat on the benches in Westminster.

 

[borat]

Its not even that some MPs dont know or care for the area its that we have MPs parachuted in (e.g. Luke Akehurst) whose main priority seems to be serving a foreign country rather than the UK.

Doesnt matter whether you are Labour, Tory, Green, Reform etc its scary how anti-democratic this is.

 

[jcdenton08]

This is a local seat for local people

There is a Swansea!

 

[PascalGroß Tips]

I expect he is going to win by landslide. He may have been parachuted in, but he has been everywhere ever since and seems to always be out with a team knocking on doors. If this is how he is going to approach his new day job if elected, we may gain a hard working MP.

The worst case scenario for a parachuted in candidate is for them to be elected and in opposition. They have no levers in government and have to pmanufacture an interest in representing the community. In government there are always handouts and favours, to those close to power or seen as useful.

I had a decent and fairly long chat with 'Young' Tom on my doorstep a couple of weeks ago on Shoreham Beach. He did come across very well - although when I asked him about his background and where he lived, he was a bit evasive other than saying he lived in Lancing. Reading some of the above comments, I can see why. But yes, he will win easily I believe. I did ask where he stood on the political spectrum (I'd already voiced my views on Corbyn and also my distaste for anyone on the extremes - left or right) and he said he was most definitely centre left and fully behind SKS.