Are you voting for Sheffield Labour MP's to lose their seats?

[rubydazzler]

I agree, our lib dem, who we have heard from once, lives in York

Funnily enough, my present MP, Meg Munn was parachuted into Sheffield from York by Labour when the sitting Labour MP Bill Michie retired, and was elected with a large majority, even though the LibDem candidate had previously been a local councillor and even lived in the consitituency. I don't think it makes much difference to people where the candidate actually comes from when they're choosing who to vote for?

[Phanerothyme]

 

 

 

I dunno, the potato is not indigenous to these isles.

Manglewurzel?

[Stormy]

No. It isn't conceivable Tony.

 

Angela Smith (Penistone & Stocksbridge)

Major boundary changes since 2005.

Swing required: 10.22%

Conservative target = No. 146

Lib Dem target = No. 131

 

Meg Munn (Sheffield Heeley).

Swing required: 16.34%.

Conservative target = No. 319.

Lib Dem target = No. 398.

 

David Blunkett (Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough)

Swing required: 28.29%

Conservative target = No. 402

Lib Dem target = No. 566

 

Clive Betts (Sheffield South East)

Swing required: 21.68%

Conservative target = No. 340

Lib Dem target = No. 551

 

So, not even the Tories & Lib Dems think these seats are really winnable from Labour.

 

Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/general-election-2010

 

Most of the above I'd agree with, however I think Penistone and Stocksbridge is a fair chance for the Conservatives. Dont forget, the "target" figures are pretty meaningless, as they only refer to uniform swing and dont take into account things such as local issues and boundary changes etc. For example, Sheffield Central is Lib Dem target number 70, but they are now favorite to win thanks to issues other than uniform national swing.

[redrobbo]

Funnily enough, my present MP, Meg Munn was parachuted into Sheffield from York by Labour when the sitting Labour MP Bill Michie retired, and was elected with a large majority, even though the LibDem candidate had previously been a local councillor and even lived in the consitituency. I don't think it makes much difference to people where the candidate actually comes from when they're choosing who to vote for?

 

You are mistaken Rubydazzler.

 

Sheffield Heeley Constituency Labour Party (CLP) selected Meg Munn to be our parliamentary candidate for the 2001 general election under our usual Labour Party procedures.

 

These included an informal meeting, held at Hallam University, where local Labour Party members got to meet interested candidates. There was then a series of local branch meetings where local party members studied the CVs of interested candidates and made two nominations for a short-list.

 

Those nominated short-list candidates subsequently appeared before a constituency-wide membership meeting, where each spoke and answered questions. There was then an exhuastive ballot in accordance with our Labour Party rules.

 

Meg Munn was not, as your wrongly claim, parachuted into the constituency, but was our successful nominee from a wide field of candidates following a selection process that took months to complete. And for the record there was no all-women short-list. Meg Munn was selected to be our Heeley Labour candidate entirely on her merits.

 

Meg Munn was born in Sheffield, she went to school in the Heeley constituency, her family live in the constituency, her late father was a former councillor and Lord Mayor of Sheffield, and at the time of her selection she was actually working in York.

 

As a former secretary of the Sheffield Heeley Constituency Labour Party and as someone who was involved in the selection process, I am happy to have set the record straight for you Ruby.

[metalman]

Unfortunately as a resident of Hillsborough we now have very little chance of unseating the Labour MP because since the last election Labour have considerately bundled it in with Brightside, with which it has nothing in common whatsoever, so that there's no chance of them losing. How convenient.

[Phanerothyme]

Meg Munn was born in Sheffield, she went to school in the Heeley constituency, her family live in the constituency, her late father was a former councillor and Lord Mayor of Sheffield

 

So a political dynasty then

[wednesday1]

Unfortunately as a resident of Hillsborough we now have very little chance of unseating the Labour MP because since the last election Labour have considerately bundled it in with Brightside, with which it has nothing in common whatsoever, so that there's no chance of them losing. How convenient.

 

I think you will find it is the independent Boundaries Commission who draw-up, and from time to time re-draw the constitiuency boundaries. It's nothing to do with 'Labour'.

[Tony]

Apart from wednesday1, Titanic99 and redrobbo is anyone actually voting Labour?

[mj.scuba]

I think our Tory candidate was a councillor in Wakefield?? It would be nice if candidates from all parties were locals rather than brought in career politicians that go from place to place just to climb the greasy pole of the political career path, would also be good if candidates had real jobs beforehand outside of the politics sphere such as doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers, farmers, etc etc.

[biotechpete]

Funnily enough, my present MP, Meg Munn was parachuted into Sheffield from York by Labour when the sitting Labour MP Bill Michie retired, and was elected with a large majority, even though the LibDem candidate had previously been a local councillor and even lived in the consitituency. I don't think it makes much difference to people where the candidate actually comes from when they're choosing who to vote for?

 

It does to me. Particularly for council elections. It should be law to live in the place you represent. How may Sheffield MPs don't even live in Yorkshire never mind the city itself?