tagged w/ Hazel Blears
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With the first criticism of the new coalition government being related to a lack of diversity, it's surprising the opposition party is suffering from the same problems.
Though today, Hazel Blears criticized the current lack of women candidates in the Labour leadership race.
"I think it is a great shame [that no women are running]. I think that modern political parties should reflect the people they represent," she said.
In the [general election] campaign in all the parties women were virtually invisible... every time I turned on the tv there were men."-Politics Home
It sounds like Blears won't in the leadership running along with Harriet Harman and Yvette Cooper.With the first criticism of the new coalition government being related to a lack of... more
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Ed Balls escaped the Portillo moment last night, which is described by Portillo "My name is now synonymous with eating a bucketload of shit in public. I am on the brink of becoming a noun", so he'll be disappointed it won't now be called 'Ed Ballsing it up'. Surprisingly Hazel Blears survived last night, even after news coverage of angry voters after the expenses scandal.
-Peter Robinson the First Minister in Northern Ireland was unseated by a Alliance party member. [Democratic Unionist Party]
-Jacqui Smith lost her seat in Redditch to the Conservatives. She was Home Secretary till June 2009. [Labour]
-Charles Clarke lost his seat in Norwich South to the Liberal Democrats, he was also a former Home Secretary but during the Blair government. [Labour]
-Jim Knight lost Dorset South to the Conservatives, he was a MP that was early to the tweeting and had the post of Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform. [Labour]
-Lembit Opik lost his seat to the Conservatives and the result caused a number of cheeky girls and meteorite jokes. [Lib Dem]
Add more to comments if you've got them.
[picture] http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Media/Columnists/Columnists/2009/12/4/1259953278019/Michael-Portillo-and-Step-001.jpgEd Balls escaped the Portillo moment last night, which is described by Portillo... more
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Former BBC Correspondent and anti-corruption MP met with members of the local community at a public meeting in Eccles last night to share his experience of standing as an Independent candidate.
He was speaking at an event organised by the Hazel Must Go! campaign and was joined by members of a variety of community groups and political parties including the local Labour Party, Trade Unions and young people from Salford Youth Council who were very outspoken about how they feel disenchanted by the current political system.
Although he will not be standing in Salford, Bell called for "Local Champions" to come forward and stand against Blears. He also spoke about the Iraq War and described it as a "the worse decision ever made by a government".
Blears herself actual stood for election in his previous constituency of Tatton in 1980 against the rival he toppled - Neil Hamilton. Bell described to a packed-out hall how difficult it can be to mobilise support to oust MPs with strong majorities but speaking from experience he also said it has a chance considering the high-profile nature of the campaign and Hazel Blears herself.Former BBC Correspondent and anti-corruption MP met with members of the local... more
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Blear's Citroen Xsara Picasso got a smashed windscreen and two slashed tyres while she was in Salford having a nice chat with her constituents.
She says it was not the work of disgruntled constituents furious over her role in the expenses scandal, but 'teenagers with nothing to do on a hot afternoon'. What's wonderful about this is the response from the public - people have pointed out she's parked on a double yellow, is obstructing the road and are also asking if she plans to expense the damage to the car.Blear's Citroen Xsara Picasso got a smashed windscreen and two slashed tyres... more
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British MP Hazel Blears faced angry local constituents who threatened to perform a "Citizens Arrest" on the disgraced politician following on from the ongoing expenses scandal outside Salford Town Hall in Greater Manchester.
During a meeting of her local Labour Party who were meeting to vote on a motion of "no-confidence" which would ban her from standing as an MP, a large group of enraged community workers, local activists and ordinary members of the public chanted "Hazel - Out" whilst the national media waited eagerly for the results of the vote.
Welding a pair of prison handcuffs and a warrant sheet, Salford Youth Council co-chair David Henry was in attendance accompanied by a group of homeless and unemployed young people who live in the city, which is of the poorest areas in the North West of England.
Mr Henry said "We plan to perform a citizen arrest on Mrs Blears at the request of hundreds of local people who feel she has committed a serious crime I believe is enforceable under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984". An elderly resident stood in the typical Manchester rain holding a placard which read "Is Hazel Nuts?" told the Independent Newspaper "That woman has brought us nothing but trouble since she was elected. We want her out. She has done nothing for the people of this city."
Over a week ago Mrs Blears, who has represented Salford within the UK Parliament since 1997 resigned from the cabinet as Minister for Communities and Local Government follow the publication of MPs expenses which revealed she had failed to pay a tax bill of over £13,000. The bill was due on her second home which is paid for by the British tax-payer.
As news reached the rain-soaked media and protesters outside the Civic Centre in Salford that the Local Constituency Labour Party had voted to let her keep her job, the embattled member of Parliament failed to show her face to the waiting crowd which included national news crews and instead escaped via a side door.
Mrs Blears has vowed to stand at the next general election, meanwhile the protesters claimed they still intend to campaign for her to resign and will attempt to perform a citizens arrest on her wherever she appears in public and are urging her to turn herself in to police so that the courts can decide whether or not she should be brought to justice.
Protest organised by Stephen Kingston of the Salford Star http://www.salfordstar.com/
David Henry is Co-Chair of Salford Youth Council http://www.salfordyouth.org.ukBritish MP Hazel Blears faced angry local constituents who threatened to perform a... more
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After the sudden departure of the home secretary Jackie Smith now another minister has announced they are to leave. In what is seen as a deliberate attempt to destabilise the Prime Minister and the government, Hazel Blears has visited 10 Downing Street to announce her resignation to "spend more time with her family".
Over the next few days there are expected to be more departures from the government. Hazel Blears was widely expected to be pushed out of the cabinet in a reshuffle in the next few days but deciding to go just a day before an important mid term election is more or less unprecedented.
The fact that many ministers are scrambling for the exits in order to distance themselves from the government is being seen by many commentators as a fatal blow to the Prime Minister. Last night the BBC's political editor went on television to say that the loss of Jackie Smith was not the fatal blow to the Prime Minister, but such a deliberate act of sabotage by a member of the government will be much more difficult to recover from.
To add insult to injury Ms Blears landed her resignation on the Prime Minister less than an hour before what was already set to be a very difficult Prime Ministers questions. He is likely to be torn apart by the opposition.After the sudden departure of the home secretary Jackie Smith now another minister has... more
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