Forum Topic

SNAP general election, WHO are our candidates going to be?

Theresa May has called a snap general election for June 8th. Who are our local candidates going to be for:Ealing SouthallEaling NorthEaling Acton?None of oue existing MPs in these three areas (Virenra Sherma, Steve Pound and Rappa Huq) have exactly distinguished themselves as Ealing crumbles around us, a change would be nice!

John Alan Peters ● 3270d53 Comments

Haha - somebody on the Acton forum found another name: Joy Boden.That one is interesting as there is an actress of that name:http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2434982/mediaviewer/rm3573713664And that - if you ask me - is the current conservative candidate for Ealing and Acton.Actually - if you look at the movies she has starred in - one of them was directed by a Mr Morrisey - so that bit adds up.Now - people are allowed to have 4 or is it 5 names - but when our conservative candidate Ms Many Names publishes her resume she did seem to forget to mention her acting career. At the very very least - Ms Many Names is not being straightforward with us.As I mentioned somewhere else there has been at least one court case in the US where someone by that name was defendent.

Bart Govaert ● 3226d

Well there are a number of US court cases associated to people with these names.

Bart Govaert ● 3226d

And you found?

Graham Weeks ● 3226d

Very very very interesting. Did a bit of Googling.

Bart Govaert ● 3227d

Graham,Sorry to divert from your train of thought but I didn't want readers to lose the discussion with Vlod Bartock re NHS performance. As important as A&E performance is we are starting to see capacity problems in this area. Ealing hospital is being run down. Rumour is that 8 operating theatres are now down to 5. This is part of the aim to make it a sort of cottage hospital/local hospital/clinic/hub. Like A&E closures this has a knock-on effect. My wife's elective surgery exceeded the 18 week target at Charing Cross. It was almost a year. True she was offered surgery in private hospitals but as her sister recently had a heart attack  "under the knife" she elected to wait and have her surgery in a larger NHS unit with a cardiac department. Vlod she is now recovering well. The facts remain the same.  Ealing CCG are committed to closing Ealing Hospital but are in denial about the effects. Close the M25 dig your heads in the sand and hope the remaining roads take up the extra traffic. One Labour vote safe here.

Arthur Breens ● 3241d

Vlod,My mistake. I should have been more specific. I wrote about Type 1 performance. Before A&E closures of Central Middx and Hammersmith hospitals the performance of Type 1 A&Es across North West London was between 78% and 95% to meet the 95% 4hour target. After those closures performance fell to between 60% and 80%.. That means that you might be in the 40% needing emergency treatment who had to wait more than 4 hours to be assessed and admitted into an appropriate bed. Far too long eh Vlod? My data from "North West London Collaboration of CCGs Performance data" from Jan 2012 to 2017. This data and the graphs derived from them has never been challenged by anyone in the medical profession and were the ones Joy didn't want to see. And Vlod did two A&Es close in this area or was that just a scare story?

Arthur Breens ● 3242d

The West Middlesex PFI contract was signed in January 2001. The PFI contract for the Brent Emergency Care And Diagnostic at Central Middlesex hospital was signed in 2004 I believe (building was open in 2006). More New Labour legacies.

Vlod Barchuk ● 3242d

Arthur, nothing complacent about it. Let’s take your claim that A&E performance in North West London is among the worst in the country. As best as I can find, NHS publishes weekly and monthly data aggregated but only provides a breakdown by Trust each quarter; the reports can be found by googling ‘quarterly performance of the provider sector’. The figures for last three quarters of 2016 are below (North West London figures first, then London average, then national average):Apr to Jun: 89.45% - 89.35% - 86.58% Jul to Sep: 90.26% - 90.91% - 89.31% Oct to Dec: 84.29% - 87.21% - 87.87%Overall performance is well below the 95% national target but to say North West London is among the worst in the country is not true. The most recent quarterly report listed the 10 acute trusts with the worst A&E waiting times; North West London Trust isn’t there.I feel safer knowing that where I am taken if I’m suddenly seriously ill depends on what’s wrong with me rather than which is the nearest hospital: if I have a stroke, I’ll be taken to a specialist stroke unit; if I have a heart attack, I’ll go to a hospital with cardiothoracic centre; if I’m knocked down by a car, I’ll be taken to a trauma unit. In each case, paramedics in the ambulance (which is not just a fast taxi) will stabilise my condition before the specialists get their hands on me. One can debate how many such units there should be and where they should be located, but spreading scare stories about hospitals closing won’t improve anyone’s hospital care.

Vlod Barchuk ● 3242d

I take it all back. She has responded well.. One Tory vote is safe and Steve need not faint like he said he would if I ever voted for him.

Graham Weeks ● 3243d

She has been slow to respond to my emailed questions. Inefficient or from my questions she may deduce that our views differ? I know Steve Pound's views on these matters and I may do the u turn of a lifetime. I have not voted Labour since Harold Wilson. Labour is I reckon safe in Ealing North so my vote will not make a difference.

Graham Weeks ● 3243d

Its easy to see that Joy Inboden Damschroder Morrissey fits right into Ealing with its large media community and strong film and theatre ties with her background in the film industry.Interestingly, there was Joy Damschroeder who was the 2004 Acting Fellow at the Contemporary American Theatre Company (CATCO) based in Columbis, Ohio, USA. In its production of  Chekhov's Uncle Vanya a review by the Columbus Dispatch wrote: “Joy Damschroder, this season's acting fellow at CATCO, conveys innocence as Sonya, the dutiful daughter who longs for Dr. Astrov (Jonathan Putnam), who only has eyes for lovely Elena Andreyevna (Robin Amy Gordon), unhappy in a loveless marriage to a retired professor (Jon Farris).” Could this be the same Joy Damschroeder?Later in the season Joy Damschroder stars as Louise in a CATCO production of Comedian Steve Martin’s adaptation of a 1910 German farce, The Underpants, had a successful Off-Broadway run a couple of years ago. Now, Contemporary American Theatre Company (CATCO) will perform its own version of Martin’s adaptation November 26 through December 19 at Studio One in the Riffe Center. Jonathan Putnam directs the romp, which begins one Sunday morning when husband and wife, Louise and Theo, stop to watch a parade. Louise’s underwear accidentally, and scandalously, falls to the ground. Her mortified husband imagines the worst type of social and financial disasters befalling him as a result of the errant underwear – yet, he remains blind to the fact that the men who suddenly materialize as prospective lodgers for their room to let are there precisely because of his wife’s underpants. (Short North Gazette, News of the Short North, Surrounding Neighbourhoods, and the Columbus Art Community http://www.shortnorth.com/Theatre2004.html). Here is where the MAY SMILE comes into it, there is a picture of  “Jon Marballi (back) and Tod Zimmerman grab a peek as Louise (Joy Damschroder) accidentally drops her pants in The Underpants. Photo/ Dave Alkire”It is probably a completely different Joy Damschroder, but it made me laugh![url=https://postimg.org/image/tjuie1xph/][img]https://s26.postimg.org/lecgfw9gp/Underpants.jpg[/img][/url][url=https://postimage.io/]free image host[/url][url=https://certificity.com]certificity.com[/url]
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John Alan Peters ● 3246d

Having worked out that Joy Morrissey was also Joy Damschroder and Joy Inboden in the USA, (https://www.beenverified.com/lp/b59a19/2/search-results#.) she then shows up at the London School of Economics (LSE) as Joy Damschroder in 2009 when is is appointed as a student representative to the LSE Academic Board (AB).2009 11 11 AB Minutes - LSEwww.lse.ac.uk/intranet/LSEServices/.../2009%2011%2011%20AB%20Minutes.doc11 Nov 2009 - The Director welcomed the newly-elected student representatives on the Academic Board, Tasnim Begum, Olivia Capra, Joy Damschroder, ...This, I guess, marks her first political post in the U.K.!To see the document:https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjy-MjNnOrTAhUsKsAKHWwvBukQFggnMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lse.ac.uk%2Fintranet%2FLSEServices%2FgovernanceAndCommittees%2FcommitteesAndWorkingGroups%2FacademicBoard%2Fminutes%2F09-10%2F2009%252011%252011%2520AB%2520Minutes.doc&usg=AFQjCNEcxIudKF7Tom3RnREPFWdFQ10MbQ&sig2=OlmQHpIi9wnCTxr2uDBuvg

John Alan Peters ● 3246d

More interesting is who is Joy Morrissey?https://www.beenverified.com/lp/b59a19/2/search-results#.Before she became Joy Morrissey she shows up as Joy Rebekah Inboden and is also seen as Joy R Damschroder in the USA.

John Alan Peters ● 3246d

It's only £500 I am surprised that there are not more 'vanity' candidates.

Paul Gibbs ● 3247d

https://www.isobelgrant.com

Graham Weeks ● 3247d

Wo is GRANT Isobel The Conservative Party Candidate for Ealing Nort?. Their web page has nothing about her.

Graham Weeks ● 3247d

Those that have found that bundle of used notes in the mattress to finance their nomination and hence are standing according to the Ealing council website:Ealing Central and ActonBALL Jon Liberal DemocratHUQ Rupa Labour PartyMORRISSEY Joy The Conservative Party CandidateEaling SouthallBAKHAI Nigel Liberal DemocratCONTI Fabio The Conservative Party Candidate POYNTON John UK Independence Party (UKIP) SHARMA Virendra Labour PartyTHIARA Arjinder Singh Workers Revolutionary PartyWARD Peter The Green PartyEaling NorthGRANT Isobel The Conservative Party CandidateHANS Meena The Green PartyMCILVENNA Peter UK Independence Party (UKIP)POUND Steve Labour PartySANDERS Humaira Liberal Democrat

John Alan Peters ● 3247d

The election notices on the council website have an interesting clause in them:"The required deposit may be made either by the deposit of any legal tender or by means of a banker’s draft. The Acting Returning Officer will not accept deposit by electronic means at this election."I am not really very sure about what to make of this. How do you give the council cash or a banker's draft? There is no cash payment facility for us mere mortals with council tax and our parking permits any more.I feel cheated. Why do I have to pay electronically, the general election candidates can pay deposits in cash?Or is that the council does not trust politicians?

John Alan Peters ● 3247d

Yes the only evidence is that the PFI bill for West Middlesex and other hospitals is a massive burden on the local hospital provision so they need to solve it. reducing services crucially at the non -PFI hospitals. and then selling off land for development to subsidise the financial strain of handling more patients with a static budget. we see with private clinics growing up on the great west road that the privatised future is underway!!

Peter Chadburn ● 3247d

Vlod you are very laid back about the changes to the NHS in North West London. "..moving services between locations should not be rejected out of hand." I can't make it any clearer 2 A&Es were closed in 2014 not moved and resulted in a sharp deterioration in A&E performance in North West London at the remaining A&Es. Investment in Northwick Park to expand A&E facility there made no difference and the performance overall has remained stubbornly poor. The CCG big wig you mention can't understand or explain this either. She and her colleagues hide behind the mantras..."clinically lead and evidence based".......but substantively supply no evidence of either. A&E performance in North West London is now amongst the worst in the country. It wasn't before. Feel safe Vlod? I had those performance graphs for you Joy Morrissey but you didn't want to see them. Are Tories just "blind" to this evidence like climate change deniers?

Arthur Breens ● 3248d

Arthur, having read the business case (such as it is) I agree with you re the inadequacy of the plans in setting out how they will improve local health services. I attended an Acton ward forum (I think you were there as well) and when I asked the CCG big wig what the proposed new Out Of Hospital hubs (suppose to replace some services currently providing in hospitals) would contain and where they'd be I got a lot of waffle; I don't think she knew because there probably isn't a clear plan. We have a National, not a local, Health Service so moving services between locations should not be rejected out of hand and hospital buildings shouldn't become sacred cows. District general hospitals have been becoming less important over the last 15 years; it was the last Labour government that saw London stroke services concentrated in few locations (with Ealing Hospital losing their unit) and Lord Darzi calling for more primary care based service delivery; the latter means less done in hospitals though no one was prepared to acknowledge that at the time. None of that detracts from the fact that the current plans are half baked. But the Conservative councillors did not vote for the plan; they voted against a Labour party motion opposing closure of Charing Cross and Ealing hospital. They know they're not cloaing and Hammersmith's Labour Council is subject of a formal complaint from Imperial Trust for stating this. This is the Laobur party trying to brand the Tories as the 'nasty' party; there's a general election campaign so the Labour party will be telling us we have 24/48/72 hours to save the NHS. The debate on local health services has to move beyond this type of political point scoring.

Vlod Barchuk ● 3248d

It is also important that everyone knows the facts about Ealing Hospital."Shaping a Healthier Future" and the NWL NHS STP (which Ealing Council and Hammersmith/Fulham Council have refused to sign) proposes the following: Ealing Hospital to have a reduction from 288 to around 55 beds, closure of ALL surgical operation facilities, all intensive care beds and the A & E service. What is called a "local A & E" will, in fact be an Urgent Care Centre.  What would remain at Ealing would be Out Patient Clinics and possibly some rehabilitation facilities. It would be called Ealing (local) Hospital. Most of us would recognise it as more of a Polyclinic. It is worth noting that a similar fate awaits Charing Cross Hospital some time in the future. I am surprised that Ealing Conservative Councillors are prepared to vote for such a plan.

Arthur Breens ● 3249d

The trouble is he's got a mandate...

Philippa Bond ● 3249d

Vlod,Hello.Not quite right. The people and maybe the council greatly slowed the progress of Shaping a Healthier Future that proposed 4 yes 4 A&Es be closed by now. The closure of two in 2014 and the resultant drop (some might say dangerous drop) in performance of those remaining in NW London has been well documented by those who care using FoI data. Those in charge however like climate change deniers try to bury this bad news. Well they would wouldn't they because their income depends upon it. When I tried to talk to Joy Morrissey (shadow Con health) about this data presented in easily understandable graphs she evaded meetings. My GP evaded a discussion too because his surgery was to benefit from some of these changes perhaps.Rupa and I (as a Save Ealing Centre delegate) met with Crossrail to try to advance the improvements(read lifts and ticket office) to Ealing Broadway Station before the completion date two years hence. No success so far but I like Rupa and I liked Angie who also worked to get these changes sooner.

Arthur Breens ● 3250d

To say the Joy Morrissey (and other Conservative concillors) voted for closure/reduction of Ealing and Charing Cross Hospitals at council is spin of the highest order. Labour put forward a motion calling for the Council to "resist the closures of Ealing & Charing Charing hospitals". But they aren’t closing, so quite sensible to vote against a motion that calls for opposition to something that isn’t happening.The Council has no power to stop hospital services being removed or moved elsewhere, so the motion broke your own rule of politicians opining on matters over which they have no control. Labour trumpeted their opposition to hospital re-organisations at the council elections in 2014. Of course, that has had no impact on the plans but Labour councillors happily voted themselves a 10% increase in their allowances on the back of their electoral success.It would be useful to know if Rupa has stopped any hospital service changes opposed by Labour. Could you provide a list of her successes?

Vlod Barchuk ● 3250d

An MP has no or very little influence on rubbish collection, street cleaning and 20mph roads, this is what local elections are for.  Where they can help at a local level is where a decision has been made at parliamentary level which affects their constituents, such as closing local hospitals and cutting education budgets. For our borough that is the closing of hospitals and seriously reducing teacher levels in secondary schools. Joy Morrissey voted for the closures/reduction of services at Ealing and Charing Cross Hospitals at council.  Rupa Huq is supporting keeping them open, perhaps someone could post the other candidates views on this and the major cuts to the education budget.

Libby Kemp ● 3251d

Dennis  You need to read a bit more Hansard as you are incorrect.Rupa Huq has always replied to me when I have written to her explaining what she has been doing on the issues concerned.

Philippa Bond ● 3252d

Meanwhile it looks like Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Ealing North is Isobel Grant.

John Alan Peters ● 3252d

The estimable Councillor Dr Fabio Conti has been selected as the Conservative candidate for Ealing Southall.

John Alan Peters ● 3252d

I stand by my previous comment.  Rupa is an excellent MP.  I hope she retains her seat.

Marion Dunn ● 3258d

I must say I wasn't greatly enthused by Rupa Huq's first couple of speeches in the Commons. I have however had occasion to write to her several times over issues that concern me greatly, two of which are Trident renewal and Britain's disgraceful foreign policy in the Middle East. She has responded promptly and at length and sent me a long list of how she has voted on motions going through parliament. Thankfully her views have coincided with mine on these issues that I find worrying.The Labour council is another matter entirely. It is inept and dishonest to an astonishing degree, but there is little Dr. Huq can do about this.

Judith Jaafar ● 3261d

My apologies to all and sundry, in spite of my efforts I did not spell Rupa's first name correctly, the psychology of trying too hard is at work here rather than any deliberate intent. Here is a corrected version of my post that replaces the first one with a couple of spelling mistakes corrected (and of course Rupa's first name).I concur with you Dennis. It is a case of the signal and the noise. The spelling mistakes, the disproportionate reactions to how people speak, are the noise, we are missing the signal which is what have these people done for Ealing. This applies to all MP candidates.We now know who the LibDem candidates will be:Ealing Central and Acton: Jon BallEaling North: Humaira SandersEaling Southall: Nigel BakhaiAnd the Labour ones:Ealing Central and Acton: Rupa HuqEaling North: Steven PoundEaling Southall: Virendra Sharma(I hope I have go their names spelled correctly, I don't really want the thought police knocking on my door tomorrow)None of this will come as a surprise to anyone, I think.What I want to hear from all of these candidates is:What they have done for Ealing, and what they are going to do for Ealing in the future.These are all highly intelligent people who must be capable of some good ideas and who all have some awareness of the issues facing the area.The game changer will be when the Conservative Party announces candidates as rumoured about on Wednesday later this week.At this point in time I perceive Ealing Southall and Ealing North continuing to remain in Labour hands though with a reduced majority that has shifted to the LibDems, Greens and the Conservatives.Ealing Central Acton is going to be a blood bath with a three-way split between Jon Ball (LibDem), Rupa Huq (Labour) and the unknown Angie-Bray-Successor. A lot rests on who is chosen to be the Angie-Bray-Successor; if the choice is a buggins turn old guard good old boy councillor then Jon Ball is in with chance, or it will be Rupa Huq again, if it is someone a little more in tune with the realities of densely-populated multi-cultural city life then the Conservatives could swing that seat. Everything is up for grabs today.So much rests on a handshake.

John Alan Peters ● 3265d

I concur with you Dennis. It is a case of the signal and the noise. The spelling mistakes, the disproportionate reactions to how people speak, are the noise, we are missing the signal which is what have these people done for Ealing. This applies to all MP candidates.We now know who the LibDem candidates will be:Ealing Central and Acton: Jon BallEaling North: Humaira SandersEaling Southall: Nigel BakhaiAnd the Labour ones:Ealing Central and Acton: Rups HuqEaling North: Steven PoundEaling Southall: Virendra Sharma(I hope I have go their names spelled correctly, I don't really want the thought police knocking on my door tomorrow)None of this will come as a surprise to anyone, I think.What I want to hear from all of these candidates is:What they have done for Ealing, and what they are going to do for Ealing in the future.These are all highly intelligent people who must be capable of some good ideas and who all have some awareness of the issues facing the area.The game changer will be when the Conservative Party announces candidates as rumoured about on Wednesday later this week.At this point in time I perceive Ealing Southall and Ealing North continuing to remain in Labour handles though with a reduced majority that has shifted to the LibDems, Greens and the Conservatives.Ealing Central Acton is going to be a blood bath with a three-way split between Jon Ball (LibDem), Rupa Huq (Labour) and the unknown Angie-Bray-Successor. A lot rests on who is chosen to be the Angie-Bray-Successor; if the choice is a buggins turn old guard good old boy councillor then Jon Ball is in with chance, or it will be Rupa Huq again, if it is someone a little more in tune with the realities of densely-populated multi-cultural city life then the Conservatives could swing that seat. Everything is up for grabs today.So much rests on a handshake.

John Alan Peters ● 3265d

A one party state is what we have in Putin's Russia. Perhaps you'd like that Dennis? I want to vote Libdem but in Ealing Southall it won't help so I shall vote Labour. At least Sharma voted against article 50. Still, this country will get what it's voted for........no NHs, rubbish schools etc etc. Can't stand Corbyn but he'll be gone eventually.

Penelope Crocker ● 3265d

All she has talked about is Trump and The Ukraine! Corbyn / Huq  The Tories have won the lottery !

Dennis Brogan ● 3265d

It is ridiculous to call someone racist over a spelling mistake ! Angie Bray is much easier to spell . Calling people racist is getting ridiculous and over used now even for spelling .!We should use the term less which would have a bigger impact , when a serious case of racism occurs !

Dennis Brogan ● 3265d

An insider says Tory candidate by next Wednesday.Can you imagine what it's like at Central Office this weekend if they really didn't know an election was about be called?And every candidate has to be approved before the final local decision is made.And Bart is right - it's silly and offensive to wilfully get Rupa's name wrong. And smacks of racism too. Nobody did that to Angie Bray...

Sara Nathan ● 3266d

I agree with the previous poster - it is really unpleasant to willfully get Rupa Huq's name wrong. It is absolutely not "light hearted" or whatever - it is offensive.

Bart Govaert ● 3268d

Rupa Huq has absolutely distinguished herself by her hard work in the consistuency and her representations in parliament. I applaud her stance on awomen's right to choose and her support of women and the less advantaged and her work to save our hospitals. I also think it is really offensive not to get her name right.  It is Rupa not Rapper or Rappa.

Marion Dunn ● 3268d

Andy, tweetups are a form of constituent engagement - just a very 21st century one! She's also not "annoyed the faithful", just a small minority of those who think they have the right to tell a woman what she can do with her own body. And a quick search of Hansard shows that Rupa has been very active in looking out for the interests of the people of Ealing. Thus is just a small sampling from the past few months:Standing up for residents on HS2https://goo.gl/GvyB8OCalling out land-banking (and mentioning the long empty cinema site)https://goo.gl/pwzVRlLooking out for local schoolshttps://goo.gl/NtL0iuCalling the govt to account on homelessness policy https://goo.gl/gr3sJ2

Chris Gilson ● 3268d

Having asked those questions, what has she done? I will add that I will probably vote Labour because of the Conservatives appalling stance to the disadvantaged, ill, and so on, and the disintegrating health service. I am not in Rappers constituency though the Ealing Labour MPs and the Ealing Labour Council dont inspire much confidence. I shall, however, pray for her to change her view on abortion which is murder in many faiths.

Andy Walsal ● 3268d

Mr. Gilson, what exactly has Rapper done for Ealing other than attending tweet ups and annoying the faithful?

Andy Walsal ● 3268d

Mr. Gilson, what exactly has Rapper done for Ealing other than attending tweet ups and annoying the faithful?

Andy Walsal ● 3268d

Street cleaning is done by the council, council funding has been cut but Central Government by around 60% since 2010.I'd blame the Central Government if the council can't afford as many street cleaners any more.

Ben Powell ● 3268d

No they don't.They have influence at a national level. They don't generally get involved in local council matters, that's what councillors and the council are for.

Paul James ● 3268d

I think that Rupa Huq will win reelection in Ealing with ease. Huq is pro-choice, a position shared by the vast majority of the population, including many Christians and members of other faiths. Her 'aggressive stance against people praying against abortion' is not an attack on religion but rather an attack on those who think that what a woman chooses to do with her body is any of their business. Constituency elections are not won or lost on such issues in any case. Literally every single practical thing you say you want from a local MP are issues for the Council - MPs can only lobby the Council to do more in those areas. Huq has been great for Ealing and will continue to be.

Chris Gilson ● 3268d

So local MPs have no influence on their streets that were once clean and now look like Bangladesh !!!Grow up !

Dennis Brogan ● 3268d

>as Ealing crumbles around us?They are Mps, we elect them to represent us in the mother of parliaments, not pick our local litter up..

Paul James ● 3269d

It would just be so nice to see a nice new platform of candidates for Ealing for the Labour Party. I can see them losing a lot of electoral share with their current offerings. Rappa Huq has managed to offend the Christian (and other faith and religious groups to whom abortion is major sin) presences in Ealing with her aggressive stance against people praying against abortion while attending a lot of church events, I can't recall what Steve Pound has done though it certainly hasn't made the borough any cleaner, and as for Virendra Sharma, well, he has never been seen East of the River Brent in living memory in the bit of Ealing that is still Ealing and not part of Southall.From Labour I want to hear: weekly rubbish collections, no more wheelie bins, no more political assistants salaried by the council. New candidates with a fresh view who are in touch with the local electorate and not with their historical diaries and their local dining club. Sadly, I doubt that this will happen and we will see the same old faces failing to motivate.Everything is up for grabs in this election for ALL the parties, why not listen to the electorate for a change?

John Alan Peters ● 3269d

It will be interesting but i feel that the sudden change of mind might be down to the impending announcement by the CPS on charges of electoral fraud potentially affecting 20 mp's. If any of them had to have a by-election then then narrow majority could disappear. With this upcoming election then this issue will be removed. This combined with the opinion poll lead makes the decision a no brainer. However the refusal to appear in any debates is something that May knows she also has everything to lose!! A bad performance in the debate could backfire, so a no risk campaign strategy of negative tactics is what we will see.

Peter Chadburn ● 3269d

Labour is not reselecting. Huq must be at risk. Conservatives?

Graham Weeks ● 3269d

So that eliminates Labour !

Dennis Brogan ● 3270d

Okay, so Jon Ball is in the starting blocks for Ealing Central Acton (or whatever it is called) as the LibDem guy.

John Alan Peters ● 3270d