Lib Dems Announce Their Candidate

Jody Dunn, 34 a local barrister and mother of four was selected on Thursday evening as the Lib Dem Candidate for Hartlepool. Mrs Dunn fended off the challenge of the Liberal Democrat's 2001 General Election candidate Nigel Body to win the party's nomination at a selection meeting last night.

The Labour party will be selecting their candidate on Friday next week, the dead line for nominations will be next Tuesday. According to the report in tonight's Hartlepool Mail six candidates are likely to put their names forward. Councillor Robbie Payne, former Labour Leader in Hartlepool Moss Boddy, Russell Hart who is a former leader, former MEP David Bowe and Downing Street's favourate Patrick Diamond who is a former special advisor to Peter Mandleson.

The Labour Party's choice seems to be which 'former' is the better.

No longer a safe seat for Labour

The 1997 General Election result:
Labour 26,997 Conservative 9,489. Lib Dem 6,248

The 2001 General Election result:
Labour 22,506 Conservative 7,935 Lib Dem 5,717.

Euro Election Result June 2004:
Labour 8,295 Conservative 4.332 Lib Dem 3,469 UKIP 5,056

The conclusion is obvious. Labour's popularity in Hartlepool is on a downward trend, as indeed is the Tory and Lib Dem vote.

UKIP's 19.8 % of the vote in June is evidence that a seat in Westminster awaits UKIP's candidate.

Research - Chris Williamson

Troy and Mandelson Uncovered

Peter Troy and Peter Mandelson have one thing in common, apart from the same Christian name. Both are Librians and both born in the same year. Peter Troy  celebrated his 50 th Birthday on the  30 September last year and Peter Mandleson on 21 October. Both being born in the Chinese year of the snake.

The Horoscope column into days Hartlepool Mail warns Librians ''Don't fool your self into thinking that you can eat to your hearts content. A pragmatic diet is is an essential component to your ultimate success''. 

Peter M will be sampling the fine bars and resturants of Brussels and Peter T will be eating more humble pie; one Doctor known to the latter will be happy.

Gut common-sense

In an interview with the Hartlepool Mail today, Piers Merchant, Chief Executive of UKIP referring to Robert Killroy-Silk  said '' There is still a big question mark over who our candidate will be. We have not ruled him out and he has not ruled himself out'' later adding ''we will definitely be putting a strong candidate forward as we see this as a seat that we can win''.

Clearly Piers is covering all options. Whoever is selected as UKIP's candidate in Hartlepool the campaign by the party will be the biggest ever. David Lott who mastermind UKIP's 12 MEP victory in June said today '' we will be sending Peter Mandleson to the the EU with a message that will haunt him throughout his term as an unelected EU Commisioner''.

Indeed UKIP will be selecting not just a candidate but a MP.

Mr Mandelson stated in the Hartlepool Mail on 23 July  '' and when I am sitting at my desk in Brussels it will be the gut common-sense of the people of Hartlepool that will be my guide and inspiration''.

UKIP intend to ''inspire'' the EU Commissioner into planning the UK's exit from the EU; since electing a UKIP MP  would be the clearest  ''guide'' that the people of Hartlepool can give  Hartlepool's new  representative in Europe.

Labour's New Candidate ?

Speculation continues as to who  will be the Labour contenders to defend  Mr Mandleson's 14,571 majority.
 
Ray Mallon - Mayor of Middlesbrough and former head of Middlesbrough CID who earned the nick name Robocop yesterday announced that he will not be standing in Hartlepool as a candidate for Labour. He did however declare that he would be fighting the next general election as Labour's candidate in Middlesbrough. This morning it was unclear whether Stuart Bell the current Labour MP was aware of  Mr Mallon's intentions.

There are four possibilities as to who the Labour candidate could be. David Bowe, who was elected Cleveland MEP in 1989 and who lost his Yorkshire/Humber seat in the June Election. Joe Docherty, the chief executive of Teess Valley Regeneration, who has confirmed that a number of ''people have approached him with the idea''. Mandlesons favoured one Patric Diamond who is the Hartlepool MP's researcher. Also Moss body former Labour group leader has  put his name forward.

We will keep you informed.

Contact the Campaign Agent

Chris Williamson Tel. 0191 377 9316 mobile 07713 167002
email: Chris-williamson@tiscali.co.uk

Dear Ma'am

Of Oaths and Solemn Declarations

The Rt. Hon. Peter Mandleson will later this year, upon taking up his post as the UK's EU Commissioner, be making a solemn declaration before the Court of Justice of the European Communities. That declaration is intended to pledge a Commissioners sole allegiance to the European Union.

In the case of the new British commissioner the making of this solemn and symbolic declaration will be in conflict with the oath that Mr Mandleson swore (or possibly affirmed) when he was appointed as a  Privy Counsellor in May 1997.

The substance of the oath sworn by the Hartlepool MP, when he became a Privy Counsellor includes the solemn undertaking: 'to bear faith and allegiance to the Crown and to defend its jurisdiction and powers against all foreign, persons or states'.

In the Autumn the UK's new (and now only) EU Commissioner will be required to declare: ' To perform my duties in complete independence, in the general interests of the communities; in carrying out my duties 'neither to seek or to take instructions from any Government or body; to refrain from any action incompatible with my duties.'

How can The Rt. Hon. Peter Mandleson defend the jurisdiction and powers of the UK and at the same time act in the general interests of the communities?

There is a clear conflict, allegiance may be born to one or other of the oaths but not both. What then should the UK's new Commissioner do to resolve this conflict of loyalties ? Clearly he should resign as a Privy Counsellor.  That is  not  likely to happen. No other UK EU commissioner has done so and they have all faced the same dilemma.

Questions should be asked, letters should be written by Her Majesty's subjects to Her Majesty.

UKIP's first MP in Hartlepool

This blog was launched on BBC Radio Cleveland at 7.30 this morning by the editor,  Peter Troy

Hartlepool 2004 will aim  to be the first with the news of UKIP's campaign in Hartlepool. We welome constructive comments.

At a public meeting in the Grand Hotel in July last year Roger Knapman UKIP leader and former Conservative party whip said ''the North East which  is the most eurosceptic region of the UK, will return UKIP's first MP''.  Mr Knapman, an experienced politican of principle, is correct.  

At the elections for the European Parliament on 10 June UKIP achieved second place in Hartlepool with 5,508 votes to Labour's 8,295. The Conservative party were third with 4,332 and the Lib Dems trailed fourth with 3,469. Neil Herron who campaigned on an anti-UKIP stance achieved 1,469. Clearly UKIP and Heron's combined  vote of  7,077 will have been viewed with horror in the towns Labour party office.

Though no date has been formally set yet for the by-election it is widely expected to be on 4 November, the same day as the elected regional assembly referendum which will be held by postal voting. This will be in conflict with the traditional turn up and vote system which is how the by-election will have  to be conducted.

There is considerable media speculation in the North East as to who the Parliamentary Candidates will be. The only certainty at this time is that  the former Conservative Candidate, Gus Robinson  who came second in the last general election   will stand as an Independent. There is  speculation that David Bowe a former MEP for Cleveland will be selected as the Labour Candidate.

UKIP's candidate  has yet to be announced. Selecting the best candidate who will become our first MP needs careful consideration.

Chris Williamson, who was today confirmed by UKIP leader Roger Knapman as the election Agent,  has sourced some excellent office accommodation and equipment. As reported in Fridays Guardian the planning for this campaign is already underway. Meetings were held two weeks ago and Chris and I discussed key issues in Mr Blair's high profile local 'The Dunn Cow' in Sedgfield on Friday.  Chris together with the campaign team will be outlining detailed plans for the strategy team meeting   in Hartlepool next week..

Clive Page of  Hillhead Associates who successfully controlled  the Scottish UKIP media campaign for the EUP elections will be in directing the 'Hartlepool 2004'  in conjunction with the party's Director of Communications, Mark Croucher. 

UKIP activists from Inverness to Exeter  have  pledged their support for 'Hartlepool 2004' , the biggest problem will be arranging accommodation for them all.

There will also be a UKIP Hartlepool by-election link from http://www.ukip.org/ which will be launched on Sunday evening. 

Volunteers should  contact Chris Williamson on
 0191 377 9316 or 077131 67002
 email:  chris-williamson@tiscali.co.uk

Contact the Editor

Peter Troy

                       email    ptroy@fsbdial.co.uk

                      office      01740 629433

                      mobile    0780 342 0995

The Hartlepool Horror

A very important article was published in The Times on Monday 26 July. On the comments page William Rees-Mogg thundered '' ..... a UKIP victory in the Hartlepool by-election would be a disaster for Labour, much worse than its customary defeats by the Lib Dems''

Moggy ends his piece with '' For Labour the forthcoming by-election could become the Hartlepool horror.''

The UKIP  campaign team in Hartlepool intend to make the Hartlepool 2004 by-election a real horror not only for Labour but the entire British political establishment.