Yesterday's Labour Party NEC took a perfunctory moment to consider the events leading up to the coronation of Ray Collins as General Secretary. How many candidates applied? Answer: five, and one withdrew. Supplementaries: None. Not even a smidgeon of curiosity about the identity of the person who withdrew. According to my sources he was one of the short-listed candidates in Round One, believed to be Michael Parker. So why did he withdraw? Was it a dawn-chorus moment courtesy of beleaguered Labour Party Leader, Gordon Brown. Ooooo, nooooo, we don't doooo deals.
Then there's the question of relations between members of the shortlisting panel comprising Labour Party Officers and the candidates. According to my sources the minutes of Labour Officers' meeting don't even list who was present. So that's alright then. No need to declare possible conflicts of interest if you don't bother to record who was present in the first place.
Oh, I nearly forget, the proceedings started with Obituaries - tributes were paid to the late Gwyneth Dunwoody and Tom (latterly) Lord Burlison, former professional footballer, deputy general secretary of the GMB union and Labour Party treasurer. Tom was remembered particularly fondly by NEC chair, Dianne Hayter as a 'fixer'. I kid you not, you couldn't make this up.
I'm still up for challenging this way of doing politics. If you are a Labour Party member, a ballot paper for the NEC constituency section election 2008 is due to be sent to you at the end of next week. Vote - Kenyon, Azam, Black, Reeves, Shawcroft and Willsman.