Regrets Over Choice Of White Man To Stand As The Labour Shipley Candidate Against Honorary Super MRA Philip D MP

By Mike Buchanan: Racism and sexism in Shipley. The start of the piece (by a female journalist, predictably):

Labour members have voiced disquiet over the party’s decision to stand a “white man” against firebrand Tory incumbent Philip Davies.
The nation’s eyes will be on the seat at the General Election as Women’s Equality Party leader Sophie Walker takes on Mr Davies, a vocal critic of ‘political correctness’.
And with feminism likely to be high on the political agenda, local Labour members say they had hoped the party would field a strong female candidate.
The ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) last week selected Steve Clapcote, who lost to Mr Davies in 2015 [those who stood in 2015 right]. He officially started his campaign with a stall in Shipley market square on Saturday.
Labour member Sara Mogford, of Baildon, said she was incredibly disappointed that Labour chiefs were standing “a white man against Philip Davies – who also lost last time”.
She said: “If they didn’t feel they had anyone good and strong and female to stand against Philip Davies, let’s get behind the Women’s Equality Party.”

The end of the piece:

Ann Cryer, the former Labour MP for Keighley who lives in the Shipley constituency, said: “I think it would have been better had it been a woman, but I’m not going to start complaining and making an issue about it.”
She said party officials had been working incredibly hard to secure candidates quickly.
Mrs Cryer said around a week ago, there had been a meeting to start a Shipley Labour Party women’s forum, and most people there had been of the view that they should stand a candidate rather than endorsing the Women’s Equality Party.
She added: “I think they may not be madly keen about Steve but poor thing, he can’t be a woman. [my emphasis] We can’t do anything about that.”

Edited by AA

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