GRUNDYGATE: THE PLOT THICKENS

02-04-2008

The shock decision of Labour candidate Cath Grundy to stand down from her seat just weeks before the May Council elections has been blamed on a plot to replace her with one of Sir Albert’s Bore’s former leadership rivals Andy Howell.

Insiders suggest that Grundy and local branch chair Hugh McCallion were in league to ensure Howell’s succession in Kingstanding – which explains the timing of her resignation.

The idea was that with election time approaching, none of the other potential candidates would be able to mobilise support, leaving the son of former Sports Minister and Birmingham MP Dennis Howell as a “shoo-in”.

What Grundy and McCallion hadn’t reckoned on – at least according to this version of events – was that regional officials would quiz him hard about his credentials.

Howell was once Labour’s deputy leader but drifted out of politics after unsuccessfully attempting to topple Albert a few years back.

His lack of activity in local politics since then gave regional officials the excuse they needed to reject his candidature last week.

He then appealed, but when that was unsucccessful, McCallion – and not the regional Labour party, as reported on other blogs – cancelled Monday’s selection panel.

If no candidate is chosen by Friday, the region will be able to impose its own candidate – prompting the amazing prospect that Grundy might reverse her earlier decision and decide to stand after all.

This despite the personal and family issues that forced her to step down in the first place.

Grundy was herself once tipped as a Labour leadership contender, but as this latest conlict demonstrates, Sir Albert’s position once again seems unassailable.

McCallion's role in this plot seems particularly strange, given that he was Bore's campaign manager when he defeated Howell. Neither McCallion nor Grundy was available for comment.