Lorna Fitzsimons fails in bid to join Labour Party NEC

Date published: 04/08/2006

Former Rochdale MP Lorna Fitzsimons has failed in her bid to be elected to the Labour Party National Executive Committee (NEC).

Since losing her seat in the May 2005 General Election to the Liberal Democrats Paul Rowen, Lorna has set up her own consultancy company working from home in Wardle.

In her pitch to be elected to the NEC Lorna detailed her concern that the party alienates people: "we have all been in meetings where if you are new or not the 'in crowd' then you feel seriously isolated."

Her pitch continued: "Membership is the key and if members don’t feel involved or important they ether leave or get disaffected and don’t campaign."

She promised to attempt to change this is by being dedicated to travelling round the country to listen to members and supporters to ensure, "as much as one person can", that there is a communication system where members feel a link to the NEC and the leadership.

However, it was not persuasive enough to see her elected, though she could claim to have lost out to disenchantment with Tony Blair as ordinary Labour members flexed their muscles by electing antiwar heckler Walter Wolfgang, the pensioner thrown out of last years party conference, who was one of four candidates backed by the left wing Grassroots Alliance.