Friday, February 25, 2011

Caroline Allen: my final top tip for the Green's Assembly List

It's selection fever in the Greens at the moment. You'll hear from this blog very soon on the London Mayoral selection but I wanted to give you my final top tip on the London Assembly race, Caroline Allen.

When I sit back and think about what I really want in an Assembly candidate, the quality I'm most looking for is that I can trust them.

I don't simply mean political integrity - although this is a quality I prize very highly, and I would not back a candidate that lacked it - but I also mean can I rely on them to be a decent, hard working candidate that's there for the party?

It means they are disciplined enough that even if he or she fancies going into a self-indulgent rant or pursuing their own agenda they remember they are representing others, not just themselves. They need to be capable of restraint at the right times. They need to be sound.

Often this means people who are making a sacrifice to run, rather than simply indulging their egos. Not that there are any of those in the Greens.

One of my first impressions of Caroline was when we were taking different sides on a particular issue. I was impressed by the professional and political way she handled the disagreement and when the issue was decided she moved on without rancour. This left a very good impression with me, and one that has been reinforced many times since then.

Caroline has a sharp analytical mind and understands policy. Not just understands what our policies are (which is useful) but also what policy is for. It's a quality rarely talked about, but absolutely invaluable.

I'm endorsing Caroline Allen because I know that if she was selected to the Assembly list she would bring cast iron self-discipline to the team. I know that we could trust her with the responsibility because she understands the need for basic competence in everything we do.

4 comments:

weggis said...

That's four women Jim.
Don't we have rules about this sort of thing?

Jim Jepps said...

Don't worry, my five Lords endorsements are three men and two women - so it evens things up.

Personally I don't think we should have gender equality rules but minimum women rules. We're the only party in the country that forbids both leader and deputy both being women. Crazy.

Tom Chance said...

I have to say, irrespective of your choice that's a good reason to pick someone.

When you escape the fun world of Fed meetings, online arguments, and plodding the streets with a wad of leaflets or a placard, what matters in the Assembly is whether someone is going to work well with people from other parties; whether they will be able to get a handle on policy and see constructive ways forward; whether they can put potential gains for Londoners and Greens ahead of their own indulgences.

In the larger party groups you can get away with grandstanding characters, and Members with narrow interests. But with one, two or three Greens you need real discipline.

weggis said...

Jim,
You are playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order....