Barry: Calder chaos rumbles on

May 6 2009 by Barry Gibson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

WHAT on Earth is happening in Calder Valley?

There are ructions afoot around Brighouse and Elland.

Each passing week brings more controversy as Labour tries to select a candidate to replace retiring MP Chris McCafferty.

For those of you unfamiliar with goings-on north of Ainley Top, allow me to explain.

Back in July last year, Labour activists in the constituency chose South African-born Hebden Bridge woman Janet Oosthuysen to fight the seat at the next election. She beat off competition from Todmorden woman Steph Booth, whose son-in-law happens to be a certain Anthony Blair.

So far, so straightforward. But just as Ms Oosthuysen was preparing to do battle for the marginal seat, news emerged – we know not from where – that she had been cautioned by police in 2007 for scratching her ex-boyfriend’s BMW.

While this may not be the best way for a would-be MP to behave, it was hardly scandal of the century. Yet it was enough to make the Labour party drop Ms Oosthuysen, which of course meant another selection meeting.

Ms Booth stood again, this time against Sue Press, another Hebden Bridge woman. This time Ms Booth came out on top – though only with the help of an unusually high number of postal votes. Cue an inquiry by HQ, and more allegations about an allegedly unpaid builder’s bill and derogatory comments on a newspaper website.

This is not exactly the perfect way to limber up to defend a seat with a majority of fewer than 2,000 votes. The only person to benefit from this Labour infighting is the Conservative candidate, Rastrick councillor Craig Whittaker, who must be unable to believe his luck.

His chances of taking the seat have gone from racing cert to dead cert thanks to all these Labour shenanigans.

And indeed that’s the comedy of the whole situation – the Labour candidates are like two bald men fighting over a comb. What they’re really struggling for is not a career at Westminster, but rather the opportunity to shake Clr Whittaker’s hand on election night and wish him good luck down in London.

It really doesn’t seem worth the aggro.