THANKS, CHRIS.......

I don't believe in telling fibs and our outgoing MP Chris McCafferty would be the first to confirm that she and I have not always agreed.
But, being in very different, happier, circumstances in 2005, I was more than willing to trot along to her campaign HQ every day and hit the phones to stop Calder Valley going Tory.
What I didn't realise, until just now, is that last time round Labour's share of the vote was exactly the same as the Tories - 35.7 per cent.
What swung it, on a wafer-thin majority, was the FTTP system. Whether or not that will save Labour again remains to be seen but what I do know is that Chris McCafferty will be missed by all of us in the Labour Party.
Neither particularly "left" nor New Labour, she was able to keep the constituency united - and when the occasion of a matter of principle arose, as it did over Iraq, Trident and foundation hospitals, she would rebel.
I still think Chris was wrong not to help us nominate John McDonnell in 2007 - we had a blazing row after that one.
But I have always appreciated her good humour and kindness in often trying situations. So, as Parliament dissolves , I just want to place on record the fact we will miss her terribly in Calder Valley, where she has been MP since 1997

NO CHANGE IN CALDER VALLEY?

A strange rumour is sweeping our constituency that sitting MP Chris McCafferty will NOT be standing down at the next election. Given that our selection process has been stalled, this may or may not be the case. Given all the talk of a spring election, it may well also be that it's been decided our best chance of winning is with an incumbent MP. Who decides? Well, clearly not the humble foot-soldiers who knock on doors and do the legwork. It remains to be seen whether or not this is true ......more anon.

REBELS TO BE PROUD OF

Watched most of yesterday's Trident debate and not surprised at outcome but it was heartening to see so many MPs rebel, including my own, Chris McCafferty. Pendle's Gordon Prentice really gave a storming speech, too. Gordon Brown and the Govt are completely out of step with what the mass of the Party think. This is likely to spell more trouble for the Leadership but hopefully it will energise and motivate the Labour left. It must surely be a boost also for our hopes of getting a leadership contest. Brown seems hell-bent on a car crash approach to those who disagree with him.