Labour's "rural problem": here's my take as someone who's campaigned for Labour in a constituency that has never EVER returned a Labour MP and struggles to win as much as a single council seat.
1/8

Whether it's Westminster elections or local government elections, rural CLPs routinely get screwed by Labour's candidate selection process which is prejudiced against areas that are deemed to be "unwinnable". This becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
2/8

Constituencies and council areas that already have sitting Labour MPs/councillors are first in line for candidate selection.

Labour candidates in winnable marginal constituencies/council seats are selected next.
3/8

Last in the queue for candidate selection are the constituencies/council seats that Labour deems to be "challenging" or "developing"- euphemism for "being ignored".
4/8

Because Labour's candidates in rural areas are selected so late in the election cycle, we never get a proper chance to develop their profile in local communities before the short campaign. We're lucky if we get a couple of months, when what we need is a YEAR.
5/8

Incumbent MPs/councillors (usually Tory) already have an inbuilt advantaged because they've had at least one whole electoral cycle to build a profile and get known.
6/8

Rural CLPs are caught in a trap: fighting a massive uphill struggle against large Tory majorities, yet handicapped by Labour's selection process that never gives them a chance to develop candidates and improve.
7/8

Rural CLPs need to be given a fair crack of the whip by Labour and allowed to select candidates far enough in advance of elections to give them time to run proper grassroots campaigns. Until that happens Labour will never make any progress in the shires.
8/8