More on Labour's new generation - tokenism on equalities and Phil Woolas

You may remember that I was none too pleased about Yvette Cooper not getting the Shadow Chancellorship last week. Now my anger is increased tenfold when I discover that new leader for a new generation Ed Miliband considers the equalities portfolio so irrelevant that he just dumps it on the top girl in the Shadow Cabinet elections. It's appalling tokenism.

And words fail me about the return of Phil Woolas to the ministerial team at the Home Office. This is the guy who refused to let the Gurkhas live here and was famously shown up by Joanna Lumley following a Lib Dem led defeat in the Commons on the issue.

Ed Miliband says Labour made mistakes on civil liberties:

"As someone who is liberal on social issues and civil liberties, I accept that in government we were too draconian on aspects of our civil liberties,"

We'll leave aside the fact that he voted for many of them for the moment.

Phil Woolas in 2001 wanted to remove state benefits from those who refused to register to vote as this Independent leader article shows.  By their deeds shall you know them, and all that. Appointing Phil Woolas to any role that has an impact on civil liberties is a bit like appointing Harvey Hawley Crippen to be a relationship counsellor.

To show such faith in someone who is awaiting the outcome of an election trial, ironically due on 5th November, could be seen to be questionable.