Meacher-backed LeftFuture’s blog post titled “The unrepresented working class: a space Respect can fill” seems to have been deleted. Nothing to do with it being against Labour Party rules to back an opposing candidate. With the retirement of the politician formerly known as Viscount Stansgate, Meacher is the only authentic Bennite left in Parliament…

UPDATE: Full article by Kate Hudson of the Respect Party – their candidate for the Manchester Central by-election on 15 November uploaded by Guido here. She makes a good point about the extremely low turnout in an extremely safe Labour seat.

That is why I am standing for Respect in Manchester Central. It’s a ‘safe’ Labour seat, with 52% of the votes cast for Labour in 2010. But that figure hides a sorry tale. It also has the lowest turn out in the country at 44.5%. Labour, which has run Manchester for a long time, has not addressed the deep problems of the city or the constituency. Manchester is the fourth most deprived local authority in the country and its two most deprived wards are in Central constituency. Clearly, Labour is not working for Manchester Central. The people are making their judgment by voting with their feet, by turning away from the electoral process altogether. It’s time for a political alternative, articulating the interests of working people. Respect stands for that alternative.

Rival blogger Mark Ferguson from LabourList is quick to condemn:

https://twitter.com/Markfergusonuk/status/236771294497095682