Zarah Sultana sweats her seat

Ping! An email lands in Steerpike’s inbox. ‘Will you join me?’ reads the email line. Gosh. Who was this damsel in distress, this online agoniser in search of aid? Step forward none other than Mr S’s favourite student politician, Zarah Sultana. It seems that Coventry’s answer to Citizen Smith is in a bit of a jam, as the ring light-loving leftie apparently needs good comrades to come and help save her seat. 

Back in 2017, Coventry South was a solid Labour constituency, re-electing veteran Jim Cunningham with a handsome majority of 7,947 votes. Two years on and the candidacy of Sultana saw that fall to a wafer-thin 401, as the Corbyn fan-girl narrowly avoided losing a seat that has returned a Labour MP since the days of Macmillan. Now it seems that after two years prancing around acting as though she had a job for life, Sultana has only just woken up to the fact that her career is very much on the line come the next general election.

Her email begs for donations and support, bemoaning how:

The seat I represent is a hyper-marginal – I was elected with a majority of just 401 votes – and at the next election, the Tories will throw everything at me. On their side they’ll have press barons and billionaire donors. That’s why I need you on my side. I need you to join my people-powered campaign to win again in Coventry South and to help me champion our socialist principles in Parliament.

Applications for ‘Team Zarah’ are now open apparently, with supporters encouraged to do everything ‘from door-knocking in Coventry South, to online phone-banking and sharing social media content.’ Good luck translating those tweets into votes. Luckily Zarah won’t be alone in her efforts: one lucky caseworker is set to be hired for her team. ‘Desired characteristics’ apparently include being ‘sympathetic to the aims and values of the Labour Party and Zarah Sultana MP.’ 

Given the numerous criticisms Sultana has made of Keir Starmer’s leadership, good to see the Coventry MP distinguishing between her values and those of the party she purports to represent.