Labour candidate planned degree course in Spain
Until only a few weeks ago, Chris Ostrowski, Labour's young candidate in the Norwich North by-election, was planning to leave the country this autumn, together with his wife Katy, to go and do an MA in International Relations at a university in Madrid.
Indeed, I'm told his forthcoming departure for Spain lay behind his decision, last February, to step down as Treasurer of the Christian Socialist Movement, after two years in the job.
Ostrowski's Spanish plans were so far advanced that many people in Labour circles were rather surprised when it was suddenly announced that he was now Labour's man in Norwich North.
Presumably Ostrowski's academic plans will be abandoned if he is elected to Parliament on 23 July.
But if, as seems more likely, he loses the by-election then Madrid is still very much an option. I understand that in April Ostrowski told the university in Madrid that he wouldn't now be coming this autumn, but that he was still interested in coming in September 2010.
The university are keeping the MA place open for him for another year, and Ostrowski has until next July to decide whether to take up.
For now, a Labour spokesman says, "Chris is focussing all of his attention on the by-election."
I'm Michael Crick, and I'm Newsnight's political editor. My guiding rule is that in any story there's usually something the politicians would prefer the world not to know. My job is to find that out. Follow me on
Comment number 1.
At 2nd Jul 2009, stanilic wrote:One should never let a by-election come between a man and a promising career. I think Lord Hesseltine would agree on that.
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Comment number 2.
At 3rd Jul 2009, Carl Gardner wrote:Fair enough, Michael, you're only reporting facts. I've no beef with that.
But some people will seize on this as an embarrassment or blunder. I don't think so. If people are going to be real about politics, instead of seeing it as just a silly points-scoring game, they have to realise candidates do have lives, can't know they'll succeed in being elected, at least till they bag a safe seat, and do have to have a Plan B unless they're very well off indeed.
And if more candidates were of the calibre that get accepted to do MAs in international relations, the country might be better off.
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Comment number 3.
At 6th Jul 2009, Dean MacKinnon-Thomson wrote:Good journalism.
Clean, holding to the facts.
Letting the audience make their own interpretations (as the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ ougth t do in all reporting).
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Comment number 4.
At 6th Jul 2009, DuncanMcFarlane wrote:How is this even relevant? How about some reporting of what Ostrowski's policy positions are, not to mention those of all the other parties and candidates, preferably including Craig Murray's? That would both be interesting and show the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ were providing unbiased and comprehensive coverage.
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