By Simon Walters for The Mail on Sunday Anna Yearley, Labour general secretary is reported to have said that 'Northerners are backwards' A senior aide to Ed Miliband called Northerners ‘backward’ over choosing women MPs in a blazing row with a Labour veteran, it was claimed last night. Anna Yearley, the Labour leader’s political secretary and ‘fixer’, is said to have made the remark in an argument over moves to replace Northern male Labour MPs with younger, female ones. Austin Mitchell, 79, who is retiring as Labour MP for Great Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, at the next Election, said Ms Yearley told him Labour activists in the North had blocked moves to promote more female MPs – and she was determined to make them toe the line.
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Labour is split over plans to introduce 'all women shortlists' for the election
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Anna Yearley believes northern activists are blocking women's progress
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Austin Mitchell said Yearley spoke to him like he was a 'subnormal pensioner'
She may be right, but @placeholder have the right to choose whoever they want.