There is nothing dirtier than this

Someone at Trøndelag Labor has at least self irony and good taste. During the recess before voting this afternoon, after delegates hit each other, break music played on the live broadcast that was sent from the Labor Party to, among others, Dagbladet TV viewers. We hear the spooky classic from the ’70s aptly titled “Fountain of Sorrow” by Jackson Browne.

It definitely is something sad about political breakdowns of power like the one we witnessed in the Labor Party last week, and which had its dramatic climax during the Trøndelag Labor county annual meeting today. It’s probably impossible to give a full report when the power game goes hand in hand, with sponsorship rumors rife and hidden agendas. But there are a few factors that stand out and that provide a basis for an analysis of what everyone is wondering now: What’s going on in the world in Trøndelag Ap?

We have to start with the latest and dramatic developments in the case. The leader of the Trøndelag Labor Party electoral committee, Arild Grande, asked for the last time what can be called a very unusual move. He is said to have received a text message about a possible warning against MP Ingvild Kjerkol, whom many in the committee and party wanted as the new county party leader after Trond Giske was rejected. With this he faced Kjerkol. Grande also put his leadership position on the committee to mean that Kjerkol was not the right person for the job. The result was that the committee ended up with a blanket recommendation for another candidate: the less profiled Marit Bjerkås.

When this became known through the media, fell on very poor ground. Grande came under heavy attack during today’s meeting, and tried to defend his choice from the rostrum as best he could. He argued that those who were to clean up the Trøndelag Labor Party should not be part of the established power structures. In the second round from the rostrum, even more pressured, he obtained solid results against leaks from the nominating committee that he believed were “based on fragments” and were placed on purpose. What should that purpose be? And why should one listen to this explanation from a man who now called for an agreement with the culture in the party, but who a week ago backed Trond Giske?

The one who dares You can choose sides only on the last question, but the purpose of the nominating committee’s leak is not hard to spot. This set the stage for the game to become Trøndelag Ap today.

Rita Ottervik, longtime Mayor of Trondheim and central in everything that has to do with the Labor Party in the central county, moved today in our newspaper. She believed that both Kjerkol and Giske were “exposed to ambush”. Ottervik thus equated Grande’s dubious handling of a potential warning with the warning that came against Giske this week. The same warning that Giske himself has taken a hard line against and criticized the press for mentioning.

But it wasn’t the warning against Giske that got the most attention this week, and the one that actually caught his eye. It happened on the basis of two credible stories from key people at Trøndelag AUF. With their full names and in various outlets, they described a very toxic culture in the party, and they warned against Giske. One also told of a very unpleasant experience with Giske on a nachspiel, something Giske has made it clear that he does not recognize himself.

But neither Giske nor anyone else has criticized the media or anyone else for these two stories.

After Arild Grande’s bad stunt on the nominating committee, “warning institute abuse” was still the tune of the day. Giske turned up unexpectedly at the Trøndelag Ap annual meeting, with the wind in his favor.

During his speech, several from the AUF left the room.

Later, Kjerkol was elected leader.

Grande even threatened to notify Kjerkol

Kjerkol can She certainly became a good leader, but as she developed today, she takes the leadership position with a mandate from the power structure established in Trøndelag Ap. Thus, she will be the one who will take care of the culture at the party. . A culture that has been discussed since 2017, but clearly hasn’t gotten that far at work. At least the deal came back this week as Trond Giske was about to become the county’s new leader.

Rita Ottervik told our newspaper today that she would like to see the warnings in 2017, when they worked on these cases. As if party leaders could book an appointment for when whistleblowers feel comfortable telling their stories.

Ottervik himself moved in yesterday with a post on Trønderdebatt.no along with Trondheim Labor Party leader Hanne Moe Bjørnbet. Under the title “Thanks to everyone who has shown great courage in speaking out about unacceptable behavior,” we were able to read an article that was primarily an explanation of why the party was really determined to put Giske on top. A decoded version says something like this: “The job has a lot of women at the top of the county, so there was room for a man. We have been established with metoo since 2017, so Giske could be chosen now. But thanks for the alerts. We really appreciate it. “

At least there is little to blame for positioning ability.

To Kjerkol: Requires washing

This week’s deal in Labor is the dirtiest thing politics can get. Other blanket agreements in other parties in other contexts have certainly touched this session, but for the Labor Party there is little consolation. Outsiders should only raise their hands when politics degenerates into this. It is absolutely impossible to get hold of politics, the tears in the party apparently occur exclusively on the basis of abuse of power and internal positioning. It must also be terrible for many of the regular participants at the Trøndelag Ap County annual meeting. There was a real desperation to be seen and heard in many of the meeting speeches today.

“We work for you,” she says at the top of the page when she clicks on the Trøndelag Ap website. Getting voters to believe her is probably a bit difficult at the moment.

Is there a suitable ending to a day like this? Yes maybe. Afterward, Kjerkol went to a restaurant with Trond Giske.