Comments on: Why I don’t touch local politics

By: MatGB

MatGB — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:57:51 +0000

It’s a quote from the comments below the linked article, or from one of the related stories, I’ve definitely read it previously.

The Courier itself is slightly better than that. Slightly.

By: Duncan

Duncan — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:53:32 +0000

I realise that it’s hardly the point, but is that a verbatim quotation from the local paper? It if is then the grammar is truly terrifying. Hardly any of those commas ought to exist and, strangely, the comma which should appear before unfortunately is missing. With all the useless English Literature graduates in the world, could they not find people vaguely competent to write, or at least copy-edit, the local news?

By: Voter

Voter — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:01:26 +0000

I wonder if collective responsibility comes into play here. If the position is just to sack the two, why not the whole lot? 6 million is a lot of exposure to just be handled by two people.

If it is so vital to get rid of two and the only way is to press the destruct button, then surely you go that route.

Otherwise it makes the original criticism weak.

The whole thing smacks of one of my general problems with politics: guesswork.

Instead of getting people who want to get government working and are willing to learn how to do it, we get people who are looking for the easy way to bash other parties.

Nick Clegg made a speech blaming red-blue but not allowing for the failure of yellow in providing a decent alternative.

By: MatGB

MatGB — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:45:37 +0000

Definitely not a national policy, the advice was very specific to this situation and the maths on the Council, and came from locally based activists with experience elsewhere.

Despite my intense loathing of the way Calderdale is currently wrong, I agree with that advice, to an extent; there is no way we could form an administration without the Conservative group. Which is why we need to win a fair few seats next May, then vote.

By: Malcolm Todd

Malcolm Todd — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:31:06 +0000

MatGB – I didn’t mean the situation in Calderdale, which I don’t know enough about to comment on. But Charlotte’s remark seemed to be about a general policy that LDs shouldn’t seek to take minority control. Is that right, or is somebody misrepresenting/misunderstanding something?

By: MatGB

MatGB — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:20:58 +0000

Malcolm, like Jennie, I can’t comment fully (although the much better worded explanation is due for the party website soon, I’ll link it here if people want), but it isn’t anti-democratic.

In order to form an administration, the LD Cllrs would need the support of the entire Labour group plus the Independent group, which includes a BNP expellee, two rentagob loudmouths and a strange selection of malcontents. The votes on the council simply don’t add up.

Forming an administration is simply not a viable option without the Tory group being involved as things are, and I don’t think any of the three party groups handled this at all well.

By: Leon Greenwell

Leon Greenwell — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:45:42 +0000

It is becoming obvious that, once more, “England is like a family; with the wrong people in charge of it” (Orwell)

The ‘Region’(EU) needs going over, with a nit-comb, from Windsor Castle to Winchester Cathedral, by something not too dissimilar to Jim Hacker’s Department of Administrative Affairs

By: Malcolm Todd

Malcolm Todd — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 05:10:33 +0000

“I’m reliably informed that Lib Dem groups are advised to avoid taking over minority control, too.”

Are you sure that’s reliable? If so, it’s the most appallingly short-sighted, lily-livered, anti-democratic nonsense. If only that meant it couldn’t possibly be true …

By: Bryan

Bryan — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:17:36 +0000

To Jennie,

You just bloody well make it up, like every other press officer! Do it a couple of times and upset a few people, and then they’ll make sure you’re briefed…

By: Joe Otten

Joe Otten — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:15:58 +0000

Jennie, have you considered taking the lead on some local policy issue that interests you, circulating it to councillors saying “give me some content or I will have to send this out”.

Charlotte, yes I agree, yawn. But hang on the “news” is Lib Dems don’t support a Labour motion, when Labour is the 3rd party? Was there a Lib Dem motion to sack the 2 and did Labour support that? They should have been sacked but Labour saved them? Hardly creditable I agree, but this sounds like brass necked attempted shaming another party into supporting your position when they don’t. Bread and butter politics.