As the dust settles on yet another Stoke-on-Trent election, I find my mind accessing it’s “Ëœwhat happens now’ portal.
First and foremost, congratulations must go out to the entire team involved in the Stoke-on-Trent Labour Party campaigning team.
The 3 Labour MPs, united as one with the existing councillors, party organisers and candidates to get the Labour vote out. They were successful beyond their wildest dreams.
But they must ground themselves as soon as possible and get to work to minimise the impact of the recent £35million of cuts as well as ensuring that there is another open, honest and transparent round of consultations ahead of next year’s £20million cut in government funding.
It is imperative that they work with groups like Save Our Children Centres and others. They may have only 10 opposition voices inside the council chamber, but they may face thousands in opposition out on the streets of the City if they start to railroad unpopular cuts and service losses through whilst hiding behind their impressive majority.
The honeymoon period is a very short one in the political Potteries.
My pre-election predictions were pretty spot on actually. I had said that I could see Labour win around 34 seats. I also said that I believed that the Lib Dem’s would be wiped out by the elections. I was also right about the eradication of the BNP.
The one thing I did get spectacularly wrong was the demise of Community Voice councillors. Never saw that one coming at all.
Mick Salih has said that he is finished with politics now. We have probably also seen the last of Peter Kent-Baguley now too. Both are massive characters and skilled politicians and there will be a few council officers breathing a sigh of relief now that their scrutinising eyes will not been looking over reports and agenda’s.
Mike Barnes has gone too. Love or loathe him, he knows the system of local government better than most of the others put together. His work on the council constitution was invaluable. He made a few errors of judgements in his campaign in my humble opinion. But I firmly believe he will bounce back after a break and you never know, Community Voice could be re-invented with a new look and 4 years to get themselves organised. If other socialist minded individuals could just lose their anti Labour rhetoric and their bitter and twisted mindset and joined up with Barney, they could still be a major player on the local political scene yet.
Lib Dem leader Kieran Clarke is a loss to the chamber. He was always accommodating, willing to answer questions and is a genuinely nice guy. He suffered by association to Nick Cleggs disastrous and traitorous coalition with the Conservatives. The Lib Dems have been nothing short of battered at local elections right across the country. Kieran will find it hard to get back if his party’s national standing and reputation does not significantly improve.
The BNP were unceremoniously booted out of the Civic Centre. Once, not so long ago, they had 9 councillors. Today we can honestly say that the city has turned it’s back on the politics of the far right. The England First Party proved as welcome as a fart in a space suit! Craig Pond proved what a completely inept politician he is. He managed to do what he does best, which is to anger and insult people. I followed with amusement his rambling and preaching’s on the MY Tunstall website. He proved to be Labour’s Martin Garner’s best campaign tool [in every sense!]. Today he writes that we are all stupid in this city. Well I say there is nothing keeping him here. The electorate have sent the message that they do not want him at any price, best he hangs his keyboard up and joins the working masses methinks.
I never believed that we are a racist City. The BNP benefited by using a clever marketing strategy, no more than that. They capitalised on a definitely Labour Party lull a few years ago. They were opportunist; they were in the right place at the right time. Their success proved to be short lived. The Labour Party regrouped, re-organised, got rid of a few negatives, re-energised and fought back. Tristram Hunt started to campaign in Abbey Hulton & Bentilee the day after he was elected last May. His team get out and knock doors in those areas. People told them they had not seen a Labour campaigner for years. They see plenty now!
Slowly but surely Stoke Central’s Labour team won over the doubters and they have reclaimed the support they so spectacularly lost just a few years ago. They turned the Abbey and Bentilee red again and the BNP lost its strong hold.
Labour cannot be complacent here however, the work must go on or they will lose their grip on things again. One thing I’m certain of is that Michael Coleman will pick himself up and dust himself down and start to plan for the next four years. We will hear plenty from Mike, he won’t go away. He is a thoroughly hard working man and he put his heart and soul into being a successful councillor. He needs to find a new trick, his party needs to re-brand itself once again. Nick Griffin has taken the BNP to the brink of extinction. Like the Lib Dem’s, the BNP has suffered from mis-management. Disastrous leadership has disastrous consequences.
Part 2 of this article will be published tomorrow [Sunday]
Very interesting and useful post BUT I think traitorous is a rather strong word to describe the Liberal Democrats’ role in the coalition. We need to remember just how serious the country’s financial position was, and still is, with an annual (yes annual!) deficit of c.£150 billion left by the previous government.
We may argue about the Coalition’s approach, but I prefer to take the view that (most) people in politics act in good faith, however much we disagree with them.
As a student, I don’t think traitor is too strong for any politician who votes against their own pledge, which a lot of Lib Dems did with tuition fees.
Whether it was right or wrong to raise them, Lib Dems promised their voters they wouldn’t. And as soon as they were in their coalition – they did.
Expedient would be the best way to describe the Lib-Dems at the moment. They were given a sniff of power, jumped at it, leaving their principles by the wayside. Personally I think most politicians are that way inclined and in the end show little faith. If they were genuinely bothered about the deficit they’d have been a lot tougher over MP expenses reforms, we wouldn’t be dropping bombs on Libya, and there’d be a serious crackdown on tax evasion and avoidance. However, the government has been expedient and bowed to vested interests, that I’m afraid is how democratic governments generally work. The Lib-Dems are traitors, to the people who believed in them, and voted for them thinking they’d make a change. They jumped into bed with the Tories, started agreeing with policies to the right of Thatcher, and got a kick in the ballots as a result.
As a Lib Dem I agree, those in the cabinet have completely folded to the will of the Conservatives, but I think I should remind everyone that about half of Lib Dem mps either voted against the tuition fee rise or abstained. I feel it is a little harsh to castigate the entire party and its ideology based the actions of a few (some of whom rightly or wrongly felt their hands were tied by the coalition agreement). I also think it is worth pointing out that no English Lib Dem mp lost their as a result of these elections so those who deserve to be punished have in fact been left relatively untouched, at worst some egos have been bruised and Nick Clegg may find his position as party leader a little shaky. The coalition will not fragment, the Coalition economic policy will not change, we must remember that it is Tory lead policy and the Tories have come out this weekend pretty mush unscathed. In short nothing major will immediately change at the top because of these elections. The only thing that has been achieved is the loss of many good Lib Dem councillors many of whom, including Stoke on Trent Lib Dems actively disagreed with the tuition fee rise. In fact Lib Dems councils have a great record and are generally considered to be amongst the some of the most efficiently run. In short the ‘traitors’ live another day while many others have been undeservingly punished. I am also aggrieved at the loss of the AV referendum; it seems that people have decided to use it as a referendum on Nick Clegg rather a great chance to change our democracy for the better. And the worst part of the AV debacle? David Cameron in now more than ever in a position to dictate policy to the Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems, we have been given such a massive vote of No confidence, the Conservatives have not! Expect even more ruthless Tory led cuts with the Lid Dems in an even weaker position to resists. Our only hope for the economy is that either by some miracle the Tories have got it right, or that Labour now use the local council elections as a spring board to finally provide effective oppositions to the coalition, because to be frank up to this point they have been rudderless and devoid of ideology.
However on the flip side of this argument, if the AV referendum had been successful and the Lib Dems had not been demolished in council elections would Nick Clegg and the other so call “Ëœtraitors’ have used it as justification for ignoring their poor decisions? I think it is almost certain that they would have, and this angers me just as much as the loss of good hard working Liberal Democrat councillors.
Labours first task will be to work with socc the council has £13.8m budget to cover £7.9m cost of children center.
Then getting contractors on bus station and starting consultation for the road changes needed in Hanley
Hmmmm.
So nobody saw nothing in the Abbey for years, says the new door knockers.
We buried that ward for years but the Abbey went BNP solely due to the Labour Elected Mayor and the two people that inhabited the position.
The area totally rejected Labour during the Meredith years of closure and certainly closure of their care home and proposed closure of other facilities.
The Mayor goes, Cameron cuts and the Abbey responds.
The current campaign team is allegedly headed up by someone who lived in that Ward.
Never lifeted a finger to help, even though that person totally rejected Meredith.
Today, they get paid for the ‘new’ techniques being used.
We never recieved a penny from anyone even when we begged for help. Hands would have done to beat the BNP. Nothing came.
Money was pumped into Stoke South to beat the BNP and as searchlight’s Leaders informed me: ‘They will push over into Stoke Central’.
That happened.
Because no help was forthcoming and no funding was given and because I was told personally that I would receive no money to beat the BNP, and no-one came forward to fight the BNP in the Abbey, I put my name forward.
27 years as a Labour member with little desire to be a Councillor.
Fighting for Labour in BNP Abbey with an electorate frothing to remove a Labour Mayor who shut them down and was shutting facilities that are still open because he was wrong and the electorate were right.
That’s how the BNP get in and got in.
For the 2007 election I was accepted as the Labour candidate in the Abbey (Unanimous).
I began the campaign from September 2006 through to election day. Half a year+.
Every single day and every single weekend bar none campaigning in Abbey Ward.
I spent around £500 of my own money.
In that year I delivered over 20,000 leaflets and went to every public meeting in the ward.
I pushed the vote upwards being narrowly beaten by the BNP wh canvassed heavily on how our Labour Councillors didn’t listen.
In 2008 I was chosen as the Labour candidate again (Unanimous).
Please note: Those that now claim nothing was done in the Abbey were the ones who chose me.
They were the previous one’s also, including the most senior TU members in the City.
At this point I sat on the Parliamentary Panel seeking a vacancy for MP.
I again worked the ward for 7 Months and this cost me in excess of £600 and record breaking 20,000 leaflets.
My vote went up but the damage was being done elsewhere and again, the Abbey, love them or loathe them voted for the racist BNP.
Same story, ‘you shut us down-you shut Dimensions you shut Austin House-Meredith out!’
No elections in 2009.
Stopped from being a candidate by the NEC in 2010 (because I listened to the people of the Abbey who voted BNP not Labour…etc).
So:
£900 spent
40,000 leaflets delivered
On the streets listening, working and speaking at all public venues in the Abbey.
Days worked: Over 500.
Hours worked: Over 1200 (at the very least).
Teams: 2 (2007)
4 (2008)
When the electorate got their hands on Meredith, they got rid of him.
In 2010 the NEC of Labour promised ‘help and funds’ for the 2010 elections.
Ho hum.
In 2011 we are now informed that ‘we haven’t seen anyone for years in the Abbey’.
Yeah whatever.
Who tells Tony these stories?
Or to put it another way; politicians who break promises are generally found out – and then kicked out – by the voters.
that kind of falls down with Labours pledge to save mitchel school
Ian,
The point is that Terry did EXACTLY the same as Ross.
However one is portrayed as a saint and one as a sinner – why?
NIMBYism and you know it! It has little to do with parties and everything to do both committing the same crime but are treated entirely different.
Terry’s crime is worse on many different levels. He attacked the EMB accused them of forsaking their principles for the executive dollar. Calls of Judas were heard.
A year or so later and guess what TERRY DOES EXCACTLY WHAT HE ACCUSED ROSS OF!
When voting to close Mitchell he was heard to say ‘we are where we are’ now who’s the Judas?
The Labour Party have exceeded their own expectations by regaining control of the council at Thursday’s election. No doubt they feel flushed with their success and maybe even think things are going to go back to the good old; bad old days when a donkey in a hat could get elected if it happened to be wearing a red rosette.
If so they are sorely mistaken. There might only be a token opposition present in a council where thirty four out of forty four councillors have taken the Labour shilling, but outside the chamber there will be a vocal and informed movement demanding change.
They will be watching Mohammed Pervez, or more likely Mark Meredith if the election for council leader goes the way I suspect, like hawks to make sure they speak up for Stoke and don’t just lie back and let the cuts roll over us.
A good place for the new council to start would be by responding to the call from a commons select committee for comments on PFI and the burden of debt it has placed on local councils. The previous coalition chose not to respond, maybe they though too many feathers would get ruffled if they did, now they have full control again Labour have no excuse for keeping quiet.
Tony no the point is you can lie, not turn up for meetings and you still get elected in Stoke
[quote=Adam Colclough]They will be watching Mohammed Pervez, or more likely Mark Meredith if the election for council leader goes the way I suspect[/quote]
You suspect wrongly. Councillor Pervez will remain Labour leader. Your idle speculation merely undermines all the other points you make.
Afraid it’s the same anywhere, Stoke’s no different.
If Mohammed Pervez gives up his job and does what Mark Meredith will do and be in the Civic Centre 24/7 then I will agree with you.
If Mohammed Pervez continues to stay away and allow Mark Meredith to talk to everyone then he’s going.
For the time being all we’ll hear is unity and loyalty and how we all love each other for the benefit of the City.
The next time a Labour member informs Pits n Pots that the voters saw no-one for years in their area, would it be possible for them to explain further?
Tony, your pre-election assumptions of 34 seats to labour are not too inconsistent with every hard-ball political player who predicted a complete wipe-out of all opponents when the Governance Commission reported in May 2008 and further verified by the boundary commission doing its rounds last year.
Everyone knew that the whole process was designed to distort democracy in the City.
The reports said that our system was ‘broken’.
People voting BNP were wrong?
Independent (City or otherwise) were wrong?
Voting Labour/Tory is OK?
People formed a new party called CV and many obsevers knew why. They faced a wipe-out as individuals.
The BNP said from the start that it was about removing Nationalists.
Labour didn’t say that it was about removing them and that’s because it wasn’t designed to remove them.
Take away the ‘brand’ of Labour and put the individual candidate in a ‘natural community’ in Stoke-on-Trent and you will have a loser.
Putting a red rossette on a candidate with ‘brand’ Labour in any working class City and you have more than a 50/50 chance of winning.
In a post Governance Commission and Boundary Commission, Stoke you have a 80% chance of winning.
Proven Circa 2011.
It wasn’t hard to fathom out.
We put up the best fight regardless.
Hope you’re proud Professor Michael Clarke.
You designed a sum to give us Labour.
You did not give us a sum to design Democracy.
That is something we already had but you didn’t like it.
Gary, my dear old flower, you cannot have it both ways. You were an active member of the Labour Party for a very long time. You now whine on about how badly your own party ran things in those days.
People like you also complained when the Cabinet consisted of a Lab-Lib-Con coalition (the only one in the country at the time).
When that failed, Coalition Mark Two, which included tired old has beens such as Brian Ward, did no better, did they?
As for the BNP; what are you saying, that we should judge them as individuals and not take any regard of their policies? The BNP is a racist party and we are well rid of them.
No, your ramblings have all the hallmarks of an individual who has been rejected by a long term lover. You were dropped by Labour as a candidate and then rejected by the voters.
It is lonely out there, isn’t it? All you can do is write reams and reams on websites such as Pits n Pots. But, as you know full well, you are talking to the same, small group of people. You crave a wider constituency.
Gary, it is not going to happen.
[quote=bobbystar] The BNP is a racist party and we are well rid of them.[/quote]
Prove it and I don’t mean something you read in the papers, quote me policies that are racist!
The junior partners in a coalition are always the traitors in a coalition.
Traitors get necked come necking day.
It happens always and always happens everywhere.
The BNP are racist? That’s a new addition to Pnps!
They were racist before the Governance Commission landed and were scoring on all points.
They were racist under Labour and under a Labour led coalition.
They were racist whether we had a City Ind or a CV group.
Everyone is cleared out under the new rules.
My guess is more than was originally anticipated.
I don’t mind your juvenile rantings about me. I know you are a sockpuppet with little knowledge of events.
OK, you know a bit about how good it is to be Labour.
Fair enough.
Democracy and why a 80% rout of democracy reveals a near one party Council is too much for you.
We don’t even need to look at their policies. Until they were recently forced by law to change their constitution, this is what it said about membership:
#####################################################
SECTION 2: MEMBERSHIP
1) The British National Party represents the collective National, Environmental, Political, Racial, Folkish, Social, Cultural, Religious and Economic interests of the indigenous Anglo-Saxon, Celtic and Norse folk communities of Britain and those we regard as closely related and ethnically assimilated or assimilable aboriginal members of the European race also resident in Britain. Membership of the BNP is strictly defined within the terms of, and our members also self define themselves within, the legal ambit of a defined “Ëœracial group’ this being “ËœIndigenous Caucasian’ and defined “Ëœethnic groups’ emanating from that Race as specified in law in the House of Lords case of Mandla V Dowell Lee (1983) 1 ALL ER 1062, HL.
2) The indigenous British ethnic groups deriving from the class of “ËœIndigenousCaucasian’ consist of members of: i) The Anglo-Saxon Folk Community; ii) The Celtic Scottish Folk Community; iii) The Scots-Northern Irish Folk Community; iv) The Celtic Welsh Folk Community; v) The Celtic Irish Folk Community; vi) The Celtic Cornish Folk Community; vii) The Anglo-Saxon-Celtic Folk Community; viii) The
Celtic-Norse Folk Community; ix) The Anglo-Saxon-Norse Folk Community; x) The Anglo-Saxon-Indigenous European Folk Community; xi) Members of these ethnic
groups who reside either within or outside Europe but ethnically derive from them.
3) Membership of the party shall be open only to those who are 16 years of age or over and whose ethnic origin is listed within Sub-section 2
###################################################
Enough said?
[quote=Gary Elsby]Democracy and why a 80% rout of democracy reveals a near one party Council is too much for you.[/quote]
There you go again, Gary. What we saw was not a rout of democracy, as you so quaintly put it, but democracy in action. The people of Stoke-on-Trent spoke, and they spoke decisively. For a change. How arrogant of you to interpret this as the opposite of democracy.
You are no different to all the other political losers down the ages. If the result does not go your way, people like you scream that, somehow, it’s a fix.
So why a Governance Commission report into Stoke-on-Trent?
They didn’t invent Democracy.
Democracy was already here and well looked after by the likes of you.
But we didn’t like that Democracy, did we.
We like this Democracy much more so.
Oops! Labour sweeps the board.
How twee.
Why anyone responds to Bobbystar, “Who ever he, or she may be” is beyond me ? you would get more sense and honesty from “Freddie Star” now thats worth noting.
What drivel you write, Mr Joynson. Thank God you are out of public life. You have about as much influence as an empty box of Dave Conway’s matches.
Not out of politics, only out of the Council,watching what you lot are up to,that will please you