The Norwich Conservatives have announced the 13 candidates who will contest the local elections on 1st May, ensuring that everybody in the City has the chance to vote for a Conservative candidate.
Conservative Group Leader Cllr Antony Little said: “Everyone in the City now has a chance to vote for a hard working, common sense ConservativeCouncillor who will put tackling anti-social behaviour, cleaning up the streets and fighting for our Post Offices at the heart of their work.”
“The Conservatives are a very different political party for Norwich – the only party that spoke up against the millions wasted on the unitary project and the only party that voted to freeze council tax levels this year.”
“Last year we won the same number of wards as the LibDems and gained as many seats as the Greens. Every year we win more votes and more Councillors. This year could be crucial, and every new Conservative Councillor will mean we have a better chance of a value-for-money council that puts residents first.”
The full list of candidates is: Bowthorpe – Niki George Catton Grove – John Fisher Crome – Ernie Horth Eaton – Niall Baxter Lakenham – Eileen Wyatt Mancroft – Andrew Wiltshire Mile Cross – Clive Smith Nelson – Malcolm Chamberlin Sewell – David Mackie Thorpe Hamlet – Matthew Davison Town Close – Tak Man Li University – Paul Wells Wensum – Mike Gillespie
A few days ago I wrote post about the behaviour and maturity of a number of members of the National Committee of the Liberal Youth. A day later, during a council meeting, I recieved an extremely rude text message from an unknown number referring to that post. I also rejected a number of very, very abusive comments on this blog.
The next morning I recieved a number of calls from various companies saying I had requested information on their services. These calls were taken by my wife and we were both a little bit shaken by them all coming so close together. In each case, my name and mobile phone number were given. I enquired further and discovered that each internet log was made within minutes of the text message arriving.
I absolutely reserve the right to pass comment on my political opponents as they would about me. We then thrash out differences in a debate and then a vote – ironically we were doing just that, with myself and Brian Watkins locking horns for the first time, when the text arrived. However, I do not and will not tolerate abuse nor the abuse of my name and contact details. Or indeed anything that brings my family into it.
It was very immature, deeply disturbing and not knowing what was to come I phoned the police and gave them these details. The police phoned the number of the texter and they were warned about their behaviour and told not to do so again. All this was done in half an hour (remarkably kind, sensitive and polite service it was too.)
Whoever it was, and I do not seek to point the finger, but the link between the post, the text and the calls is too obvious to miss. But whoever did it has absolutely no concept of the way a democracy works or how to conduct themselves in public life.
I am writing this post not to “name and shame” them but to lay down a marker for everyone who is fed up of the mindless, childish behaviour of a few people in society.
The moment Jack Straw blurted something out about the use of AV at elections, against the current political backdrop of the SV London Mayoral election, you knew that political hacks would spend more time wondering about the use of second preferences rather than solving any political issues.
I would hate the concept of being elected on the back of second preferences, particularly if I had not won at least a plurality of first preferences. You become the least disliked candidate rather than the partially popular one.
But true to form, I found myself talking to an old school friend who still lives in London today. Naturally the conversation turned to politics and knowing that she had never stuck with the same party for two elections running, I asked which Mayoral candidate got her X,
“Well, Boris, of course…” came the reply. OK then, I enquired, what about your second preference?
“A second preference? I don’t have one because Boris is going to win.”
Of course, I thought, you only think of the second preference when your candidate is obviously going to lose. So the sight of Ken, Paddick and the Green candidate all slogging it out for second preferences amused me greatly.
As a great believer in freedom of speech, there are few things I won’t allow to be published as comments on this blog. If you look through the comments you will see that I like debate, I encourage feedback and have a very thick hide!
However, if your comment is a string of abuse with absolutely no intellectual comment whatsoever, expect it not to be published. I guarantee you that I will take less time and effort deleting it than you will writing it in the first place.
Margaret Hodge, a Culture Minister, has found herself in the middle of a most bizarre row over free entry into Norwich museums. The MP was drafted into the City in order to support Labour’s re-election bid and they used the chance to announce a headline-grabbing pledge to make entry into museums free. However, there is always a catch …
… The pledge is only if Norwich gets unitary. And even then, only if Labour gets control (increasingly unlikely – the Council will be Tory is the boundaries are wide enough). So, Norwich Labour are now writing the budget and service plans for a council that doesn’t yet exist. And poor Cllr Ferris says that the unitary council won’t need the funding from the museums. How on earth does she know this?
And despite these rather obvious flaws in the plans – obvious enough for most people – the Minister insisted on welcoming the ideas, despite knowing they can’t fulfill the pledge.
Typical Labour, but it says a lot about one Labour Councillor who’ll do anything to be re-elected and one Labour Minister who’ll say anything she’s told.
I had been entertaining myself tonight with the lighter side of politics – browsing through the new website of the Liberal Youth, formerly LDYS. However on reading some of the profiles of the people involved it has worried me a great deal about the type of person getting involved on the organisation.
The new Chairman, , claims he most wants to be like Chancellor Palpatine – the eveil Emperor in the Star Wars films, who committs mass murder and genocide. He plunges the universe into an imperialistic state and dominates by force. Hmmm, not exactly a Liberal icon?
The Campaigns Chief, , chooses his historical hero as Nikita Khruschev – I’m not even going there with this one, but this seems a bizarre choice for anyone, let alone an aspiring LibDem MP.
And then there is the “hilarious” who idolises Papa Smurf … please do not let this man near any actual political power.
Bearing in mind that other members of their Exec chose Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, David Lloyd-George, Roy Jenkins, Gladstone or Elizabeth I then it shows that decency does have its place in Liberal Youth!
Now, I’m no old fart and I know that political youth organisations will contain people who are a bit wacky, but these choices made in a public arena must make you question their judgement. And the fact that one of them is Chairman makes it worse.
If I were the LibDems, I’d want this brand new organisation sorted out from the beginning – or its gonna make for some bad headlines for Nick Clegg, who has personally associated himself with them.
The government climbdown on the embryo bill will be seen as 2 things – firstly a triumph for David Cameron who has used PMQs to personally association himself with the call for a free vote, and secondly another dithering disaster for the Prime Minister who has once again been forced into a retreat, this time by his own side.
But, I say, if you are are doing to dither then only do it once. The PM’s ill-fated compromise may not yet be enough – he’s only promised Labour MPs a free vote on 3 clauses of the bill and he will then whip them on the third reading. So if any of the morally controversial aspects stay in the Bill, then any Labour MP who opposed them before will have to vote for them at the end. Oh dear … how can they vote against it one minute and then for it the next? Not good at all, so I expect the PM will be forced into another climbdown before the vote is taken. And he wonders why people think he dithers…
Congratulations to Cllr Brian Watkins for taking the leadership of the LibDems on Norwich City Council. Brian is a hard working, positive and decent man who has made a big impact on the Council; he is taking on the toughest job in Norwich politics at the moment and I do hope that the impending slaughter of LibDem candidates next May won’t reflect on him personally. I look forward to working with you, Brian!
UPDATE: According to an impeccable source, at least 2 other LibDem Councillors are annoyed to have been passed over – one is “a little peeved”, the other is “fuming”. I wonder if there was a contest election? As the LibDems claim to be so honest and open I’m sure they’ll tell us!
A while ago I argued that the LibDem foxes were one-by-one being shot and the party would end up clinging to Iraq as their last desperate piece of political populism. Nick Clegg must have thanked his lucky stars that so much time and media coverage has been dedicated to the “5 years since the Iraq war” stuff, because its the only way he’s made headlines since being elected (well, positive headlines anyway … he got those ones about the EU Referendum, remember!).
The Iraq war is something that the electorate seems to have moved on about (judging by the response on the doorsteps in Norwich and from other colleagues around the country) and yet the LibDems don’t seem to have.
So instead of formulating a really exciting policy idea – like removing failing schools from LEA control – they launch a website reminding people who voted for the war (see ). The sad thing is that it pretends not to be a LibDem front and no matter which MP you have or how they voted, you are encouraged to print off an anti-Tory poster to display in your window to remind you about Conservative support for the war, rather than the government who led us into conflict. So, they’ve managed to achieve a very rare political double act.
They’ve managed to look utterly irrelevant AND shown how desperate and scared they are of the Cameron resurgance.
The worst kept secret in City Hall is that a volley of LibDem Councillors are to quit before the election on 1st May. Along with departing Leader Cllr Cooke (Lakenham), out go Cllrs Mayhew (Mile Cross), Hume (University), Hartley (Town Close), Surridge (Thorpe Hamlet) and Lowe (Mancroft).
Of course all have served the council well – as Lord Mayors, Executive Members and in council and on committees.
Of course, there are some cynics wandering around the place commenting that EVERY LibDem in a marginal seat is quitting, perhaps before they are soundly beaten.
I say this is, of course, not true.
After all, Judith Lubbock is staying on to be beaten!
UPDATE; Hereward tells the EDP he still expects his party to do well. I wonder if he’ll make a prediction on how many seats they’ll win!
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Comments I Won’t Publish
March 26, 2008As a great believer in freedom of speech, there are few things I won’t allow to be published as comments on this blog. If you look through the comments you will see that I like debate, I encourage feedback and have a very thick hide!
However, if your comment is a string of abuse with absolutely no intellectual comment whatsoever, expect it not to be published. I guarantee you that I will take less time and effort deleting it than you will writing it in the first place.