Don't panic I haven't suddenly seen the light, by winning here, I don't mean like, me here at Flaig Mansions, taken up Mark's brand of Labour politics, my life long allegiance to Liberal politics, remains, at the time of blogging has Clive Hart confirmed his resignation (NO), it's just here in internet space, checking out, Wikio rankings I see that Mark's bloggin rates highest of all, here on the Island.
Wikio Rankings for Feb 2011
| From one end of Kent | 669 |
| Bignews Margate | 762 |
| Thanet Press Releases | 1122 |
| Thanet Online | 1201 |
| Thanet Star | 1275 |
| Thanet Life | 1699 |
| Promote Thanet | 2714 |
| Thanet Coast | 2772 |
So as always, Bignews remains second rate, still the accolade or lack of, which cuts deepest for me, was the omission of Bignews Margate from this weeks Sunday ramble in Michael Child's Thanet Online, surely the cruellest cut of all.
The only crumb of comfort for me is that along with Margate Architecture (which for some reason is not listed Wikio), Bignews and From one end of Kent, currently have a Google page rank of 4, which higher, than that of other local, blogs. I must say I'm a wee bit surprised that Thanet Life is currently in the "also ran" category, still that would explain why Cllr Simon Moores has been squatting on the comment pages of this blog recently.
Update on the Hart – Nottingham kerfuffle, I rang Cllr Nottingham tonight to see if there were any developments, unfortunately he was in transit and unable to comment or explain why his whistleblowing posting has vaporised as I type! Curious! hopefully Mark will find himself a wi-fi hotspot and let us know.
Strange ranking system it would seem. Whilst One End of Kent is a well presented blog it had nothing new for weeks, then the Hart exposé which attracted 32 comments, all now removed, and no other activity since a brief account of a train hold up well before Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThink it rather disloyal of Mark to remove all the comments of support he received but then, perhaps that is the price he had to pay for an inquiry from above. Be interesting to see if the Labour hierachy also turn to the Dark side.
The Labour party are the dark side just look at all that misdirection over letting off the Lockerbie mass murderer.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course the view of Labour leader that his supporters were bigots, god bless old Gordon
I am starting to think that Thanet political blogs are really overated as their so called popularity is more about attracting obsessional behaviour than anything else.
ReplyDeleteBlogging to me is more about people expressing themslves in a creative way like ECR did or just being interesting like Thanet online.
Sorry about that Tony I started from the top of the most recent posts on my sidebar and just ran out of time.
ReplyDeleteI wont ask you the obvious question Tony B, nor rebutt the suggestion that there is no creativity in producing this blog.
ReplyDeleteOh bollix Tony B why are you reading this?
Michael & Tony I'm in a flippant mood tonight
ReplyDeleteInteresting Tony Beachcomber's comment for is obsessional behaviour that which is not in accord with your own. Of course, it is not behaviour he is really talking about but opinion and that, at the moment, seems heavily stacked against his party.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I feel there is a place locally for blogs with a political slant, after all it is politics which has most effect on our lives, as well as interest ones. At this time it certainly seems to be Big News Margate that gets the most visits.
Perhaps Clive Hart's skullduggery is of more interest for the moment than the sunset over Margate sea scape. Mind you, even I would now like to see the sun set on Mr. Hart.
I read your blog because you are a one off like most of the other bloggers, I do like it when you are investigative and go for a exclusive and the competition first to break news like the others in Thanet blogging scene.
ReplyDeleteIt is just that tit for tat politics is not what it is all about and I just cannot see what it can achieve.
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ReplyDeleteAnon , I suggest you read the last ten comments on my blog as I am part of a networks of bloggers that can actually write things about Thanet. Of course I have my political views and opinions, but I do not ram them down peoples throats or get personal and most of all I do not post anything thing anonymous.
ReplyDeleteReferring to subject of post, Anon 7.08 is right about 'From One end of Kent' having no recent posts. It was very active up until around mid October which was the time of the selection meeting where he was apparently stitched up.
ReplyDeleteI would say lack of recent posts just adds to his case in that he posted nothing negative about what had happened as he tried to resolve the issues quietly behind the scenes, out of the public glare. It does seem that he had no choice but to expose the disgraceful conduct of those who seek to keep a lazy councillor in place to take money from taxpayers for doing very little.
I hope, when all this is over that he will return to blogging. and total respect to him for the high standards of conduct which he has maintained throughout the process when others in his own party have sought to slag him off and discredit him. What has he got to gain from this? Nothing except a load of hassle for doing the right thing for his constituents in showing up the lack of integrity of one of their councillors.
Whatever happens, he has won the moral victory. Stuff the local labour group... Get blogging again Cllr Nottingham!
Not the same Cllr Nottingham that other members of the Labour group know. he must have a twin brother!
ReplyDeleteFunny how he was once regarded as a shining light, potential parliamentary candidate and fervent campaigner for the Labour cause. Now suddenly, by inference from the last comment, there is something suspect about him.
ReplyDeleteAre all the people of Northwood wrong in their regard for him. Is it only the local Labour inner sanctum who can see him for what he is. Rubbish, if 7:21 am has some dirt on Mark then spit it out. Nothing worse than snide inuendo.
Tony Beachcomber - I do not know who your comment was addressed to but I read the last few comments on your own blog anyway and enjoyed the odd chuckle - thanks.
ReplyDeleteAs to your comment about never posting anonymously, I am not sure what you are inferring here. We live in a democracy with freedom of expression. In the same way that people are entitled to keep their vote secret so are they equally entitled to express their opinions anonymously. Names and addresses are often withheld on letters to the press and on Ceefax just intials and town. JS of Birmingham is hardly identifiable.
For my part, I cannot see that an opinion is any less credible because it is anonymous. I can also understand why some folk choose to prefer that method. Live and let live eh?
Are all the people of Northwood wrong in their regard for him.
ReplyDeleteI don't know 11:13 but we have to take your word for this over an established party selection process that he disagrees with because he lost or maybe you are Mark Nottingham?
Thankfully, 11:30, I am not for, had I been subjected to the disgraceful treatment he has, I would have been far less constrained than he has been.
ReplyDeleteI hear that Iris Johnson stepped in to stop Clive from standing down as leader, and that they will not chuck Mark out untill after the local election!
ReplyDeleteLets get real!
ReplyDeleteThe people in Northwood don't even know who Mark Nottingham is..
03:22
ReplyDeleteNot surprised Iris knows only to well that if Clive goes her days would be numbered as well.
Mark has been treated very badly, he is by repute a good ward cllr, and Cllr Hart has not had the courtesy to anser Marks open questions, still as long as Clive has Iris's support everythings fine, 2birds of a feather!!! and all that
03:26 Get real, get a life he is well known and respected as a resident I should know.keep fifghting Mark, they are running scared , they must be desperate, even Iris wants to keep the Leader, you may wish to ask her a question or two
ReplyDeletePicking up on the last post, just where are all the other Labour councillors and activists to allow people like Hart and Johnson to run the show.
ReplyDeleteAs to the people of Northwood not knowing Mark, that is utter nonsense. The guy is not my scene but he has been active in his ward, attends meetings and, perhaps most importantly, gets elected.
He has hardly failed as a councillor, being one of the more intellectual and less abrasive of a sorry bunch, yet he gets dumped. That smacks of protectionism.
Anon 11:30
ReplyDeleteI bet you are a good union man as well with your established party selection process. Sod the processes, what about the Labour supporters in the ward who had no complaint with Mark.
What you are saying is that a handful of people, some with individual axes to grind, are more entitled to choose the candidate than the wider membership and support. That is a throw back to the dark ages and has no place in any democtratic process.
looks like we have the leader of Mark's fan club, Lord Matt of the Thanet Star here from his 'speling mstakes'
ReplyDeleteI agree that the conflict between Councillors Hart and Nottingham is unedifying and does nothing to inspire confidence in the ability of the present Labour leadership locally to form a governing administration post-May.
ReplyDeleteI cannot comment on the rights or wrongs of Councillor Nottingham's de-selection as I do not know the facts.
But to the Tory Councillors who have posted publicly, and gloatingly, and those who have posted anonymously demanding transparency and exploiting the conflict...was a sitting Tory Councillor not de-selected in Westgate last time around? Was the view then that this was not worthy of public comment? Was the attack on those who questioned "you are trying to make mischief...this is a private Party matter"?
(Now) Councillor Moores was the beneficiary of that de-selection, of course.
Now I know that Councillors Hart and Nottigham have made this public, but their Tory opponents appear to be guilty of yet another gross act of hypocrisy.
Sorry if the presentation of fact and a bit of history offends those Tory supporters who only like to see things presented THEIR way and turn their spite on anything that challenges them.
I see Anon 1:03 is getting his/her knickers in a twist because the nasty Tories have been exploiting the Nottingham/Hart squabble. Whatever did the naive soul expect when they aired their dirty washing in public.
ReplyDeleteIt also seems to me that many of the comments are also from concerned Labour supporters and are they also not entitled to question what is going on in their local party hierachy.
Had the boot been on the other foot would Labour not have expolited this situation. They certainly have plenty of previous for it. It happens and the hypocrisy lies with accussing one side in isolation for doing what is common to both.
Anon of 03.49, no-one is getting their "knickers in a twist" as you so amusingly put it. I made it quite clear that I think Labour is in a mess, and simply observed the hypocrisy on the part of certian Tory contributors. I did not accuse them of being "nasty" as you put it.
ReplyDeleteIt is rather sad, though, if the best you can come up with is "they all do it and Labour do it lots". Dear oh dear. Is that the extent of the Tory rationale locally?
Surely we should be pressing for more integrity, more mature behaviour, and more positive behaviour? Condoning the "when my lot misbehave it's no-one's business and not for public comment; when the other lot do it, wow, look at them...how disgusting" approach. All politicians do it, I agree, but the answer is to stop it, not perpetuate it. You believe labour won't stop, and clearly you feel the Tories should not stop. Again, oh dear...
Anon 4:04, I never said I condoned it nor that I was a Conservative. I too would dearly love to see grown up debate over views, sensible co-operation on matters of mutual concern and far less silly sniping.
ReplyDeleteI simply wondered at the apparent naivety of your comments wherein you accuse the Tories in isolation of hyprocisy. Have we not had Dave Green over on Eastcliff Matters heralding the demise of a former Tory Councillor incarcerated for drink driving.
Whilst I am sure we share a mutual distaste for such conduct from our political representatives, sadly that is what politicians do. Hence, if you want sensible debate, lets discuss the issues and try to eliminate the point scoring.
Clive is safe, everyone knows that what Iris wants Iris gets - she is the real leader that pulls the strings - I guess she don't like Mark very much. I agree hes a bit nasty, you only have to read his blog to see that, but hes also too smart for Lady Iris!
ReplyDeleteAnd probably too well connected with a buddy on Labour's NEC.
ReplyDelete