Friday, March 25, 2011

'SAD BUT INEVITABLE'







That's one way to put it, the quote in todays Gazette, taken from Cllr Clive Hart referring to the extraordinary goings on in Thanet Labour, which last week saw the unusual and for me unbelievable suspension of one of Labours most hardworking and capable councillor Mark Nottingham.

'Sad but inevitable' could of course refer to the Gazettes placing the story not on the front page but buried inside the paper on page five, of course it could also refer to the inexplicable delay by senior Labour members in dealing with matter fully and openly.

59 comments:

  1. Tony, it was not inevitable , however it is very sad, the press did not make the connection with the two month ban and his deselection.Hart should be ashamed of himself, it is time for the general public to realise that here is a "leader", who has got rid of his strongest member a dedicated , experienced socialist,in place if what we read is correct, a lame duck Councillor, who coincidentally is the Whip!!you could not make it up.
    The Public in Cliftonville, should vote Hart out and in Northwood Dark out, other Wards should look at their representatives and consider that by supporting Hart they too are complicit in an unfair act,that includes Johnston, Harrison,and Nicholson.
    As for Nottingham, come on Mark show your mettle, stand as an independent.

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  2. Appalling. Saw this in the paper. No mention of Kay Dark's role in the deselection. So Kay was 'exonerated by a Labour Panel enquiry'?! What a joke! I am a member of the Labour party and have copies of all the evidence. I'm sick of the treatment which has been dished out to Mark Nottingham. I intend to spread everything I know to anyone who will listen. This has gone on too long. Clive Hart's cover up is the last straw.

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  3. What is almost as shameful as Hart's behaviour in all this, is the Gazette's pathetic coverage.

    No mention through all the months since before Christmas last when Mark was first deselected and then a inner page snippet when he is suspended.

    As an earlier commentator so rightly pointed out, the link between the unfair deselection, the resultant post on his blog by Mark and the now suspension decision, is not clearly established.

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  4. Cllr Johnston is always in the photo or the press,championing any cause, where is she on this issue of a fellow Councillor in her Group who has been so shamesly mistreated by her Leader and her Party/Group ?,as usual like the others keeping her head down.
    01.47 has every right to feel so angry, how much longer is Hart going to cling on to power, and how much longer are members of the group going to be happy being associated to such a dreadful and sad scandal.
    The Press as usual were forced into publishing something, but missed the key facts that Nottingham was deselected, tried by a Kangaroo Court, not allowed to present his defence and then banned for two months so that he could not have a chance to stand.
    The shame of dirty politics and shameless politicians.

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  5. Tony nail on the head there, I think “sad but inevitable” could be said to sum up local politics in Thanet.

    This type of situation comes about because the leader of the council is chosen by the cabinet and the cabinet chosen by the leader, hence when a party sees that it is in with a chance and this usually means dislike of the national government, the selection of our potential leaders degenerates into a game not unlike The Weakest Link.

    I genuinely believe the only proper action now is to petition for a mayoral referendum, unfortunately the council tell me that one can’t use their online petitions facility to do this, because they aren’t legally obliged to take any notice of online petitions.

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  6. Can't believe this has happened. I am not actively part of the Labour party but as a member saw the evidence. To be honest, there was a lot of stuff but even having skim read through it I was convinced it would be sorted out. Now I see this. It just doesn't make sense. How can this have been allowed to happen? Its not right. Its not the Labour party my parents have always supported.

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  7. Nottingham's out and wont be back.. get over it and move on

    Most people don't know who he is and likely don't care either

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  8. It is not so much that Nottingham is out, 9:48, as the manner of his going and who is left behind.

    If the guy really did something to justify deselection it should have been made known, at least to the electorate in his ward, in order to be seen to be fair. That has not been the case and so it winds on.

    Also Hart should not have said he would resign and then gone back on his pledge. Frankly it all stinks and it is of the clinging kind.

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  9. If the hart of the problem with Thanet politics is"
    " The leader of the council is chosen by the cabinet and the cabinet chosen by the leader".

    Then vote INDEPENDENT and prevent a party majority to stop this happening. With the predicted evenly split vote between parties there will be sufficient INDEPENDENTS to prevent a re-run of the same old ,same old.

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  10. 9.48pm - i shouldn't think Nottingham would want to go back when he has been treated so shoddily by people with your kind of attitude. You might not care but the people of Northwood lose out.

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  11. Anon 9.48
    No doubt Clive and his chums are desperate for things to move on because of the effect it might have on the election results but this won't be forgotten in a hurry and Clive Hart should have thought of that before he decided to choose the non-performing Kay Dark over hard working Mark Nottingham. As the song goes 'Sorry seems to be the hardest word' and so ultimately Clive Hart will pay the price in his damaged reputation.

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  12. I think the point a few people have made is probably true - the issues within the Labour Party locally may well be of interest to those who blog but are unlikely to excite most of the population.

    It disappoints me, as a Labour voter but not Party member, that one of the distinctions between Labour and Tory locally has been lost because of these goings-on. That disappointment comes from several years of watching the Tories fail to deal with or challenge their disgraceful former Leader and his side-kick Deputy and to pretend there were no problems. Seeing something of the same now within Labour serves to demonstrate that it is the body politic that is often the problem rather than either Party. Sad.

    I remain a Labour supporter, though, because I believe in the Party's policies and ideology. Just as many others have remained true to Tory values.

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  13. Kangaroo court is a very good description of what happened.

    Clive Hart had to secure the suspension to justify breaking his pledge and not standing down. His 'inevitable' comment was correct. He was determined to make it happen to protect his own interests.

    Clive Hart should be ashamed of himself. This will come back to haunt him in his political life.

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  14. At least it puts to the lie, any suggestion that any one party has a monopoly on shady dealings.

    Politics has become increasingly mired as politicians have come to look on it as a job and source of income. The same rat race and treading on others to get to the top now prevails, as in the big business world.

    At national level, gone are the elder citizens who, having built successful careers elsewhere, serve the country and give it the benefit of that long acquired knowledge. Now we have political careerists with experience of nothing else.

    At local level, instead of a group of well intentioned local citizens, who give of their time to the community freely, all too frequently we have a lower echelon of politically motivated, party divided activists. Instead of serving the people, many just play party politics to boost their own prospects, complete with their internal power struggles.

    I, for one, do not doubt Nottingham was a careerist. His blog was one of the most vindictive anti-Tory, anti-Lib/Dem sources locally. Seldom did the voice of reason prevail and, in the end, having lived by the sword he has met that fate. He was clearly a danger man not just to the opposition, but to his own, equally ambitious colleagues as well.

    If you think about it, it was the clamour to make it financially possible for people from poorer backgrounds to stand for office, that brought remuneration into politics, particularly at local level. Have we gained? Probably not, but there is no going back now and the nonsense will continue.

    It is not the voting system, FPTP, PR or AV, that is at fault. It is the ridiculous political divide and the careerist attitude of too many politicians that leave the people invariably short changed.

    Then, when you read that all this skullduggery is not going to make any difference to peoples voting intentions, one has to conclude that we get the governance we deserve.

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  15. Disenchanted, I agree that all the party's are mired with their 'bad apples'. I would expect political blogs to attack other partys so loss of mark Nottingham will weaken the local Labour party. If I was being unbiaised, I would say Moores blog does the same to other groups which are not conservative.

    However the point here is that the Labour leadership locally are about to put forward a candidate for re-election who has been shown to have shirked her responsibilities over a number of years as a councillor. That is plainly wrong and should be exposed.

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  16. 10:42 It is the manner of attack that concerns me. Nottingham's was obviously going to attack parties other then Labour, but it was unnecessarily vindictive in tone and style. That is not necessary and makes working in co-operation impossible.

    It is that need to always oppose that concerns me. Does it make for the best governance or is it simply politicians promoting their own self interest.

    Sorry, but the political scene depresses me and it is our country they are screwing with their diametrically opposed policies. The Lib/Dems and Conservatives are currently showing that it is possible to work together, regardless of whether one agrees with their policies or not, but all they get is castigated for it.

    Sometimes I just hate the sneering, the smartarse clever one-upmanship, the catcalls and shouting down of an opposition speaker. Frankly it is pathetic and what has happened locally just serves to confirm it.

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  17. Well, if the opinion polls are to be believed, Clive Hart, warts and all, will be king of Thanet come the 6th May. Wonder who will be his queen. Potential there for squabbling between Mrs. Cllr Hart, Iris and Kay.

    At least the prospects for a new swimming pool should increase.

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  18. There seems to be more than one "disenchanted" voter on this thread with most quoting similar reasons for that disenchantment.

    But by turning your back and not voting you play right into the hands of the very people you castigate, they have enough sheep to vote them in if "thinking people" turn their backs.

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  19. where is the red rose in all this , it truly must be serious, we have not heard from Iris the Red Rose., but then this is not a press statement or photo opportunity,so expect she is keeping her head down. What a sad bunch

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  20. There are clearly a number of Labour councillors who are not happy about the injustices of the process which Nottingham has been herded through and whilst I understand that they may be afraid to speak out, If they do not do so, then sadly they become complicit and tarred with the same brush as Hart, Poole and Dark.

    Clive Hart must go for the party to have any future credibility and Kay Dark, well not sure what to say about her; I'm gob-smacked, why on earth are her colleagues not calling for her to stand down for the sake of the party?

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  22. It was inevitable from the day Clive Hart made his resignation 'him or me' statement. Clive Hart had no intention of resigning


    The only way the people of Northwood will be aware is if the real story gets more widely known and papers report the facts properly:

    1) Email exchanges shown on 'Thanet online' show that Clive Hart knew for many months that there was a major problem with Kay's performance as a councillor

    2) Nottingham's 'whistleblowing' post stated that Kay Dark produced a false report on him to negatively influence the selection process. She claimed a) he played games on his phone in meetings. Not true - he used a blackberry to take notes as many MPs do. b) that he 'strayed from the party line' Not true, and c) that he had 'problems with standards' i.e the councildisciplinary process, Not true. all complaints were found to be vexatious with no standing.

    3) A number of witnsses have confirmed that Kay Dark lied about her performance at the selection meeting in order to secure her re-selection

    4) Complaints received by the Labour party about Kay's behaviour have never been properly investigated, instead in a 'private' meeting, in which Kay was allowed to present secret evidence Kay Dark was 'exonerated'.

    5) Nottingham complained about this and tried to resolve the issue. He was ignored before being subsequently suspended without a proper investigation or having his evidence examined.

    Unbelievably, Kay Dark is still standing for re-election in Northwood Ward. It is sad for the residents of Northwood Ward that they have lost a hard working councillor and potentially, if re-elected, get lumbered with Kay Dark for another 4 years.

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  23. It matters not who you vote for , its who is adding up the count that decides who will win. Personally I believe its all decided before hand by our so-called elected MP's

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  25. 'If you sit near him' - Clearly a comment by another Labour councillor in the Hart camp, for us rank and file Labour voters don't get the chance to 'sit near him' in council meetings.

    Not another conspiracy theory says Christopher Duggan then proceeds into wild and unfounded accusations about Thanet's people. Poor does not equal low life and it is outrageous to suggest otherwise.

    Suggest you sell up in the Turner boom, Chris, and moved to pastures more suited to your evident grand status.

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  26. Re Christopher Duggan comment one reference you make might be controversial for that reason I'm removing it

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  27. 9 01 I suggest you check the calendar for many of us electronic devices such as the blackberry have replaced pen and paper (this is the 21st century). sitting nearby I take it you might well be part of the ageing posse led by Clive may I suggest you and your colleagues get with the present day and accept that using modern tools does not constitute black magic or witchcraft.

    Sounds like you might well be past your prime hopefully you will stand down and allow someone younger and more competent.

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  28. Was it Roger Latchford who posted the offending item then?

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  29. 'Sad but inevitable' is a more apt description of the Thanet Reaper's Blog which appears to have gone inactive now that Clive Hart and his chums have managed to suspend Mark Nottingham.

    Coincidence? I think not. Most posts had an overt or implied link to Nottingham. Even Tony came into the firing line for daring to question Clive Hart's integrity in the Northwood saga.

    And Clive Hart denies any connection? Yeah right.

    Of course, this might prompt another post to maintain the 'I'm not one of the Labour councillors' cover-up...but we all know the truth. Hart should be ashamed of himself. Another sign of a weak leader who will sink to the lowest levels to cling to power. A truly blemished record I'd say.

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  30. Think we would all agree with you final comment 11:06. Still not sure about the Thanet Reaper though you could be right.

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  31. 11.06 You could find a conspiracy in a bowl of cornflakes.
    I'd up the meds if I were you!

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  32. Ha, so Reaper saw the posts on here and then had to throw a post together to keep the pretence up...

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  33. Wow 10 14 Did you think that up all by yourself?

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  34. Why not offer local IT guru and expert in all things, "Doctor" Simon Moores, a break from his rather lame and unfunny blogging about Ed Milliband and ask him to use all of his technical wizardry to identify the Reaper. If that doesn't work, he can always threaten some sort of legal action. Or...drop one of his air-ad banners on the Reaper's head.

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  35. Wow 8 16 Did you think that up all by yourself?

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  36. Yes, Reaper. Why, who do you get to write your posts for you?

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  37. 9 41 Keep commenting. You make me laugh out loud!

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  38. The Reapers posts obviously come from 'Reaper & Co' AKA Hart's sidekicks.

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  39. 10 07 You just keep getting better and better.
    Good job I'm death or I'd have died laughing by now!

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  40. Reaper, all you do is confirm how sad and desperate Hart and buddies are to prevent the truth from being known.

    Clive Hart's reputation is well and truly dead thanks to you.

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  41. Thanet Labour is drowning in a Styx of its own making

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  42. Between the Thanet Reaper and Simon Moores on Red Ed the world suddenly got a whole lot funnier. LOL

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  43. Thanet Reaper is occasionally witty and ascerbic. "Doctor" Moores is not.

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  44. 7:59 Well that makes two of you then if what you say about Dr. M is true. Personnally I find his blog well written and informative. I suspect your opinion is based purely on political prejudice.

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  45. Do a quick Google search of DrM and you will see he has written for national newspapers so your opinion doesnt count for much 7.59

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  46. I think "Doctor" Moores writes mostly about IT matters on which he is I am sure - and as he so often claims - a "world expert". That does not require him to be witty. I did not comment on his ability to write; I merely suggested that he is not witty and acerbic as Thanet Reaper occasionally is.

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  47. i find it very sad that hart is still the leader of the labour party , but when you think back he lost his k c c seat so if he did give up the leadership what would he have NOTHING perhaps that is what thanet won,t come may then there is iris j herself here there and everywere what a joke all wind and no sail just like the labour party then there is poole another joke so what chance do we have this may
    perhaps another four years of the right people after all they have put thanet right again
    so think when it comes to may 6th put the right party in for the best for thanet

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  48. oops! sorry posted this comment on Tony's other thread in error. Should have been here where it makes more sense...

    I'd love to see the Labour group fail to get a majority, then the local papers could use the headline 'Sad but Inevitable'...
    and point out all the failings of Clive Hart and his deptuy Alan Poole which led to that outcome. Especially the one about putting forward proven failed councillors as candidates - Unbelievable madness.
    I know parties sometimes have to scrape the bottom of the barrel because of lack of candidates to choose from but there was no excuse in this case where they actively deselected Mark Nottingham, a councillor with a proven track record for getting results in his ward.

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  49. It would be fun to see Tony elected and hold the balaance of power.

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  50. Tony Flaig and Matt Brown. What a pair! Tony might have to court Simon Moores with Red undies too! No actually I've got that the wrong way round.... Simon would be courting Tony...
    just don't sell your soul Tony...You're worth more than a pair of knickers ;-)

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  51. Must admit, I just had a quick scan Moores' efforts and it made me want to vomit. More like an establishment propaganda blog, than a comment on Thanet life.

    £70b (illegal) banker bailouts? Try £700b - officially, Simon, but actually closer to £1.5 trillion. Total national debt? Give or take £5 trillion, with pensions:

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/7957110/Government-urged-to-reveal-true-national-debt-of-4.8trillion.html

    Finest financial minds, Simon? Try shrewdest criminal minds, and they are not working to fix the problem, just helping themselves to more.

    And while rampant child abuse in establishment circles (aided by the judiciary, social services and police force), seems to fly completely under Moores' radar, a couple of vague, alleged incidents of a man talking to a child get a dedicated post.

    We are beginning to get the true picture of your path to success, 'Doc', just keep digging that hole.

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  52. Read that Clive Hart is proposing to slash the numbers of councillors if elected on the 5th of May. Hardly surprising as he has already made a start at slashing good Labour councillors.

    See he has also declared his party's anti stance on Manston night flights with serious scaremongering down in Ramsgate. The proposal was for the odd night flight but, if you believed the rubbish circulating around, there would be ancient freighters thundering over the rooftops all night long.

    Sod the jobs or prospects for the area a flourishing airport might bring. Just concentrate on trawling up the airport protest group votes.

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  53. What's Moores a Doc of? My understanding is that he brought his degree from one of those American universities. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but I think there was a bit of a HooHa over it a year or two ago.

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  54. As for Clive Hart slashing the number of Councillors if elected - i do not think it is in his gift - but the Electoral Commission. The Conservative group put forwsard this idea circa 2002 - whilst in opposition - from then 55 down to 40 or thereabouts - what happens - the electoral commission come back wsith a recommendation of 56 seats - two more than were already in place - Clive - know your place-you cannot promise things you cannot deliver.

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  55. Cllr Clive Hart certainly appears to be putting himself around a bit...'slashing' councillors and 'reaping' benefits for himself.

    No doubt it will all come back to haunt him in the future, like other skeletons in the cupboard.

    Thanet deserves better.

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  56. 06.29
    You are Bang on, Hart always promises that he can't or wont deliver, You give him too much credit, Harts Promise to cut Cllrs is only due to the fact that he does not understand the system and he has as much hope of cutting Cllrs as he does in getting re-elected as Leader or even as a Cllr. as for keeping promises, like I will resign if........ then he reneged on that as well
    Oh dear Oh dear, Labour locally are in a dire state, still as a KCC failed along with his Deputy, he can continue swimming as can his deputy when the new "Poole" is built in Ramsgate, they can both then continue with their Dark secret

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