Good win and well done for Jodi Hibert and Labour, last night in the Westgate-on-sea by election, obviously this will strengthen Labours grip on power, perhaps this might be a good thing for the council.
Well done to everyone who took part especially , Bill Furness, James Maskell and more importantly the voters who took the time to go and vote, scores (draft figures) were as follows (courtesy of James Maskell)
Hibbert [LAB] - 482
Maskell [CON] - 377
Ashbee [IND] - 316
Elenor [UKIP] - 298
Furness [LIB] - 64
Mendelsohn [IND] - 22
Turnout 30.56%
No doubt without, the intervention of UKIP, James Maskell would have romped home to win the seat but still without the negativity and bias of the press reporting the coalition government, Bill Furness a dedicated parish councillor (Birchington), would have scored far better.
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| How the news broke to a waiting world |
Still lets look on the bright side maybe, Cllr Clive Hart can afford to develop a bit of backbone in dealing with some of the wild eyed, uniquely special people, that frighten the more rational amongst us, who make up his rag bag coalition group, he even he could now show some principle in dealing with homophobic colleagues, instead of a token and shabby 1 month suspension, he could give dish out a proper penalty and show some moral authority like his counter part Cllr Bob Bayford.
Mayoress and counsellor all in 2 months!
ReplyDeleteWith the Yougov poll 4/7/12 showing CON 35%, LAB 43%, LDEM 8%, UKIP 8% you could argue that the UKIP candidate did very very well and your man Bill failed to make any impact whatsoever even though he seems to have the credentials to be a good councillor. Its not just down to bad press for the coallition, the Libdems have got themselves into an impossible position in the country just to pander to the egos of Clegg, Hume, Laws and the likes.
ReplyDeleteThe sooner we get a general election the better and Libdems can start again and not have to go back on their principals.
Well done Jodi. Be great if we can get some strength in the local political scene, at the moment Clive seems to be pandering to the TIG's.
ReplyDelete9 00 Anon sometimes people do what is right, I think Liberal Democrats have acted with honesty and decency, of coarse we're paying a terrible price for the mess which crooked and frankly bent Labour MP's left us with.
ReplyDeleteLets face it if we really did live in an ideal society at least one former Labour MP would be in clink for war crimes rather than amassing a fortune. Even locally we are reminded almost daily of Labours morally bankrupt attitude, failure to condemn attacks on homosexuals in any honest and meaningful way, deals struck robbing residents of services.
Lets face it Liberals get a pasting from biased journalists with conservative or Labour sympathies of whom there appear many in the State Broadcaster.
If the price of repairing the damage wrought by money grabbing immoral labour MP's then so be it, at the end of the day Liberal Democrats are doing more to defend the vulnerable than labour has done in recent times.
Sorry Tony but how can you say they have acted with honesty and decency?
DeleteThey garnered many votes on their policy re tuition fees and then caved in for a teeny glimpse of power.
It's easy, bent labour mp's spent all the money on expenses, easy living, bogus accommodation, "no more boom and bust" just complete financial disaster and melt down from the banks.
DeleteThey don't come any worse that labour since they should know better, crikey even that idiot leader millibrand fessed up to screwing working people.
i don't dispute that Labour have betrayed all working people and voters.
DeleteI am saying the Lib Dems are no different.
Yogi, none of them are any different because the political classes generally have betrayed the people. Hence the appalling apathy that allows the status quo to continue. Would you really want Cameron, Glegg or Milliband as your scout troop leaders?
DeleteNoooooo!
DeleteLaws and Hume honest? You must be joking or have your head in the Margate sands.
ReplyDeleteI take it as a labour spokesperson 10 46 that you've not acquainted yourself with our countries legal system, nor as with your labour colleagues have the honesty to identify yourself, no surprise given your parties support of homophobes.
DeleteAnything to control the council to top up the old benefits eh
I think that there would have been more support for the Tory Candidate from the Tory Councillor if his wife had been the candidate!!! Seems he lost interest when she was not selected.
ReplyDeleteWell done Jodie, it is now up to Clive Hart to show the electorate that he now controls a Labour Council and does not need the services of Worrow and TIG, Driver has made up with his socialist colleague Cohen is doing the job he likes which is Planning, time now to cast Worrow adrift, his recent Video link clearly demonstrates what an embarrasment he is fast becoming to Labour. Clive show some Leadership and mettle do an Alan Suger "Worrow your fired"
ReplyDeleteMean while in the reak world!
DeleteYes give Worrow's job to Ken Gregory - how dare Worrow expose homophbia! The best way to cover up any wrong doing is to attack the victim.
ReplyDeleteHello, John!
DeleteHello Ken
DeleteYou're both wrong 'cos it's me! He! he!
DeleteStrictly speaking it is not homophobia because worrow is bi-sexual and should use the term biphobia,a bit picky i know,but it makes a difference to the degree of insult or hurt caused.
ReplyDeleteSo the TIG candidate got 22 votes in the By-Election in Westgate, i did not know Worrow had so many friends!!
ReplyDeleteThe sour grapes from local Tories, especially big-mouth Biggles over in Westgate, show what a diseased vineyard they inhabit.
ReplyDeleteAnon, I am generally a Conservative voter, but you will hear no sour grapes from me. The party in Westgate got the kick up the rear they deserve as a consequence of the policies eminating from central government. However, since the policies of the previous government were as bad, if not even worse, I see no cause for joy in this situation. It is, after all, our country that successive groups of inept politicians are destroying.
ReplyDeleteTom,
DeleteCentral Government policies may have played a significant role in the outcome of the Westgate by election. But the biggest surprise is how the right wing base vote that the Conservatives take so much for granted has reacted. In the past core voters of all political parties either vote for their party or do not bother to vote at all.After all the golden rule of any election where the seat is winnable is to get your own supporters out to vote and if they do not turn out in droves the election is lost. Sometimes core votes go towards an independent that leans in the right political direction but in general core voters vote with their feet.
The Westgate by election was unique as it is the first time in living memory in Thanet that Conservative right wing voters have voted for another political party at local level that has influenced the outcome of the election instead of staying at home. I am sure that if Thursday's by election was held in Kingsgate, TDC would have its first UKIP member.
I never thought I would ever see the day when the local Conservatives face a problem with political direction. As it stands UKIP does have the local Conservatives on the ropes on the same scale as the SDP did to Labour in the early eighties.
Tony B, I hear what you say, but I recall years ago my dear old Dad, academic socialist to the core, bemoaning the fact that Labour had just lost a London 'safe' seat bi-election because the Liberals had let in the dreaded Tories. It duly went back to Labour at the next general election.
DeletePerhaps the real difference today is the appalling apathy amongst the electorate in general towards all political parties. The government of Brown hardly inspired confidence in Labour's ability to run the country, but then the Coalition have been something of a shambles themselves. Where lies the choice, seemingly between degrees of incompetence.
Mind you that is the national scene, but local political direction? Just what should that be on dustbin collection and managing prime sites like Dreamland and Pleasurama. Perhaps you can tell me?
Tom,
DeleteYou you can say Brown said this and Labour did that as much as you like, but it will not hid the fact that the honeymoon period at all levels of government is over for the Conservatives. It is going to be a hard tack all the way from now on.
I now someone who was an ex Tory Councillor, ex Mayor of Ramsgate and such a true blue Tory it once would make my spine chill. Yet he is now a member of UKIP. Plus I know another ex Margate Tory Councillor ex Mayor and all that and we do talk, he is not at all happy at the current situation at national level and is very lukewarm at local level.
So why ask me about political direction in the Tory party when commentators like yourself should be telling us.
Think you missed my point, Tony. I never said Brown said anything, just the government he led was bad. I think the Coalition government is equally bad, though perhaps on different issues.
DeleteAs for people changing colours well, I could point out that the founder of UKIP is now a Tory, but I do not think it proves much. People have lost faith with politicians and that is sad.
As for local political direction, I actually abhor politics in local government and regard political direction within the remit of councils a complete distraction. The reason you do so well with your Ramsgate council is because it is devoid of political argument and debate. Similarly a Tory town council does well in Broadstairs because it does not have to waste time shouting at or being shouting down by the opposition.
TDC, however, having no clear majority is a bun fight with some rather nasty little men having too much power in a kingmaker role. In the same way that the central Coalition goverment is a disaster for Britain, so the hotpotch coalition in Cecil Street is for Thanet.
Tom, for someone against national politics at a local level you go on about it all the time.
DeleteAnd who says Ramsgate and Broadstairs councils are a success? It's the same people as at TDC and they do as little there.
Sure there's less party politicking - because they're all on the same party. And pulling out two council payments.
But they lack competence. And a party membership doesn't provide that.
Perhaps success was a bit OTT, but they certainly achieve more. After all, Michael Child is always going on about how much the RTC have done for Ramsgate since being a Labour monopoly and who would disagree with him!
DeleteOn the issue of two council payments, there are actually a number of members on both councils who are town only and who receive a pittance, less than the national minmum wage, for trying to make their towns better places.
As for what I go on about, if you really bothered to read my comments I am frequently critical of the Coalition government, abhor all Labour governments and generally do not have a high regard for the political classes of whatever party.
Why does the article picture make me think of a lamb to the slaughter.
ReplyDeletePervert!
DeleteSurely that depends which one is the lamb, looking at the little lad barely out of short trousers. Toy boy stuff really.
DeleteThe Thanet Tories were defeated because the Thanet Tories are incompetent and repulsive.
ReplyDeleteAfter 8 years in power at TDC it's hardly anything to do with Cameron and his 2 years in power in Westminster.
Although Cameron has proved himself irrelevant in solving Britain's problems.
The last word of your first sentence is certainly true of those Tories who blog and those who have telephoned fellow Councillors with vile, offensive messages. Let's ignore those who harm cats and those who drive a car while drunk...
ReplyDeleteAnd lets not worry about those councillors who threaten bloggers with vexatious complaint to the police, and while we're at it we will forget about cllrs who claim benefits while working on for their political ambitions but can't get a job??
DeleteIndeed lets not worry about councillors who within a month from making a police complaint then kiss and make up with the perpetrator. Lets not worry about Labour whose punishment for making homophobic comments was a month's suspension from the Labour group (in a month when there was no council business) shocking hypocrisy even better did Clive Hart have courage to speak out about his colleagues homophobic remarks ?
9 34 your having a laugh
Oh, I didn't realise you were a Tory fan now, Tony. Or is it just your paranoid hatred of Labour that is, as ever, guiding your approach? Repeating your opinions again and again isn't really necessary; we can read and understand.
ReplyDelete5 02 whom are you addressing?
DeleteQuite agree the Labour Leader could give a justifiable punishment to their disgraced councillor and show they really do not agree with homophobic attacks on other councillors. Bob Bayford at least has given a befitting telling off, but Mike Harrison has been given virtually a hand shake, even after showing disrespect to a female a short while ago.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't we get some grown up people as councillors so many act like spoilt children and actually getting paid for their abuse, they should be fined.