As can see from recent entries to this blog,I've not been following local issue, currently I have some time to waste, so it's the simple pleasures for me, glancing thro twitter local blogs.
A couple of trivial tweets caught my eye, one was a re tweet from Cllr Will Scobie who is the remarkable Labour Prospective Candidate for Parliament, (remarkable in is as much, as he doesn't seem to of ever held any significant or proper job in the economy) . Anyway the text of his re-tweet was this "Between 2001 and 2011 the proportion of 20-24 year olds went up by 8% in Thanet South; the highest rise anywhere in England " and just like Scobie's eligibility as potential MP could use some explanation.
Clive Harts offering this morning "Excellent meeting with Chair of a Planning and officers this morning. Interesting agenda for Wednesday. Well that's Wednesday night sorted for me then, but it also posses this question, why when we are still waiting for an outcome the matters concerning EKO is Clive Hart holding the post of Vice chair of the planning committee, also as it has been said that Clive Hart was in talks with the owners of Manston re development of housing.
Many of the present government cabinet members and shadow members never had a proper job so what's new?
ReplyDeletedeputy do nothing just say yes at the right moment cant be bad just claim xxs for a nod
ReplyDeleteWe seem to have political chimps: TDC councillors refusing filming etc of meetings. KCC councillors silent on the corruption. MP candidates suddenly parachuted in with random views. Useless.
ReplyDeleteTo be an MP you have to be able to walk the tightrope. Whilst you have to maintain a good working relationship with the local party, you have to raise yourself above their petty squabbles, vendettas and stupidity. People look to you for leadership and, if all they see is another local councillor, you won't be elected. Will Scobie is making (and may already have made) a fatal mistake in allowing himself to be shackled to the Labour Group's airport obsession. Iris is one of the old guard and, predictably, on taking over from Clive, she has taken the party back ten years. The old dinosaurs who lumbered us with Manston have been rolled back out to give us all a taste of Groundhog Day. Will is a young man and was in school when much of this was taking place. However, he ought to be aware that Mark MacGregor twice failed to take the Thanet constituency because he wouldn't dissociate himself from the South Thanet constituency party, which was determined to permit unrestricted night flights. Will has a clear decision to make. If he associates himself with Iris's doomed crusade, his political aspirations will go the same way. If he can cut the apron strings and project an alternative vision he may have a chance. If you want to represent the new generation, you can't surround yourself with dinosaurs.
ReplyDeleteClive Hart a moderniser? In what way? Remember it was Clive who led the labour group down the anti Manston path, trying to stop anti Manston votes going away from his party. Iris was in the Cabinet that supported the no night flights stance. Both now claim to want the airport. Iris said on Thursday night even with a CPO she would still adhere to the straitjacket of 7am to 11 pm only flying, which has been the source of failure for this airport in recent years. Mike Harrison, genuine old dinosaur, has gone from condemning anti night flight protesters, to hugging them, and now claiming always in favour of airport. You expect young Scobie to turn and bite the hands that have fed him the silver spoon easy unearned route to his current positions? No he only has an interest in Manston to use it to attack KCC, cos he was too busy being a grammar school hooray Henry when KCC were truly supporting development at Manston. You give the labour leadership way to much credit for intellectual ability; they simply chase the votes of groups who make their voice heard, and reverse their position when the opposing group happen along.
ReplyDeleteSo, any young person who attended a grammar school is a Hooray Henry?
ReplyDeleteNo, it was one of young Scobie's actual nicknames at Dane Court.
ReplyDeleteSomeone's been on the wacky baccy.
ReplyDelete"Clive who led the labour group down the anti Manston path" - What you talking about. Clive Hart was always very supportive of the airport. The only thing he committed the council to doing was to oppose the introduction of regular scheduled night flights. Even the airport operator has stated that this had no bearing on their decision to close the airport. A handful of night-flights was never going to produce the volumes of revenue needed to keep this turkey afloat. "Mike Harrison, genuine old dinosaur, has gone from condemning anti night flight protesters, to hugging them." - this is getting really surreal. Can you name one NNF supporter who has been hugged by Mike Harrison? " You give the labour leadership way to much credit for intellectual ability; they simply chase the votes of groups who make their voice heard," - and the Tories are desperate to show their support for SMA because of the 8000 signatures on the petition (although most of those signatures are from people who don't live in the electoral area and so, it isn't possible to check that they are genuine.) The fact is, with the hopeless pro-airport bias in the IoT Gazette, all we have heard or read in recent weeks are the views of the tiny minority of people in the SMA. Nobody has bothered asking local people what they think.
Of course desperate politicians like Wells are gearing up to blame Labour if Manston finally dies a death. They will look to make cheap political capital out if it. But curious that the Tory controlled Kent County Council is today trying to back off any commitment to finance a CPO, and there's always the historic "flip-flopping" of local MP Gale over night flights. His position changed depending on which party was in power in Thanet.
ReplyDeleteYou always came across as a more human and urbane member of the local Tory Group, Councillor Wells. A respectable and thoughtful moderate in a scrum of convicted liars, thieves, drunk-drivers, animal abusers and, on the political front, media manipulators, right-wing Neanderthals, and muck-rakers. I think that's a comprehensive list.
ReplyDeleteSadly your bitchy little outburst against Scobie seems to push you down the standards list somewhat. Is the hot weather getting to you, or is the recollection of your own political career failures that has prompted jealous outrage?
This is the reason why we need a clear out of most of the old councillors at next years May elections.
ReplyDeleteWe need cross party collaboration and wise heads to move forward in 2015.