Nigel - thank you for the political information. As you probably know, I am a longstanding leftie - but your courtesy and swift responses have, alarmingly (to me anyway!), led me to properly consider a new way of voting!! Lessons to be learned all round about how personalities and courtesies affect democracy! Increasingly I am voting for the person rather than the party line, and that feels right!
Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
A good lesson we would all do well to learn. Forget the tired old party lines and vote for the person who you think will do the best job, rather than someone you have no faith in just because they have the right coloured leaflets.
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
'I'd rather vote for a plastic duck than vote for a Tory' said an old friends Scottish 89 year old mother to a Tory door campaigner.
Fine words. I have a long memory and to me it would be similar to voting for Hitler cos he had a change of heart about the final solution.
No my heart mind and body ,probably foolishly, prevents me from voting for the Tories.Sad but true.
Also I know that Nigel is desperate to get elected to the KCC or whatever later this year.So call me an old die hard but feel there could just be an ulterior motive for his populist way of thinking and change of direction.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
Marek
Youi are right Nigel will be the nice geezer leading up to the KCC elections
of course sadly he will fail again,
IM Pleased Gordon cowan and Bill newman will represent me at next election
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
Chris
You make an interesting point on indies but your party has tried to float that before.
There are good cllrs in all the parties and bad ones thayt wont ever change
same in all walks of life
BERN
Although I will never move friom my lefty background, theres no way would I ever think of voting any other way, if it came to that situation i would do like others and not vote at all
but no im voting labour
I guess I am not there yet, but am clear that there are many factors that will influence my vote next time, among them Can Do, courtesy, activity, responses and charm. Charm is a huge part of politics and sadly some (not all) local reps seem to under-rate it badly. I am, and probably always will be, an old leftie, but local politics is unique and different and my priorities are different at this level. And I can't forget that once, about a century ago, I actually belonged to the Conservative Party..........
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
BERN
BELONGED?
Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
Sorry Keith but isn't that a rather sad comment on your democratic rights, that if there wasn't a candidate of your chosen colour instead of seeing who you thought was best for the job you wouldn't bother to vote at all? Are you glad of your candidates of choice because you think they will best represent the areas they stand for or because you think they will best represent your party of choice? Surely when people go to the polls they deserve to be electing someone who they think will best represent their interests and the interests of their area, rather than somebody who will best interpret their party lines into the local government bodies.
If such voting led to a hung parliment maybe they would just have to learn to work together in the best interests of those who elected them rather than following party agenda's.
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
chris
keith does have a point.
nationally as things stand i will not be voting at the next general thingie.
locally, i tend to go for the individual over and above any political allegiance.
i cannot see how dog turds, broken paving stones, parking and the like have a party stance.
obviously if i had a councillor who was trying to hold back the district as a whole, i would resist putting my cross against their name.
Sid Pollitt
What if plastic ducks were to stand in numbers? I suppose that's the crux of the party versus indy dilemma, what the difference between one duck and another when they look the same.
Have you heard about the Libertas party? It is pro-European and plans to contest seats across the EU in June.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
sid,it depends wot side of the fence you stand on unless you are sitting on it of course.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Yes good point Sid.
But yes the personalities...Nigel Collor v Gordon Cowan. Gordon had something of an emphatic win the last time. Nigel did well of course but was a fair bit behind. But my feeling is that Nigel had a much higher profile in those days and still didnt win. Nowadays Nigel , who has somewhat withdrawn himself from Forum life, and is only really known to the public via the DDC Press releases, has a heck of a hill to climb I would think. I always thought it was odd that Nigel withdrew from Forum participation, it certainly worked for him media wise because as a consequence he was more often in the newspapers. You need only to remind yourself of the Roger W joke incident to see the difference participation can make on your profile!
The charismatic Gordon on the other hand has increased his public profile quite considerably. He has chaired a number of these Street Scene and Neighbourhood Forum meetings for example and is much more in the public eye.
At the end of the day plastic duck or otherwise , people do like to vote for a familiar face.
We also know what familiarity can breed..................Of course publicity is a good thing, but charm and courtesy combined with swift and appropriate responses - the Can Do we have been banging on about - are just as important, more so for me.
And yes, astoundingly, I was once a member of the Blues, but I was young and foolish and influenced by friends and family and by the lovely surroundings up at Westminster when I was campaigning. Finding ones political balance is a bit like falling in love: sometimes we need to try a few out before we settle down.........
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
yep its that dilema do you post or not.
Interesting one. Nigel decided no, as you say Gordon is out there on the doorstep and at these meetings.
Very nice approachable chap to (BERN)
as you say Paulb Nigel slightly dented the labour majority when in the public eye
but he certainly gone to ground.
Good for gordon though.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
the last time i had gorden cowen on my doorstep was the last councill election havent seen him since.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
ah Brian for heavens sake thats such a standard line though. What would you expect him to do... call round for tea??
The fact of the matter is that all councillors of all parties knock on your door at an Election, thats how it all works. In the meantime theyre out there getting on with the job. You can let them know if you like the job they are doing at the next election.
I had the double horror of having both Nigel and BarryW knocking at my door at the same time and very early in the morning too....now that was a shock to the system !!lol
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
put it this way paul,aycliffe has 3 counclers 2 who live up here 1 dosent,of the 2 who do i see 1 on a regular bases 2/3 times a week,the other 1 i cant remember the last time i saw him,come to think of it might be the last time i saw gc.any way who said i would invite then for a cuppa.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
I agree with PaulB ,Nigel appears to rely very heavily on his friends at the Dover Express for his publicity.I have nothing against Nigel personally in fact he is a dam nice chap,if a bit misguided,but he does need to raise his profile in the same way that Charlie boy had to when selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate for Dover & Deal.He has ventured out and about and got his face known.
I, for one am unsure how Nigel feels about the location of the poly clinic.
I don't know whether he was involved in the decision that traffic exiting the new ASDa (as and when built) will all be directed down Dovers prettiest road,Castle St before winding its way through the Market Sq past the Firkin and upto the traffics lights at York St.
I don't know how he explains the non activity on the DTZ site
or the non action over rebuilding the Crypt or the rejection of business proposals to rebuild the whole DTIZ area by an outside consortium.
his feelings on car parking fees,the loss of benches/seating in the town.
By the way I don't just think that this applies to him but to most politicians but wouldn't it be nice if any of them said
1. abolish car parking charges at weekends to encourage business and visitors
2.All shops left empty to be made good with a window display
3.weekend market to be introduced and encouraged
4.police to patrol Market Sq at weekends
5.poly clinic good for town centre
6 More benches to be introduced to the pedestrian part of town
7.gate to be closed to prevent traffic entering the pedestrian High St after 9am until 6pm
8.the old B&Q to become temp skating rink until buyer found
Just some Utopian dream like thoughts that will never reach fruition but isn't it so frustrating when we are offered something like the TV screen that all the objectors who mainly live out of town are against it.
eee lad I could go on but won't ...
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Marek. I have little time to post so all I will say is that much, in fact most, of what you post is not within the powers and responsibilities of KCC to which Nigel is a candidate or DDC where he is already a member. It would be wrong for him to make statements or promises that are not in his power to deliver. Of course of you want platitudes of agreement without any prospect of action then that is easy for anyone to make. I think Nigel is better than that.
