Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,920
Well, having joined Dover Town Council last October, I never expected to see the amount of by elections that have taken place since..
We are now in a position where the present administration of tories/.indies are in a minority, it will be interesting to see if Labour moves to takeover?
Who will be the next Town councillor to jump ship?
There are a few
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Guest 1881- Registered: 16 Oct 2016
- Posts: 1,071
Keith Sansum1 wrote:
Who will be the next Town councillor to jump ship?
There are a few
In which direction? If they are representing a party then they should only ever jump to Independent, in my opinion. If they jump to another party then they should always go back to the electorate first, irrespective of the by-election cost.
Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean that politics won't take an interest in you. PERICLES.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,875
The Bishop wrote:In which direction? If they are representing a party then they should only ever jump to Independent, in my opinion. If they jump to another party then they should always go back to the electorate first, irrespective of the by-election cost.
Erm! This is about a few very minor councillors in Dover not Westminster or even lowly DDC.
In my opinion it should not matter which party they lean towards they should put Dover first, second all the way through to last, party loyalties should never intrude.
"Who will be the next Town councillor to jump ship?"
Having said that I thought Keith meant they might resign as a councillor not switch political loyalties.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Should a Town Councillor resign before their set term over ill health then not a problem but if they are just throwing their toys out of their pram because they disagreed with a decision then they should pay the costs of the resulting by-election. Polling cards have to be printed and posted out, polling stations have to be staffed for 15 hours and the count involves more staff plus a returning officer. It might discourage self serving egotists from standing in the first place.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,920
In reality Howard the political parties and indies cant find enough people to fill all the seats.
At a recent trades council meeting I did question the local labour chairperson on why they keep putting up candidates who live miles from the ward they wish to represent.
His reply was , they cant find enough people living in the wards willing to stand ,but as a party they felt they should fight all seats.
Although Rebecca (greens candidate)stated labour don't need to fill all seats.
He said he wouldn't take a lecture from the green party? quite rude to her really.
But my opinion remains that candidates should have had some imput into the ward they want to represent, I continue to believe party politics should play NO PART in Town councils.
Jan Higgins and howard mcsweeney1 like this
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Guest 1881- Registered: 16 Oct 2016
- Posts: 1,071
Keith Sansum1 wrote:In reality Howard the political parties and indies cant find enough people to fill all the seats.
At a recent trades council meeting I did question the local labour chairperson on why they keep putting up candidates who live miles from the ward they wish to represent.
His reply was , they cant find enough people living in the wards willing to stand ,but as a party they felt they should fight all seats.
Although Rebecca (greens candidate)stated labour don't need to fill all seats.
He said he wouldn't take a lecture from the green party? quite rude to her really.
But my opinion remains that candidates should have had some imput into the ward they want to represent, I continue to believe party politics should play NO PART in Town councils.
Whilst I respect the opinion that party politics should play no part in Town councils, the fact remains that the Tories will always fill the vacuum and create a stranglehold on parish, town, district and constituency politics. This means that pretty much every decision will be nodded through unopposed and public opinion will be (and is in places where the Tories have it all sown up) ridden roughshod over.
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Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean that politics won't take an interest in you. PERICLES.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,920
The bishop
I hear what you say, but we shouldn't just blame the conservatives, Labour are no different
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Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,875
Neither party really care about us simple peasants only the party and its image regardless of all their waffle.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,920
Jan,
I can understand your point of view, but you will find councillors (a few) I each party, or no party that work hard, and certainly do care about the electorate.
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Guest 1881- Registered: 16 Oct 2016
- Posts: 1,071
Keith Sansum1 wrote:The bishop
I hear what you say, but we shouldn't just blame the conservatives, Labour are no different
I come at it from the position of plain socialism vs. capitalism. (Though I agree that their has been a few charlatans in the Labour party, New Labour neo-liberal era especially.)
Fundamentally, socialism is about the care of the people first, it is more community-minded than capitalism (i.e. money first, with the idea of speculating to accumulate). If capitalism really is for the people, why are there so many companies, such as liquidators, making a profit out of work closures? Why has Philip Green assets not been seized after he knowingly sold off a delayed death-sentence of BHS, resulting in 11,000+ staff losing their jobs and pay?
I don't share a communist viewpoint. I have no issue with profits as long as they are made honourably and not made on the back of 'pay slaves' or unjustified state support (including corporation tax subsidies, 'working tax credit' supplements to unnecessarily relieve wage bills etc).
Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean that politics won't take an interest in you. PERICLES.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,920
Bishop
I share your views
but i'm amazed how the Town council has gone just since Oct.
bearing in mind it was a cobbled together conservative and so called indies who had a majority then co opted another 6 supporting tory or indy cllrs they were laughing.
But since Oct they have slowly lost by elections and tories/indies left the administration
labour is now the largest party and able to take control.
You wouldn't have thought that in oct with such a big majority.
I think there will be more by elections before the 2 years are up
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