POLITICS CORNER

[PanBiker]

I forgot to mention that Sally received a FB message yesterday from Mandy Boardman who was the Lib Dem candidate that won the Coates seat in the by-election. It was a nice message in which she said that she hoped she could be as good a councillor as Sally has been in the past. She also added that she is not really a Lib Dem? Nice of her to message Sally and there is no animosity as such but she did stand on the Lib Dem ticket and under the "Team Barnoldswick" banner. Now call me old fashioned but if a particular candidate is not affiliated to any particular political party I would expect them to stand as an Independent. Or is it just that some folk don't realise when they are being manipulated?

It remains to be seen how she performs at the meetings and good luck to her if she wants to put up an opposing view to what seems to be the status quo.

[Tripps]

Fascinating - did she approach the Liberals, and ask to stand under their colours, or was she perhaps 'head hunted' by them to provide opposition to a credible Labour candidate?

Either way - it's done now. There will be further opportunities to get a 'Yellow Coat'

[PanBiker]

If it's like the normal practice she will have been cajoled by David. Quite a few of the councillors claim not to be Lib Dems but have all been elected on that ticket. There is a constant turn round of the "none Lib Dems" when the penny drops that they have to agree with the family Whipp or that's how it would appear if you watch or attend the meetings. There are three members of the family on the council. The last by-elections were in 2015 and neither of the Lib Dem candidates that were elected (I have to say on less votes than Sally polled this time) are still serving. Since then there has been a steady stream of co-options which is the preferred way it would seem to elect councillors on the grounds that calling democratic elections are too costly.

There is no doubt that David Whipp is a competent councillor and if you like the "family" have a good block vote. It is this that carries anyone else that stands on the ticket as all the Lib Dem literature encourages folk to just vote for the entire block. Not helped of course by apathetic turnouts. 4176 electors on the roll for the old Coates ward. 1365 bothered to turn out which is 32.69%. Interestingly Sally's vote went up since the last time she stood by about 30 votes. We reckon these will be Tory votes. Interestingly there were 75 invalid and rejected ballots, that is quite a high number for such a small turnout. The vast majority of them were returned blank. These will almost certainly be the die hard Tories who could not think past their party DNA and decided not to vote for either. If all had voted for Sally it still would not have made a difference. For a first timer, Mandy's vote was quite exceptional and no doubt carried on the back of David and Tom's and lets not forget Emma's vote. Sally used to poll the same numbers back in the day when the council was more balanced with Liberals, Labour, Tories and indeed Independent members. Look back in the thread for the break down of councillors on the image I put up.

[Whyperion]

Maybe would have been better if both had stood as independents (!).

One might note following rules that metropolitan mayors by being police and crime commissioners cannot be sitting MPs, so there is a by-election coming up in Bately&Spen. Some concerns that Labour might be under threat from Conservative, last election though Labour did not have a clear majority the third party was West Yorkshire Heavy Wollen Independent ( loosely a UKIPish derivative), as to if they stand and take more votes of conservative or dont stand and cons/lab split goes 70/30 again like Hartlepool Labour should win still, just, if they dont do anything stupid and get their main vote out (the seat at one time being that of the murdered Jo Cox).

[Whyperion]

. Like you Ken I fear for the countryside it will be open season now on any field they want to build on.

Strangely I understand many folk vote conservative in the expectation it will protect their idyll from residential development.

[Whyperion]

OK, the re-shuffle has been done. Actually more of a move of picture cards and I am not certain it is actually a demotion to anybody.

Angela Rayner gets one of those minister without portfolio jobs - Shadow to Chancellor of Dutchy of Lancaster - so a shadow cabinet role and a chance to savage Gove on a regular basis. I think Rayner struggled communicating on broadcast media - she could be too idelogical - which is better ground when vs Gove if done well.
Annalise Dodds moves from Shadow Chancellor to Party Chair - That might be a smart move, Rishi will make things tricky, with a bit of shadow experience I suspect could be handy in the party too.
Rachel Reeves gets Shadow Chancellor, might be a good idea,
Chief Whip Nick Brown leaves post - no idea why, does Starmer want/need a stronger henceman - parlimentary wise the whole lot would fit on 4 buses.
Thangam Debbonaire becomes Shadow Leader of House of Commons. This looks like an experience role and possibly a bit more friendly to Starmer.
Lucy Powell gets the housing brief in the Shadow Cabinet ( so Plaques knows who to write to now )
Shabana Mahmood becomes Party Campaign Co-ordinator - as to if this answers Panbikers desire for less central office control of local lists I have no idea.
Not certain if overall its shoring up the defences or preparing the knives for political attack, I think the former.

In London as Mayor Khan did not get over the line easily, I dont know if the Conservative challenger got support on lower costs / better spending or on the ideas of crime and youth centres , or , like some of Hartlepool a more direct line to the Government (for funding , etc).

[plaques]

Lucy Powell gets the housing brief in the Shadow Cabinet ( so Plaques knows who to write to now)

I don't write to the big guns too often but my objection to the extended Football Stadium in Holt House Recreation Park will be winging its way to the Pendle Planning dept: shortly.

All three of Colne's Liberal Councillors lost their seats to Conservatives. I wonder if this was in part down to their election flyer showing a bar chart of previous voting. Labour's numbers looked almost non-existent suggesting that it would be a wasted vote by voting for them so vote for me. My experience of people phycology is if they are told to do one thing against their choice they will do the opposite or abstain altogether. People are funny that way.

[Whyperion]

Revising some of the Reshuffle. Dodds also gets Chair of Policy Review - which sits a little above Rayner who also gets Shadow for Levelling Up Communities and the Future of Work. Which is interesting.


What might dismay Plaques is the note I see in one newspaper front page regarding Tuesdays Queen's Speech regarding simplification (or elimination) of the Planning Process. In certain proscribed areas no permission will be needed for housing (including presumably high rise flats), and other public buildings (Schools , Hospitals and the Like). This was connected by the paper that support for tory councilors was strongest in areas where home ownership was high, so more homes for purchase more tory votes should follow. I am not entirely sure that is was those voting tory were actually voting for, given Starmer has been criticised for being light on policy and Labour values, Johnson has got away with not a bank sheet of paper (other than brexit) of policy, but a clear transparency of policy that can be twisted anyway he wants. Lack of control on present office and retail conversions to residential is already causing problems in communities, all the proposed policy will do is reduce house standards, increase developer profits (offshored and tax avoided), increase house prices , not fix homelessness and create inflexibility with respect to moving for jobs in well paying places, as well as potential environmental destruction and lack of access and transport considerations.

The policy also neatly chops half the legs of the newly elected metropolitan mayors if they lose review of planning applications and strategic processes - so much for devolution of powers.

[Stanley]

I watched the shenanigans in the Great Wen yesterday. Johnson crowing about his 'victory' and Starmer trying to look authoritative as he made a complete horlicks of his reshuffle and then had photo ops of him striding around purposefully with lackeys in tow. The buggers really do think they are important and vital to the country don't they. I can't help remembering Belgium doing over a year quite well with no government, perhaps we ought to try it.
Lex Greensill appears before the Treasury Committee today. Will he blow the whistle on Johnson? Your guess is as good as mine.

[plaques]

Voting for city Mayors was a double option system ie: two votes. A first choice count modified by the second choice count. All a bit complicated but really designed to split the Labour vote into little chunks thereby giving an advantage to the Conservatives. The analysis of the current round of voting showed it didn't work the Labour vote increasing on the second count choice. Moves are now afoot to go back to the 'first past the post' system which in retrospect now looks better for the Conservatives. Who says our voting system is honest and transparent.

[PanBiker]

I think we should mention that the Police Commissioner role went from Labour to the Tories as well. Folk have obviously forgotten that it was the Tories that sacked 50,000 officers, oh well.

[Stanley]

Quite! I am sitting here listening to Rees Mogg trying to justify the inaction on social care and the requirement for ID for voting. He is talking absolute nonsense and waffle on both subjects. The Id requirement is to put off the poorest from voting and the lack of progress on social care is to try to get families to pay for it instead of the state making more of a contribution. The Treasury is the blocker.
Don't hold your breath!
Breaking news.... LINK. See this Times article which says "Sir Keir Starmer’s closest parliamentary aide has resigned amid allegations she spread baseless rumours about Angela Rayner’s private life, The Times has learnt. Carolyn Harris, Starmer’s parliamentary private secretary since he became leader last year, has left her position as the fallout from Starmer’s botched reshuffle enters its fourth day."
This is a party with a death wish.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC account of the resignation of Starmer's aide Carolyn Harris.

[Stanley]

Marina Hyde asks a very pertinent question this morning. Speaking about the initiative to make it more difficult to vote by forcing the production of evidence which many do not possess she asks "Why introduce a law to protect us against something isn't happening?"

[PanBiker]

This is a direct attack on the democratic process and an individuals right to vote. I would have no problem if we all had a National Identity Card but unfortunately some folk don't have any of the required validation. In the trials the other year Pendle Council issued a voting pass but individuals had to rock up in person to a Town Hall to collect it.

Personation is not a great issue in the country. I think when they had the trial there had been about 8 cases or some other ridiculously low number of proven offences nationally. Lords of the bloody universe.

[Stanley]

There will be a lot more of that Ian but with political parties giving them more rope can sometimes hang them. He and Rishi are making reassuring noises and comparing now with the worst of the lock down but this doesn't alter the fact that economics, trade and relations with Europe are all a busted flush and it will show up soon. Then they will start to reap the whirlwind.

[plaques]

Our good old right-wing Express news paper are pushing the false argument that the EU are against the Northern Ireland protocol. This is an absolute reversal of the truth. Boris Johnson proposed this solution as his answer to the Good Friday agreement of no hard border between North and South. The EU agreed to it because Johnson had said he was going to make it work and Rees -Mogg saying the tracing capability existed. All that needed doing was to implement it. An International agreement was signed leaving Johnson to get on with it. Of course it was an absolute dogs dinner where Johnson thought he could avoid his obligations and carry on as though we had never left the EU. So in affect the EU are saying is what Johnson is doing is against what has been agreed and it is up to him to implement it. The truth being that the person against the protocol is the very person that wrote it.
It looks like George Orwell's Ministry of truth is running at full blast.

[Tripps]

This is a direct attack on the democratic process and an individuals right to vote.

Why introduce a law to protect us against something isn't happening?"

Again I find a situation where an indirect consequence of an action is said to be the reason for the action. Compare it to the reduced use of cash, being seen as a conspiracy to abolish it. I'm still looking for a word to describe it.

It is said to be 'not happening' because no one is seriously looking for it. The social consequences of finding it may be difficult. Wasn't there a report about an election (in Birmingham I think) where it was said the practices 'would shame a third world country? ***

I've looked at this Lord Eric Pickles report

Shows it's a complex and sensitive subject. Lord Eric asks if a person cheats to be elected - what will he do when he gains power? I love the anecdote of the person who went to the Police complaining that he was not paid for handing over his voters registration card. Sounds a lot like an urban myth to me. There's a lot in the report to make you think.


*** PS.
Here we are would shame a banana republic

[Stanley]

Ken, you are right. In Johnson's world there are blurred lines but in the real world there are sharp edges. Johnson thought a fudge would cut it but he has found out now he was wrong. No other course but to blame the EU which is of course the default position. Meanwhile the flow of goods is still hampered if not impossible in some cases.
David, I would have been a lot more impressed by the Tory plans to reform voting if they had included a free piece of evidence for each voter that proved who they are. Not everyone can do this as easily as someone with a driving licence and some utility bills. It's not the fact that it would be good to 'stop fraud' that bothers me, it's making it more difficult for the most disadvantaged people to vote at all. Standard tactics for red necks in the US deep south and it's being imported to the UK.
Funny thing is that only the Tories see this as a priority needing legislation.

[PanBiker]

Elections, of course postal votes can be influenced but there are strict guidelines that govern that aspect of the franchise. All the main stream parties have been accused at one point or another of abusing the postal vote system.

They discussed the issue of elector ID last night on Question time. Apparently statistically over 20% of registered electors have no means of easily producible identification. One of the "smart arses" on the program argued that if she had £1,000,000 to give away to anyone in the UK on production of ID it wouldn't be a problem! Missing the point there I think. They should be encouraging more people to vote not making it more difficult. My support for compulsory voting would make this particular argument go away. I would extend the franchise to 16 year olds as part of the deal as well.

As I have said before, I would have no problem in forcing folk to produce ID if we had a national identity card. Those against it don't seem to realise that we already have one but it is in lots of different pieces, it just needs consolidating into one useful bit of wallet fodder.

[plaques]

We don't want to admit it but 1984 is already with us. Take a car ride and the police can point a camera and see both the cars and owners details. Face recognition has reached a point where an image under official lighting and background is 100% certain. All it needs is the official photo to be kept on a national data base. Of course limited access to this data base should be clearly stated. At the moment its about potential Labour voters cheating lets not mention all those living abroad for tax purposes nipping in and out of the UK without any real checks.

[PanBiker]

The averages are as follows, we are on CCTV 300 times a day, maybe not at the moment with the pandemic but under normal circumstances that is the figure. Like you say, ANPR and they have your registration details. If you are on a major highway your entire journey can be tracked as well as the occupants and the speed you are driving at. Every time you use a POS terminal in a supermarket or or any other store you are tracked to within a few inches. Hole in the wall you are tracked and recorded on video. Use a credit or debit card anywhere and your account is accessed and analysed for your credit rating. Lets not forget the mobile tracker that the vast majority of people carry in their pocket. Most will not even realise that the GPS can pinpoint their location and unique identity via the MAC address of the device to within inches of their present position.

It actually makes no sense at all not to have a National Identity Card. Make it smart and you could have a proper game changer for security and medical emergency. Bring it on.

[chinatyke]

It actually makes no sense at all not to have a National Identity Card. Make it smart and you could have a proper game changer for security and medical emergency. Bring it on.

It is already done in China for all their adult citizens. They are used routinely for ID such as rail tickets, hotels, hospitals, banks, etc and are accepted as a legal document. Students have some sort of card also. Foreigners use their passport for the same purposes. I know you'd expect Big Brother tactics in China, but no-one seems to think having an ID card intrudes on their personal liberty. I think it is a great idea but can't get one unless I have permanent residency status.

[Big Kev]

As Ian has said earlier, we effectively have them here. Photo driving licence, passport, bank card, smartphone...

[Tizer]

...bus pass!