Libdem definition of whip
By Steve Hanlon | October 11, 2010
Much debate this morning about the possibility of a split in the coalition over tuition fees. I’m sure that colleagues in the labour party are licking their lips at the prospect of a public punch-up between lib dems. Indeed, if I thought it likely then I would too :-)
However, what we’re about to witness is the elasticity of the so-called LibDem whip at work – something I’ve had the privilege to behold from close quarters in Twickenham and Colchester. I’m sure it has worked this way in Liverpool too..
In local government it generally works like this: the controlling LibDem group need to take a decision which won’t go down well in one or two wards. In those areas, the local LibDem cllr and party are free to campaign against their own council so long as the group can carry the vote through in council.
You end up with the ward councillor appearing to stand with their constituents – good for votes – while knowing full well that their opposition will have no influence at all on the final decision.
I’ve always been amazed by this because time and again I’ve seen otherwise intelligent people taken in by it. Despite them having seen it done to others before.
So the prospect for increased tuition fees? We’ll get a handful of LibDem MP’s kicking off about the changes while Cameron and Clegg happily push through their increases knowing that they have the numbers in the bag.
There’s nothing principled about it. It’s the usual LibDem opportunism, formalised into a standard way of working. The only difference is that we’re beginning to see it on the national stage.
Topics: Lib Dems, Political Integrity | No Comments »
Nick Clegg Is A …
By Steve Hanlon | September 8, 2010
I was curious…
It would never have happened under Charlie Kennedy
Topics: Political Integrity, Politics | 1 Comment »
First two months back on the council
By Steve Hanlon | July 8, 2010
It’s been a busy two months since the elections – with plenty done and a *lot* that I need to get done.
There are some teething problems with just getting information. I’ve opted to get council papers via email rather than the weekly small tree’s worth of paper being delivered each week. I’m not 100% certain yet if I’m actually getting everything. Still, it’ll all work out.
Noel and I have had meetings with local police and with the New Way tenants and residents committee. Also there was a special full council meeting about housing funding changes, which I couldn’t attend because of our previously arranged trip to Glastonbury. However, it’s time that we got out with our street surgeries and getting our first newsletter out. We’ll get these out in the next couple of weeks.
First impressions after being away from the Council for a couple of years:
* The “Chairman” of the council has now morphed into “His most worshipful Mayor” – this is weird and rather pointless.
* There are a *lot* of new faces, both in the Labour group and the Conservative group. It’ll take the best part of a year to get used to all the names again.
* Cash and the (non) availability of funding has the potential of overwhelming each and every decision being made by the council. There was very little spare cash three years ago. Now the scale of the cuts that have to be implemented have the potential to grind the workings of local services to a halt. This, and the role of the local council, are likely to be the themes for the next few years.
Most often the things that need changing require some element of cash. Speed enforcement signs, street cleaning or playground maintenance, even having sufficient planning officers to properly deal with and enforce applications. All this requires money – even if only a smidge to grease the wheels, but with a wave of the LibDem/Tory budget, that has all disappeared.
The council is a very different place and has very different challenges from when I stepped down two years ago.
Topics: Local Politics | No Comments »
Leaflets – the other (handwritten) one
By Steve Hanlon | May 2, 2010
Here’s the leaflet that is going out this week. I’ve got no idea how it will be received, but my thinking is this – there are *so many* leaflets flying around that something a little different might be noticed.
Also, it’s good to sneak a smiley face in, now and again.
Topics: Local Politics | No Comments »
Leaflets – the “manifesto leaflet”
By Steve Hanlon | May 2, 2010
In case anyone is interested (and to avoid repeating things in the future) I’m posting the two main leaflets that we used in the past couple of weeks.
Here is what we quaintly call the “manifesto” leaflet in West Lancs. This is the one for Noel and myself in Scott ward, Ormskirk.
It’s the main leaflet that contains the Labour group policies and pointing out just a few of the failings of our Conservative Borough Council.
Topics: Local Politics | No Comments »
Voting Conservative, 28 Days later…
By Steve Hanlon | April 10, 2010
There’s a brilliant spoof of the 28 days later trailer posted over at Political Scrapbook site. I’m sure that they won’t mind me linking to it here too.
They’re churning out a *lot* of excellent stuff and I’m sure that there’s a plenty more to come between now and May 6th. Well worth a visit.
Topics: Election 2010 | No Comments »
Weird blog action
By Steve Hanlon | March 20, 2010
For some reason this rarely updated blog has been down for the past couple of weeks following a server move. The old google analytics shows that it fell off a cliff about three weeks ago.
For a variety of reasons I’ve not even looked at this blog for about a month, so it completely passed me by.
However, logging onto the server, running a “ls -latu” and generally mooching about seems to have kicked it into life. No idea why, but there it is. I don’t guarantee I’ll be any better at updating, but at least it’s there when the urge takes me.
Topics: Blogging | No Comments »
From the archives – reaction to Peter Watt’s appointment as General Secretary
By Steve Hanlon | January 10, 2010
While searching my old email archives this morning I came across this gem from an old friend of mine, reacting to the email that we’d all received announcing Peter Watt’s elevation to Labour Party general secretary:
To: “Steve Hanlon”
Subject: Fw: And your new General Secretary is…..
Date: Thu, 10 Nov 2005The next General Secretary, to be appointed in two years time, is currently on the SureStart programme where he is learning to babble…`privilege’, `proud’, `challenge’, `’renewal’, `shared values’ etc etc.
None of you will remember the legendary General Secretary of the Labour Party, Bert Williams. Lost an arm during the war, hard as bloody nails and didn`t talk shite. But somehow I found him very reassuring.
Why do I find it so hard to `modernise’? Answers, please!
I think the author was referring to Len Williams General Secretary between 1962 and 1968, so of course I wouldn’t remember him (I wasn’t born!). That said, from the way he’s described, I really wish we’d had him at the helm in ‘07 rather than Watt.
Topics: Local Politics | No Comments »
Police in West Lancashire are urging residents to remain vigilant to the threat of burglary
By Steve Hanlon | January 10, 2010
From the Lancashire constabulary website:
POLICE in West Lancashire are urging residents to remain vigilant to the threat of burglary.
The warning follows an increase in offences over this month as a direct consequence of homeowners leaving front doors insecure or garden tools in their gardens which are then used to force windows and doors.
There have been nine burglaries so far this year in the Ormskirk policing area where police have seen spades and hoes used to force entry, or where a window or door has been left unlocked.
There is more information on their site including advice for householders to reduce the risk of burglary.
Topics: Ormskirk, Police | No Comments »
Welcome “Tales from the West Lands”
By Steve Hanlon | October 5, 2009
Alan Bullen, who was West Lancs Labour Group leader for nearly twenty years until standing down a few years ago, has started his own blog – “Tales from the West Lands“.
Alan, as a Councillor, was one of the few who could raise a smile in both the Labour and Conservative ranks, and I expect that he will turn that humour to good use in attacking the Tories in the run up to the next General Election.
In his first post, however, Alan has reproduced his speech from the Alderman Ceremony last year which was so unfairly reported in the Advertiser last week.
I look forward to following Alan’s unique take on West Lancs and national politics.
Topics: Blogging, Local Politics | No Comments »
