Councillors can't be in two places at once
A busy evening in Eastleigh’s Civic Offices on 13th December meant that council business was disrupted in Hedge End.
The Resources Scrutiny Panel was meeting in Eastleigh to discuss the Borough Council’s proposals to buy the Rose Bowl.
At the same time, the Community and Culture Committee was scheduled to meet in Hedge End, to discuss (in addition to the routine business);
- Hedge End Library – Opening hours extension using volunteers
- Berry Theatre – The programme of events to be supported by HETC
- The recent Christmas lights switch-on event
As things turned out, the Community and Culture meeting was abandoned as not enough of the committee members turned up for the meeting. It was not possible for the committee to form a quorum, which requires three committee members to be present.
Speaking at the Hedge End Town Council meeting on the 21st December, where the abandoned meeting was queried, Cllr Daniel Clarke, a Borough Councillor for West End South, a Town Councillor for Hedge End Grange Park East and a member of Hedge End’s Community and Culture Committee said;
“I went to the meeting in Eastleigh, which was more important”
“Unfortunately it isn’t always possible for Councillors to attend every meeting, when meetings clash like this.”
“It is up to the public to decide if they are happy for Councillors to serve on several councils. If the public have elected us to do that, I don’t have a problem. We do the best we can.”
Councillor Louise Bloom, chairman of the Community and Culture Committee then added;
It is up to the Councillors to decide which of the meetings is the priority that they should attend.”
An online petition is currently running, to “Prevent Councillors from serving on several Councils”.
see also: When 12 become 4
Read Ray’s Blog: The complete works of TGRWorzel
If you are interested in joining our mailing list, please submit your email below. 
Err…Cllr Clarke isn’t a member of the Resources Scrutiny committee although, as noted, he attended the meeting in question he sat in the public gallery and took no active part in proceedings.
There was a secret presentation for members prior to the meeting by Sanguine Hospitality the company who have been ‘chosen’ to run the Rose bowl.
The meeting was so secret members are not allowed to discuss it in case they divulge ‘sensitive’ information to a competitor -- or perhaps scare the sheep too badly.
Perhaps members were told the company has borrowed £100 million from an offshore fund or that Director Paul Bolton is also a director of Denizens, the company that is being chosen to build the £30 million Hotel.
Perhaps they were told how the group -- which has only been trading since 2006 and was described by Paul Bolton as ‘punching above it’s weight’ -- had a rap from the Advertising Standards Authority earlier this year for misleading advertising at one of their Hotels.
Maybe it was mentioned that one of they were closing one of their ‘posh nosh’ Marco Pierre White restaurants this month with the loss of 20 jobs and it is going to become a Harvester.
Or perhaps the members were only told how it was a WIN WIN situation.
Report this comment
So the priority for Cllr Clarke really should have been Hedge End’s library and the Berry Theatre…?
Report this comment
No, not at all. He is a Borough Councillor (and resident) of West End, that is where the £36m Rose Bowl development is so it was more important to be present at meetings concerning the project.
He was quite right to put West End residents first as he is paid an allowance to represent the area but receives no money from the public purse for his duties on Hedge End Town Council.
Report this comment
I’d agree with that actually, but when Councillors don’t turn up for Committee meetings, even if it is for a valid reason like Dan’s, it doesn’t help Hedge End to get its business done…
Report this comment
I have sympathy with Dan on this. Sometimes councillors at all levels have to make priority calls on which meetings they attend.
The problem is that there were five other Lib Dems who did not attend the C&C meeting as well.
One HETC Lib Dem has resigned this month because he could not commit to the time required. Perhaps more of them need to take a serious look at their commitments. If Hedge End is going to be at the bottom of their priorities, perhaps they should admit that, and make way for somebody who can give the time required.
Report this comment
This serves to indicate that Dan Clarke is not interested in serving the people of Hedge End. Whether or not the Borough Council meeting was his priority, he probably wouldn’t have come to the meeting in Hedge End anyway as he is primarily interested in West End. He is a stooge to prevent non Lib Dems getting in.He and other councillors not resident locally are not concerned with what is happening at the grass roots of Hedge End.
Report this comment
I think the community are best served when we all stick to the issues rather than petty squabbling like this. The fact is that there are occasional clashes and individuals need to make a judgment at that point. Keith Day missed a HETC committee meeting in July so that he could attend a Borough Council meeting and he has not been a Borough Councillor since May so clearly there are occasions when it is in the interests of Hedge End residents for HETC members to keep informed about Borough developments and therefore attend Borough meetings. According to Keith Day’s actions this is the case regardless of whether one is also a Borough Councillor. On the issues, I was elected fair and square and I have used my position to argue for, amongst other things, extended library opening hours and policies which will rescue youth support services for the community of Hedge End. I know Grange Park East like the back of my hand and I am easily accessible to all residents. The reason the Tories are failing in Hedge End is that they only bring the area problems whilst local Liberal Democrats provide solutions. Sadly the local independents only seem to be interested in throwing bottles.
Report this comment
What problems specifically, do you think the Tories bring to the area…?
And isn’t the extra congestion around Hedge End and the main access routes to the M27, which will be caused by the 1000 new homes in Woodhouse Lane and the 1400 in Boorley Green, a problem that has been brought to the area by the Lib Dems…?
Report this comment
I think Keith Day and Dan Clarke both did the right thing in prioritising full council but this incident does show that having councillors sitting on multiple tiers of local government leads to conflict of interest.
Dan Clarke is a regular attendee at HTEC as far as I know.
Report this comment
Hi Ray, specific problems the Tories bring to the area include the cuts to the Youth Service by the Tory County Council and the original County proposal to close the library for a day a week. Both of these are in the process of being turned around by Liberal Democrat initiatives at the LAC and HETC, so that residents should be looking at improved services rather than Tory cutbacks. This is why I and other Liberal Democrats are on HETC -- to develop local policies which guarantee good local services for the Hedge End community.
Report this comment
These spending cuts are a result of people voting Lib Dem in the last General Election are they not?
Report this comment
Thanks Dan.
The library issue was of course one of the items for discussion on the Community & Culture Committee meeting that had to be cancelled, but I’m sure it’ll be picked up at the next meeting eh…? I’ll do my best to come along and report here on the Lib Dems solution to the problem.
Agreed that HCC Youth Service cuts are an issue for Hedge End, but as we’ve got Keith House, Bruce Tennant and Rupert Kyrle on HCC, I think they ought to share some of the responsibility…
Report this comment
If any of our other readers would like to come along too, the next Community & Culture Committee meeting is scheduled for 7pm on 10th January in the 2000 Centre in Hedge End.
Report this comment
Now don’t laugh Dan (OK, go on then, you’re allowed!), but I’ve just encountered exactly the same problem.
Botley Parish Council also have a meeting on 10th January.
Now which is more important for me to attend: Botley Parish Council or Hedge End’s Community & Culture Committee…?
Report this comment
The problem is Ray that the Tories have a majority at the County and they rammed through ideological cuts to frontline services. Keith, Bruce, Rupert and the other Liberal Democrats at the County put forward alternative proposals which would have protected our youth service, etc and which were signed off as affordable and workable by the County Treasurer. However the Tories used their big majority to get their cuts. Luckily in Hedge End the Liberal Democrat Town Council and the Liberal Democrat LAC have been able to work together to protect services. It would be good for the Hedge End community though if the Liberal Democrats had a majority at HCC and hopefully this will be achieved in 2013.
Report this comment
How is it a council can ram through ‘ideological cuts to front line services’while the Lib Dems are in government and are sat in the cabinet?
Report this comment
Thought you’d say that Dan. I agree that the problem at HCC is the Tories majority.
I’m obliged to point out though, that the Lib Dems have an even larger majority on Hedge End Town Council, which means that the opposition (of one!) cannot even get the important matters (such as Hedge End’s response to the draft local plan) discussed at Council meetings.
There’s a similar problem at Eastleigh Borough Council, where the Rose Bowl proposals were pushed through recently despite some clear opposition to the Council spending public money on such a project.
I guess that’s the problem when parties have a majority and Councillors follow the party line rather than what their constituents are saying to them.
Unfortunately for the UK, no political party has the monopoly on being right…
It is interesting to note here that the coalition Government has forced Lib Dems and Tories to restrain what they might otherwise do, to compromise and work together for a change. Its been rather refreshing actually…
So I’d like to see hung Councils locally, with some independents or the minor parties holding the balance of power, so that votes do not always split along red/blue/yellow party lines, and are based on the argument/debate and the pro’s/cons rather than according to which party the Councillors belong to and what their leader tells them to do…
With hung Councils, I think we’d get better decisions overall, once the politicians settled down and started working together for the overall good of the local community…
Report this comment
Well Steve the national cuts are an economic necessity acknowledged by all serious politicians in the three main parties. Regardless of the level of central government grant to HCC, their cuts to services have not been necessary. They have been by choice, they made a choice to increase reserves by 48m rather than protect services and jobs which the public value but which we know the Tories oppose through ideology. On the national situation, it was Alastair Darling who told the then PM in 2009, “the foundations of the budget have to be realistic -- if they were not the markets would not but it, the pound would come under pressure and Britain’s credit status might be downgraded”. Peter Mandelson said just after the GE, “we were in a pile of debt and still digging”. I think these comments sum up the consensus between the mainstream of the parties and the public at the beginning of the coalition. It was essential to put the brakes on our spending and our borrowing and to protect our credit rating. Weak politicians who have flinched from making tough decisions have destroyed lives in Greece and Italy. It is a shame the Gordon Brown interns that have been left in charge of Labour have removed themselves from credible debate on the economy, but serious Labour figures recognise the need to make many of the changes being taken. Indeed it was Labour’s Lord Hutton who oversaw the review of public sector pensions. All this though does not change the fact that the Tory cuts to our youth centres, libraries and children’s centres were avoidable. They chose to put the money in reserves instead.HCC could have afforded the Lib Dem proposals to save our services and don’t just take the Lib Dem word for it, the County Treasurer said they were affordable and Tim Cutler, Unison branch secretary said about the 48m put into reserves “We have argued all along these County cuts were not necessary and this proves our point. It is outrageous that money could save jobs and provide services”.
Report this comment
I think its a dammed cheek for Daniel Clarke
to critise any other Politician, Daniel stood against the Labour party members wishes in a contest where he was the only candidate, Daniel
was elected by a majority of 1 in a 15 -- 14 split vote. thats how much Eastleigh labour party thought of him.
with in weeks Daniel was talking to Lib dem Councillor Bruce Tenant who asked Daniel to defect. This was reported to senior Regional
officers, they asked Daniel if this was true and was he going to defect which Daniel denied.
Daniel then gave many reasons why he defected but the under lying reason was Daniels own self interest.
Daniel if you want to go critising others look at your self first, its a shame the Lib dems dumped the hard working Joyce Sortwell for you, i am sure if they hadnt you would not have defected.
Before you go critising other Politicians you should not be standing in a Glass house throwing bricks at others
Report this comment
Great we have rattled your cage Brian. Going over old Labour contests I remember the vote of no confidence the party had in you as Treasurer in September 2006. Eleven voted against you and two in favour (you and Pete Luffman). Then in early 2007 the CLP refused to approve you as a candidate for Eastleigh South. You only got approved on appeal at five minutes to midnight against the background of nobody else from the farce that is Eastleigh Labour Party being willing to stand in Eastleigh South as nominations were due. Back when I was a Labour member it was region and local CLP members who suggested I stood. In fact in the two weeks leading to the cancellation of the election that never was in late 2007, I was told by region that I would be the candidate for Eastleigh without a contest if there was a snap election. Perhaps Brian you weren’t considered by region to be a key enough figure in Eastleigh CLP to have been informed about this. As for Joyce, the comments you have made are a nonsense.
Report this comment
What a venemous nasty rant from Cllr. Clarke. I’m sure that we ordinary electors have little interest in the internal machinations of the political parties, we are interested in how our councillors conduct themselves on our behalf. I have always heard that Mr. Norgate was a diligent councillor. The tone of Mr. Clarke’s outbursts on this page is rerettable, to say the least, but maybe we are just seeing his true colours. No wonder people are disillusioned with politicians. Let’s hope most of our elected councillors are milder-mannered.
Report this comment
Yes Daniel we remember what happened in 2006
and your legal advice you gained from your legal degree. I used my financial training and was proved correct after all the information
was given to the Labour Party.
Yes you were one of the people who voted against me but I was supported by the local MPs and Labour party members, sadly your side wasnt
in 2005 i was the agent for the General election and with our limited resources we did rather well, Everyone in the Eastleigh Labour party worked well in the team spirit and we campaigned in every ward getting atleast 1,000 votes in every ward.
then you left the torys under a cloud and came to us, We still remember your written articles about Keith House and the Lib dems.
Your defection was for electoral advantage, you should have resigned your position and left the Labour party but you didnt did you.
so you are in the correct position to talk about being in two places at the same time
you just dont have the right to critise anyone else.
Report this comment
Er Brian it is not clear what you mean from those passages. I didn’t ever give any party advice of any sort. As I became active in Labour in 2001 at the age of 18 and held positions with Labour prior to 2005 I don’t know how your timeline works out. Indeed the first time I came across you was in 2004 at a Labour Party meeting in Soton I had organised. In retrospect since I
Report this comment
Although things are always blurred when a party’s Parliamentary party are in national government (Labour should know after Blair’s neo -- con foreign policy) the Liberal Democrats are a progressive party without the oppressive authoritarian instincts of Labour. Since I spent most of my years in Labour clashing with old Labour dinosaurs on issues such as Iraq, 90 day detention without trial and the introduction of top up fees maybe I should have joined the Liberal Democrats earlier. But as Chris Huhne and others know, when you’re young being active in the Labour Party teaches you of the need for a grown-up progressive party which is what the Liberal Democrats are and what the Labour Party are not.
Report this comment
I can hardly believe I’m reading this! When was Cllr. Clarke a Tory councillor?
Report this comment
Er never Maureen. Basically Brian is not a supporter of mine as you may have worked out, and his comments should be read in that light. Given I am only 29 I often wonder when I would have had the time to have done most the things Brian tends to accuse me of.
Report this comment
Daniel I am not accusing you of anything more than just stating facts, as we know you did more than that whats declared but please answer the questions.
Why did you not do the decent thing and resign
as PPC for the Labour party and stand down as a Labour party member then join a party of your chosing. That would be what a reasonable person would do.
You had your right to disagree with the party and people with in it, what gave you the right
to benefit from your defection in the way you did and to the detriment of the people you promised to uphold their values as their Labour PPC.
That was the advice you were given when you told senior labour party members you were not going to resign and join another party.
ask Joyce Sortwell for a year before you defected we were telling her Daniels after your seat.
Oh how lucky Chris Huhne was for that to happen
prior to the General election,
we note from the returns to the Electoral commision the unpaid interest free loans owed to Councillor Anne Winstanley that helped you so much in the elections
I am sure with your newly found lib dem principles that you and the other lib dem councillors would like to see the interest free loans repaid in full including her interest
We will be keeping an eye on the Electoral commisions web site hopefully the MP will repay
her £1.5k+ interest free loan for ink for his constituency office, even though he an claim that from his Parliamentary account.
you must accept that not being able to be in to places at once you would make very effort to repay interest free loans used in elections
Report this comment
Yes I too have heard the honourable Dan Clarke has been a party member of the Tories, Labour and now Lib Dems, although he has been heard to mutter that if he had anywhere else to go he’d leave them. Well -- there’s UKIP and the BNP, dear Daniel and you’re only 29 after all.
Report this comment
Can I ask Dan a question please….?
Put simply, to be eligible to stand as a Town/Parish Councillor, one either has to live in the ward, have your main place of work there, or live within three miles of it.
Which of those criteria did you meet Dan, the last time the Grange Park East seat was up for election…?
The reason I ask, is that when I asked Google Maps for directions from Dan’s current address (as shown on the EBC website) to the edge of the Grange Park East ward (Maunsell Way/Martley Gardens), the shortest route (by road) was a little more than 3 miles…
Have you moved house recently Dan, or is the 3 miles measured as the crow flies…?
Report this comment
The three miles qualification for standing for a parish/town council Ray is measured from the Town Council border rather than the ward and it is as the crow flies. I think you would all do better to concentrate on the issues which affect the community rather than getting too tied down with petty stuff like this. The fact that only 43 people out of the whole country have so far signed your petition should tell you something.
Report this comment
Well here’s a link to the relevant document on the electoral commision website, paragraph 2.3 if anybody wants to check it out for themselves.
Bearing in mind who produced it, i.e. the electoral commission, the document isn’t as clear as it might be actually, referring at one point to the “town council area in which they wish to stand”, which some might reasonably interpret as being the ward. And I couldn’t see any mention of “as the crow flies”.
Anyway, the petition is up to 50 signatures now thanks Dan, and it still has a long time to run.
Like it or not, I think the Town Council really does need to look at some of the points that are being raised in this discussion and elsewhere. Ineffective local governance, e.g. committee meetings being cancelled due to lack of a quorum and councillors using every trick in the book to avoid discussing the draft local plan, is clearly an issue that affects the local community…
Report this comment
This really needs looking into. Surely this councillor (who is he?) is stretching credibility by saying the three mile rule is from the edge of the ward to his house -- com’on. Can we get this bloke out and get someone local in?
Report this comment
Quick bit of surfing tells me that Keith House is on Hedge End Town Council AND Chairman over at Bursledon Parish Council. How does that work then? Does he get to all the meetings? Is there a conflict of interest?
Report this comment
And he also represents Hamble on Hampshire County Council and is a member of SEEDA…
Keith House certainly doesn’t get to all the meetings Maureen. He wasn’t at the last HETC meeting that this story refers to.
My petition needs 100,000 signatures to succeed and as Dan rightly says, it is a long way short at the moment.
Signing it and doing what you can to help spread the word about it would be a big help if you are able to do so. Thanks.
Report this comment
Thanks William.
Dan’s claiming that the three miles applies as the crow flies from the edge of Hedge End itself and not from the edge of the ward that he represents. Dan represents Grange Park East, which is a sub-area of Hedge End, which includes Hedge End Station and the area of Grange Park directly to the East of it.
I completely agree with you about getting more local people onto HETC. I don’t think there’s a good moral argument for somebody who lives in West End being in a position to help determine what happens in Hedge End, particularly on issues such as local development…
There is a chance at the moment, to help with that problem.
One of the other HETC Councillors has resigned recently. What normally happens is that the Lib Dems co-opt one of their own onto the Council, which they are able to do because of the inertia within the local electorate.
All that needs to happen though, is for ten people who live within Hedge End to write to the Returning Officer requesting that the vacancy be filled by an election.
This has to be done by Friday January 13th.
There’s more here if anybody is able to help by writing such a letter.
Report this comment
Good to see that human nature doesnt change when it comes to politics.
Happy new year everyone.
Report this comment
Here’s a length of rope, Cllr Clarke, although judging by your replies, you don’t need any assistance as you are managing to hoist yourself by your own pettard.
Report this comment
Wow. Step away from the keyboard for a couple of days and all hell breaks loose!
Report this comment
Ah, the freedom of speech is a wonderfull thing. Its always been a great spectator sport which demands more attention by the electorate. Fortunately for us all, The Eastleigh News is helping out admirably. Bring on 2012.
Report this comment
Whats interesting is Daniel has been heard by several teachers at Tauntons college informing them of his views over the Lib dems policy on student
Fees and teacher funding. this has been reported to us on several occassions which we have timed and dated.
if what is reported is correct or even half correct Daniel following his principles on why he left the Tory and Labour parties would resign from the Lib dems, but he wont as the directing mind part of his argument for leaving the other parties is Daniels self interest.
Daniel wouldnt put himself in the position of
the other independant councillors, Daniel maximised and abused the position of being a Labour PPC and was more than happy for the Lib dems to use this in the elections.
Another question Daniel wont answer. We all know the answer, so do the Libs who were so grateful for Daniels defection.
Report this comment
Allow me start and the present. Not the past
i will come to that later on. I joined the Lib Dems to help keep the Tories out of Eastleigh.
The Eastleigh Labour Party selection committee approved me as their Labour candidate for Eastleigh South Ward. Would Mr Norgate kindly let readers know what happened overnight as the following morning I was stood down? (To be continued)
Sam
I’am campaigning to save our Country side at
Stoneham and have joined UKIP.
The last time I joined Labour I was put up as a candidate for Eastleigh South where I was born
Report this comment
Qui?
Report this comment
dont worry its nothing interesting, as i was neither Chair, Secratary treasurer, candidate or agent at the time, I cant remember Sam being picked for Eastleigh South but he may have been. a lot of strange things happened whilst Daniel Clarke was involved with Eastleigh Labour party -- Thank god he left. it wont be long and the lib dems will be rid of Daniel as he has used all he has to offer.
Same old Sam -- each party he leaves he fires the gun to hide the fact he has left another party, changed his views to suit his own needs.
it was reported by the group of independant councillors Sam promised to quit the Lib dems with them but he did not turn up on the day they quit , three of the independants have said that.
Sam obvously wanted to stand for Eastlegh south for the lib dems but it appears they would not have him.
It makes you wonder what Sam discussed with the libs agent and what the libs agent told other people
about Sam, not that i know anything but i know how selection meetings go
for councillors and how they sort out who they dont want to stand.
funny i remember Sam saying some thing similar over UKIP last time he left them after all the work he did printing leafets for the libs elections and the work on election day, he was probably promised some false hope he may be able to stand.
Indtead of shouting at everyone else
Sam should look at his own record, if that was anyone else Sam would be the first to complain
Report this comment
What year are you referring to Sam when you say you were stood down as a Labour candidate?
Report this comment
Thankyou for your relpy and kind words Mr Norgate I’m sorry to you suffer from loss of memory. Regards Daniel Clarke-this young man in
my opinion was wasting his time trying to help
Labour in Eastleigh. What happened to Labour when he left. Can you tell me how many councillors labour have in Eastleigh or are you
going to have a memory loss OK!
Then in reply about Independents in Eastleigh its not true, I spent sometime helping in the
Lib-Dem office and enjoyed working there,and
helping Chris Huhne keep the Tories out of Eastleigh-I prefer working in my home town.
Can you recall when you stood in Southward
against Martin KYRLE, and I stood down as an Independent, Oh! not another memory loss.
Hope you get better.
(To be continued Unites leaflets.)
My you all have a HAPPY NEW YEAR
Best Wishes
Sam
Report this comment
Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this interesting thread so far.
We only need another three postings to equal the record for the largest number of comments to an Eastleigh News story!
Report this comment
Yes. Thanks everybody. It has been very interesting. I’d thought it was a fairly innocuous story when I wrote it, though obviously convenient for that petition.
For some reason, I hadn’t realised that Dan was previously Labour’s PPC for Eastleigh. I was aware the Labour’s PPC had defected, but hadn’t realised or had completely forgotten that it was Dan.
Dan was Lib Dem in my eyes and that was that. His defection had been successful…
I did however notice that Dan’s feisty comments (and bottle throwing!) seemed a little out of character, a tad stronger than we usually get from the local Lib Dems.
That now makes a lot more more sense, given Dan’s previous as a Labour PPC.
Dan may have left Labour, but Labours hard-hitting Tory-hating campaign style is still evident in his comments.
Report this comment
But not in his politics which are now weak wristed, lily livered liberal compromises.
Report this comment
Dan publicised his reasons for defecting in an open letter to his former Labour colleagues which drew a lot of flack from them but struck a chord with many Labour supporters who like myself had become disillusioned with the direction the party had taken.
I thought he had been very brave, was motivated by principal and carefully considered what he had to say.
At the election Dan went on to endorse Chris Huhne in Lib Dem literature as a progressive candidate and local Labour voters agreed with him in sufficent numbers to gift Mr Huhne the seat which he would have otherwise lost to Maria Hutchings.
After the Election, senior Labour figures acknowledged that the Party had moved away from its core vote and Mr Huhne entered into negotiations to put into power the very man he vowed to Eastleigh voters he would keep out.
While Dan’s defection was perfectly understandable his continued support in view of Mr Huhne’s act of betrayal and subsequent enthusiastic support of ideologically motivated and socially regressive measures like the VAT rise and tripling of Student fees is most puzzling.
Other Eastleigh Lib Dems were so disgusted, five of them left the party.
In the past 20 months what has the Lib Dem coalition achieved that is so deserving of Dans continued support I wonder?
Despite all the austerity measures -- the wage freezes and all the job losses among the lowest paid public sector workers -- the Nations finances are in a worse state than they were under a crap Labour government.
When the coalition assumed power the deficit was £14.8 bln and the National debt £890 bln -- today almost two years later the deficit is £15.7 bln and the debt £977 bln.
In April 2010 there were 2.5 million unemployed today there is 2.64 million.
Inflation (CPI) then was 2.3% the latest figures show 4.8%.
This is hardly a success story.
Come on Dan. What is it the coalition are doing right that makes them worthy of your continued support? Why should Eastleigh’s Labour supporters trust Lib Dems again?
Report this comment
The term tactical voting comes to mind as the reason Mr Huhne won the seat.
It just goes to show that in the case of the last election, it didnt work. I dont think that Labour voters trusted the Lib Dems more than the Tories. The lesser of two evils perhaps.
I always encourage people to vote for the candidate who truely relflects thier own views and opinions.
Report this comment
Could I remind Mr Norgate I’m waiting for his relpy to my questions relating to leaflets sent by Unite.
Sam Snook
Report this comment
Hey folks,
50 comments -- rocking tonight eh
could anyone explain to me why national political partys are helpful in local politics,
lab lib and con are all the same are they not
Brian I don’t have your email and I want to get in touch mine is rigel_jenman@hotmail.com
Daniel Clark -- you seem like a capable chap , would you like to have a debate in public on this or any other subject- I am trying to get people more involved in local politics but there is not much drama.please email me
Sam -- stop being so cross all the time it burdens your soul
xx Rigel
Report this comment
Nigel
Just one question.
How long have you been Local?
Report this comment
Does Brian want copy of the
leaflet from Unite.
Best Wishes
Sam
Report this comment