Friday 11 December 2009

Brave? Stupid? or Simply Arrogant?

Yesterdays County Council cabinet meeting may go down in history as the day on which Joe Public finally gave up on Northamptonshire County Council ever being able to describe itself as an accountable and listening Local Council.

The decision by seven cabinet members, none of whom represent wards in Northampton to close Weston Favell Secondary and gift it and the surrounding land to the United Learning Trust to be run as an academy had done irreparable damage to the Councils reputation and it is difficult to see just what their motive was.

Rallying against the plans were the pupils, the teachers, the schools governors, the parents, the town's two MP's, the prospective parliamentary candidates from all other party's and none, the entire Borough Council and Conservative County Councillors from within their own group who knew that what they were doing was not only wrong, but that it was also an act of political suicide on behalf of the Conservative Party given the 97% opposition to their plans.

At the meeting 24 members of the public, spoke passionately against the plans, and opposition councillors including myself pleaded with the Squirocracy to have a change of heart and not undermine the community's interests.



References were made to the fact that if the meeting were a boxing match then the referee would have stopped the contest way before its conclusion, but it would seem not one of the punches thrown from the opponents of the plan landed on the 7 Tory members who took the decision. I also pointed out to those in the chamber that boxing matches are about brute force, but Council chambers should more about reasoned argument than simply the Council imposing its will on the community just because they can.

The public however won the day on reasoned argument as well, as speaker after speaker pointed out that the school had met all the targets it had been set and was well on the road to recovery and beyond without having to risk that turnaround with further change and upheaval. But still the recalcitrant seven dug their heels even further into the County Hall carpet.

The outcome was a victory for the anarchists who tell us that no governance is worth defending and it was terminal defeat for local democracy and the future of Education in our town.

I felt powerless in trying to explain to young people who had campaigned to protect the stability of their schooling that the first time they had tasted democracy it had poisoned them. What hope have we ever got of convincing young people that politics really matters when they see such blatant abuse of power being exercised by the Tory elite on the County Council.

And what message does it send to our young people when we try to tell them that Bully's never prosper? These seven "Stalinist's" (as their one of their own Conservative MP's referred to them in today's press) used their block vote to impose their political will on all present and on the general populous as callously as a any bully taking dinner money away from the weak.

It was a lesson in how not to govern, a reminder that hidden under the friendly conservative mask of electoral niceties lies an ugly, rancid and fettered creature of unlistening and uncaring conservatism still waiting and willing to do the bidding of the privileged few at the expense of the needy majority.

After the meeting, opposition Councillors rightfully called in writing, as is allowed for in the constitution for the decision to be decided by motion at Full Council by way of having no confidence in the Cabinets actions and asking for the Secretary of State to refuse to yield to their plans.

So, seconds out, round two in January where no doubt even more people will want to speak and play their part in informing our local democratic processes, but will they listen this time? and if not is it because they are brave Tory's of the "not for turning" fraternity, or Stupid enough not to see a political own goal right before their eyes, or maybe its that they are simply so arrogant they care nothing for the views of the public and care nothing for the future of the children who will inevitably suffer as a result of their continued interference and political dogma?

Finally, a huge well done to all those who took the trouble to speak at the meeting, you were concise by necessity (unlike the 20 questions afforded to the director at the whim of Cabinet) you were competent in putting facts before the cabinet, (unlike the very one sided report placed in front of members) and you won the argument hand and mind over fist.

Its just a pity and an outrage that the seven members of cabinet didn't listen to a word you said.

Monday 7 December 2009

So just what's is their big plan?

News may have reached Northampton's political family by now that two of their extended cousins Anjona Roy and Geoff Howes were expelled from the Labour Party after a painfully long enquiry into what Labour party staff saw as them colluding with, and supporting people outside of the party (see http://tonyclarkeindependent.blogspot.com/2009/09/shooting-yourself-in-both-feet.html ) None of it is true of course, but since when did that worry the cowards that run the East Midlands Labour Party.

Two and a half years on from my own expulsion, and given the election results since, you may think that I view this latest news with glee? After all the party seem to have endless enthusiasm for smashing itself into ever smaller pieces, but really, I feel more saddened than elated, because despite their party allegiance, both individuals are honest and good people, Anjona is an assertive and efficient campaigner for the rights of those often trodden on by life, and she was an excellent local Councillor, her equalities work across many fields is known throughout the County and beyond. Geoff, a freeman of Northampton, former Leader of the Labour Group and Mayor was the most stoic of Party supporters. Geoff defended the Labour Party tooth and nail, it mattered nothing to him if it was Micheal Foot or Tony Blair's Party it was still his and god help anyone who challenged its values with him.

So why have they both been treated so appallingly? What is the Labour Party's end game? what is their big plan? Alongside the current expulsions there has been a mass exodus of party members in Northampton who no longer can support the peoples party being so much against its own people, both its members and those they have traditionally defended. So just what is it that Emilie Oldknow as the Director of the Party in the East Midlands trying to achieve?

Emilie of course as witchfinder general had her own problems with the truth in her report back to the party following my own expulsion, alongside John Dickie and Peter Evans, and she even accused Muslim and gay members of the party of supporting me at the time because of my gender, (see http://tonyclarkeindependent.blogspot.com/2009/02/why.html ) I challenged them then to put me in a court room if they felt that I couldn't back up any of my comments I made with clear evidence. They didn't do so of course, because as with Anjona and Geoff's case the truth is the last thing they want to have to face up to in public. And so both were put to a modern day party centric version of the ducking stool, if they were guilty then they would be expelled, and if they were innocent then they would still be expelled even though we know they didn't do anything to warrant it.

Emilie's reward for her subservience it seems is to be shoehorned into Paddy Tipping MP's seat in Sherwood at the next election, its 6652 Labour majority may just stand up to the current slide in the polls, but according to yesterdays Sunday Times even her selection in what is an all women shortlist is marred with controversy, where another candidate Helen Holt believes she has been the victim of dirty tricks by supporters of Emilie Oldknow, whose boyfriend Jonathan Ashworth is Brown’s deputy political secretary. Holt said: “I feel I have been totally stitched up. My face does not fit. I believe I am being used in a process that from the outside looks fair but is a way of parachuting a candidate into the position because she has family links to Gordon Brown.” she goes on to say “I joined this party because I wanted to see fairness and justice for everyone and not just the chosen few. I once believed that one day a coal miner’s daughter could possibly be an MP, but now my belief has been shattered,” she said.

Well Helen, the people of Northampton and those who in the past have supported the Labour Party know exactly how you feel, the cowards and traitors are sitting in their high office flinching and sneering along happily to each other whilst those of us with any sense have long left the building. Who they will turn on next is anyone's guess, but locally at least there is hardly any one left for them to take out their venom on.

The other two party's though must not smile too broadly at the Labour Party's discomfort in public though as they to have their "internal issues" and all of the main political party's increasingly seem to want to turn their political memberships into little more than supporters clubs and leafleting crews with decisions taken on candidates and policy being left to the "connected" few, flying in the face of any concept of democratic accountability or local involvement.

And it is for this very reason that Independent local candidates will increasingly find favour with an electorate more ready than ever to declare "A plague on all your houses"

Meanwhile, I remain perplexed at trying to work out just what the Labour Party big plan is? They have an absent candidate in Northampton South who it seems has now even given up himself on the pretence that he is putting up any sort of fighting for the seat, (even his twittering has dried up) and so few people left in the party that meetings could be held in a coffee shop (most of the phone boxes have now been removed) They have imploded and show no sign of resolving any of the problems of the past apart from expelling anyone who was around at the time.

If anyone out there can offer me an explanation for their latest actions, or what their bigger game plan is then I for one would be delighted to hear it?

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Thank you for visiting "tonyclarkegreenparty" The views expressed here are mine and mine alone. They are made by me personally in my own capacity as free citizen and not as representative of any outside body or council that I may serve on or be employed by. However if anyone is offended by any of these comments or feels that they should be corrected then please contact me in the first instance at tony.clarke@email.com and I will do my best to consider your comments and correct any errors.

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