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?