Politics

[Traf]

Getting a load of councils run by Reform & the Greens so far away from a General Election will probably help the main parties further down the line.

In two years time, when they've made an absolute fuck-up of running councils (like Reform are on the way to doing already), they'll have made themselves unelectable.

[jmjhb]

Local/council elections have always been and remain utterly irrelevant compared to the HoC.

Edited 5 hours ago by jmjhb

[Sweep]

2 minutes ago, jmjhb said:

Local/council elections have always been and remain utterly irrelevant

I agree, nobody gives a fuck about them usually - but the narrative/hype around these is very different - and Reform and Greens will make huge noise about taking over councils

 

As @Traf says, too much success could be to their detriment, if they make a pigs ear of running these councils, as we all know Reform are, at present

[Tonge moor green jacket]

15 minutes ago, Sweep said:

I agree, nobody gives a fuck about them usually - but the narrative/hype around these is very different - and Reform and Greens will make huge noise about taking over councils

 

As @Traf says, too much success could be to their detriment, if they make a pigs ear of running these councils, as we all know Reform are, at present

They're not making a pigs ear of them as you put it.

Some aren't being run well, others are.

Exactly as happens with any party.

Which adds to my belief that councils shouldn't be run on party political grounds.

Simply needs good people with knowledge of a particular area that they can bring to work for the people of their town.

Reform will gain more councillors here in Bolton, but not enough to become a majority, so will have little opportunity to change anything.

 

[BobyBrno]

The people of Birmingham might have a different view about these local elections.
 

Edited 4 hours ago by BobyBrno

[Sweep]

41 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

They're not making a pigs ear of them as you put it.

Some aren't being run well, others are.

 

 

I guess you're right, of course, because it's Reform, the ones that aren't being run well are always highlighted in the press, as a way of attempting to discredit them

I agree, local councils would probably be much better, if they weren't run on political grounds - I don't know, or indeed care, who runs my local council, I've never voted in local elections, and we don't even have local elections here this May, for some reason

[Cheese]

47 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

Which adds to my belief that councils shouldn't be run on party political grounds.

At least then you'd have a valid complaint about "unelected bureaucrats".

[Duck Egg]

After all the flag waving, most Councils are run by good people trying to do the best with what they've got.  It's all the boring stuff e.g can we manage with less school crossing patrols in order to keep a library open? 

I'm grateful there are folk out there willing to sit in interminable meetings, whatever their political persuasion. Not something I'd fancy.

[frank_spencer]

23 minutes ago, Duck Egg said:

After all the flag waving, most Councils are run by good people trying to do the best with what they've got.  It's all the boring stuff e.g can we manage with less school crossing patrols in order to keep a library open? 

I'm grateful there are folk out there willing to sit in interminable meetings, whatever their political persuasion. Not something I'd fancy.

It's the dull legalese that means Reform haven't been able to deliver the massive cuts they thought they would in the councils they control. Council services have been cut to the bone for the last 15 years. Council budgets just deliver the minimum stuff they have to buy law every thing else comes from individual grants applied for scheme by scheme.

[Sweep]

27 minutes ago, Duck Egg said:

After all the flag waving, most Councils are run by good people trying to do the best with what they've got.  It's all the boring stuff e.g can we manage with less school crossing patrols in order to keep a library open? 

I'm grateful there are folk out there willing to sit in interminable meetings, whatever their political persuasion. Not something I'd fancy.

I've always wondered what sort of person actually wants to work on a town council, I don't think it really pays very much. I guess if you want to move into proper politics, and become and MP, it's a good grounding, but other than that, I'd imagine sitting in meetings and talking about the merits of either planting some new bulbs v painting a new pedestrian crossing must be pretty grim. Although, I'm not remotely community minded, I suppose those who are may find it interesting/rewarding 

[DirtySanchez]

46 minutes ago, Sweep said:

I guess you're right, of course, because it's Reform, the ones that aren't being run well are always highlighted in the press, as a way of attempting to discredit them

I agree, local councils would probably be much better, if they weren't run on political grounds - I don't know, or indeed care, who runs my local council, I've never voted in local elections, and we don't even have local elections here this May, for some reason

I wouldn't have a clue who runs ours 

I've lived in an area which had a staunch Tory Council and a Labour one elsewhere 

Can't say one was better than the other 

[Duck Egg]

7 minutes ago, Sweep said:

I've always wondered what sort of person actually wants to work on a town council, I don't think it really pays very much. I guess if you want to move into proper politics, and become and MP, it's a good grounding, but other than that, I'd imagine sitting in meetings and talking about the merits of either planting some new bulbs v painting a new pedestrian crossing must be pretty grim. Although, I'm not remotely community minded, I suppose those who are may find it interesting/rewarding 

Aye, you'd not get rich doing it.

In my experience they fall into 3 types.  Them that just want to do good in their community, Egotists and those who dream of getting in the HoC one day.

[frank_spencer]

1 hour ago, Duck Egg said:

Aye, you'd not get rich doing it.

In my experience they fall into 3 types.  Them that just want to do good in their community, Egotists and those who dream of getting in the HoC one day.

The middle ones are a right pain in the arse. They'll turn up when the BEN are around but can't get them to do the day job for love or money, or they love to spout off in the BEN but don't have any interest in paying attention to the answer as they've been seen to be anti whatever the latest bugbear is.

[mickbrown]

3 hours ago, Sweep said:

I've always wondered what sort of person actually wants to work on a town council, I don't think it really pays very much. I guess if you want to move into proper politics, and become and MP, it's a good grounding, but other than that, I'd imagine sitting in meetings and talking about the merits of either planting some new bulbs v painting a new pedestrian crossing must be pretty grim. Although, I'm not remotely community minded, I suppose those who are may find it interesting/rewarding 

The same sort of prick who wants to be a referee.