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Thinking to the future under this Alliance administration, what might be the result?
EKO is finished. There’s no way EKO will survive with the
Alliance so dead set against it. As for the downgraded Housing Intervention project in Margate, a tight rein is required in
handling the portfolio of properties there and I would imagine Driver would be
chomping at the bit to buy up every bit of land they could get their hands on
and perhaps will use his OSP Chair to push for that with the new Housing
& Planning Cabinet Member.
I am very worried about Overview and Scrutiny Panel. There
are problems with OSP that are as much to do with the political winds
as they are to do with the issues appearing before the panel.
Firstly the time
was sucked up by Cllr Driver when he was on the Panel and while it is funny at
first, when it becomes a recurring problem it restricts the Panel in its
scrutiny role. With Driver as Chair, this is not likely to improve and with an
Alliance majority on that Panel (the Alliance voted for the Conservatives to
lose a Member there last night) this Panel is unlikely to bite the hand that
feeds it and therefore Cabinet will be freer in its own hand. Driver did a long and
winding speech at the last OSP meeting about what he would do and one of those
included increased resources for the Panel. What form that takes is something
to be considered at the next OSP meeting, Tuesday 29th May. Cllr
Harrison supported him on that speech so there’s definitely going to be a bid.
For those wondering what reaction was when Cllr Worrow was
nominated by Cllr Hart for Governance Chair, Cllr Tom King stood up and shouted at him repeatedly “Shame on you”.
Strange how TIG reports how Cllr Shirley Tomlinson was put
aside for Shadow Cabinet. I thought the Alliance rejected her nomination for
Council Chair last night in favour of Cllr Clark?
When I really think back on all this and consider all the
change over the past 6 months along with a comment made elsewhere by Tom Clarke,
it becomes clear that John Worrow is not the real Leader. Worrow has campaigned
and been elected on centre right platforms (Council Tax for pensioners for
example). The argument of Cohen’s disagreement with Groves possible Council
Chairmanship was convenience. There is no way a Worrow-led TIG Group could form
the Alliance. Driver on the other hand could. Ideologically it fits, not to
mention sustaining Labour politically till the elections. Worrow is a paper leader, a lightning rod to the Conservatives frustration.
The downside, their fates are now linked. A left wing
administration anchored by a Socialist, wanting to spend money as they like and hoping to
mop it up the deficit with a Council Tax increase. An unbudgeted increase to Basic
Councillor Allowances in the first minutes of this Alliance administration
(EKJIRP will not refuse this). Who knows what the damage will be at the end of
this.
9 comments:
It's gone! TIG's Blog has vanished! Quick call da' Police!
John your description of me as a Scargilite is facutually incorrect. I was a member of his party for less than one year in 1996-97 (15 years ago) . I stood as a Parliamentary candidate for this party in the 1997 election. I then became a leader of the oppostion against Scargill's profoundly undemocratic way of doing politics. It soon became clear that oppostion was futile so I quit Scargill's party in 1997 and did not engage in any political whatsoever until I rejoined the labour Party in 2010. All this is public record so perhaps you should alter your description of me a scragilite - I wasn't and never have been. I was merely in the same party as him and found him to be a detestbale dictator. You would be be more correct to describe me as socialist. The rest of your article is also nonsense. I hope this helps clarify the situation
Not much seems to have changed then politically Ian?
Sadly, TIG's weblog has gone off the air again but in the true spirit of political cooperation, I have it's archive and Cllr Worrow's former weblog archive and so will help them build this valuable local political resource at
http://tigabout.blogspot.co.uk/
I think despite Cllr Driver's twisting and turning, if you belong to Scargill's party technically you can be described as a scargilite, or at least a former scargillite. just as Cllr worrow can be described as former grey, former conservative, former independent, thanet independent and on to whatever wheeze comes next when he adds former TIG to his resume....
George,
Ive changed it but in all honesty that part of the political spectrum is pretty incestuous and its hard to work out exactly where someone sits.
As for the article, what was nonsense? You have talked of the ending of EKO, a Council Tax rise, the Alliance did vote down Shirley's nomination and if we are all honest, you are the real leader of TIG. David/John as Leader doesnt fit right with all thats happened.
From the description of the new job on the TDC web site it looks like the new officer is needed to continue the regeneration process. If it works then this post will be worth its weight in gold. As we have seen with the £17 millions and £2 millions a year running costs Turner investmen, by KCC and the Arts Council you have to invest to get any return.
Maybe the money will come from the millions spent by TDC and KCC on EKO.
From the EKO meeting of the 29th April (again see TDC web site) they are looking at an exit strategy. It looks like this has been one regeneration project that has been a waste of time and money.
Simon technically you are right I was, am and always be of the red persuasion. However I am not fan of dictators whether they be socialist, fascscit, tory, or labour.
10:53 You would also not seem to be much of a fan of democracy either. Stand as one thing, change without seeking electorate approval and then hijack the council on a minority agenda.
You, Sir, are having a laugh except it really is not very funny.
Looks like we're in for a period of typical socialist government here. Waste money you haven't got, always making sure that the nests are well feathered. Then when you are chucked out by an electorate roused from their torpor by inflated rises in taxation, spend your years in opposition moaning about the people trying to clear up the mess.
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