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The Plumstead Party
Comments
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Lots of calling in Sunny Sidcup for a non-Conservative vote to block the turning of a local park into housing.1
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I thought this was a thread implying a big knees up going on in Plumstead, and that Roland had sold!0
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Surprising seeing as his cigar bill should go down post Brexit.Airman Brown said:
Martin's always been interested in politics and he is is very, very anti-Brexit. Was the first thing he brought up when I met him before Christmas. He'll be a paper candidate here though.Starinnaddick said:
He's got my vote then. Be good to get an Addick on the council .paulbaconsarnie said:
Pretty sure it is. Martin Alan Simons standing as libdem candidate. Address in the statement of persons nominated document is the road I think he lives in.Starinnaddick said:
Is this our Martin Simons ?paulbaconsarnie said:Martin Simons standing in the Woolwich Common ward.
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The Plumstead Party is the result of a very specific problem with Greenwich Council - albeit one reflected in other councils across the land - it's neglected Plumstead and other areas for years, long-term residents are pissed off, and newcomers have moved in and realised that trying to get anything done is like banging your head against a brick wall. It's the first real independent challenge to Greenwich Labour since the Valley Party and certainly has them spooked - the increased attention on the area means that, in some ways, the party has won already without the bother of getting elected.
As for party politics/independents and councils - there's a role for both, but changes in the way councils work and a fairer voting system are desperately needed: Labour in Greenwich and the Tories in Bexley (who are weird mirror images of one another) have wholly disproportionate majorities on their council compared with the votes they actually got, and both are run by largely unaccountable cliques.4 -
The MRLP candidate is Trevor Allman, who used to come to CAFC with us in the early 80s though he always self-identified as a Stoke fan, mostly because he liked Gordon Banks I think, despite having no connection that I recall with the Potteries.Riviera said:Also just one Monster Raving Loony in Blackheath & Westcombe.
In Woolwich Riverside is a candidate from the Duma Polska (Polish Pride) Party, a new one on me.0 -
You really don't. Parish councils have no statutory powers except over allotments. They are dependent for everything else apart from setting a precept on the permission of the higher authorities.Riviera said:
Well there you are, hence my argument that politics should be taken out of local councils. Bromley is as solid Conservative as Greenwich is Labour. We need Parish Councils.Super_Eddie_Youds said:I live in Beckenham, so Tory it is ridiculous, hoping for change but for every block of flats there seems to be two retirement blocks.
I live in an area that has a parish council and its main activity is cutting the grass in a field during the summer.
Proportionality in the electoral system would help, but there is a lot to be said for having an identifiable local councillor who you can vote out.0 -
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An old school class mate and Charlton fan knocked on my door last week, canvassing for my vote.
I regretted being unable to vote for someone who was removed from our class, for continually shouting out "oi" in lessons :-)4 -
Do you have absolutely no vision in life or even an imagination? Things can be changed!Airman Brown said:
You really don't. Parish councils have no statutory powers except over allotments. They are dependent for everything else apart from setting a precept on the permission of the higher authorities.Riviera said:
Well there you are, hence my argument that politics should be taken out of local councils. Bromley is as solid Conservative as Greenwich is Labour. We need Parish Councils.Super_Eddie_Youds said:I live in Beckenham, so Tory it is ridiculous, hoping for change but for every block of flats there seems to be two retirement blocks.
I live in an area that has a parish council and its main activity is cutting the grass in a field during the summer.
Proportionality in the electoral system would help, but there is a lot to be said for having an identifiable local councillor who you can vote out.
I bet your favourite band is Status Quo!0 -
Except in the absence of a substantial democratic movement things can only change through influencing the influencers.Riviera said:
Do you have absolutely no vision in life or even an imagination? Things can be changed!Airman Brown said:
You really don't. Parish councils have no statutory powers except over allotments. They are dependent for everything else apart from setting a precept on the permission of the higher authorities.Riviera said:
Well there you are, hence my argument that politics should be taken out of local councils. Bromley is as solid Conservative as Greenwich is Labour. We need Parish Councils.Super_Eddie_Youds said:I live in Beckenham, so Tory it is ridiculous, hoping for change but for every block of flats there seems to be two retirement blocks.
I live in an area that has a parish council and its main activity is cutting the grass in a field during the summer.
Proportionality in the electoral system would help, but there is a lot to be said for having an identifiable local councillor who you can vote out.
I bet your favourite band is Status Quo!
The Plumstead Party is a threat because it's a single issue that will capture the vote of thousands of affected people and could - like with the Valley Party - tip the balance for individuals. It won't lose Labour their majority, but having lived in Plumstead for 18 years until 5 years ago, I can testify to the Council effectively forgetting we even existed, except where a revenue opportunity arose or they needed to spend road budget on undoing something they did the year before.
Parish councils have about as much clout with local councils as my neighbour's cat. They're useful for little more than extremely localised minor issues.1 - Sponsored links:
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Thousands? I think not.rikofold said:
Except in the absence of a substantial democratic movement things can only change through influencing the influencers.Riviera said:
Do you have absolutely no vision in life or even an imagination? Things can be changed!Airman Brown said:
You really don't. Parish councils have no statutory powers except over allotments. They are dependent for everything else apart from setting a precept on the permission of the higher authorities.Riviera said:
Well there you are, hence my argument that politics should be taken out of local councils. Bromley is as solid Conservative as Greenwich is Labour. We need Parish Councils.Super_Eddie_Youds said:I live in Beckenham, so Tory it is ridiculous, hoping for change but for every block of flats there seems to be two retirement blocks.
I live in an area that has a parish council and its main activity is cutting the grass in a field during the summer.
Proportionality in the electoral system would help, but there is a lot to be said for having an identifiable local councillor who you can vote out.
I bet your favourite band is Status Quo!
The Plumstead Party is a threat because it's a single issue that will capture the vote of thousands of affected people and could - like with the Valley Party - tip the balance for individuals. It won't lose Labour their majority, but having lived in Plumstead for 18 years until 5 years ago, I can testify to the Council effectively forgetting we even existed, except where a revenue opportunity arose or they needed to spend road budget on undoing something they did the year before.
Parish councils have about as much clout with local councils as my neighbour's cat. They're useful for little more than extremely localised minor issues.
No one I've spoken to intends to vote for them. Whilst I wouldn't presume to say this is an accurate poll sample it does include disaffected Tories, LibDems, Labour and non aligned voters.
If they're serious they didn't do anything to publicise themselves or make a mark locally.
They need to start an ongoing campaign for the next election now if they want to get votes.
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Ok Parish Council may not be the best term to use, I'm not talking about Vicar of Dibley type councils. More of a council more concentrated on smaller areas than a whole metropolitan borough. As I said we need a revolution and if I had more time I would lead it. People just accepting that things are as they are and always will be frustrates me immensely when I think about it, so I try not too often.rikofold said:
Except in the absence of a substantial democratic movement things can only change through influencing the influencers.Riviera said:
Do you have absolutely no vision in life or even an imagination? Things can be changed!Airman Brown said:
You really don't. Parish councils have no statutory powers except over allotments. They are dependent for everything else apart from setting a precept on the permission of the higher authorities.Riviera said:
Well there you are, hence my argument that politics should be taken out of local councils. Bromley is as solid Conservative as Greenwich is Labour. We need Parish Councils.Super_Eddie_Youds said:I live in Beckenham, so Tory it is ridiculous, hoping for change but for every block of flats there seems to be two retirement blocks.
I live in an area that has a parish council and its main activity is cutting the grass in a field during the summer.
Proportionality in the electoral system would help, but there is a lot to be said for having an identifiable local councillor who you can vote out.
I bet your favourite band is Status Quo!
The Plumstead Party is a threat because it's a single issue that will capture the vote of thousands of affected people and could - like with the Valley Party - tip the balance for individuals. It won't lose Labour their majority, but having lived in Plumstead for 18 years until 5 years ago, I can testify to the Council effectively forgetting we even existed, except where a revenue opportunity arose or they needed to spend road budget on undoing something they did the year before.
Parish councils have about as much clout with local councils as my neighbour's cat. They're useful for little more than extremely localised minor issues.0 -
Can't you be a job share leader of your revolution?Riviera said:
Ok Parish Council may not be the best term to use, I'm not talking about Vicar of Dibley type councils. More of a council more concentrated on smaller areas than a whole metropolitan borough. As I said we need a revolution and if I had more time I would lead it. People just accepting that things are as they are and always will be frustrates me immensely when I think about it, so I try not too often.rikofold said:
Except in the absence of a substantial democratic movement things can only change through influencing the influencers.Riviera said:
Do you have absolutely no vision in life or even an imagination? Things can be changed!Airman Brown said:
You really don't. Parish councils have no statutory powers except over allotments. They are dependent for everything else apart from setting a precept on the permission of the higher authorities.Riviera said:
Well there you are, hence my argument that politics should be taken out of local councils. Bromley is as solid Conservative as Greenwich is Labour. We need Parish Councils.Super_Eddie_Youds said:I live in Beckenham, so Tory it is ridiculous, hoping for change but for every block of flats there seems to be two retirement blocks.
I live in an area that has a parish council and its main activity is cutting the grass in a field during the summer.
Proportionality in the electoral system would help, but there is a lot to be said for having an identifiable local councillor who you can vote out.
I bet your favourite band is Status Quo!
The Plumstead Party is a threat because it's a single issue that will capture the vote of thousands of affected people and could - like with the Valley Party - tip the balance for individuals. It won't lose Labour their majority, but having lived in Plumstead for 18 years until 5 years ago, I can testify to the Council effectively forgetting we even existed, except where a revenue opportunity arose or they needed to spend road budget on undoing something they did the year before.
Parish councils have about as much clout with local councils as my neighbour's cat. They're useful for little more than extremely localised minor issues.2 -
The current London boroughs were set up in 1965 in part because the predecessor councils were considered too small to be economically viable. Recent changes are towards councils combining back office services to make economies of scale.Riviera said:
Ok Parish Council may not be the best term to use, I'm not talking about Vicar of Dibley type councils. More of a council more concentrated on smaller areas than a whole metropolitan borough. As I said we need a revolution and if I had more time I would lead it. People just accepting that things are as they are and always will be frustrates me immensely when I think about it, so I try not too often.rikofold said:
Except in the absence of a substantial democratic movement things can only change through influencing the influencers.Riviera said:
Do you have absolutely no vision in life or even an imagination? Things can be changed!Airman Brown said:
You really don't. Parish councils have no statutory powers except over allotments. They are dependent for everything else apart from setting a precept on the permission of the higher authorities.Riviera said:
Well there you are, hence my argument that politics should be taken out of local councils. Bromley is as solid Conservative as Greenwich is Labour. We need Parish Councils.Super_Eddie_Youds said:I live in Beckenham, so Tory it is ridiculous, hoping for change but for every block of flats there seems to be two retirement blocks.
I live in an area that has a parish council and its main activity is cutting the grass in a field during the summer.
Proportionality in the electoral system would help, but there is a lot to be said for having an identifiable local councillor who you can vote out.
I bet your favourite band is Status Quo!
The Plumstead Party is a threat because it's a single issue that will capture the vote of thousands of affected people and could - like with the Valley Party - tip the balance for individuals. It won't lose Labour their majority, but having lived in Plumstead for 18 years until 5 years ago, I can testify to the Council effectively forgetting we even existed, except where a revenue opportunity arose or they needed to spend road budget on undoing something they did the year before.
Parish councils have about as much clout with local councils as my neighbour's cat. They're useful for little more than extremely localised minor issues.
Democracy is in tension with economics here. It makes no financial sense to have smaller units running the big ticket items like social services, waste collection and highways. They would just end up banding together again to save money. So you are necessarily talking about extra bureaucracy and extra cost to make things more local.
Having lived in a London borough where you are likely to have three councillors and a Kent district where there are often EIGHT, in smaller wards (and having served on councils in both situations), and nobody has any idea who is responsible for what, the unitary model makes a lot more sense to me.
Smaller units may seem more attractive politically but they would come at a cost and I doubt if people would find them any more satisfactory in practice. The reasons councils cannot meet expectations are much more complex than just party politics.3 -
Didn't happen for the PP as Labour held the 3 Plumstead wards.0
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So labour ploughed £5,000,000 into Plumstead. Where?.Howells said:Labour just so happened to plough five million into Plumstead high st a few weeks ago. How convenient!
That doesn't undo years of neglect. They've failed Plumstead but ultimately they'll get their seat, they always do. Same in Woolwich wards.
On a side note, 'renew Britain' are on a wind up, ain't they?0 -
Plumstead ward results
Adjekughele, Ese Renew 122
Cornforth, Angela Labour 2,312
Fernandez, Mervyn The Plumstead Party 591
Gillard, Patricia Conservative 419
Heiner, Andreas Conservative 349
James, Rajinder Labour 1,970
Levett, Cheryl Ann The Plumstead Party 609
Miller, Alison Frances The Plumstead Party 544
Morrow, Matt Labour 1,916
Parker-Smith, Felix Conservative 386
Roberts, Paul Green Party 320
Smith, Mark Liberal Democrat 122
Wallace, Dan Liberal Democrat 142
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I can’t believe someone with a representative Plumstead name like Felix Parker-Smith did so badly.1
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Not Gary by any chance?Covered End said:An old school class mate and Charlton fan knocked on my door last week, canvassing for my vote.
I regretted being unable to vote for someone who was removed from our class, for continually shouting out "oi" in lessons :-)
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Fair play to them. They did better than I thought.
If they're serious the hard work starts now for them.0 - Sponsored links:
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Listened to this guy speak last week.clive said:
Plumstead ward results
Adjekughele, Ese Renew 122
Cornforth, Angela Labour 2,312
Fernandez, Mervyn The Plumstead Party 591
Gillard, Patricia Conservative 419
Heiner, Andreas Conservative 349
James, Rajinder Labour 1,970
Levett, Cheryl Ann The Plumstead Party 609
Miller, Alison Frances The Plumstead Party 544
Morrow, Matt Labour 1,916
Parker-Smith, Felix Conservative 386
Roberts, Paul Green Party 320
Smith, Mark Liberal Democrat 122
Wallace, Dan Liberal Democrat 142
To see him get the same amount of votes as Mark Smith is truly frightening.
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To echo what Airman says about shared services above - I work in IT and have been involved in 2 shared services contracts for this, one as contractor (it started well but went downhill once the company involved was bought out by a larger outsourcing company) and one as customer (we have to deal with Lewisham council who have Brent council do their IT). In both cases, the logic is about driving down costs. I don't think it always works that way, as there is a tension between cost and control. Where I work now brought IT in-house even though it cost more because the existing outsourced contracts couldn't deliver the changes they wanted at a cost they were prepared to pay.
With government policy being to privatise schools, the same effect is happening there with chains of academies taking the back office functions that the councils used to do like payroll, IT, premises management and overpaid chief executives.
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I see that Wendy Perfect got a seat on Bexley Council (labour) by 2 votes.0
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Great surname0
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My council (Barnet) stayed Conservative with a bigger majority. Indeed they gained some wards that few were expecting them to win. The antisemitism issue was clearly a major factor, plus I don't think the Corbyn style of Labour plays that well either here1
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Sounds as though there was a big turn out from the Jewish community in Barnet. Reports are that there were Jewish people in Barnet who were in tears on the doorsteps as Momentum sent hundreds of campaigners to follow Owen Jones around on his failed vanity tour. Hard to see how they didn't pick up on the warning signs.killerandflash said:My council (Barnet) stayed Conservative with a bigger majority. Indeed they gained some wards that few were expecting them to win. The antisemitism issue was clearly a major factor, plus I don't think the Corbyn style of Labour plays that well either here
All-in-all a relatively disappointing night for Labour, given the hype before the election. Talk about supporter numbers and enthusiasm all you want, but it's not translated to meaningful gains.
Corbyn has galvanised the Labour Party, and contrary to claims earlier in his leadership he has made them an electable force, but the momentum from last years GE hasn't continued and he risks stagnating before he gets a shot at Number 10. Now he needs to ask himself what are Labour going to do differently to ensure they win the next GE?0 -
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I opened this thinking there was a plan for a promotion party (should it happen) in Plumstead.
Slightly disappointed......2 -
