[Guinness]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

I'm sure 'those in the know' will disagree as they always do but national party politics actually play very little part in the policies that are made at HBC for the most part. Party viewpoints may come out in heated debates but the local Labour group is simply made up of people who are flying that flag, not slavishly adhering to national party rules which tell us how to write policies. Despite our differences, I suspect the same is largely true of the Conservative group.

Local government is a totally different beast from Westminster.

In which case why align yourself with a party at all?

This is what I was trying to infer in my reply to our conservative deputy mayor..in Hyndburn you have little to zero chance of being elected unless you get into bed with one of the main parties regardless of the fact that party manifestos are irrelevant in local government..our current and previious independents are ex party members who have become disillusioned and can be discounted.

You are a card carrying member of the labour party, you can protest all you want about not slavishly adhering, but do you really think you, as an unknown immigrant from Preston would have had a chance of becoming an independent councillor in Rishton???

Originally Posted by gynn

Most decisions taken at committee are in accordance with national guidelines or officer advice. Again, not much political significance.

Some decisions DO reflect party policies, but these seem to be getting fewer and fewer. When was the Council Tax level last fixed according to political considerations, rather than simply cash limiting it at last years level?

The 'group' mentality at Hyndburn is certainly strong, and once a group decision is made, everybody is expected to stick to it, but again the decisions aren't generally governed by political colours.

And the strong 'group' mentality has been abused at times. How many Conservative councillors REALLY wanted to walk out of Council meetings? I bet most of them were raising their eyebrows at their Labour colleagues as they left the chamber!

The Kashmir issue has been raised as an example of local politicians acting politically, but I suspect the real story there is that they saw it as a hot potato that nobody wanted to handle, and they dealt with it as best they could to avoid upsetting too many people. Seems they failed on that one!

Councillors are local representatives first, and politicians a long way second!

Are you saying that council committees are pointless, other than applying a rubber stamp, since work and decisions are already made by officers and national guidelines?

Point is the Kashmiri issue WAS raised, I don't care which party or why, simple fact is that it shouldn't have been, and it should have been removed from the agenda by someone with balls, unfortunately 'party politics' which you claim is almost non existant demanded that it was given a hearing by blushing councillors, many of whom probably thought that Kashmir was a type of cardigan sold in M&S.

As for councillors not REALLY wanting to walk out...again, they should 'grow a pair', then again maybe they are afraid of being ousted from the 'party' and thus have no chance of re-election or being given the post of deputy mayor

Originally Posted by cashman

That nails it fer me,very well.

Nails it for me too Cashy...if only it were true!