Re: greg pope
 

Surely our MP must have some form of influence with the Borough Council, and it's not all that Tory controlled even though Mr. Britcliffe appears to act like President Mugabe, Mr Pope must have some form of dialogue with them.

Re: greg pope
 

Re: greg pope
 

Thanks for finding that.

It's not quite what Kipax said though.

He implied that Greg Pope and said that he voted for the war, knowing that the majority of his constituents were opposed to it. Something I would have agreed with Kipax with, he didn't know, there wasn't a refereundum in the Borough.

Him saying 'probably' isn't knowing it as fact.

Re: greg pope
 

Re: greg pope
 

I think standing up for his beliefs, even if in this case I think he was wrong, shows backbone, and not the actions of a man whose strings are pulled by people higher up in his party, as has been suggested.

Re: greg pope
 

Like I said earlier, I'm glad MPs constantly reject calls for the re-intoduction of the death penalty, no mattter how much evidence is presented that the majority of the public would seem to back it.

Re: greg pope
 

I have been going on about this point for a long time. National politics are very different from local politics - we have an MP to discuss national issues (admittedly some affect local issues) and we have a council to make decisions on local issues. The two things really are very different - as an example

The national government would make the decision about how much budget should be allocated to defense or the NHS - the local council will make the decision as to whether a doctors surgery can have planning permission to expand.

Your MP can join the fight to allow the doctors surgery to have planning permission but it is really not his decision.

Re: greg pope
 

Re: greg pope
 

dear gayle i find your comments somewhat patronising to the point where you write like a teacher correcting a pupil. you assume we are not familier with the role of mps local gov etc but the point is good local mps have passion and great concern for local issues even if the council make the decisions. they dont just pass the buck by saying the council is run by a rival party. greg for me lacks passion

Re: greg pope
 

dear skippy, in no way was I being patronising to you - I have had similar arguments with other people, in fact, I'm surprised that Wynonie hasn't jumped on my comments. A lot of people are not familiar with the role of mps and local government, so much so that they blame the national government for issues that are local. You might be able to tell the difference but others can't. The whole thread illustrates everything I've been trying to say for months about national and local politics.

I was defending Greg because he's not in the country to defend himself.

Re: greg pope
 

Gayle, I'm well aware that national and local politics are very different animals. I don't live in his constituency anymore, so I can't comment on Greg's performance as a local MP. I do, however, find his views on Iraq a bit dodgy. If he's so concerned about getting rid of murderous dictators, will he now be pressing for an invasion of Robert Mugabwe's Zimbabwe? No, of course not...I wonder why?

All my verbal tussles with you have simply been concerned with discovering your views on various national issues which you sometimes appear reluctant to share with us. I realise that your involvement at local level is another story altogether and, going on the impression I've built up of your commitment to local issues, I would definitely have voted for you if I'd been residing in the St Andrew's ward at the time of the last local elections!

Re: greg pope
 

Point taken Gayle, I must admit I was a bit blinkered in thinking even the good Lord himself could put any sense 'OUR LEADERS' skull. At last we agree on something (i think).:D

Re: greg pope
 

followed this thread with interest , my thoughts are there are two types of Labour MP , #1 a friend of Tony , someone shipped in from outside by party HQ to a safe labour seat , no local links but a place in the party hierarchy (think Jack Straw and Peter Hain) and #2 a Tony drone , a local MP with strong local links who is just there just to supply the necessary party vote but with no influence over Party/Govt. policy (think Greg Pope) .

Regarding local matters, I think a Tony drone MP would be better able to get involved and help his constituants with local problems/matters since he/she has usually moved up into the job from local govt. (Borough/County Council etc.) and knows who is who, and knows where the bodies are buried .

Before anyone jumps down on me ...I acknowledge that there are exceptions to every rule as was prooved in the last election South Wales when the local folk rejected a Party stooge and went for the local , and also the other way a few years back when a "Tory grandee" Harold McMillan was able to represent Stockton for so many years .

:) :)

Re: greg pope
 

That's what I thought with Greg being a local he'd have had some 'pull', as you rightly said dead bodies and the like, but I'm begining to wonder if 'OUR COUNCIL LEADER' may have some aspirations in taking over from our current MP, hence the lack of co-operation.

Re: greg pope
 

Our council leader didn't get voted in when he ran against Greg Pope, and in 2005 it was a different Conservative candidate .. I forget his name, he was/is a human rights activist mainly in Burma I think.

I have no idea what some of you are talking about when you say Greg Pope lacks passion. I seriously considered joining Labour on the basis of my meeting with Greg Pope because he came across as such a genuine person who really wanted better for his country and constituents.