Originally Posted by Gayle (Post 713936)

It's a shame that Paul Gott has decided to resign from the Labour Party and will now be an Independent on the Council. Not that I blame him, I resigned from the Labour Party myself over 18 months ago.

What's unfortunate though is that he is allowed to do this and remain a Councillor. I believe that if you have been voted on to the Council on a Labour ticket (or even a Conservative one for that matter) and you switch sides, you should have a bye election. I don't think it's fair to the electorate to be voted in based on a manifesto that he will no longer be obliged to follow.

Paul is a good Councillor and would possibly win a bye election anyway. He's not the first either, other Councillors have done it too but I think they're short changing the people who voted for them.

Originally Posted by MargaretR (Post 714086)

I expect that some tory MPs will not stand again at the next election because they need the expenses perks to 'keep them in the manner to which they are accustomed'.
They will look for 'city jobs' - but they are harder to get now :D

Originally Posted by andrewb (Post 714044)

Nice chap. I was sat at his table some weeks ago at the awards evening. I wonder if he left because of disagreements nationally or locally?

Originally Posted by Bagpuss (Post 714198)

All local councillors should be independent then they might actually work together for Hyndburn instead of wasting time trying to score points.

Originally Posted by Bagpuss (Post 714198)

All local councillors should be independant then they might actually work together for Hyndburn instead of wasting time trying to score points.

Originally Posted by Gayle (Post 715164)

Well if Councillors keep on deserting the parties we could have a council of independents sometime soon.

Originally Posted by Gayle (Post 715164)

Well if Councillors keep on deserting the parties we could have a council of independents sometime soon.

Originally Posted by Bernard Dawson (Post 715183)

The independent councillors on Hyndburn Council Gayle operate as a political group.

At budget time they put an alternative budget forward as an independent group.They more often than not vote as an independent group.At election time they put out literature as an independent group.

I suppose it depends on how you would define indpendant. But for me if you operate as political group,then you are clearly not independent.

Originally Posted by Royboy39 (Post 715187)

That is surely a play on words...........what is the difference between a group of laboiur councillors and a group of independants. :confused:

Originally Posted by Bernard Dawson (Post 715189)

How can you be independent Roy when you vote as a group?

Originally Posted by (Post 715192)

How can you be a representative of the people who vote for if you vote for the Party instead of your own beliefs,?
Independants vote for what is right without guidance from anyone.
If they get their heads together to defeat a motion which they dont agree with........thats democracy....whats wrong with that?

Originally Posted by Bernard Dawson (Post 715195)

I have no problem with them getting their collective heads together to vote on any issue. But I would respectively ask whether that is being truly independent.

Originally Posted by Royboy39 (Post 715202)

With respect....I dont think thats that's credible....it is the enemy...treat them with respect.....or you find yourself and many others on the fringes. or out of office.
Never underestimate the opposition in whatever guise... they might bite you. If you or any of your Labour friends try to undermine the independants you may come unstuck big time.
Being a Labour Councillor at this moment in time is not a very secure position to be in.
Take stock of what you have got...at the moment...it wont last.

Originally Posted by Bernard Dawson (Post 715183)

The independent councillors on Hyndburn Council Gayle operate as a political group.

At budget time they put an alternative budget forward as an independent group.They more often than not vote as an independent group.At election time they put out literature as an independent group.

I suppose it depends on how you would define indpendant. But for me if you operate as political group,then you are clearly not independent.

Originally Posted by jaysay (Post 715265)

Well Bernard I find myself agreeing with you, the only thing I want to add is that if their were no political affiliated parties in local government, Tory Labour, Lib/dem, then I feel sure the community would get a better deal. We have both been involved in politics for many years and whilst their is political point scoring going on all the time, its the GP that suffer in the long run. You know as well as I do that this DOES go on and we're all guilty of that

Originally Posted by Bernard Dawson (Post 715332)

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but do you also get a lot of cross party working on the council . It just doesn't always get reported.

On the question of independent councillors, I am convinced that if you could ever get situation were you had 35 independent councillors, it wouldn't take long for groups of various description to start forming. Probably got something to do with human nature.

It used to be said you might remember that if you put 3 councillors together they would form a committee. I think it's the same thing.

Originally Posted by g jones (Post 715649)

I think it is all blown out of proportion. All Councillors work together 95% of the time. It is just not reported. In most cases Councillors of any flag do exactly the same 95% of the time. In most situations you would not tell if a Councillor was Labour Tory or Independent without being told.

For the remaining 5% it is important there is sense of direction. Independents mean there is never a positive forward agenda. They can't as they are Independent. Their free spirit amounts to pulling what exists to bits and loose promises. Political parties put to one side the sniping by Independents and make a commitment to work together to go forward.

That's why the Independents got together and put a collective budget forward acting as a Party this year and ended up debating their's verses other's.

Without groups, there is chaos. On Councils with rainbow coalitions there is often chaos and the public are even more poorly served.

Originally Posted by jaysay (Post 715771)

Good grief, my recent illness must have been much more serious than I thought, I actually agree with a lot of what you say Graham, but I still think that taking "political parties" out of local government would be a plus, but as you say, there will always be groups, but none political groups just working for the good of the community would be so much better. with 35 councillors (used to be 47) your never going to get everybody to agree all the time, won't, no can't happen, but by taking away political animosity your in with a fighting chance

Originally Posted by Bernard Dawson (Post 715775)

All councillors Jaysay would argue that they try to work for the good of the community.

Originally Posted by jaysay (Post 715808)

Quit Bernard

Originally Posted by jaysay (Post 715808)

Quit Bernard, but you must agree that politics does get in the way sometimes:rolleyes:

Originally Posted by Bernard Dawson (Post 715852)

I am not sure whether you mean Quit or Quite.