Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

Just noticed the coverage of the by-election ... looks like your third party is taking a beating. Which leads me to ask again: "What is so frightening about a minority government?" It seems as if the drop in their popularity is linked directly to their, in my opinion, tying their fortunes to the tories.

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

The coalition government seems to be holding together surprisingly well but the Liberal Democrats have effectively finished themselves off by aligning themselves with the Conservatives for a sniff of power.

I hope they enjoy it because once the truce is called off I suspect that their third place will be a very distant one with voters.

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

None event of the year so far

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

looked like the tory voters aligned themselves with the lib dems:D





labour 1 con dem 0:mosher::mosher::mosher:

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

From a turn out of 48.6% hardly a resounding reflection on any Political parties standing in the public eye, as some in political circles are wont to state "That means at least 51.4% didn't (couldn't be bothered to) vote !"

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

I blame 8 months of Tory rule.:hidewall::hidewall::hidewall::D:D

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

Staggeringly, that's not a bad turnout! The average figure for any election which isn't the General is usually around the 25-30% mark.

To put it in perspective, in Rishton last year we got the highest turnout in the whole of Hyndburn with 68%, still leaving a considerable number who didn't make their voices heard.

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

On the question of the coalition holding together: how difficult would it be for the Liberal Democrats to bail? And if they did, would it mean a minority government, or, would the Conservatives head for the polls? And, while I'm at it, how would the electorate react to an election so soon after the last one?

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

Looks like they didn't bother, and no its not Labour 1 Con/dems 0 Labour won the seat in May but as usually they found out their candidate was a lying cheating scumbag;)

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

It would be political suicide for the Lib-Dems to pull out of the Coalition....the way things have turned out the Lib-Dems need the Tories more than the Tories need them.
If the Coalition was to breakdown then it's likley the Tories would call a GE...the present polls show a Labour lead but the Toriy support has been stable...I reckon the Tories would gain a small overall majority if there was any election in the near future.

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

The result will be a morale booster to Labour whose share of the vote is back to the 1997 landslide result .
There was a collapse in the Conservative vote , down from 26% to 12% . I think this is unusual in a bye-election so close to a General Election . They were down by more than 7000 votes , so they can't say that Conservative voters switched to the Liberal Democrats . If that was the case the Liberal Democrats would have won , but instead they were more than 3500 votes behind Labour . And remember that the Liberal Democrat boast used to be how well they did in bye-elections .

I think that the Coalition's mantra about the mess that Labour left behind is beginning to wear a bit thin . When people look at the USA , Ireland , Greece , Portugal , Spain , etc. they are reminded that the mess was a result of an international , global financial crisis .

Without doubt the Labour government made mistakes just like the Coalition is making , but in no way can it be made to share the full blame of what was a disaster for global capitalism .

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

My personal opinion is that bailing out would be seen as more pro-active and strong-willed than waiting for it to fall apart but there would still be no real benefits to them in doing so. I feel fairly certain that I won't see a Liberal Democrat government now in my lifetime.

As far as another election goes, speaking as a Labour man it's a double-edged sword. It doesn't seem unreasonable that Labour have a good chance of winning another General Election but campaigning is an expensive business for all concerned plus we'd have another bout of canvassing. The Hyndburn councillors have already had the General Election plus a by-election and now the upcoming local elections in May, it eats up your spare time and there's plenty to do in each ward as it is.

With the extensive coverage of the elections last year and local elections most years (including this year in May), we might find ourselves in a situation where voters just get completely fed up with it all if there's another national election so soon.

Just my musings. Other more experienced councillors might think differently.

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

A bigger majority last night than in the 1997 landslide. Although the share of the vote as you say was about the same.

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

'As usual'? That doesn't exactly paint Graham Jones in an honest light, does it?

Mind you, fair's fair. Conservatives never lie, look at the heavy taxation being levied on the bankers, just like they said they would when they were in opposition.

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

Nothing to do with Graham Jones, and when it comes to bending the truth Labour did that for thirteen years and it cost use very dear, the worst economic statistics every met by any incoming government in history

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

Just play that record one more time, baby. Not quite sick of hearing it yet.

Can we get it on the Accyweb jukebox?

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

Just as bad as you continually bickering about Britcliffe, is he a fetish or summat

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

I agree with the "global financial crisis" thing ... so obvious it's a no-brainer. As an aside, I would like to point out that Canada, with its resource-based economy, and its controled banks and financial sector survived the crisis almost unscathed ... in fact, it looks like we will make a profit on the Chrysler bail out ... and we did all this with a minority government.

I also happen to believe from what I have observed and studied from a distance, that the coalition's economic moves have more to do with tory ideology than they have with economics.

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

It's possible that it could be political suicide ... but there are other scenarios. If Clegg can convince his supporters and the uncommited voters that his leaving the coalition is a matter of principle, rather than opportunism, it might work in his favour. An opportunity will present itself when the tories introduce another round of cuts, esp. if those cuts are in the NHS.

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

The difference being that each complaint about the Leader of the Council always yields a new fruit, such is the variety of the man's rather underhand politics. The squadron of Tory councillors despatched to the Market Hall on Tuesday following the submission of my motion to full council has thrown up some very interesting questions from traders which I look forward to investigating.

In contrast, your oft-repeated singular attack on the Labour administration is '13 years of bad financial management'. I suspect that those who read Accyweb now have a vague idea of what you consider to be the last government's failings.

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

As they have about your feelings towards PB:rolleyes:

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

I should hope so too. I want the true meaning of the lyrics conjured up by the man who writes the songs for Hyndburn well known by all those who pay taxes. If his use of public funds is so much better than Labour's 13 years of 'financial mis-management' then he should have nothing to hide and should actually be rather pleased that I'm doing his advertising for him.

With that in mind, I do find it odd that my scrutiny of his spending causes such resentment.

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

What has a comment on the discredited ex-MP for Oldham East got to do with Graham Jones who hasn't been referred to on this thread until you mentioned him ? :confused:

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

Nothing to do with spending its your aberrant hatred for him that sticks out if you can't see it take a long hard look at yourself your in the wrong job

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

That's the Peter in you talking again. I simply don't care for his style of politics or his methods.

If you think I have some sort of personal reason for having a go at a man I barely know outside of the council chamber then perhaps it's you who should think about the value of your knowledge of political goings on, not me.

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

I rather think Nick Clegg would have difficulties convincing his supporters, and the uncommitted voters, that he was leaving the coalition as a matter of principle rather than opportunism. Because many people regard his joining the coalition, in the first place, as opportunism -he has sacrificed his party on the altar of his personal ambition.

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

A bit like Brown and Blair did back in the 90s they sold there principle down the river on the back of electability, which all you local activist agreed with until it started going belly up then you didn't want to know. There was a big C change from all your leaflets at local elections featuring "A message from Tony Blair" to we are only interest in local issues, ya reght;)

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

Lets look at it in depth, you've been a councillor 8 months and you know all the answers, Britcliffe as been a councillor 28 years, not in a safe seat like Bash but in St Andrews Ward, when Labour had a 41 seat majority Labour still couldn't get rid of him, they've never even come close, wonder why. Some years ago I was having a pint in my local the Stop in Ossy and an old friend came in, after an exchange of pleasantries, as you do, he just said "I see yon Mon's putting up again" who I asked, "Britcliffe", after a short pause he carried on "can't stand the bloke" each to his own I replied, another pause "but I always vote for him":confused: why I asked "because he's the only beggar that gets out done";)

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

I'm not denying his ability to get things done and I'm sure the good people of St Andrews are well looked after but the problem is that there are 15 other wards which make up Hyndburn and he is supposed to be Leader of them all.

It's easy to look after your ward when you control the money and it hasn't taken me 8 months to work that out.

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

Mods, somehow I've managed to create a second profile by logging in incorrectly. Could you do something about it for me please?

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

For a minite I thought of God no he's got a clone:unsure8::unsure8::unsure8::D

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

You've been there 8 months, he's been there 28 years and maybe, just maybe he remembers when year after year Ossy got the mucky end of the stick, not for 8 months but year after year after year:rolleyes:

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

Ah, so two wrongs make a right?

So many things to learn about politics!

;)

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

Well it aways does when Labour are on the good side but not when the Tories are in the same boat, and yes your quite right, a hell of a lot;)

Re: Oldham East & Saddleworth
 

Yes I would thought more would have turned out, with the amount of canversing that went on was remarkable (I live in Shaw, which falls within the Oldham East and Saddleworth constuancy), I received no shotage of leaflets and 'newspaper' type information. The fact that a Labour candidate(Debbie Abrahams) was elected was no suprise as labour is in the blood of many within these areas of Oldham.