greg pope - Page 9

Ianto.W. · 17-01-2007, 13:54

Quote:

skippy, greg indicate later that he has little influence with council issues because it is tory run. i call this fobbing off .

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.

WillowTheWhisp · 17-01-2007, 14:56

Politics is a funny thing. I voted for Greg Pope but people keep telling me I voted for Tony Blair. Now I didn't have the option of voting for Tony Blair - the Labour party won and as it's leader we got Tony. That doesn't mean because I vote for Greg I wanted Tony but if I'd wanted the tories I'd have had to vote for the other guy and not Greg even though I wanted to vote for Greg.

Maybe we should have a better system.

garinda · 17-01-2007, 15:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by yerself

We all know Kipax likes winding people up and sometimes tends to talk through his rear end but this time he's totally correct in what he says. Have a read at this from Greg's very own website:

I certainly wasn’t short of advice in the run-up to the vote. Some of my friends, family and colleagues are opposed to the war and either went on the Stop the War march or otherwise supported it. Labour Party members I’ve known for decades, people who during the 1980s helped drag Labour back from the edge of lunacy and into electability, urged me to oppose it. Some of my best friends in the Commons went in to the division lobbies to oppose the war. Many constituents rang or wrote or e-mailed me and urged me to oppose it too. They probably speak for a majority of voters in Hyndburn. So why did I vote the other way?

Full article: http://www.gregpope.co.uk/story.asp?storyID=6

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.

WillowTheWhisp · 17-01-2007, 15:17

He does explain his reasons on the website and in fact says that he was willing to risk losing his seat rather than do something he felt wasn't right, or not do something that he felt was right.

garinda · 17-01-2007, 15:35

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.

garinda · 17-01-2007, 15:37

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.

Gayle · 18-01-2007, 17:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ianto.W.

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.

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.

WillowTheWhisp · 18-01-2007, 18:48

Bit like the helipad. He can write a letter on your behalf but if he already sees why the council thinks it's a barmy idea then he isn't going to hold out much hope of changeing their minds. On the other hand the doctor's surgery may be an excellent idea and he may as an MP have more 'clout' so the council take notice of his letter.

skippy · 19-01-2007, 21:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gayle

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.

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

Gayle · 19-01-2007, 22:25

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.

Wynonie Harris · 19-01-2007, 22:59

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!

Ianto.W. · 20-01-2007, 01:25

Quote:

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

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).

steeljack · 20-01-2007, 04:09

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 .

Ianto.W. · 20-01-2007, 10:25

Quote:

steeljack, 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 .

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.

andrewb · 20-01-2007, 12:20

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.