This from Scarborough Today...
A key member of both Scarborough Council and North Yorkshire County Council has defected to the Liberal Democrats because he does not believe "there is any socialism in the Labour Party today". Cllr Brian Simpson said: "We now have a situation where a Labour Government is, I believe, promoting recycled Thatcherite policies and is nothing more than a caretaker Tory government."The so-called 'New Labour' project has failed. All it has done is push the party further and further to the right."I, in all conscience, can no longer be part of it."In May this year Cllr Simpson stood unsuccessfully against Cllr Eric Broadbent for the leadership of the Labour group on Scarborough Council.Cllr Simpson, 36, said: "It was a last-ditch attempt to try to influence the way the Labour Party is heading as a whole."At Eastfield there are lot of Labour members and ordinary voters who agree with me."The Labour Party has lost its way. The only party which has any socialist policies is the Liberal Democrats."
To read the full story click HERE.
I think every Tory candidate should include that quote in his or her leaflets come the next election.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, local councillors of all hue are frequently rather clueless when it comes it the policies of their own, let alone other parties. I’d be interested to see which policies Cllr Simpson actually are ‘socialist’, because the tone of the party (and certainly its younger members) is quite palpably not.
ReplyDeleteAlas, it isn't true, so the poor councillor is a little deluded. Ming and his predecessor the Drunk are not in the least socialist; they have liberal-market views but seek to cynically get elected with the pretense that they have socialist policies, thereby manouvering to try to fill the gap obviously left by Labour to the left, which works well in it's northern constituencies. In the south-west, predictably, the LDP are falling back as voters there seek an alternative "soft-tory" party and will be OK to vote for Cameron providing he also keeps quiet about his real opinions; Cameron is in reality well to the extreme right, hence his covert love-ins with Euro-faschists and his love of all things Green, a classic hallmark of hidden nazi leanings when seen in a right-winger. See Alan Clarke's Diaries for more information on this. So the LibDems are in reality a soft alternative to the Tories and their shallow and cynical manouverings do nothing to convince serious people otherwise. Most notably of course on Iraq; Kennedy even told his political friends that he couldn't care less about the US going into Iraq but he considered it a good card to play; and on British muslims, where local LibDem councillors attempt to play a colonial administrator role, cosying up to them in the cities whilst (rightly) despising their views.
ReplyDeleteIf he can't see Gordon Brown for the grasping socialist he is, then he must be blind.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Lib Dems, I would love to agree with him, but despite an unhealthy obsession with politics, I have never managed to work out what they stand for.
Insomuch as they didn't renationalise everything adn push the tax rate up to 75% the day after they got elected Cllr Simpson is correct in saying NuLabour are not "true" socialists.
ReplyDeleteAs for accusing them of being thatcherites in socialist clothing, perhaps Cllr Simpson should ask himself the following questions:
Would Mrs T have allowed a massive increase in the size of the civil service?
Would Mrs T have introduced so many 'stealth taxes'?
Would Mrs T have shown the same callous disregard for parliamentary proceedure, parliament itself and the ancient liberties that are our birthright?
I would suggest that if the answer to one or more of those questions is negative, Nulabour are most definately NOT Thatcherite, whatever else they may not be.
RM
Remittance Man - correct my memory if I'm wrong, but didn't your saintly parliament-defending Mrs T order a national police force operation to destroy the miners (against the unwritten constitution)? And get round numerous laws by simply ignoring them? And decree that Lady Porter was "one of ours" and therefore above the law? And visit the law-loving General Pinochet to commiserate with the old chap's suffering and generally hang out for afternoon tea with the mass murderer and torturer? And wasn't she repeatedly critiqued for effectively ignoring parliament at all times? The real problem of course is that BRITAIN DOES NOT HAVE A CONSTITUTION and therefore the PM can do exactly as he or she pleases and can get away with and has since the year dot.
ReplyDeleteEvery day there seems to be councillors walking one way or another. There doesn't even seem to be a trend. Who forgot to shut the pen?
ReplyDeleteanonymous states 'In the south-west,predictably the LDP are falling back as voters there seek an alternative "soft-tory" party"
ReplyDeleteWhat absolute nonsense. I wish it were true! How many Conservative MP's are in the South West now ? How many did they have in the Thatcher years?
On what evidence does he base his assumption?
I can tell anonymous that Cameron will not appeal to Tories or former tories here in the South West. Think of the demographics, especially age and that is why!
Ming will rule here in the third world. believe me, until the tories go back to past policies that put defence of the realm and away from the EU to the forefront.
Generally, defection stories about local councillors (and Paul Marsden) make for the lamest political jibes possible.
ReplyDeleteThis is no different.