Here is the link to the pictures from my
mobile phone https://plus.google.com/photos/103118335852639233427/albums/5906064065186528705?banner=pwa&partnerid=gplp0
The Ramsgate issues at the moment seem to
start with Will Scobie being selected to represent Thanet South as Labour parliamentary
candidate, I would say overall a good choice by Labour as Will has a proven
record for getting elected when others haven’t.
My take is that for all the UKIP success at
the KCC elections Thanet South is like likely to be a Labour/Conservative
marginal come May 2015 when the election is fought. I am assuming that Laura
Sandys will be standing for the Conservatives so it should be an interesting
contest.
Talking to people in my bookshop the
general consensus seems to be that both candidates are OK, I am certainly not getting
any of the too young business from the locals.
As a floating voter myself I have an open
mind at the moment, in terms of prediction I would expect if we have a swing to
Labour then Will will get in and if we don’t Laura will. The other factors are that
Will got in at county despite the swing to UKIP and the boundary changes which I
am told give the Conservatives a small advantage over the previous position.
Here are the maps of the boundary changes.
before
after
I will ramble on
As you can see the boundary goes all the
way to Margate
I would have thought displaying a phone number to ring
when this happens would probably be a good idea.
With Manston Airport engaged in trying to achieve
about 300 flights a day over Ramsgate, there may be an election issue there
too, although which election, well once again it’s a bit difficult to tell.
Sorry I didn’t get to Thanet at War, my day revolved around commitments
to my children.
One interesting issue yesterday was that the lights at the
bottom of the tunnel to Port Ramsgate were flashing red, when this happens no
one knows what to do and after a considerable time the drivers gave up and went
through the tunnel anyway.
The two big Ramsgate issues, Pleasurama and the Pavillion
are still rumbling on and I don’t know who one would vote for at any level to
get some resolution there.
Where was I, Pegwell this evening, surprisingly bad on the
dog poo front for a fairly out of the way place with no signs of vandalism,
very good children’s play area too. Park for nothing just before the petrol
station of pay a quid in the car park a little further on, but remember they
close the gate a 7.30.
Anyway here are the pictures https://plus.google.com/photos/103118335852639233427/albums/5906124960336028273?banner=pwa
Neither Will nor Sandys have done or said anything. Laura's claimed successes a fortnight ago was awful.
ReplyDeleteBoth are the worst kind of party robots - mere handraisers.
With ceremonial councillors as doublehatters we seem to have many politicians yet little work done.
Politics aside, Laura Sandys is a perfect example of superb constituency MP.
ReplyDeleteAs were her predecessors, Stephen Ladyman, and allegedly Jonathan Aitken too:- http://www.theguardian.com/aitken
DeleteNow someone is having a laugh. Steve Ladyman was not great on dealing with constituency issues, many people got unhelpful responses on problems raised with him, and he was a bit too busy chasing ministerial office to bother with Thanet. Did not take him long to leave once he lost his seat so no great love of the place evident there.
DeleteSounds like the future of Sandys too 10:35. Where is she and what has she done?
DeleteI have placed a bet for 2015 that Laura Sandys will win, and that Will Scobie will lose his deposit.
ReplyDeleteZip obviously you have a reasonable chance of Laura winning, but why on earth bet on Will losing his deposit. Thanet South is historically a marginal, between Labour and Conservative. The worst the losing candidate ever does is in the high 20%s and there is just no chance whatsoever of the Labour candidate getting less than 5% of the vote and therefore losing their deposit.
DeleteAgree!
DeleteWhy do the constituency boundaries change so much/often? The census is only every 10 years and would detail population changes so boundaries would change every 10 years?
ReplyDeleteSandys is an empty vessel and we certainly shouldn't have parachute candidates in future as it undermines the whole point of local representation. It's machine politics at it's worst. Why didn't she contest Pimlico? And what has she done for Thanet in the last 3 years?
ReplyDeleteThe Labour candidate was announced at the Broadstairs Peoples Assembly as the NEC woman - can't remember her name. Valerie? Now it's not her?
ReplyDeleteAnon 8.18 you really are out of touch. Laura Sandys single handed, has done more for Thanet South in three years than the whole bunch of Local Conservatives achieved when in office at TDC from 2003 - 2010
ReplyDeletePeter Checksfield,
ReplyDeleteThat strikes me as a particularly bitter remark on your part. Do you perhaps include yourself with the aged underachievers - surely not?
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ReplyDeletePeter, why do you assume that those that question whether Will Scobie has enough experience to be a Member of Parliament are bitter, jealous old men. As one who regards many MPs as unfit for the purpose, I would certainly not trade my career for theirs, but I nonetheless feel I have a right to seek to demand higher standards from those who make decisions effecting the lives of the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteYou talk of achievement, but, other than being selecting to stand by some political party, what exactly has been achieved by a parliamentary candidate? Compare that say with a surgeon, senior executive in commerce or industry, senior officer in the armed services, chief constable or even some actors and entertainers to name but a few. Should they be jealous of the achievements of a young aspiring MP, a rather tenuous career that can come to a sudden end if your party falls out of favour.
I do realise who you are targeting, but even a pilot running a successful business has little to envy in the world of Westminster.
Experience ? The old story of Napoleon's ass. When things were going badly at Waterloo Napoleon cried out "I need advice who has served with me the longest. The most experience"
ReplyDelete"That would be your donkey Emperor 15 years service"
"Very well, fetch the donkey, what must I do about this Wellington?"
"Hee haw"
In the USA they look at electability. An IQ about 120. Too high an IQ and the average person interprets the candidate's cleverness as stupidity and won't vote for them. The ability to say things most people agree with. (Which is a pretty dumb way to determine if something is right or not but appeals to the people). The ability to project that common sense is a basis for solving all problems.
So all Will needs to do is promise an Ice Rink, Full recovery of the TEF debt and an end to the PLeasurama fiasco. Full Employment and loads of inward investment to regenerate the Thanet economy. We all know it makes sense. How about a swimming pool ? Yep swimming pool is good. What about law and order. Yep we must stamp down on anti social behaviour. By the way war is bad. Peace is good. Education ? Yep good and more pupil breakfasts. Global warming ? Bad. Economy. Trick question in an area so pension and benefits dependent. So Will needs to avoid the demonize the benefits dependent line. A quick dig at the bankers should satisfy the blame victim needs of the electorate. Piece of cake.
For those who have not seen how Will performs in public take a look at him speaking at the last KCC council meeting on the 18th of July (KCC webcast). You don't need to watch all 5 hours but join at about 4 hours in.
ReplyDeleteAnd see what the Political Editor of the KM has to say about Will - Kent candidates. Presumably he has some first hand experience of how he performs at council meetings.
Speaking is what politicians do. What we need is those that can do more than talk a good fight, but who can actually deliver what the people need. What does Will know of the people yet when he is barely out of education. If you were about to undergo a serious operation you would want your surgeon to have had years of training and then experience working under a senior consultant, yet you are presumably happy to have your laws made and taxes set by, in comparative terms, a junior nursing assistant.
DeleteAnon 4.22 as you know there are only a few relatively young MPs. The average age after the 2010 general election was 50 so it will be 55 by the next one. Even if Will is elected at age 26 I don't think it will make much of difference to the overall age spread and making laws and setting taxes will still be set by the over 50s. Relatively young people's perspective should be welcome in parliament, too many MP's are over 65 and just time servers.
DeleteAnonymous 3:38 pm
DeleteIn praise of Will Scobie you guided us towards the KM's Political Editor who wrote,
"Labour has chosen its parliamentary candidates for a further three of Kent's constituencies. In Thanet South, the party has nominated Will Scobie to take on Laura Sandys. He was elected to the county council in May - one of Labour's few succeses in Thanet - and is also a Thanet council member. He faces the challenge of overturning a 7,000+ majority. Despite being a youthful 24, he has plenty of political experience under his belt although social media has inevitably seen some adverse comments that he has no other "outside" experience beyond politics. From what I have seen at County Hall, he seems pretty sharp."
In my view, "seems pretty sharp" is hardly a rave revue..
I must admit we probably need legisaltion to restrict MP's to say over 30 and with some experience beyond student politics and party head office. Party robots like Sandys or even Cameron. Clegg, miliband are not democracy.
DeleteNot quite Peter you can't vote for an MP under 18 for example although 16 year olds will soon vote even though they can't now.
DeleteMP's over 30 would create more life experiences, other roles etc than just insular party politics.
Peter 2:10 pm,
DeleteDo you know of a young & good looking cllr/MP that I can vote for? Actually I don't care who runs the country so long as she's got big t.ts.
For the record, Laura Sandys has a wealth of life experiences from being a carer to running her own business long before she got involved in politics. Hardly a party robot.
DeleteAs for Peter's persistent claims that some older folk are jealous of Will Scobie. Why for heavens sake? I would not want his job, his girlfriend or his politics and I was a lot better looking than him at his age, probably still am with a touch of grey on the side burns.
Come off it Farnie, everything Laura has done has been because she's Tory royalty. PR for Tories. Quango jobs. Parachuted to a safe seat. A Baroness too? the silver spoon couldn't be any longer. She's done nothing for Thanet but spout hot air occasionally much like yourself.
DeleteInteresting the parachuted to a safe seat bit. It had been taken by Labour in 1997 and held by them in 2001 and 2005. Hardly safe Tory then. Even Michael described it as a marginal. Do you know, Laura, for I do and you are spouting rubbish, but then that is your usual form 10:39.
DeleteWill = Winner, 3:12 = Loser.
ReplyDeletePeter, job satisfaction is perhaps the most important thing in what we do and you sound as though you have that.
ReplyDeleteRamsgate was probably lucky just to have the power boat attraction for Margate's weekend event led to illegal parking resulting in traffic chaos, a beach more resembling a landfill site and a stabbing. What was Peter saying about it being a bit like Peckham! Be careful what you wish for, Peter.
ReplyDeleteRubbish, Peter, for I live close to the centre of Broadstairs Folk Week activity and most of it is good natured and a lot of fun. As with most things, there are always a few morons.
DeleteBefore you go into one of your growing up in Peckham diatribes, I am a product of Lewisham, went to school in New Cross and lived down the Lee High Road. I saw the area deteriorate over my younger adult life to the point where I decided there was no way I would bring my kids up there. I have also seen older relations trapped on estates, afraid to go out after dusk and with steel plated doors and barred windows. Virtual prisoners in their own homes.
If Peckham is what you want, go and live there but please don't bring it to Thanet.
Why, Peter? I have spent more than a decade working abroad and everywhere I have been where there is any kind of division there is the potential for trouble. Whether it be Republicans and Unionists, Shona and Matabelle, black and white, Muslim and Hindu, Malay and Chinese, Turkish and Greek Cypriots or any other kind of difference that sets people apart, multi-culturalism does not work even though we may all know individuals of other races or cultures with whom we are friends. On the bigger collective scene it is, at best, a simmering pot with the potential to boil over as we have seen on numerous occasions in this country. People are best within their own tribe.
DeletePersonally I have no preference for a particular skin colour, background or sexual orientation in any walk of life.
DeleteI would wonder though what a poster who posted "I don't want Peckham here, just some whites!" would have been called by the end of the next post....
Peter, if I might come in on this, multi-cultural, multi-racial, multi-religious is as irrelevant as country of birth. In the sectarian violence in Northern Ireland the peoples on both sides were born there, as in Cyprus where, after much blood letting, it has taken four decades of UN force peacekeeping to keep peoples all born on the same island apart and most of the Ugandan Asians, who were kicked out by Idi Amin for being different, were born in Uganda. Most Jews in Nazi Germany were born and bred Germans, but of a different religion.
DeleteWhere there is difference, and race is but one, there is always the potential for one community to feel less privileged than another and for the politically motivated, criminally minded or simply unscrupulous to exploit that situation. Is has happened time and again throughout history.
It does not mean people cannot like each other individually or even have good marriages of mixed race, but the mixing up people of differences has potential problems and that needs to be recognised. The riots in Notting Hill, Brixton, Tottenham and in parts of the Midlands and North did not just happen by chance, but were aggravated by incidents exposing racial divides.
Perhaps, were we to dream, the world might one day be populated by coffee coloured folk who lived in harmony, but, in reality, it is probably more likely that the Chinese will have taken us all over before then.
Anyway, enjoy your cycle ride.
The riots of two years ago followed the shooting by police of a black man and, thus, were racially motivated. Be that as it may, I would agree with you that West Indians, having been here longer than most other groups, have integrated, but there is still a potential difference for problems. Indeed, in Woolwich there have been incidents between the long established black community, mainly of WI origin, and the new black arrivals from Somalia. Apparently they do not like each other.
DeleteAs for your comment about children of mixed race, yes, in certain areas there are many, but you should not forget that in parts of Africa they are called 'coloureds' and have been segregated from both black and white communities. All differences can result in victimisation and, if we ignore that, then we are ill prepared to prevent it.
Man is instinctively tribal. There are tribes formed by nationality, politics, race, colour, football teams, language, food, etc, etc.
DeleteAgreed, Peter, but we must ever be conscious of the potential for some to exploit differences as was done in Northern Ireland, which, incidentally, is part of the country you regard as tolerant. Tolerance can easily be strained, sometimes by a single incident, so we still have to avoid complacency on such issues.
DeleteGood morning, John, you forgot school, regiment and lodge in your tribal groupings though they were probably in the etc., etc., bit. Good to have an interesting exchange for once rather than the usual dross about pollution and aquifers.
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DeleteAh Cllr Epps back again with the buck stops somewhere else. If only we had more politicians like him to stamp out the corruption in Thanet? At least Will and Sandys keep completely quiet.
ReplyDeleteIf you have proof of corruption then go to the police!
ReplyDeleteYes. Although the police are a bit lazy aren't they? They've done nothing over Ferrygate or the Labour £25k bung. And also councillors like Epps would want to stamp out corruption surely? And what proof would you suggest out of interest?
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeletewhat boundry changes, cleggy stopped them!!
ReplyDeleteI could not care less where people come from, as long as they are respectful to their surroundings and neighbours. Thanet was full of people distinctly lacking in that department before another 4,000 mostly respectful people turned up at the weekend.
ReplyDeleteThanet is a weekend destination which needs more council support on a Saturday and Sunday than any other days of the week. Which days do the least amount of council employees work on?
How many fines have been levied on rubbish dumpers on the beach? Dog fowlers? I may ask that question of the council and share the outcome with you all.
TDC again show their inability to handle a busy weekend. They should be able to cope with 40,000 arriving in margate.
What "crime" do you claim has been commited in relation to TEF Anon 12:53...
ReplyDeleteMore than a hint of cutting off your nose to spite your face there Peter and if I may say so, ill thought out and a bit infantile. You say that we have two of the best MPs in the country then suggest deposing one of them merely to spite some alleged old duffers. I do sometimes wonder if there should be a suitability test attached to the franchise. x)
ReplyDeleteThe crime JH at 12:53 was the secrecy of FerryGate without cabinet or Council approval. You haven't mentioned the £25k Labour bung so presumably you're clear that it was just normal corruption?
ReplyDelete