Perusing the local blogs I see Simon Moores author of
Marxist Margate http://about.me/marxistmargate
and Ian Driver who featured in the Marist Bulletin http://www.bolshevik.org/mb/2democracy.htm
have just condemned the increasingly right wing administration at TDC for
refusing to discuss the EEC while on the other hand Marx’s statue in Kiev has
been toppled http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25290959
even David Green on his new blog named in Boswellian style “Eastcliff,
Ramsgate, Thanet Diary” moved against the party line and published his views on
the independent standard members http://eastclifframsgatethanetdiary.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/independent-members-standards-report.html
I guess he was hoping to engage some of the locals in debate but instead
attracted one of those rambling comment about firing ranges and the IRA from
one of the Thanet blog spammers.
Meanwhile Barry has a dream http://promote-ramsgate.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/ramsgate-vision.html
that someday Ramsgate may have a plan.
I have to admit to wondering exactly what the council could
possibly say about the in out business with the EEC that would effect anyone or
anything, to be honest I haven’t go a clue if we would be better of in or out.
I do quite a bit of overseas trade in books, but mostly to English speaking
countries or to be precise countries where either English is the main language
or the main language for academic study, which precludes most of Europe.
The whole business of UKIP certainly seems to be stirring up
the local Tories http://birchington.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/shut-that-door.html
they seem to be very concerned about Will Scobie the only Thanet candidate to
beat UKIP in the county elections. I guess as Will did his masters in European
politics he is unlikely to side with getting out just in case he doesn’t win
the parliamentary election.
I have started Christmas shopping, frankly not an easy one,
new book wise about the only type that people don’t seem try to get
rid of after Christmas as unwanted presents are the local history books, none of the ones I
publish http://www.michaelsbookshop.com/catalogue/
ever seem to be included with the heaps of offerings from celebrity chefs, and
coffee tablature that has been replaced by the internet.
Last year, the children 15 nephews and nieces + my own were
using various mobile electronic game devices, this year they are all playing
games on their smartphones, which include the once popular, walkman (no
cassettes needed), mp3 player (no CDs needed), camera (no film needed), torch
(no batteries needed) same with my own children. Anyone for socks?
In the peculiar world of secondhand books, the Ebay effect
(basically secondhand items make much more acceptable presents than they used
to) we are noticing increased Christmas sales. I had some of the nephews over
the weekend which does involve some discussion of books they want. The Kindle
which may have caught on with whatever replaced the YUPPIE doesn’t seem to have
caught on with the youf of today.
Pleasurama and the cliff are still looking pretty bad the council still haven't done the work from the last inspection
Market day in King Street Ramsgate was once again made very difficult by the rubbish and recycling collected at 11 am which is the earliest yet.
|One mitigating factor is that there were far fewer shoppers, not sure if this is cased by the rubbish, or if it was just a quiet morning.
http://promote-ramsgate.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/ramsgate-vision.html isn't Ken that is promote Thanet, Michael,
ReplyDeleteI did wonder if detente was about to break out on Thanet Life, strange times indeed
Sorry Barry I have made a correction.
DeleteI'm not really surprised, two of the few blogging councillors and I find I agree with both of them some of the time as they both often talk sense.
All we need now is Bob's blog and some "meet the people" evenings and of course some debate's on things the people of Thanet find important.
DeleteIronically I'm possibly the only 'Marxist' on the Council. Cllr Driver is or was a Trotskyist but if we can find a Leninist, then we have enough to start our own party at TDC. There's thought!
ReplyDeleteAnd there was me thinking you were a Conservative Simon
ReplyDeleteWell he has certainly got under your skin, Peter, and there was me thinking that you supported reasoned debate. Whatever your personal view of Simon Moores, he does blog and he does raise issues worth discussing. Furthermore, he is what it says on the tin rather than one of those 'floating' voters who champion all things Labour under the guise of neutrality.
DeleteIt is going to hot up as election time nears and I hope we can count on you, as one of the few remaining named bloggers, to add to the debate on the issues other than pure personalities.
I used to be a Trotskyist about 30 years ago. If Clive Hart is to be believed I am now an anarchist. if Allan Poole (Clive's sidekick) is correct I am a closet member UKIP. More recently I have been siding with the Conservatives on issues like democracy, filming, openness and transparency so its just a question of time before someone says I am a Tory. The truth is I am member of the Green Party into social justice and fairness and democratic accountability of politicians at local and national level.
DeleteAnd there was me hoping you had become a colleague, Ian, but as long as you are a democrat, who cares.
DeleteI thought he was pointing out that she paid so little attention to proceedings that she had cast her vote wrongly. The voice bit was highlighting her embarrassment when she realised what she had done.
DeleteI feel sorry for her as she has been cast into something in which she appears to have no interest. She is a young mother trying to raise her children and the last thing she needs is council meetings.
Is that right Anon 2.11 young mothers trying to raise children should not be councillors. maybe you think they should not work either or be MP's. never heard of child minders, baby sitters or partners that also look after children?
DeleteWith your record Driver, you could be both by 2014
DeleteMichael, you seem to be under the impression that Conservatives are somehow worried about Will Scobie, presumably based on the fact that Simon Moores has queried the lack of experience the young man has for the role of being our parliamentary representative. To be honest, and as a Conservative, I would be far more worried had they a more mature and experienced candidate like Steve Ladyman, because I feel South Thanet is up for grabs with Laura Sandys leaving.
ReplyDeleteLet's be objective for a moment and look at what Will Scobie actually achieved. He took second place to UKIP in Margate & Cliftonville division in the county elections with actually less votes than Clive Hart got for Labour there in 2009. The combined vote of the two Labour candidates was actually down on 2009 whereas, the right wing vote shared by the Conservatives and UKIP was almost exactly the same at a total of around six and a half thousand. The difference was this time, UKIP took the bigger share of that vote.
The prospect for South Thanet could be similar with the right of centre vote split, but that remains to be seen and a lot will depend on who UKIP put up and the national trend on issues of public concern. The EU issue could be a major player, but I suspect Labour will quite cynically come round to supporting a referendum on Europe just before the election. Apparently Nigel Farage feels the same way.
William, in the first instance with the blog I tend to base what I say on what people are saying to me.
DeleteNow we have gone from a situation of having two candidates in Will and Laura that were both reasonably OK I would have been happy to vote for either of them and on the whole most people I spoke to seemed to like both candidates. I have also discussed Will with Laura and Laura with Will and neither seemed to think the other was a bad candidate or an unworthy opponent.
We have now moved forward and Lara isn’t going to stand for genuine family reasons, not some sort of cover up, just one of those things.
My assumption that in the end the MP based on the system we have which is first past the post will be either Labour or Conservative and so I look on with interest to see who the Conservatives will put up in what I consider to be a hot marginal.
Will has the following advantages, he is young, he is intelligent, he has already won in adverse conditions at county level, he is popular and he is local, it would I guess it would be very difficult for the Conservatives to find someone to stand with most of these advantages.
Peter, my daughter is the same age as Will, a graduate of a better university and with a post grad. She is a qualified teacher, working and a Conservative. She, whilst interested, would not dream of standing for parliament at her age. She is trying to build a career first. Will may be a worthy candidate, but please spare us this uniqueness nonsense. There are plenty of well qualified youngsters in Conservative Future.
DeleteMichael, read my comment again and the statistics from the Margate & Cliftonville election result. Also, whilst accepting you write what people tell you, you suggested the Conservatives were worried about Will Scobie. I just wonder how many Conservatives call in your shop and say "We are worried about Will Scobie" or are you having a laugh.
You seem determined to have a fight, Peter, but, for the record, members of Conservative Future are under 23, that is young. In any case, it is all relative for there is an old chap on one of the supermarket check-outs who refers to me as "Young man" simply because I am a bit younger than him. Equally sometimes young people refer to one as 'old chap' simply because, in their eyes, that's what one is. Debate, Peter, is about discussing issues, expressing a point of view and not simply point scoring.
DeleteEnjoy your nap, Peter, but, in response to your question, I would support any reasonable Conservative candidate because I prefer the policies of that party over Labour. As a preference though, I would rather see a candidate like they had in Laura, young enough to bring energy to the job but old enough to know what life is about, rather than a relative novice.
DeleteI find it rather strange that we can have a debate and referendum on the break up of the United Kingdom, effectively brought about by Blair's devolution policies, yet Labour would deny us at all levels of the same on the EU. I wonder what is more important to the average Britain, the UK or the EU.
ReplyDeletePeter, I think Allan was talking nationally rather than just local and, for your information, it is no longer the EEC we originally signed up to. It is the EU with increasing federal powers rather than just an economic community.
ReplyDeleteYoung or old does it really matter any MP or prospective one has got to first get past the public apathy and perceived thought that they are in it for the money. (look at the expenses scandal and the proposed 11% rise in salary).
ReplyDeleteThe majority of voters are more likely to think "none of the above" at the ballot box assuming they bother to go at all.
The question for the activists is how do you re-engage the electorate?
I agree with Peter, I could not understand what a debate on the euro referendum issue would have achieved in Thanet at this stage when nothing has been agreed in Westminster and the only party to have a clear policy on the debate is UKIP. However, a debate between the Thanet parliamentary candidates at a later stage would be welcome.
ReplyDeleteAs for the filming of council meetings, well they are already filmed by TDC and free to watch so let's open it up to everyone who wants to film and just for safety we should have CCTV in the public gallery as well..
Total transparency for all!
Peter, just disagrees with the last comment so what you really mean is you also disagree with it as well. You should be very careful about agreeing with Peter for if Simon Moores were to say Will Scobie is the greatest thing since sliced bread, Peter would promptly say he is a load of rubbish.
Delete4:04, if Will Scobie DID the greatest thing since sliced bread, Simon would still just bring up his age, inexperience and girlfriend.
DeleteAll three very good reasons to steer clear of Will Scobie then?
ReplyDeleteYou were talking about Will Scobie not me but you tellme your experience and I will tell you mine
ReplyDeletePeter Checksfield then?
ReplyDelete