Comments on: THE CHANGING FACE OF THE LABOUR PARTY IN WALES . . . OR MAYBE NOT

By: DaveDare

DaveDare — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 16:02:24 +0000

In reply to Welsh not British (@welshnotbritish). Anyone with a passing interest in local government planning matter knows that if councillors predetermine a planning application by nailing their colour to the mast before the planning meeting comes to determine it then they must step aside because until it reaches the planning meeting they would have heard all possible views. That IS the law

By: DaveDare

DaveDare — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 15:58:34 +0000

In reply to D Morris.

“What about those councillors who did not demonstrate against the ‘wind farms,’ could they not be seen as pro wind farms supporters? ”

If silence equates to support for one side or another of an issue then in this instance, most people in Swansea supported the wind turbines becasue they “did not demonstrate against” them.

But that would be a stupid argument wouldn’t it?

By: Jac

Jac — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 20:00:46 +0000

In reply to anon. What is the name of this Act? Who are the monitoring officers in Swansea? And what about those who have voiced support for a project?

By: anon

anon — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 19:52:53 +0000

We have Prescott and the Labour Party to thank for the fact that any councillor who has so much as murmered opposition to a projected planning application can’t then vote on the matter.

Councillors have become mere employees of the council and their behaviour subject to control by the monitoring officers put in place by the 2000 Act . So much for democracy.

By: Jac

Jac — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 22:08:27 +0000

In the longer term Labour has two major problems. First, the ‘donkey’ Labour vote is decreasing year on year in absolute terms and even more markedly as a percentage of the total Welsh electorate. Second, ‘rainbow alliances’ such as you describe tend to be ‘flakey’, because it’s not easy to keep such disparate groups united. Labour knows this, and is currently lucky in having an Old Etonian government in London at a time of economic problems. So all those inclined towards Labour can be linked in their opposition to Cameron’s gang, and at every election the voters can be persuaded to ‘send a message’. And it works.

At last year’s council elections Labour persuaded voters in Llanelli that the threat to their local hospital somehow came from the Tories in London – despite Health being a devolved area. Result: a swing to Labour.

By: T O Davies

T O Davies — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 21:41:28 +0000

Who needs unions that bend over backwards for their buddies. While in power the unions obeyed the Labour government without question. In wales were still stuck with unions that are bending over backwards and allowing the Assembly and local authorities to push through their cuts without question which are invairiably hitting the lowest paid hardest.
My partner is currently in conflict with his employer (local authority), the local branch secretary and full time rep are out of their depths with the complex issues and legal advice at this stage of the dispute would have to be sanctioned by Cardiff. We’ve come to the conclusion that the £204 a year subscriptions would be better spent on an insurance policy for employment related insurance costs, than pay for a useless unions that support wales’ biggest enemy.

Break labour by breaking the unions.

By: treforus

treforus — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 14:19:35 +0000

A perceptive post. Since the disappearance of heavy industry and its trades unions , Welsh Labour has had to reinvent itself as a loose public sector/welfare claimant/green/guardianista alliance to have sufficient mass to keep power. These newcomers have doubtless the best of intentions but it bodes badly for any future for Wales other than as a third sector theme park if they continue to keep power. Whatever the faults of the typical old Labour councillor of the middle years of the last century, he was usually a member and had roots and a stake in the community that he represented and knew and was known by his electorate..But if we continue to elect the current incomers, we cannot complain about the consequences. Perhaps it is simply an example of our society becoming less cohesive. We no longer expect to know our representatives and in turn they do not expect to be here representing us for long.

By: Jac

Jac — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 13:26:33 +0000

In reply to D Morris. Exactly

By: D Morris

D Morris — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 10:48:40 +0000

In reply to Welsh not British (@welshnotbritish). What about those councillors who did not demonstrate against the ‘wind farms,’ could they not be seen as pro wind farms supporters? Why weren’t these councillors asked to leave the chamber before the vote was cast too? The answer would be as Jac said “Empty Chambers.”

By: Jac

Jac — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 10:08:16 +0000

In reply to Welsh not British (@welshnotbritish). Someone must investigate the legality of that. Those councillors denied a vote had no vested interest, financial or otherwise, in seeing the application rejected. If councillors whose views on certain subjects are known in advance are to be asked to leave then to apply that practice universally will result in many empty chambers.