Gary Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Most people won't vote because they know that in Lymm for example, you are always going to get a tory, Actually in Lymm there is one Tory and two Lib Dems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Actually in Lymm there is one Tory and two Lib Dems. And one of those used to post on here until warned off by his colleagues. :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Actually in Lymm there is one Tory and two Lib Dems. you know what I mean..... you try getting Celia Jordan out of her seat or the Hannons out of theirs or even the leader out of his Burtonwood enclave.... it is impossible and so under normal circumstances the main leadership and/or its influences would never be altered We have a Labour bloke living in Appleton in his big detached house and representing the people of Howley where the last time I looked there were predominantly old terraced houses....; he will never lose his seat The Lib Dems seem to do OK at local level, but are as ineffectual locally as they are in government. No, they need a big shake up and they ALL need to be booted out. If they promise to behave in the future, they may get re-elected back to office......who knows!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Perhaps an elected Mayor (and the scrapping of Councillors), would provide a single individual to blame and change as required; as with the new Police Commissioners? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 I've never fully understood what a Mayor (or Mayoress) actually does these days apart from going to functions, opening buildings and the likes Does he (or she) actually have any say at all in what goes on anywhere ? I'm sure they don't. It would seem a bit one sided though to have one elected Mayor(Mayoress) making ALL the decisions. Gosh what if it was <insert councillor's name as apprproate> or even ME... or worse still YOU Obs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted January 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Well the mayor gets a nice allowance, a nice car and gets to spend £5,000 on a party; attended by all the other councillors!! Bit of a result! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 An elected Mayor Diz, as in the US - so a single focus for moans and groans! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wireboy Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Maybe an elected Mayor would be an idea. It is obvious the current system isn't working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Ooops sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RingoDave Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 I have to agree with Gary on this, much as I also agree that the entire council needs a shake-up. I, personally, know a number of current councillors who do a great job, picking litter being a manifestation of their commitment to the community, not just an attention-grabbing exercise in some cases. The problem, as has been mentioned, is always the "rosette-glasses" syndrome. A personal friend became a councillor in the area where he lives after many years of seeing very little done for the local people. After serving his term and causing a lot of positive changes, he was voted out as there was a labour candidate against him. While whole areas still operate like this, there is little the rest of us can do to have any real effect, other than keep informing the populace of what their elected representatives are doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted January 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Then you are happy with things Ringodave? because if you are not, the only way to get their attention is to vote them all out. Yes you will lose a few "good" councillors, but who is to say the ones who replace them won't be even better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 After the Blair years, how can people still believe that Labour is for the people? :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wireboy Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 As already mentioned, people vote for colours not policy. I have several family members/friends who vote for Labour each and every time because "that is who my dad always voted for" or "I've always voted labour." Or my favourite "Warrington is a Labour town (traditionally) so I voted for them." When I asked who had read any of the main 3 manifestos for the general election, not one of them had. They were voting for a party but had no idea about there policies. It seemed no matter how bad the Labour government screwed this country they are still followed passionately like some football team. It will never change. People stay loyal to there colours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wireboy Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 By colours I mean:- Tory=Blue Labour=Red Lib Dems=yellow Just before anyone miss reads my post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Just before anyone miss reads my post. miss reads your post :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Is that "gender specific"?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boris1066 Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 WOW! what a splendid idea ! Voting off every councilor might be a bit too radical but a more selective targeted approach might achieve change and those who missed the cull might get the message. The Facebook campaign to save Sankey Valley Park shone the light on a Liberal councillor who was deemed to be too cosy with the plans and Gullivers World management,the peasants got the message and her manifesto was torched at the last local election though she still clings to a parish council seat. I don't know any councillors (I've seen a picture of two standing by a pond !!) but I would suggest targetting those councillors who head up the those areas of local government which raise the most groans and dispepsia on the forum. Environmeny for one, another would be the transport (20 mph) fiasco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 A single "political" Mayor would provide a lighting rod for public relations with the Council, rather than 50odd faceless folk, each passing the buck. Many of our public institutions have grown into a kind of diffused responsibility nowadays,where it's difficult to identify who is actually "in charge" EG: Hospitals - once upon a time a single Matron was "in charge" of all nursing and accountability could be focused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Tessla Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 Perhaps an elected Mayor (and the scrapping of Councillors), would provide a single individual to blame and change as required; as with the new Police Commissioners? And only one person who is at all accountable to the electorate? He/she would not be able to personally run all the various departments full-time or attend every meeting. This would give more power to the unelected officers. Just what we don't need in Warrington. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 Eh Nick, you don't think that our elected folk actually "run" departments do you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Tessla Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 Eh Nick, you don't think that our elected folk actually "run" departments do you? You don't think an elected mayor would (or even could) run all the departments do you? His influence over any particular department would be (even) smaller than the councillors under the present systam , therefore increasing the power of the officers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 Officer (civil servants) are relied on by politicians, who basically run the institution - politicians are there to dictate direction, but as the saying goes "no wind is favourable, if you don't know to which port your sailing"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 Seneca, "ignoranti quem portum petat, nullus suus ventus est." :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted January 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 Seneca, "ignoranti quem portum petat, nullus suus ventus est." :wink: Gary.... the universal translator has packed up again....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 I was just showing where Obs got his quote from Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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