| Topic: | Re:Smoke filled rooms and pre-election deals | |
| Posted by: | Nicola Brown | |
| Date/Time: | 10/04/06 10:09:00 |
| You are correct to spot that a deal has been hatched between the two opposition parties. I don't see how effective it is likely to be. In 2002 the Lib Dems attracted a substantial amount of support because of anger over the Iraq war. Many of them are likely to return to Labour particularly if the only alternative is a Tory. The London Communications report is recognising that the administration of the borough under Labour has been of a high quality. The London School of Economics participated in this report and it is a view shared by the Audit Commission. For this reason despite a relatively small majority and a likely national swing against Labour they are saying that Labour will retain control unlike in other boroughs across London. The ICG's strategy, if you can call it that, is to try and take control of the Isleworth and Brentford area committee. This is why they are aiming at Tory seats rather than Labour ones. The Tories have preferred to co-operate with their Labour colleagues on the committee rather than the ICG which has enraged Phil Andrews. If the ICG take control of the committee they will have control of local planning matters and a significant capital spending budget. The Tory/Lib Dem pact is likely to have deliberately excluded the ICG as neither party wants to work with them. I am told that under Iain Duncan Smith local Tories did raise the possibility of co-operation with Phil Andrews but IDS was under huge pressure at that time due to racist statements by Tory backwoodsmen. A possible alliance with a former leading member of the National Front with a conviction for violence would have had the press in a frenzy. I don't think that under the more 'user-friendly' regime of David Cameron that the position will have changed. I don't agree that 'No Overall Control' leads to good local governance. It usually results in the focus of the Council being on political horse trading and it slows up the whole process of Government. Most decisions are taken on the grounds of political expediency rather than what is best for residents. |