| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Community group at odds with coalition | |
| Posted by: | Phil Andrews | |
| Date/Time: | 27/11/09 12:20:00 |
| John A very interesting post. One thing which used to feature very prominently on Labour leaflets in my area and in Labour thinking in general was the cult of the personality. Labour activists who sometimes gatecrashed residents' meetings on the estate on which I live would weigh up potential victims before furtively sidling up to them and asking, in the manner of some dodgy watch salesman, "how would you like to meet Alan Keen?" A large part of their election leaflets and pre-election publicity in local newspapers consisted of photos of "your candidate pictured with Ann Keen", standing together and grinning inanely outside Mogden Sewage Works or the local library for no obvious reason. It was as though by appearing together in the photo Mrs. Keen's celebrity and all-round greatness would somehow rub off automatically onto the candidate and the message, although subliminal, was clear - "we have friends in high places, vote for us and we can pull the right strings". As we approach the 2010 local elections this doesn't seem to be happening. It is as though the party itself has realised that association with Ann Keen (and presumably with Alan at the other end of the borough) is not a vote winner and that such manufactured photo opportunities are to be avoided. I agree with you too about Nisar Malik. Early into his term of office he made one or two clumsy remarks which led to him becoming unpopular amongst many of my Conservative friends, but having witnessed at first hand his contribution to the Community Cohesion debate, his utter selflessness in actively supporting the administration's successful Beacon Status bid when he could have opted to play politics, and his obvious interest in the work of Hounslow Against Racial Harassment - which I formed in 2006 to replace the old "Multi-Agency Partnership" talking-shop I believe he has been one of the few stars of Labour's Class of 2006. That such a talentless gaggle could see fit to dump a man of his calibre tells us much about their priorities, not to mention their overall lack of ambition. The injection of John Chatt, Colin Ellar and Corinna Smart into what they will consider to be "safe" seats suggests to me that they are looking to bring some big-hitters (speaking relatively, of course) back into the council chamber to beef them up in opposition during the 2010-2014 period. If Labour's ambition for the next four years begins and ends with being a smarter opposition, and if Robin's analysis which suggests that the Tories will remain fairly much where they are now is correct, then notwithstanding the inconvenience of the two elections probably falling on the same day the prospects for small parties and independents look pretty good. |