Thursday, December 08, 2005
Alliance politics
One with the binned! Possibly a turbulent love story.......
A dramatic tale of love in the turbulent politics of South Shields, hailed by the Shields Gazette as "The Rebel Alliance" this epic drama could well be a winner.
Eleven opposition Councillors from the South Shields Progressive Association have fallen in love with a small group of Independents (including former Labour members) to fight next year's local government elections as a unified force.
The long term aim of The Alliance is to become the Council's ruling group by 2007. Watch out for thrills, spills, and edge of your seat excitement as they fight every seat and every ward to prove their long term love and commitment to one another in what is likely to become a period of Civil War in South Tyneside over the next two years.
So far the Progressives and those binned by Labour in South Tyneside have worked effectively together as an opposition, and along with the Conservatives, produced a very reasonable budget proposal last year, which we all would have been pleased with, if they had the power to deliver it. the Conservatives have not joined The Alliance and are likely to continue fighting seats within the Jarrow Constituency part of South Tyneside, neither has Cllr. John McCabe joined, as he is a rampant supporter of Labour.
The villains of this story are the few Liberal Democrats, the "scarlet ladies" of the Council, still without a handsome suitor, they give their favours to Labour and jump into their bed at every available opportunity! They have failed to establish any independence of their own and cannot be classed as "opposition", they continue to dupe their constituents into believing they have voted for someone different to Labour, yet at each important divide these political harlots have sold their soul to the wolf with the red rose. These are those who should have been described as having "something of the night about them" - thank you Anne Widdicombe, because they are a little shady, they are not what they appear, they do not display liberal free thinking, and are as close to Labour as Cllr. McCabe. It is the Liberal Democrats who should be the first focus of The Alliance's attention, their suspiscious "appeal" to the electorate needs to be nullified and countered very swiftly, they need to be exposed as a group of non-thinking, aimless, deliverers of votes to the Labour Party. For the Alliance to have any great chance of success with it's marriage, it needs to take on Labour in a straight head to head meeting in as many wards as possible. It needs to formulate radically different policies which will be seen as reasonable, fresh, locally driven, and affordable. I wish them well.
I met with Cllr. Jim Capstick this afternoon and he certainly looked like a man who has found a new love, he had a spring in his step and a smile as wide as the Tyne! He came looking for my support and an approach meant to test the water about my future political intentions. I am sure he understands that if the offer had came last year or next year I would probably have accepted, but because of the nature of my current work in the Corner Shop, my young family, and the serious concerns over my mother's health, I am unable to give the required commitment. Thanks, but not just yet Jimmy, as you said "you probably have your plate full at the moment".
The new group will be holding a meeting in the Town Hall on Wednesday of next week at 7.00 p.m. to outline their plans for the next election, they are clearly looking to cement their position and are confident of increasing their share of the votes and their total of seats. It is unclear, and will probably remain so until after the next election, who will lead The Alliance as they prepare to overhaul Labour in 2007.
Anyone interested in joining the new Alliance would do well to go to next week's meeting, or if you cannot attend, then why not contact Cllr. Jane Branley on 0191 4560152 or email her server@allenbranley.co.uk
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Curly Born in 1956
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