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Bright Yellow Fireworks
July 10th, 2010
Bright Yellow Fireworks
If you put a group of people together for any reason then politics comes into play. I don’t mean macro-politics of the Conservative versus Socialist kind, but small-scale inter-politics. Sociology, if you will.
If, like me, you are a people-watcher – then this stuff is absolutely fascinating. But for me it is most fascinating when applied to local political groups - because all the people therein are deeply involved in politics at several levels. It makes for a really interesting melting pot of camaraderie, disagreement, competition, ambition and ideology. And this is true of every party including (of course) my own.
But lately my interest has been piqued not by the goings-on within the Conservative party but of those exotic folk who make up the Liberal Democrats in Fenland. Now far be it from me to grab a ladle and stir the pot* but…
Until recently there hasn’t been much of a Lib Dem “showing” in Fenland. They had no council seats, they didn’t poll particularly well in local elections or national elections and – to be brutally honest – they just weren’t a political force here.
Then this year, David Patrick was victorious in Kirkgate (sigh) and put the Lib Dems on Fenland’s political map – something that my friend Chris Howes has been trying to do for years! David Patrick has become the only elected Lib Dem in Fenland for a very long time.
In a recent newspaper Cllr Dave Patrick suggested that he planned to make sure that there were Liberal Democrat candidates standing for all the seats next time. It’s not the statement which struck me as interesting but the way that Dave Patrick – as the only elected Lib Dem in the area – is taking a forward position within their group.
Meanwhile Chris Howes, long-time opponent of District Council leader Alan Melton, is ever-present. Twittering under one pseudonym, blog-posting under another. Writing weekly letters to local papers and generally agitating in a subtle way. A veteran of Fenland politics, Chris is a worthy (and often sneaky) opponent.
Then there’s Lorna Spenceley, a Harlow councillor, who challenged Steve Barclay MP for the NE Cambs national seat. While Lorna was not as effective against that Steve as Dave Patrick was against this one – she nonetheless pushed Labour into third place in the area. Lorna is still listed as a “Liberal Democrat Councillor” for the Staple Tye Ward in of Harlow District Council but will apparently “not be seeking re-election in 2010.” Furthermore – her blog seems to be regularly focused on the Fenland area with the latest entry being called: “Any volunteers for Wisbech?” Hmmm. Curiouser and curiouser. I’m sure Lorna’s motives are pure – and yet doesn’t this have an early “campaign” feel about it?
This is where all that local politics interpersonal stuff gets really interesting. Because until now the Liberal Democrats have been one (small) happy family with few ‘big players’ and not much chance of getting anywhere. They clearly perceive this might change and it is altering their rhetoric. As a people-watcher, I have to wonder who the top dog in their party IS. Chris, the longest-campaigner? Dave, the only successful candidate? Lorna – the recent parliamentary candidate? Or is there some other sinister shadowy figure in the background we don’t know about? The Lib Dem equivalent of an Underworld Boss – who eliminates enemies by giving them a pair of concrete sandals and dropping them in the River Nene**.
If you ask them, they would assure you that they are all on “the same side”. That they were “working together” in a companionable way. And that may be true to some degree. But at some level each of them is thinking to the future – which they hope will be more locally successful than the past – and beginning to wonder: “What if?” As Lib Dems go, these are local Big Beasts and I would expect all three are politically ambitious. While they would tell you and I that their only interest is in beating the Conservatives, I suspect they will be beginning to cast little sideways glances at one another too. We may not see them today, or next week, or even this year. But in due course I’m sure we will see some fireworks. Bright yellow ones.
*Tee-hee. Mischief.
** Of course I am joking. Lib Dems wouldn’t eliminate their opponents. They might send them the obligatory strongly-worded letter or even shake their finger in a serious fashion, but ‘gangsta’ they aren’t. Stop looking at me that way Chris – my feet are too big for concrete sandals!
7 Responses to “Bright Yellow Fireworks”
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Steve, this is absolutely ‘Secret Squirrel’ so promise to tell absolutely no-one.
Post General Election, and more significantly, post coalition, there have been top secret negotiations going on at the very top level of the Fenland Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties. The plan was to divide the Fenland District seats between the new coalition partners. So in each seat, either a Tory or a Lib Dem stood, but never both. The deal was struck 60 / 40.
But this lead to terrible problems. There are currently 38 Conservative District Councillors. Now there would be some natural wastage – it’s strongly rumoured that Martin, Jill and Geoff won’t be standing again. But the ‘new deal’ meant only 22.8 could re-stand under a blue banner. So Dobbie started to try and offload extra councillors onto the Lib Dems. Truly bizarre conversations started, “O.K. we’ll reluctantly take Melton, but Tierney – ROFL” !
In the end, we had to bust the potential deal wide open – before the knot was tied – hence the ‘we’ll fight them on the North Brink, we’ll fight them in Horse Fair’ press release.
ONLY TEASING – none of the above is any more accurate than your portrayal of the Lib Dems as a ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’ conspiracy for power. Mind you, continuing the reference to film, I tend to think of your lot as ‘Adams Family’ – an eclectic bunch of freaks and misfits bumbling along with disaster waiting around every corner.
Moderator (Steve Tierney)’s Response:
Since the Addams Family is a popular modern critique looking at how social norms must be reconsidered in the light of the strength of the individual I would have thought you’d have claimed them for your side of the political fence. But since you have not I’ll gladly take them for ours! Between the towering and tempestuous romance of Gomez and Morticia, the rebellious intelligence of Wednesday and the solid, dependable strength of Pugsley – they have a lot of qualities I admire. One persons ‘freaks and misfits’ is another persons modern family. And families come in all shapes and sizes you know, Chatty! One persons “bumbling along with disaster around every corner” is another persons “last minute heroes”.
The Addams Family comparison is a bit of a poser, Steve. Who could fail to identify Gomez and Morticia from your happy band ? Or the true identies of Uncle Fester and Lurch from the Cabinet ? But my fellow conspirators and I are having a lot of trouble getting to grips with the It girl, and Thing.
And we simply have no idea where to start in the quest to identify Grizzly !
Moderator (Steve Tierney)’s Response:
I couldn’t possibly speculate.
They deserve everything that is coming to them. Turncoats.
Speculating on the prospects for next year’s local elections and referendum on AV is fascinating given that the coalition partners should be at each others throats theoretically but if that happens it could break the coalition. Time for us Independents to stand up and be counted methinks. Talking of Independents whatever happened to the FDC council member for Manea?
Has he been bought off?
According to ‘Look East’ tonight councillors in Northampton i think it was, are about to vote on a proposal to increase their councillors allowances by 25% I hope they don’t try that sort of stunt here – I’m waiting for an announcement by AM to say that all allowances in Fenland are to be frozen for two years in line with public sector pay.
I hope he will also announce their will be no more of these excruciatingly self congratulatory awards ceremonies that Tim Pilsbury was so fond of.
Moderator (Steve Tierney)’s Response:
I saw Mark Archer last night. I chaired the Neighbourhood Panel which he is also on. He was fighting Manea’s corner and arguing for the benefits of his area very effectively. I’ve found him to be a hard worker and a very eloquent representative over the last year when I’ve seen him in committees.
May I assure you that I will never vote for an increase in councillor allowances of any kind while we are asking other staff to take freezes or cuts. This business about being “all in it together” I take very seriously. It is inexcusable in this climate and councillors elsewhere who are doing it will, I hope, get exactly what they deserve come the next election. Cambs County Councillors have not taken a payrise in any recent budget and, to the best of my knowledge, have no intention of doing so.
If somebody wins an award I can’t see any problem with them having a ceremony – as long as its not too expensive (which, generally, they aren’t.) Its one thing to be frugal and sensible – which I approve of – and entirely another to be a miseryguts. If our council wins an award thats a good thing. We should applaud. You’d be quick enough to criticise if the report from the auditors was negative…
As for next year’s relations between the coalition partners – nobody knows. They say shared adversity bonds people – and the two parties are certainly going to face some adversity. Quite honestly, I’m blown away by how straight the Lib Dems have played it so far. I mean that quite sincerely. It would be easy for them to begin sniping from the sidelines – but instead they are standing shoulder to shoulder with us and taking the flak. That’s courageous and I admire it.
Pleased to hear that Mark is alive and well. I was also pleased to hear on TV tonight that those councillors have voted against a 25% increase in allowances but no mention of a freeze.
As for awards, God knows, Fenland have had more award ceremonies than you and I have had hot dinners in recent times. If they’re so efficient why am i still waiting for a reply after waiting 3 months, from the planning scrutiny department about why work was allowed on the proposed gambling arcade in March before planning permission had been obtained?
As for the Lib Dems and the coalition – they accepted the terms of the deal, they can hardly been seen to renege on it. However, if the Conservatives show signs of backtracking on their commitments as they appear to be about to do regarding bus passes, I hope the Lib Dems will have the courage to stand up and be counted.
Moderator (Steve Tierney)’s Response:
I really can’t see how awards can possibly be bad, Reg. They are decided by an external body who has no axe to grind and no favour to give. Other councils compete for them and would like them. Even if you are going to argue that they are an exercise in box-ticking and knowing the system – that still means our council are better at box-ticking and knowing the system. Even that would have value, though I’m sure its more than that.
Awards don’t reflect everything. How could they? An outside body awards them based on limited information it is able to obtain. So that might explain why your response is slower than you might hope. But Reg – you have a councillor. If you haven’t got the response you’d like – ask your councillor to look into it for you. Find out why. Or go to your Neighbourhood Fair and raise the issue. Or your neighbourhood panel – and raise the issue. You have all sorts of options. Have you used them?
There was an awards ceremony recently that received massive publicity, which seemed to me to be more about Tim Pilsbury’s swan song than anything, where it was a mutual patting on the back amongst FDC – nothing to do with outside bodies.
I have no problem with employees who have performed ‘above and beyond the call of duty’ so to speak, receiving recognition, that’s good HR and any enlightened company of any size would do it but for a local authority funded by the tax payer, to indulge in such a massive PR exercise does seem rather OTT to me
All employees at FDC should receive regular performance reviews by their immediate superior in face to face, one on one interviews – that’s the opportunity to reward the good performers and try and improve the not so good. How adept are FDC at that?
All this public hoo ha is pure window dressing in my view for public consumption as if to say ‘Look at us aren’t we good?’
As for my particular complaint – I’ve used all the resources at my command, including about three councillors and we still can’t get a satisfactory answer. Probably because there isn’t one and the planning department know they’ve exceeded their authority. In those cases they disappear to their bunker, lock the door and hope the ‘enemy’ as they see it, will go away.
So much for all this codswallop about response times and complaints procedures.
I’m afraid you have no idea how difficult it can be for an ordinary member of the public to get the resolution of a complaint or even an enquiry, when the LA decides to put up the barriers and I hate to say it, sometimes councillors are complicit in that.
I know in the last resort, one can fall back on the Ombudsman service but that’s such a rigmarole that most people can’t be bothered, including me!
Moderator (Steve Tierney)’s Response:
I disagree. If you are going to freeze people’s pay in an inflationary environment (which we are) and if you might have to cut jobs and demand harder work with no recompense (more for less, you’ve heard to spiel) then the very least you can do is show you appreciate the team. A public spectacle doesn’t have to be expensive. A few bottles of bubbly and some plaques presented in a council building during the evening is pennies compared to the cost of a disatisfied and demoralised workforce deciding that – since they aren’t appreciated – they’ll just do the minimum to avoid losing their job.
In the years I have been an employer I have found that occasionally shaking somebody’s hand and saying: “Thanks so much for what you’ve done” earnestly is worth its weight in gold. Actually, genuine appreciation is worth more than a payrise – eveb if it doesn’t buy as much stuff. When you have a lot of staff, a public ceremony can be a cost-effective way of doing that.
I’m sorry you’re having problems getting answers. But you’re wrong in thinking I “don’t know how hard it can be.” I can assure you I do. Haven’t you been reading my blog all this time? There are some very frustrating things about the system which I would change if it were within my power. But sometimes, just sometimes, the fault is with the asker, not the askee. If you cc’ me copies of the emails you’ve sent about the issue, I’ll have a go at getting an answer for you.
Yes, but you’re not an ‘ordinary’ member of the public Steve, you’re a County Councillor – it’s surprising how that abbreviation ‘Cllr’ can galvanise council officers.
I would happily send you my ‘dossier’ which goes back to last March but Jan French and John West the FDC ward councillors know what the issues are.
You don’t have to have a big public display of back slapping, to show appreciation (you yourself have accepted that with your comment about a handshake being worth it’s weight in gold). Tim Pilsbury was obsessed with tick box exercises about improvements in efficiency where awards were concerned. I suspect he didn’t do much handshaking with employees (except in public) and the same probably applies to the leader of the council and maybe portfolio holders. It’s those unheralded gestures that build real team spirit not PR exercises. Employees are not daft.
For that matter, the same applies to volunteers – they don’t expect any rewards but a nice gesture occassionally from their boss (usually paid) can be greatly appreciated. Far too often volunteers are taken for granted, or even treated as being slightly mad for doing something for nothing!