I wonder what our Lib Dem MP makes of his colleagues latest outrage?
Is he going to be as impotent and indecisive over this latest crisis as he was over the allowances, the toilet closures, the rate capping and the mayoral campaign?
I refer of course to the disgraceful decision of the Bay Liberal Democrats to shun the opportunity to create a cross-party consensus group to run Torbay, by backing out of the cabinet.
For years we Conservatives have had to listen to the Liberal Democrat MP lecturing us on the need for ‘consensus’ politics - telling us how high-minded his party are and how they don’t indulge in the ‘yah-boo’ of Party politics.
Yet here we are again faced with the truth, which is that Liberal Democrat politicians are the worst offenders of the lot - they look after themselves first, their party masters second, and their local community last.
I think local residents and voters have a right to know where our MP stands on this important issue, don't you?.
Does Adrian Sanders agree with his new local party leader that the best thing for his group is to oppose everything that new Mayor tries to do?
Does he think that Cllr Jennings is right to refuse to work with Mr Bye because –in his words – “Nick is a Conservative whether he likes it or not. He was elected under Tory party machinery”?
On the other hand, if Mr Sanders takes the same view that I do -that this is a cheap and shameful act of partisan point-scoring that will set Torbay back years; will he stand up and say so now?
Or does he intend do as he did with Cllr Harris and wait a couple of years until he is leaving town before saying anything remotely critical?
I'm not holding my breath for an answer.
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4 comments:
I see that the rebel Tory group aren't playing ball with Nick Bye either. Further I note that no-one from the official Tory group was very active in supporting Bye during the election campaign. Only you Marcus supported him in the media.
Go on, admit it, Nick isn't much loved by his Tory peers !
Further his claim of being the only true 'independent' during the mayoralty campaign was truly cringeworthy.
Most importantly the only policy I've heard him offer is 'regeneration through tourism' - hardly a rallying call to transform the bay !
Barrie, where you get your information from I'll never know. You said "no-one from the official Tory group was very active in supporting Bye during the election campaign"
I don't mind a decent on line debate with you but I think you shouldn't jump to your own (unsupported) conclusions and then present them as fact.
Nick was overwhelmingly supported during the election - one reason that he won was that we managed to deliver over 65,000 leaflets by hand across the Bay, - we had nearly as many helpers (all local) ut during this campaign as we did at the General Election.
And frankly, your post ignores the glaring crisis brought about by the Lib Dems awful decision - what have -you- got to say about that?!
Marcus,
So which Tory councillor(s) actively used the media to support Nick's campaign ?
That your party put work in on the ground I am not denying. Bye was certainly the best candisate you could have offered the bay.
Back to my earlier comments - where's his policies, vision, what direction does he intend to take the bay ? All are still a month after his election unclear.
Inclusive cross-party co-operation is only possible through agreed broad priorities and through the incorporation of some of the Lib Dem policy objectives. As it is Nick wants to give an impression of co-operative rule by offering a cabinet place to the Lib Dems but not sharing in actual decision making. That is tokenism.
Actually Marcus I really would like to see a decent relationship emerge between the Mayor and the Lib Dems. This however, in my view, does not necessitate being in the cabinet.
Being seen as little more than an adjunct of the mayor's office would not be wise for the LD. For those for whom the Tory standard is an anathema, the progessive vote coaleses around the LD in Torbay. This coalition could be threatened by being too close to, and indistinguishable from, a Tory mayor.
Of all the Tories on the council Nick **should** be one with whom co-habitation should be possible with. This left-of-cente voter wants some accord to be reached, has a healthy regard for Nick and wants to see the Council off the front pages of the Herald each evening. Nick has to offer more to the Lib Dems, in policy and decision making terms, to realise a successful tenure in office. It's up to him as much as the LDs.
Macus,
Do you think regeneration through tourism and being the 'saviour' of Upton St. James School adds up to a coherent mayoral policy platform ?
Come on Marcus help Nichk out he appears to be struggling on the policy front ;-)
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