Monday, May 21, 2007


How much do people care about who is the ceremonial Chairman anymore?

The local newspaper letters page has been inundated recently with indignant letters from prominent Lib Dems past and present complaining about the Conservatives decision to abandon protocol and pick their own colleague Mrs McPhail for Council Chair over last years deputy (and by rotation the person who would previously have become this years Chairman) Lib Dem Cllr Stringer.

I may be guilty of being a bit biased here, and I do feel a bit sorry for Mr Stringers wife (who we are told had stocked up with new attire for her civic year at the top table) but I think that once again, the Lib Dems are in danger of being seen to make much ado about nothing.

The fact is most people in the bay want good quality local services at a reasonable cost. they want a Council who will work hard to return some much needed prosperity and industry to the bay and they want councillors who are going to concentrate on the things that matter to ordinary citizens like keeping the place clean, safe and making sure their taxes are affordable.

As to who wears the Georgian red robe.... I don't think most people, including me, give a $%^&**!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hear Hear.

Anonymous said...

What is the problem?

Presumably if the Tories have changed the protocol that is it, the Lib dems will now follow this procedure if and when they get back?

Liberal Democrats have always been proud progressives as opposed to the Tories being seen as reactionary. Isn't it interesting how recently in Torbay the so-called 'progressive' party has become the main resistor of any change.

They didn't want an elected mayor, they didn't want a town council for Brixham, they don't want a hot air balloon; Casino or new shopping mall; they don't want to sell Oldway and seem opposed to any modernisation or change to council protocol or customs like the ceremonial mayor.

I wonder what the other Mr Wood has to say about that?

Anonymous said...

I’m sure most people don’t care who is ceremonial chairman and gets to wears the fancy-dress; however they do care about a pretty arrogant and gratuitous bit of partisanship. This will only serve to further polarise the two parties. Is it only Nick Bye who realises for Torbay to succeed there must be a level of trust and respect between councillors of different opinions?

Barrie Wood said...

For now I'll respond to one issue, namely the proposed casino. I personally am vehemently opposed the new casino as :

* We've surely got an adequately sized casino for a town of 60,000 people.

* I don't think the regeneration plans centred around the casino will deliver the quality or quantity of jobs being suggested.

Where is the evidence of gambling boosting a town [bar Vegas perhaps] in a positive way ?

* I don't think it is right to pin ones hopes of regenerating Torquay on the back of others' addictions. This to me, as a practising Christian [more than as a LD] I find ethically and morally repugnant. It is not the business of the local or national state to promote such affairs in my view.

* Lastly, I believe people of the bay would not support the project if it were put to a referendum, which LD's have suggested and Tories refuse - and we know why that is, don't we ?!

Anon if you want to know what I think on issues then you can read my blog anon ;-)

www.leftleaningpolitics.blogspot.com !!

As is made clear there the views expressed are my own only !