Posted by Dave (and Thomas) on Friday May 02, 10:46
At the polls yesterday Labour remained in control of the council with its overwhelming majority, with 62 of the 96 seats on the council. The Lib Dems have the other 33, with the one remaining a Tory (who was elected as a LibDem).
The Lib Dems gained one seat overall, with the Green Party losing out on its one councillor.
In Manchester Withington the Labour vote reduced slightly (down by less than 1.5%), but the real story is that the Tories, despite a good night elsewhere, actually received less votes here than they did in 2006.
John Leech's big target - to gain Sheila Newman's seat in Chorlton (which the LibDems won in 2006) - was a resounding failure as Labour increased their vote by over 19%, winning the seat by more than 250 votes. There was no change in the other six wards in the constituency.
The real question coming out of these elections is will LibDem voters continue to support a LibDem candidate in Westminster when it looks increasingly likely that the Tories will regain power in Westminster?
Manchester City Council's election results in full.
+ tags coming soon
( 158 Comments )
Steve
Friday May 02, 11:57
To be honest, I can't see how people can justify it... I think Leech will be out on his arse despite people being unhappy with Labour and Gordon Brown. By the time the election comes round GB will be gone, and it'll be a straight choice between the Tories and Labour, and when it comes to it, people won't want a Tory government. (Except Peter H).
Dave
Friday May 02, 12:16
Wow, as site moderator and admin, you are so good at editing what I had posted Thomas, thank you for your New Labour Spin on what I had posted!
Paul
Friday May 02, 12:23
Is it really inaccurate what it says? Anyway, I think Steve is probably right - I reckon people will vote Labour here again to make sure we don't end up with David Cameron in power.
Tim Kinsella
Friday May 02, 13:05
If 'people' know ANYTHING about Man With then they will know that the seat is probably as far from a Lab-Con contest as it is possible to be.
Paul
Friday May 02, 13:09
Tim, the point is that without a Labour MP in Manchester Withington , we're likely to end up with a Tory government... Not whether a Tory could actually win here.
Tim Kinsella
Friday May 02, 13:35
That makes no sense whatsoever. If you elect an MP who isn't a Tory it prevents the Tories forming a government regardless of the party so if your only intention is to prevent a Tory government then it really doesn't matter whether you vote Lib Dem or Labour.
You may be right in claiming that electing a Labour MP will mean that it is slightly more likely that there will be a Labour government rather than a Tory government. However, unless there is a massive turn-around in popular opinion then they have absolutely no chance of forming a government anyway.
In any case, if the polls materialise into votes then the most likely outcome is a hung parliament in which case it will be the Lib Dems who become the most important party in Parliament. Perhaps we might even get a democratic electoral system! One can always hope...
Dave
Friday May 02, 18:07
I would never return to Labour at the current moment in time, so Lib Dems all the way at the moment!
peter h
Saturday May 03, 11:44
Dream on Labour. John won his seat by a combination of personal popularity after years as a hardworking councillor, and National swing against Labour national policies.
The same principles still apply, but more so.
The anti-labour sentiment has grown markedly as Gordon Brown begins to reap the whirlwind of his failed financial policies ( and they ARE a failure to ordinary people - £70 to fill a car with petrol the same week as Shell & BP make £7 billion profit, food prices going up,housing costs through the roof - people are HURTING whilst the rich get richer) whilst Iraq still sits there, and locally pro Lib Dem sentimentis as strong as ever, with Lib Dems getting twice the votes of Labour.
So saying that John Leech will be "out on his arse" is just plain daft. Look at the realities , Stupid.
And no, I don't want a Tory government. For what it's worth, I want a hung parliament (well, I'd prefer hanged, but hung will do) so that this country finally gets democracy rather than elected dictatorship. Then the Gordon Browns of this world would be forced to listen to the people rather than mouth worthless platitudes about listening.
Dave
Sunday May 04, 09:56
Nationally, the Lib Dems got 25% of the vote compared to Labours 24%, pushing Labour into third place. Excellent!
Yasmin Zalzala
Sunday May 04, 21:10
Did I understand correctly that there has been two arrests for impersonating voters in one of the two closely contested wards in the constituency?
Yasmin Zalzala
Sunday May 04, 21:11
Did I understand correctly that there has been two arrests for impersonating voters in one of the two closely contested wards in the constituency?
Yasmin Zalzala
Sunday May 04, 21:11
Did I understand correctly that there has been two arrests for impersonating voters in one of the two closely contested wards in the constituency?
John Holliker
Sunday May 04, 22:06
Yes..
John Holliker
Sunday May 04, 22:10
..erm..sorry...no...
John Holliker
Sunday May 04, 22:15
oh just make it up for yourself - whatever you most used to. ,
peter h
Monday May 05, 12:42
Did I understand correctly that there should have been arrests for impersonating a politician in one of the two closely contested wards in the constituency, or is Yasmin still free?
peter h
Monday May 05, 12:45
And has the penny dropped for Labour round here yet? The hill you had to climb was steep enough before last week's debacle. It's now a mountain, and your leadership's all over the place, more U-turns than a public toilet in the offing. You'll be lucky to get enough seats for a coalition with John & his pals. Oddly enough we may end up on the same side in order to keep Tories out. Yuk.
Dave
Monday May 05, 12:56
See that the net gain nationally was 34 councillors and 1 council for the Lib Dems, and sadly the Labour party lost 331 councillors and lost control of 9 councils. Looks like Labour are out of national government at the next general election, without a doubt.
amy
Monday May 05, 20:28
Sorry Peter H, John Leech didnt win because he is a hard working councillor, he won because he lied about the supposed Christie Hospital petition, (I understand that a petition is only described as a petition if you hand it to someone, which they did not).
To be honest (which John Lecch is not) if you go back to the election when he was first elected councillor in the old ward of Barlow Moor, (which I remember, do you?) he lied about the local Community Centre then, which got him in. What a track record, lie to be elected councillor, lie to be elected MP.
I know that he lied because he admitted it to me IN PERSON. I was not at the time a member of the Labour Party, but when this happened I joined up, becasue if there is anything that I hate it is a liar who tries to put everyone else in the doo-doo.
snooker finished early
Monday May 05, 22:03
what a rubbish reason to join the labour party.
Why not the greens?
Dave
Monday May 05, 22:23
Lies Amy? Unlike Tony Blair and WMD? Yup, I can see why you would join an honorable political party like New Labour
Yasmin Zalzala
Tuesday May 06, 03:22
Manchester: two Liberal Democrats gains and two arrests for personation in the ward where we lost a seat to Labour.
So the above is wrong?
peter h
Tuesday May 06, 11:18
Rubbish, Amy. Most people round here didn't vote one way or the other because of Christies. Dream on. As excuses for losing go it's lame and out of date. But there again what should I know? I'm not a member of a party. I'm just a voter looking for the best person to represent us, irrespective of party.
attack dog
Tuesday May 06, 13:26
yasmin, have you rejoined the libdems? i think you should do a press release.
Dave
Thursday May 08, 16:30
Amy, if you read all the early threads on this forum, you will see that the vast majority of those that voted john leech in (and that includes me) were not even interested about whether or not Christies was closing down. I certainly stopped voting New Labour on the issues such as the Iraq War; student finance; ID cards etc. The reasons why I still no longer vote New Labour have since grown, and again, are well documented on previous threads, but to summarise, they include poor immigration control; continued restrictions on my civil liberties; the lies that laws would not be due to tabloid pressure, but based in science; poor criminal justice system.
The only thing I think Labour have really achieved is the introduction of the National Minimum Wage.
peter h
Thursday May 08, 23:01
to underline what dave said, that unholy cross between the vicar of dibbley and a rottweiler who is now home secretary just announced that she is reclassifying cannabis despite what the experts say, in order to keep the tabloids happy. Pathetic cowardly policy making. And did you notice that they've just discovered that foreign workers at British Airports are not subject to security checks into their backgrounds because it would take too much time and expense? You can't make it up, can you?
Labour Supporter
Friday May 09, 11:14
John Leech lied about Christie Hospital closing and he will pay for it at the next election. Anyone seen the petition yet?? Oh and don't be too quick to bury Labour. We did win in Chorlton you know, against a monstrous campaign and a totally manufactured candidate. A tactic which blew up in the Boy Wonders face. He treats the electorate with contempt and this will cost him dear next time.
peter h
Friday May 09, 16:07
But that's the point LS! JL does NOT treat the electorate with contempt. He's got a longstanding well proven track record of working his socks off for his constituents. Until you face that truth and do something about it you have no chance whatsoever of beating him. He has a very strong personal following because of that. It's precisely because of his personaly following that he got such a huge swing in his direction last time. He got the benefit of the anti-labour swing nationally PLUS his personal popularity, which is why he got the biggest swing in England. JL is a smart operator on the ground. You guys should learn from him
Betty Boo
Saturday May 10, 10:43
Sorry Peter H, he doesnt work his socks off, he certainly didnt help me. He also lied about Christie Hospital. If he didnt, why doesnt he sue for defamation, I'll tell you why, because he knows he lied.
peter h
Saturday May 10, 17:45
dream on. Perfect way to make sure labour never wins this seat back.
Dave
Saturday May 10, 19:52
Betty Boo, if John Leech lied to the electorate, why don't you sue him for fraud?
Dave
Saturday May 10, 20:40
The sooner Labour realise that John Leech is mainly in due to lies over WMD and the need to invade Iraq, and when we get an apology for such lies and mistakes of Labour, the sooner Labour can start to try and win the likes of Peter H and I back over.
peter h
Sunday May 11, 21:09
labour round here seems to have a mental block about john leech. It's almost psychotic. They just don't seem to be able to think straight. All they can see is christies in front of their eyes. Maybe they should go down to Withington Hospital A+E and get themselves checked out.
peter h
Sunday May 11, 21:09
Christitis
chris paul
Monday May 12, 13:05
http://chrispaul-labouroflove.blogspot.com
Can someone check this Kinsella against tax-payer funded IP addresses?? They're just like the official Leech rebuttal machine and only exist as a Leech-PR commentator on this blog and a few Labour ones from the area.
Leech "works his socks off" for himself and his franchise. That's it. In 2005 Cllr Simon Ashley who was briefly working for Leech informed the readers of the SMR that Leech would donate all his council pay to the local Lib Dems.
As things stand he has received more than £45,000 in such pay - before tax - but only declared a few grand in donations. Where has the rest gone? It's public money that, not party political money. It must be accounted for.
And is he really printing four-colour leaflets in his back room? Or just trying to muddy the waters on the print audit trail.
peter h
Monday May 12, 18:11
Actually Chris it's money he's entitled to receive.
JL "works his socks off" for his constituents. As, no doubt, do most lib dem and most labour mps. It's their job and he does it well.
And if you really think you can win this seat back by trawling for smears, think again. Your party's leadership is heading for meltdown, and that particular bit of political global warming will swamp whatever efforts you put in locally. Your parliamentary party's imploding Chris. Gordon's lost it. What's worst about it for you guys is that he's lost it on the one thing for which he had a reputation - financial control. Once he loses that he's got nothing left to offer. I know and you know he's a committed genuine bloke, but the electorate won't and the media have got their teeth into him now. They sense blood. Let's just hope you keep enough seats for a hung parliament and can work with John Leech and his colleagues, eh? It's the only way we'll keep Tories out next time round. Life's a bitch sometimes, Chris. Not only will you have to accept John as the MP for a 2nd term, you'll be begginig to get in bed with him. I'll send you a nice nightie
Tim Kinsella
Monday May 12, 19:16
http://chrispaullabouroflove.blogspot.com/
Well Thomas won't find anything. I'm such a devious Fib Dem that I hide behind a wall of IP-address deceit in the Gawsworth factory of lies where my sock-puppeteer masters spin their evil webs of falsehood. Either that or I'm in Nottingham at the moment.
Anyway, the really interesting question is who is the person impersonating Chris Paul? I'd encourage everyone to take a look at the link above for some amusement.(Unfortunately it's not me, Chris.)
I'd endorse what Peter H said. It's really not looking good for you lot at the moment.
P.S. Chris, is Amy another one of those cowards who don't even post their names on blogs? Unfortunately, it seems like her Labour membership prevented her from being too deceitful as she posted her real name in her e-mail address. You'll never win in Manchester Withington if you can't even tell little white lies! Mwahahaha!
peter h
Monday May 12, 22:01
There's nothing cowardly about not putting your full name down, Tim. It doesn't really matter who any of the people here are, but it matters what they say, and at least Amy bothered to put her point.
peter h
Monday May 12, 22:01
There's nothing cowardly about not putting your full name down, Tim. It doesn't really matter who any of the people here are, but it matters what they say, and at least Amy bothered to put her point.
Tim Kinsella
Tuesday May 13, 10:44
I couldn't agree more, Peter. The reason I said that was because Chris has used his journalistic skills to Google "Tim Kinsella" and found out, to his joy, that Tim Kinsella is probably a made-up name. He has then proceded to call me a 'sock puppet of the worst kind' and 'a cowardly front for a lib dem who needs an invisible friend to banter for them.'
peter h
Tuesday May 13, 12:32
Well Chris Paul is only using christian names, ain't he? Unlike Menzies Campbell who had the courage only to use surnames, Or Yasmin, who uses anagrams. My surname, of course, really IS H. My parents were very poor and couldnt afford a longer name
Dave
Tuesday May 13, 14:03
You were lucky Peter, my parents couldn't even give me a one letter surname, and with the gap between the rich and poorer getting bigger under New Labour, it is likely in the near future, we won't be able to afford even a first name in future generations!
Dave
Tuesday May 13, 18:47
Do you think Frank Field's apology was sincere, or has he been whipped into place? Eitherway, it's a shame as he was one of a very small handful of Labour MP's I have great respect for.
Yasmin Zalzala
Tuesday May 13, 19:19
Dave (from Cumbria) Peter H, Tim K
I think you are cowards supporting a losing cause.
That is your previlege in democratic society.
But please try not to be so obviously hypocritical.
Dave (from Cumbria)
Tuesday May 13, 21:29
Yasmin (from Lancashire), why am I hypocritical?
peter h
Wednesday May 14, 00:27
Cowards don't support losing causes, Yasmin, they desert them.
Try thinking straight for a change.
And it is not our privilege. It is our right.
And this is not a democratic society.
And Dave isn't from Cumbria
And we are not hypocritical
And when you are not bleating on about how hard done by you are, you seem to have no points to raise. Bit odd for somebody with political aspirations.
Tim Kinsella
Wednesday May 14, 11:42
Are you planning to stand again and improve upon your 153 votes from the last election, Yasmin?
It'll be interesting to see which other loons stand next time. I'd guess there'll be a lot more considering what happened in 2005.
peter h
Wednesday May 14, 18:46
Let's hope she does stand and put her case to the electorate and let them choose.
Dave (from Cumbria as I shall hencefore be known)
Wednesday May 14, 18:53
Noticed that the Green Party and the Tories both got over 300 votes each, that would be twice as many as Yasmin got at the last election. Looks like she has a lot of ground to make up, so as not to come last, let alone first!
Yasmin Zalzala
Wednesday May 14, 20:58
Oh My What nastiness
The Leech defense must be getting desperate.
Don't you get tired of typing this abuse?
Why don't u write something intelligent for a change?
Dave (from Cumbria)
Wednesday May 14, 22:38
I haven't written anything abusive. Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't you call myself and others "cowards" and "hypicrits"? I was merely pointing out that you have a lot of ground to make, if you stand any chance of getting elected!
peter h
Thursday May 15, 10:36
and since when was it abusive or unintelligent to suggest you put your case to the electorate and let them choose?
you're the one that goes round insulting people, threatening to sue people, making spurious claims about them . Are you so surprised if they retaliate or question your abilities?
Alan
Thursday May 15, 17:31
http://www.southmanchesterreporter.co.uk/news/s/1049791_mp_joins_city_fans_at_save_sven_demo
Glad to see he's busy!
Dave
Thursday May 15, 17:37
Hard hitting isn't he?
peter h
Thursday May 15, 22:00
as usual alan he's sticking up for manchester people. It's his job. I must admit to questioning his sanity supporting them, but he's in there doing his job nevertheless
Alan
Saturday May 17, 19:38
Peter, what I don't get is that every time he is in the paper he is either talking about McDonalds or football. I have no real issue with this but bearing in mind the Labour Government (under Brown) is well on it's way to bringing this country to it's knees, you'd think he'd campaign about something more important. i.e. the 10p tax debacle, the price of shopping and petrol, the complete ineptness of Gordon Brown and his crony cabinet??!! That's all I'm saying??!
peter h
Saturday May 17, 20:28
Alan, I think that's more down to what the local press choose to print rather than an accurate reflection of his workload. And in the same local press there were stories of other things he'd done recently, to be fair.
John Holliker
Sunday May 18, 16:34
Peter
I think you'll find these flimsy, no-need-to-break-a-sweat stories are his hallmark.
For the record, Leech lied about Christie. Without a shadow of a doubt.
Labour lost around here due to Iraq/Tuition Fees/whatever else was in The Guardian that week....and the gutless, words-not-actions approach of its members.
peter h
Sunday May 18, 18:51
Sorry John, I won't accept that about Christies. But it doesn't matter any more now. Politics moves on and that is yesterday's battle and what I have repeatedly said is that, irrespective of who is right about Christies, the next election won't be won or lost on yesterday's battles. There are new battles now, and it looks like Labour is sinking not rising nationally, so I don't see how they'll get Withington back on national issues.. As for John Leech's personal popularity round here, Lucy Powell doesn't have a clue how to undermine it, nor do her colleagues. Parachuting the odd minister in for a handshake won't do it, and they don't seem to have any other strategy.
Tim Kinsella
Monday May 19, 00:16
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/05/theres_crewe_and_theres_nantwi.html
...and her blog is getting a really good response from Grauniad readers (see comments)...
Alan
Monday May 19, 07:35
To be fair, I don't live in the constituency anymore and have to read the SMR on line as opposed to the whole paper they obviously only show the main articles! (Yasmin, I hope this is allowed??!!??) He's either not doing anything or hasn't got the first clue about how to manipulate the press!
On the election note I fear that the way things are going he will win again! I want Labour out but would never advocate voting for a Lib Dem due to the fact they have no policies!! The next general election will be an interesting one!!
peter h
Monday May 19, 20:52
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/starbabes/3733/Gemma-Garrett
talking of Crewe and Nantwich, I think I really ought to help out Lucy Powell - and Yasmin - by suggesting they could learn a trick or two from Independent candidate Gemma Garrett there. http://www.dailystar.co.uk/starbabes/3733/Gemma-Garrett
I publicly promise to vote for Lucy if she promises to emulate Gemma, and I promise to vote for Yasmin if Yasmin promises not to emulate Gemma
Dave
Tuesday May 20, 14:10
Having done some "research" I see she wants better pay for the armed forces personal, and childcare to be tax deductable, and that she is/was Miss Great Britain! I am talking about Gemma Garrett and not Lucy Powell in case you were confused!
peter h
Tuesday May 20, 15:12
I bet she doesnt lose her deposit either. I'm talking about Gemma Garrett and not Lucy Powell too.....
Yasmin Zalzala
Tuesday May 20, 15:19
The recent comments from the two John Leech MP supporters are sexist and unacceptable.
I hope that Lucy Powell will join me in asking for an apology.
I would like to ask if the Withington Constituency Liberal Democrats chaired by Cllr Marc Clayton are supportive of these comments and stand by them?
Dave
Tuesday May 20, 16:17
What is sexist and unacceptable about telling the truth? (I assume you refer to me as being a John Leech supporter)
I have read Ms Garrett's "manifesto" which was about adding glamour to politics and the tax deductable childcare, and the wages increase for the armed forces (sadly that is all she has to offer - about as much as New Labour has to offer, i.e not much)!
Dave
Tuesday May 20, 16:17
What Marc Clayton has to do with this, I have no idea.
jj
Tuesday May 20, 17:30
Seriously, is Yasmin trying to suggest that if there isn't any official statement from an organisation regarding comments made on a blog which (as far as I can tell) has nothing to do with them, then they are deemed to be supporting those comments?
Seriously, are Withington Constituency Liberal Democrats anything to do with this site?
peter h
Tuesday May 20, 18:35
Yasmin, you want me to apologize to you and Lucy Powell for offering to vote for her if she emulated Gemma's policies on tax deductible childcare and wages increases for the armed forces, or for you if you didn't?
How fascinating.
You DID read her manifesto, didn't you? Or did you think that just because she's good looking and shows off her legs that she hasn't got any policies? If that is the case, I hope you apologize to Gemma for being sexist.
peter h
Tuesday May 20, 18:40
And congratulations are in order to Gordon Brown for yet another masterful stroke - bringing the police to within a whisker of going on strike for the first time in living memory. What a magnificent leader he's turning out to be!
Alan
Wednesday May 21, 08:42
What's going on with the police is an outrage! Especially considering the increased danger they are under. Perhaps they could use the money they take off me and millions of others who occasionally put their foot down and run through a speed camera!! This sort of argument always brings me back to the armed forces though... as we speak there are 17/18 year olds in Afghanistan, under fire, doing a bloody good job (whether you agree with the war or not, for their profession they do a bloody good job) and they are on what £12-£14k per annum!?? They have to take out private life insurance because the government will not provide adequately for their families if they die and the unfortunate troops that come home without limbs; what do they have to look forward too?? Being put in some dirty NHS hospital and being told that they cannot wear their uniforms off base incase it upsets the public!!!??? Personally I hate Unions and would not usually advocate a strike but if the Police did strike then on this occasion they would have my full support!! It would also teach those incompetent idiots in power to play fair!
Dave
Wednesday May 21, 08:56
Would you notice the police were on strike in Manchester. I had the misfortune of calling them twice when I live on Merseybank. Once when I had my garage broken into and had a bicycle stolen, and the neighbours knew the culprit and were willing to act as witnesses, but the police just gave me a log number for insurance purposes and that was that! Second time, and the time I got genuinely peeved with the level of service was when my 9 month pregnant wife was hit by a joy rider, that wrote of my car! The officer called to the scene was lovely and very sincere, but when I (yes, I, not the police) found the dumped stolen car around the corner from my house, I asked if they would look for finger prints, and they looked at me like I was off another planet! I asked if they would take witness statements, and again, they looked at me like I was daft! Sorry, I have not time for the police. You can argue that it is the governments fault, but some blame has to be left with the police bosses and what they see as priorities, victim support is clearly not one!
Alan
Wednesday May 21, 15:50
As with any profession Dave you always get idiots and it would seem that clearly the people that dealt with your incident were idiots. However I think there is a fundamental issue with the law in general. Would you bother to pursue a crime if you knew that you were going to be bogged down in bureucracy for a week only to find that the criminal is sent home with a slapped wrist and a party bag!? The law needs to change and that is the job of the Government!
peter h
Wednesday May 21, 17:35
Sorry Alan but Dave has a valid point. I've given up trying to call the police out, because they don't turn up. I've had some fool shooting an air pistol at people, had a jerk on a quad bike trying to mow me down on my bike (actually aiming at me), rung 999 on the spot and been told they had no officers available. As for lesser things - motor bikes along the mersey, my car being broken into etc, don't even think about calling them. Somebody I know was recently repeatedly rammed by her ex-boyfriend as she drove along Wythenshawe Road. The police were passing and stopped. The boyfriend drove off. The police made no attempt to talk to available witnesses. It took them THREE MONTHS to arrest the driver, who lived quite openly round the corner. They made no effort to take forensic evidence and he was never charged although she was injured and her car written off. The same woman and her 14 year old daughter were assaulted by drunks, and the police never even got as far as examining her for injuries or interviewing the daughter.
Alan, it's systemic in this town. It is not isolated incidents. I have no faith whatsoever in GMP and large numbers of the population don't bother calling them because they know what will happen - nothing. I don't know where the fault lies, but it is probably with the system not the officers. As far as I can see they are rushed off their feet and cannot cope.
And that moron of a Home Secretary is a bloody disgrace. A nasty condescending waste of space.
peter h
Wednesday May 21, 17:38
as an experiment, just try ringing the police - 872 5050 - and try getting through to Elizabeth Slinger Road or Didsbury Police station to how long those place take to answer the phone - if they answer at all
Dave
Wednesday May 21, 17:49
Here in Cumbria, I know my
community bobby (remember them?) by name!
peter h
Thursday May 22, 16:33
Not called bobby by any chance is he?
peter h
Thursday May 22, 16:34
I might end up in cumbria too incidentally. That'll please a few people on this website.
Dave
Thursday May 22, 17:41
No, he is called Roy Davidson!
Well you'd be more than welcome Peter. Depending on which bit of Cumbria you find yourself in, we have a recently increased majority of Lib Dem councillors in the Lib Dem controlled council. We have a Lib Dem M.P. (Tim Farron) campaigning hard against the reduced services of our local hospital, who had a big Lib Dem swing from a Tory MP (Tim Collins)
Dave
Friday May 23, 08:39
Well, interesting to see that even being the daughter of one of the more respected M.P's within the Labour party, isn't enough to keep the seat a Labour seat. I bet the Tories are partying like never before!
And on Radio4 as usual, Labour blame it on mid-term blues, and that they "are going to listen to the people". I am fed up of them listening, I want them to act upon what they hear!
John Holliker
Friday May 23, 13:25
Nice day to be a Labour Party supporter/member...
peter h
Friday May 23, 13:49
Graham Stringer (ex leader manchesterr council.....) calling for ministers to challenge Gordon Brown for the leadership. Oh dear dear dear. Labour's imploding. (I always liked Graham, by the way. Never scared to speak his mind)
peter h
Friday May 23, 13:50
Bit north of you Dave. Village 4 miles from Shap.
Alan
Sunday May 25, 12:13
No didn't call the cops, knowing my look they would probably actually come straight out then I'd just be done for wasting police time!! I don't think they'd accept the excuse of 'Peter told me to do it!?'. Whether you support the Tories or not I'm pleased that they won in Crewe and with such a large majority. It sends a clear message to one of the most useless PM's we have ever seen. Dave is right I'm sick of his new catchphrase of 'I'm listening', he's an isiot, he needs to spend more time sorting this country out and less time pretending to be reactive against polls and election results! He needs to go but the problem for Labour is that there is no one credible to take his place..... come on Peter, step up to the challenge!
peter h
Sunday May 25, 17:42
challenge? Shooting fish in a barrel mate. Brown doesn't have the charisma to be a leader, and he was crap at a chancellor. His apparent "prudence" was sleight of hand, hiding the massive growth in personal debt in this country - by far the biggest in Europe - the crime of high house prices, and the increase in the gap between rich and poor - oh and PFIs landing the public utilities in debt for generations to come. The birds are now coming home to roost and he deserves all he gets. He's alienated working people of all classes with his 10p taxes , the high petrol costs ( we have the highest fuel prices in Europe thanks to his tax regime), increasing food prices etc etc. Bye bye brown
yasmin zalzala
Sunday May 25, 21:33
Colleagues
The comrades at Lib Dem Voice have deleted my post after they allowed it and now have deleted other comments that are waiting to be moderated.
Yes my comments were moderated.
For a party that wants freedom of information this act is rather hypocritical to say the least, wouldn't you agree?
PS They allow Chris Paul's postings and from a Tory voter!
Yasmin Zalzala
Monday May 26, 00:28
UPdate
The have re-installed my comment which they had deleted after publishing it, however two new comments that I made were not put in
If the Lib Dem cannot put up with one person, then how do they hope to cope with the entire people of Britain pracitising the FOI that they claim they want to give?
peter h
Monday May 26, 21:35
Labour's imploding and I actually feel sorry for them. They've been in power too long but they deserve better than this. All the papers now are saying that Brown has to go, and there's no way back from that. The momentum's started and it really can't be stopped. They'll going to look stupid replacing him and unelectable keeping him, and what do they do with him afterwards? It's a mess. Personally I was hoping that they'd lose overall majority and we'd have a hung parliament. But this is looking awfully like a potential clear Tory majority in waiting.
Dave
Tuesday May 27, 09:15
I am with you on that Peter, I too was hoping for a hung parliament, but it looks like the Tories are going to wipe the floor!
peter h
Tuesday May 27, 20:55
I'm willing to bet too that Labourites round here would prefer a tory government to a lib-lab coalition if they had to choose. Anyone care to refute that?
Alan
Wednesday May 28, 10:32
As a former Labourite I would agree with you, I'd sooner see the Tories in than a Lib - Lab pact for the sole reason that Lib Dems have no policies and would struggle to govern. You may be happy with Leech on a local level but surely you wouldn't want them in charge of the country.
Also, Yasmin, we are not colleagues and I'm not suprised that they delete your posts because you talk crap!
Yasmin Zalzala
Wednesday May 28, 18:06
Alan
Nobody has deleted my posts. I was talking about CENSORSHIP.
As for your evaluation of my posts, its a free country.
peter h
Wednesday May 28, 18:37
youre cheating a bit alan. You're a tory any way who went to Labour because of Blairite policies. As Maggie said, her greatest achievement was new Labour.
Yasmin's posts aren't crap. Theyre just utterly self-centred and she can't rise above her sense of grievance, which is a pity because she is an obviously intelligent lady with a lot to offer in different circumstances
Yasmin Zalzala
Wednesday May 28, 21:47
Oh Peter
I nearly fell off my chair!
peter h
Wednesday May 28, 23:22
well you should see yourself sometimes as others see you. Basically you come over as a whining, intensely boring, self-centred nutter with imaginary grievances in your posts, and the only sympathy expressed is by those purposefully winding you up so that you attack the lib dems for them by proxy.
I assume that since you are highly educated and articulate and went into politics - like all politicians - to try and improve life for the community, then the posts give a wrong picture of you.
As I said, you should see yourself as the rest of us, who only see these posts, see you, stop complaining about some real or imagined past injustice and do yourself justice for a change. You may well have been stabbed in the back. I have no idea. Like Michael Heseltine once said, politics is a ruthless old business. You have to move on from it and stop dwelling in the past and campaign for the issues which motivared you, not about yourself all the time.
Alan
Thursday May 29, 10:21
Peter, you're getting soft in your old age!!
peter h
Friday May 30, 22:49
not really. Bottom line under all the argument is that everybody on a site like this who takes the trouble to contribute does so because they care.
Just the same with the politicians. They all care, otherwise why do it?
Dave
Sunday Jun 01, 16:49
So Crewe and Nantwich are now in Tory hands with a spectacular swing. What chances of a swing from Tory to Labour in Henley in the by-election?
peter h
Sunday Jun 01, 20:57
In case you didn't notice, Dave, Labour's stopped responding. I think they've given up.
Alan
Monday Jun 02, 10:45
Following in the footsteps of their leader!!
Dave
Monday Jun 02, 12:10
Alan and Peter, in the two years that I have been watching this site, your last comments are the funniest, ever!
peter h
Monday Jun 02, 17:22
Don't laugh too quickly. The Cameroons are waiting in the wings.
Yasmin Zalzala
Tuesday Jun 03, 01:00
There has been interesting on the topic titled Conservatives split over selection of Henley by-election candidate on Lib Dem Voice..
But for some reason I cannot find this thread among the main threads anymore but one has to go to the side panel to find it!
Strange
Alan
Tuesday Jun 03, 09:19
One of the many mysteries of the universe Yasmin... up there with the great questions like 'Does God exist'
Dave
Tuesday Jun 03, 19:09
Alan, God, Santa, Tooth Faeries, Allah, Odin, Zeus, Manchester to win the cup (any cup), Lib Dem government are all false hopes!
peter h
Tuesday Jun 03, 23:11
Of course God exists. But City winning anything? As for Lib Dems, as things stand they're a better bet than Labour
Chris Paul
Wednesday Jun 04, 01:16
http://chrispaul-labouroflove.blogspot.com/
Goodness me. Apart from Yasmin and myself is anyone else using their real name on here? For the record Yasmin LDV have censored some of my posts e.g. stating I thought the LD candidate appeared to eb a bullshitter and had a strange charity/franchise thing going on. Lib Dems chucked out a woman PPC and Tories failed to select the favourite - also a woman. There is a pattern. Labour seem to be sticking with the trainspotter from Reading. But the by-election is not called yet.
Dave
Wednesday Jun 04, 10:05
Dave is my real name (well, okay you got me, my real name is David - but only my family call me that, Dave to my friends)
Alan
Wednesday Jun 04, 14:33
Bona Fide genuine name too!!
peter h
Wednesday Jun 04, 23:09
All right I admit it. My real name is Max Mosley
John Holliker
Friday Jun 06, 01:17
My name is Michael Caine
peter h
Sunday Jun 08, 22:33
not a lot of people know that
peter h
Sunday Jun 08, 22:37
This is getting serious. Labour is now going to look at congestion charges for manchester. I really think Lucy Powell had better not consider giving up her day job. Labour will not only fail to win this seat back but they'll get massacred if that comes in, irrespective of the rights and wrongs of congestion charges. There's sod all decent public transport here, cycling to and from the city is a joke, it costs a fortune to park, and now this. What planet is labour on now?
Dave
Monday Jun 09, 09:13
Planet Brown, it's a small moon near Uranus!
John Holliker
Monday Jun 09, 10:14
proof of the pudding...Peter, if there are tangible improvements in affordable public transport ahead of the charge being made, would you favour it then? Or what, if anything, can you suggest to get people out of their cars?
Dave
Monday Jun 09, 12:07
When I lived in Manchester, public transport was a viable opition, but only just. Where I am now, with petrol at £1.14p per litre, the train is actually cheaper for the first time in living memory! That said, it is okay when I am travelling to my office in Lancaster, but not Ambleside!
peter h
Monday Jun 09, 19:46
John, I've spent a lot of time in cities overseas where I wouldn't dream of using a car - Paris, Rome,various German cities, Amsterdam, Copenhagen. All have got good quality public transport or are bike friendly or both. Personally I like to cycle. But going around Manchester on a bike isnt very nice.
I avoid going into manchester. It's unpleasant to cycle in, I don't like the buses, and you need a second mortgage to park. If there were effective trams or cycle lanes I'd change.
As for getting people out of their cars, you're halfway there with high parking charges. Congestion charges will finish the job. That is to say, it will make it too expensive for many ordinary people, but the rich will still be able to go into town. Very new labour - looking after the well-off as usual.
Dave
Tuesday Jun 10, 10:54
Noticed that quite a lot of spam on here lately that isn't getting cleared off. Has Thomas (site admin/mod) given up?
peter h
Tuesday Jun 10, 21:45
sometimes it's hard to tell which is which dave
Thomas
Wednesday Jun 11, 08:00
http://recaptcha.net/
Sadly I've just been on holiday for a week and the spam builds up fairly regularly. How would everyone feel about having to enter a captcha (see link above - http://recaptcha.net/) when posting a comment? This would reduce spam, but would mean it takes longer to post a comment...
peter h
Wednesday Jun 11, 18:34
Don't get technical thomas, for gods sake...
Yasmin Zalzala
Thursday Jun 12, 17:09
Lib Dem Voice have stopped allowing my comments to be recorded even when they are being moderated.
Yet they are allowing anti Yasmin Zalzala comments (from anonymous sources no less) to be recorded
I guess they are into cencorship proper after the majory untruthful claims by a senior manchester lib dem councillor!
See them on Conservative Split Over Selection in Henley etc .
Yasmin Zalzala
Tuesday Jun 17, 16:14
Update
Lib Dem Voice have allowed an attack on me by a blogger with an assumed name! Yet my attempt to answer did not even go to moderation! They were deleted on the spot. Ha Ha Ha
I suppose it is easy to pointificate on issues when you are using an anonymous name!
peter h
Tuesday Jun 17, 22:55
could just be good taste....
Yasmin Zalzala
Wednesday Jun 18, 13:18
Back to normal then, peter h.
Thats more like it.
peter h
Wednesday Jun 18, 21:07
no yasmin. you only ever write about you.
Alan
Monday Jun 23, 12:26
Yasmin, no one cares if people aren't being nice to you on another site. It's a big bad world out there... deal with it!
John Holliker
Monday Jun 23, 19:00
Yasmin...let it go. It's over three years ago. If you had a case it would have stuck by now. So maybe, just maybe, you don't??
Yasmin Zalzala
Monday Jun 23, 21:54
Colleagues or whatever,
I do not tell you what you should not write about, do I?
I also do not comment on the quality of your comments, do I?
Can we please agree to disagree and can I please ask you to NOT read my comments so you are not affected.
It is a free country
Dave
Tuesday Jun 24, 11:46
Why not take your own advice Yasmin, and do not read the comments about you on this or any other site and therefore you will not be affected?
Yasmin Zalzala
Tuesday Jun 24, 15:02
The fact that so many of you are choosing to attack me means I am effective and relevant.
Dave, with respect but I do not take your advise seriously. You choose to blog anonymously.
This means you are a coward and hiding.
John Holliker
Wednesday Jun 25, 00:11
yawn... the only thing she's consistant with is contradiction after contradiction...please don't feed her or she'll scweam and scweam and scweam until we're sick (of her)
Dave
Wednesday Jun 25, 09:49
Yasmin, if I am so anonymously, howcome you know that I am from Cumbria?
If you look back at my posts over the past three years (or however long it is) you will find out far more about me, than I could know about you. I don't get how I am a coward? Please explain? Of course, if you want to resort to name calling as an "effective and relevant" way of engaging me in debate, that is fine. Personally, I would of thought that someone wanting to be taken seriously as a politican or councillor would keep the debate at an intelligent level.
Yasmin Zalzala
Wednesday Jun 25, 19:47
Gentlemen
If you wish to engage in attacking me for whatever reason that is fine by me.
Go ahead.
Dave
Wednesday Jun 25, 20:09
You see, I don't want to attack. It seems that you are the one being hostile towards me, not the otherway round.
Alan
Thursday Jun 26, 17:43
Dave don't waste your time, contrary to Peter's kind words the woman is a nut job! I shouldn't imagine even the Monster Raving Looney Party would take her in!... God bless the Tories and their 'Care in the Community' initiative. Yasmin is testament to why it doesn't work!
John Holliker
Thursday Jun 26, 19:04
(chorlte)...which in turn says alot about the *calibre* of the average lib dem...
Yasmin Zalzala
Thursday Jun 26, 20:11
Thanks everybody!
Attacks and hostility from the John Leech bragade and Labour activists are practically compliments!
Dave
Thursday Jun 26, 20:24
John, I am just glad that she isn't a Lib Dem!
Yasmin Zalzala
Friday Jun 27, 01:35
Thanks again everyone
On another subject, they have now sensored my comments on Lib Dem View. At the same time, has anyone noticed that it has become a Bravda style advertiser for the Liberal Democrats and meaningless bashing of the opposition.
Not the intelligent debate it once offered.
Oh my so much for democracy and freedom!
Is this what the liberal democrats will do when (heaven forbid) they are in government?
Censor anyone that they do not like?
Alan
Friday Jun 27, 07:40
Or they censor any one that talks rubbish... ever thought of that!! And before you accuse me of being Lib Dem/ Labour I'll be voting for Dave at the next election !
Dave
Friday Jun 27, 09:23
I assume you are talking about Cameron and not me Alan?
Although, I would be tempted to stand if I still lived in Chorlton. As an independent.
So come on Yasmin, you still haven't explained why I am a "coward"?
Yasmin Zalzala
Friday Jun 27, 14:14
Dave, I said you are a coward because you do not use your full name when blogging so I do not know who you are and therefore you are not ready to stand behind what you are saying
That is cowardice to me
Alan
Friday Jun 27, 15:34
Yasmin, Dave has been contributing to this site long before you started annoying the hell out of everyone and is one of the very few along with John and Peter that every make any sense! I don't post with my full name or email either. Why on earth would I do that on a public forum!!?? It's not about cowardice it's about protecting your privacy from the literally billions of people that could log onto this site from around the world! Get a grip!
Dave
Friday Jun 27, 15:41
Yasmin, I have told you before that I do not want to be spammed to death, therefore I do not publish my email. You obvuously have a very narrow view of what is and what isn't a coward! Tony Blair and George Bush attacking a country under false pretence, that is cowardly!
Yasmin Zalzala
Friday Jun 27, 18:37
Alan, Dave
Yeah whatever
John Holliker
Friday Jun 27, 21:20
i just find it terribly sad that this is the level what an *aspiring* politician resorts to, let alone people living in the real world.
Yasmin. You got shafted. It's politics. You're hardly a shrinking violet and lord knows you told porkies in the press/your leaflets in your time.
Alan: the entire Cameron machine is merely apeing Blair circa 1995. Murdoch's man running his press. Saatchi on board too. Don't be sucked in Alan. There's little substance involved.
If there was a GE tomorrow I simply wouldn't vote for any of the three political parties, and I fear 40%+ of the population would join me in abstaining or going for a fringe candidate.
uk politics is simply turgid. nobody genuinely gives a f*ck and they're all so far from the reality of every day working-class life, it is lamentable.
this country is ripe for a new political force/change, only I fear the media wouldn't give them time of day.
then again, running the country and finishing 5th behind the BNP is some achievement.
peter h
Friday Jun 27, 21:59
John makes an incredibly valid point. I was on a flight from Shanghai recently and quite by chance bumped into an old friend who is a leading local politician. In fact he is the leader of one of the major city councils. I won't say which city - let's just say one of the top 5 - or which party. I don't want to embarrass him, because he is a big hitter. I know him through business, not politics. I remarked that I'd heard him being interviewed on World at One at one of the party conferences. I asked why he didn't go into parliament himself
He was very dismissive about his own party's parliamentary party ,and MPs in general. He used John Holliker's description almost verbatim about MPs being too far removed from real life. And this guy is one of the most powerful local leaders in Britain.
Yasmin Zalzala
Friday Jun 27, 22:17
John Holliker
Thanks for your advise and insults.
I really do not care what you think. May be you have noticed?
john holliker
Saturday Jun 28, 02:47
my kitchen tap has been dripping for some time. it's annoyingly constant. sometimes you can shut it out but it's always there. repititious. dull.
i thank you.
peter h
Saturday Jun 28, 23:36
I don't think Yasmin posts things on this website at all. I think it's some body pretending to be her, diverting attention away from Labour's woes and then attempting to make Lib Dems look absurd. It's you Steve isn't it? Or Thomas? Come on lads, admit it! It's very clever, but the things that give it away are the ways this "Yasmin" keeps insulting everybody else for not putting in their real names, neatly diverting anybody away from realising he/she's doing the same thing to disguise their cunninig stunt, and how he/she attempts to block any discussion on anything but "her"self. Perhaps somebody could alert the real Yasmin Zalzala so that she could take legal action and sue whoever it who keeps posting in her name for attempting to make her look so silly.
Glastonbury's on Telly. Can't see Lucy Powell anywhere though. Must be because there's no Labour conference on.......
Yasmin Zalzala
Sunday Jun 29, 23:01
No such luck Peter h. I am the real Yasmin Zalzala
The Liberal Democrats don't need me to look absurd. They are doing a fine job by themselves.
And John H, I thank you too.
peter h
Monday Jun 30, 00:08
I know a double bluff when I see one. Nice try Chris Paul
Alan
Monday Jun 30, 09:47
ha ha so it's not even the real Yasmin, thank god for that. It concerned me that someone who talks such rubbish could actually have been selected to run for MP!!
Thomas should be able to run a trace on the thread to see where they are being sent from.... you never know it could be coming from JL HQ!!
Alan
Monday Jun 30, 09:48
p.s. Peter, nothing could divert attention away from the fact I'm paying £1.20 for a litre of fuel and that next year I'll be paying around £300 for my road tax!!
peter h
Monday Jun 30, 22:05
you wait till you see the cost of goods in the shops in 2009 alan. We are being hit with footwear prices ex-factory in China of between 20 and 30% higher, clothing between 9% and 30% higher. This is for orders being placed now for sale to the public in 2009. I've heard of 75% on some hardware products. Combination of higher transport, dollar devaluation, higher wage costs, changes in duty rules. I tried to be buy a container of jackets which cost us £5.00 each FOB Shanghai in January. The price last week for the same product was £5.90 - which is about 16% up and is our biggest seller.
peter h
Wednesday Jul 02, 19:06
we had to put prices in for 2009 to supply a local government contract for 2009 - a 7 figure contract. We had to quote prices 17% higher than 6 months ago, and we were still the cheapest. Infation is on its way lads.
John Holliker
Thursday Jul 03, 22:58
just as long as yasmin's legal aid still comes through before doomsday
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