Over the summer, through this blog BULS was contacted by Paul Crofts, the chair from 1971-1974. He went on to work in the NUS with Trevor Phillips, during Charles Clarkes tenure. He is now a councillor in Wellingborough and Northamptonshire, and was succeded as chair by Kath Hartley, now a Birmingham councillor.
Below is a wonderful picture of Paul in action in the Guild Council chambers, where many BULS members can still reguarly be found, debating and snoozing through Guild Councils. Paul will receive a BULS salute the next time we are in the pub. If any other former members are reading, please get in touch, we would love to hear from you!
Paul Crofts and co in action, 1973
Kath Hartley went to university? … I’m truly shocked!
Thats a nasty thing to say even by your standards PT.
Come on Dom, some chivalry, please… you’re hardly the most academically qualified yourself.
It is the height of hypocrisy.
Amongst the Conservative group, I would say without reservation that Kath Hartley is the most disliked Labour councillor. Her class war rhetoric leaves me completely non-plussed and to find out she is a graduate makes her look completely hypocritical. I need to go back and check but I seem to recall her lambasting a Conservative candidate for having gone to university.
“you’re hardly the most academically qualified yourself.”
You might be right, but what do you know about it?
PS – How about giving Cllr Paul Crofts’ blog a link? I know he’s not Labour any more, but…
Thanks for putting this stuff about me on your blog (and the photo!). By the way, there was link to my blog -just click on my name.
Best wishes to BULS. Although I am now an “independent socialist” I still have stong emotional and historic links with the Labour Party and work closely with Labour Party colleagues on the council. I still know where the main enemy is!!
Paul,
Welcome to the blog – it’s always good to hear from another comrade working against the forces of evil that Dominic and his cronies promote.
Dom,
I know very little of your academic background… I only know enough to say that academic qualifications shouldn’t be a serious determinant of a person’s character and virtue, and there is almost always someone better academically qualified than oneself. There are very good and quite apparent reasons for Kath waging class warfare on Tories in particular, perhaps mostly to do with the fact that your lot are so skillful at opening up class divisions (although I’ll concede my lot need to do more). If Kath criticised someone for going to University (which I seriously doubt), then I would disagree with her too. Show me the quotation.
Best wishes,
(Soon-to-be) Dr John
PS. Link to Paul’s blog added to the blogroll