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Archive for the ‘Birmingham politics’ Category

Oh, what’s occurring at Guild Council?

In Birmingham politics, Labour Students, Student Politics on 25 January, 2010 at 6:03 pm

Here are the motions which are coming up at Guild Council on Thursday:

a) For the February National Convention against tuition fees and cuts to higher education to be advertised and transport organised within the Guild and on my.bham, and for Brigid Jones and other members of the council to attend and report back.

b) To sign the pledge against sourcing minerals from the Congo and lobby the University and electronics firms to do the same. For more on the ratinale behind this see http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/conflictminerals_pledge This motion may prove controversial with students who are hoping for a career in electronics, or those who consider global conflict issues to be outside our remit.

c) For Fairtrade Fortnight 22nd February – 7th March to be observed this year and every year by the Guild, through quizzes, events and  promotion of fairtrade drinks in Joes.

d) For fairtrade products to be promoted to a greater extent in general.

e) For mitigations to be extended to those who have trouble attending their classes at Birmingham University due to visa delays.

f) For the student body to have a say on the democratic structures within the Guild through a referendum.

I have the option to star any of them (ask to have them discussed), and essentially vote yes or no. I can also make speeches in favour or in opposition oif any, and submit my own motions. I’m there on behalf of you guys, so let me know what you want me to do!

Suzy (BULS Guild Councillor)

Selly Oak constituency meeting and then BULS Christmas Curry!

In BULSInside, Birmingham politics, Labour Party, Labour Students, Ramsay's F Word on 4 December, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Well another year gone. And now in the season of good will and merryment, BULS invites all members to our very own Christmas curry night on Tuesday 8th December. However, before this is a meeting with the Selly Oak constituency club which should last 7.45-9.30.Anyway, we will be meeting at the Learning centre building on campus (the one near the train station) for 7.45, if you don’t know where it is though Dora will meet anyone unsure at the Guild front reception at 7.40. After the meeting we will the preceed to the curry place, Chamon, which I think is on Bristol Road.

You don’t have to attend the meeting or vice-versa but if you want to only go for the curry meet outside the Learning centre before 9.30 and then we will walk to Chamon. Any problems, email: committee@bulsonline.org or phone Dora:07958327889

Guild Council Report

In Birmingham politics, Student Politics on 23 November, 2009 at 6:08 pm

This report is to let you all know what the Guild’s Officer Team have been up to and what motions are being discussed.

Guild Council on Thursday was interesting, informative, well attended and better organised than last month, as evidenced in the relatively early finishing time of 8.30pm.

Motions were passed to ban Delta Force Paintballing company from advertising on campus (the paintballing society have informed us that cheaper, safer and better qualtity paintballing is always available through them), and to request the University to install more water fountains and extend Honey Pot funding to postgraduates.

Questions were asked about the future of Sociology and Brigid Jones the Education and Access Officer informed the Council that the University are currently considering six possible options, one of which would mean closing the department, but five others in which it would be merged or maintained.

Johnny Davis the Welfare Officer attempted to dispel some of the rumours surrounding the tragic death of a second-year law student in Alton Road. The thoughts of the Officer team, and all of us, are with his family and friends at this sad time.

A motion was passed (and an amendment rejected) to strengthen the power of Guild Council censure. The Home Students’ Officer has resigned following two censures, but attention was drawn to the fact that the Council do not currently have the power to actually fire Officers. Guild President Fabienn Neuner will be taking further action.

Questions were also asked about the re-naming of Joe’s Bar and the necessity of every society and school having compulsory representation. Both points are currently under review.

One frustrating admin error was the omission of Dora Meredith’s motion for pay-as-you-go gym membership, to replace the current termly/yearly fee. But we have been assured that the Guild are already in talks with Munrow Sports Centre.

Overall it was progressive and engaging, and I felt as if I was part of a wider movement intent on making a difference.

If you ever want to come along I’d recommend it. Snacks are provided.

By Suzy

Guild Council Update

In Birmingham politics, Student Politics on 30 October, 2009 at 8:23 pm

Getting back into the spirit of student politics came as a refreshing shock last night in the form of Guild Council. Having attended numerous meeting for what now seems like a tiny tiny organisation called Exeter College Students Union I had a fairly good idea of what to expect. Lots of talk about dreary issues that we had no power to implement or desire to do so from the students. However once in the Guild Council Chambers, with a little electronic voting card in my palm, I couldn’t help but feel like I’d got involved with something that could actually make some exciting changes. Any sense of cynicism that had built up over the course of last year left me and I waited, flicking through the agenda, for the rest of the councillors to take their seats. However personal impressions aside, what was it that was actually discussed and decided upon at last night’s council?

The guild has decided to sign up for the 10/10 campaign. This is a pledge to cut its emissions by ten per cent by 2010. The major political parties have signed up for this already, as have a thousands of individuals, businesses and organisations such as O2, Royal Mail, Comic relief and of course NUS! This is a great way to educate people about climate change and suggest simple ways they can cut their emissions. You can sign up at www.1010uk.org/ and take the challenge.

The guild also agreed to implement new policy which will promote blood donation on campus but oppose the archaic rules that the NHS has in place which do not allow gay or bi men to donate if they have had sex with a man in the last 12 months or for woman who have had sex with a man, who has had sex with a man in the last 12 months.

Among other things there is to be greater transparency between students and the Ethical and Environmental forum, the minutes of which are to be made available and consultations between students and the officer compulsory. This is great news as the more consultation we have with students the better our decisions will become.

Guild council was not all good news. We decided to allow shell oil to advertise in the guild. This is a serious ethical issue and I’m certain that if most students knew the implications of supporting such a company they would be appalled. Shell have pursued an anti-union policy and have drastically effected the environment in Peru where they recently installed several new oil platforms. Not to mention attempting to dump obsolete oil storage platforms in the North Sea Trench.

Guild council meeting 29/10/09

In Birmingham politics, Student Politics on 29 October, 2009 at 7:20 pm

Hiya, just to let everyone know here are some recent titbits from Guild Council:

- Shell oil are now allowed to advertise in the Guild following a Guild policy change

- A banner campaigning for decisive action on climate change at Copenhagen is being made to hang in Mermaid Square

- The Guild Council chambers are to be renamed the “Mark Terry Council Chambers” to recognise a former Birmingham student who campaigned against apartheid

- As part of the building work Joe’s bar is to be re-located, as are the ARC, Student Development and the Job Zone – The Guild has pledged to cut CO2 emissions by 10% by 2010

- A book exchange is up and running and needs more publicity! – There is an ongoing campaign to allow LGBTQ students to donate blood when the donation van comes back.

Comments/queries?

By Suzannah Robinson, BULS Guild of Students Council Representative

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It’s a shame that it’s had to lose its apostrophe…

In Birmingham, Birmingham politics, Brigid Jones's Diary, Conservative Party on 8 February, 2009 at 2:32 am

How wonderfully amused I was to learn today of the existence of the Apostrophe Protection Society!

Tory commentators love to pull us up on our grammar on this here blog, in fact after Thatcher I’ll wager its their second favourite thing to comment on. How aghast they must have been to note that their own Tory council leaders here in Brum are ditching that beloved bastion of the educated!

I know you guys aren’t that well acquainted with the Guild but if you want to start up a uni branch of the APS you only need twenty members, I can help with the forms if you like: just get in touch.

Speaking of education, I was most interested in the new Tory ad that informs us the UK is now 24th in the world at maths, (not sure what kind or level of maths as it didn’t specify), behind both Canada and Korea. Last time I checked Korea was in fact two separate political entities, North and South Korea; where pray does the UK come in the world geography championships? I personally am wondering why I ought to be surprised that both these places have reasonable education systems, but would like to congratulate them both all the same.

tory-poster

Goodwin’s law anyone?

In Birmingham politics on 22 October, 2008 at 6:17 pm

Councillor Gareth Compton (or Gareth on The Stirrer forums) is a Conservative councillor from Erdington. According to Councillor Martin Mullaney however, he is a Nazi.

It seems like someone lost the debate.

Rubbish TV

In Birmingham politics on 14 October, 2008 at 2:07 pm

Birmingham Hodge Hill MP Liam Byrne has ventured into the world of online campaigning with a series of Youtube videos exposing the Council’s incompetence in waste disposal. It’s a little rough round the edges though these things get better with practice. Keep up the good work Liam! 


Lines responds to housing scandal

In Birmingham politics on 11 October, 2008 at 11:54 pm

Following up on the housing scandal revealed by Cllr Mike Leddy last week, the Cabinet member for housing, John Lines has made a response.

“I will be the first to criticise the disgraceful allocations policy of the previous administration of which Cllr Leddy was part of, which gave someone leaving prison the same priority as someone leaving the armed forces. This is no longer the case. Cllr Leddy should hang his head in shame.”

The Stirrer had reported that Cllr Lines rubbished these claims.

However if you turn to the actual report here you will see that Leddy’s initial claims seem to be true.

Cllr Mike Leddy originally pointed out that: “If somebody is discharged from prison, they get 140 housing points and it was confirmed that this could be increased to 200 points at the discretion of a housing officer. An ex-serviceman coming out of the Forces starts at 75 and a woman with a young child gets 110 or 120.”

Leddy first raised these concerns in May before highlighting them again to the Scrutiny Committee in September. It seems John Lines failed to take these criticisms on board.


Prisoners are a higher housing priority then returning troops

In Birmingham politics on 5 October, 2008 at 3:53 pm

Under a new ‘points based’ system outlined by Cllr John Lines, former prison inmates including paedophiles will get access to housing ahead of troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Cllr Mike Leddy has pointed out that prisoners will get 140 housing points when they are released compared to 75 for a married soldier after serving eight years. 

On the Stirrer Leddy said: “Even a woman with a baby escaping a domestic violence situation only qualifies for 110 points.  The system is just criminal.”

Cllr Lines is yet to reply on this issue.


Tories, strip clubs and Conservative Party conference

In Birmingham politics, Conservative Party on 14 September, 2008 at 4:13 pm

Today I found a very intersting article in the Sunday Mercury. It seems that the welcome brochures to Tory Party conference in Birmingham next month will include discount vouchers for the Rocket Club. This establishment is located on the popular Broad Street and is walking distance from the conference venue.

Introducing the brochure Tory leader of the council Mike Whitby states: ““I look forward to welcoming you to Birmingham, a global city with a local heart,” (whatever that means). Councillor Whitby, along with all visitors to the conference, will now be in possession of the vouchers that give £5 off entry before 11pm.

Club owner Allan Sartori said he expects a surge in business from the Conservative Party conference, which runs from September 29 to October 1 – and he has even opened a VIP room for politicians.

Mr Satori also hopes there will an increase in punters when Tory delegates are getting ‘tired and emotional’.

If anybody reading this blog is attending Tory party conference I should also recommend Bar Risa, it has no strippers but is only next door to the Rocket Club and usually does good drinks promotions.

Chess, anyone?

In Birmingham, Birmingham politics, Conservative Party, Race on 5 May, 2008 at 8:41 pm

Congratulations to all newly-elected Birmingham City Councillors.  I happened to be browsing through the Birmingham Conservatives website, and found a page containing lovely pictures of all Conservative Birmingham City Councillors, sorted by ward.  I would encourage everyone to go and take a look – it appears not to have been updated with the new councillors yet, but please check back once it has been updated.  Notice anything?

I wonder if any of the Conservative Group plays chess.  Hmmm.

Bore blames the national picture

In Birmingham politics on 2 May, 2008 at 1:28 pm

Albert Bore’s response to the 6 losses last night has been reported on The Stirrer.

“Labour leader Sir Albert Bore scoffed at suggestions that local voters were swayed by local issues.

He laid responsibility for his party’s performance at the government’s door.

“It’s not about cleaner streets or even the Council Tax, which only raises £6 million anyway, compared to £60 million from central government.

“The fact is that the government is unpopular at the moment and we paid the price for that.”

Bore argued that traditional Labour voters hadn’t switched sides to the Conservatives – rather, they had simply stayed at home

I for one think it’s sad that we lost two of the best members of the Labour Group last night, in John Cotton and Jan Drinkwater.

My initial thoughts on last night

In Birmingham politics, Labour Party on 2 May, 2008 at 10:41 am

Check out the results for Birmingham City Council elections here.

Without doubt PragueTory will be on this blog within minutes claiming he knew all along Labour were going to get hammered. I’ll say this to Dom now, there’s no real surprises there. Over the last few weeks this blogs hasn’t exactly been a laugh a minute with depressing news on the national front. Local elections will always be used by the voters to ’send a message’ and give a good kicking to the national party.

Every now and again, after the 2005 General election and other bad years for council elections, ministers describe how we need to go away and consider what has happened and listen to the electorate more. I hate this empty notion. There was unrest over the 10p tax rate but Gordon has already backed down over that. The other contentious issue at the moment is 42 day detention, hardly something that regularly comes up on the doorstep.

Also, let’s bear in mind that the people who didn’t vote Labour yesterday have never probably voted Labour in the past. Wards like Quinton we lost, not because the Tories converted Labour supporters, but because our supporters stayed at home. How we should be taking lessons from people who never wanted us in power I am not entirely sure.

It’s hard to finish this blog though without giving the impression that I think the party is in the pits. Labour can win the next election (not to say I think we will the way we’re going now). There are two challenges which face the party though: the lack of cash flow and the fact that we are seen to be bereft of new ideas. The Labour Party needs to face up to the fact that it can, and would overcome these, if it looked more to it’s members as a resource, and not just as a bunch of leafletters.

20p too far?

In Birmingham politics, Brigid Jones's Diary, Economy on 8 April, 2008 at 10:15 pm

Now three Birmingham MPs, Sion Simon, Gisela Stewart and Lynne Jones, have declared the 20p starting rate on income tax a step too far… that’s a fair cross section of MPs, from regular rebel to usual loyalist.

While the theory goes that this will be offset by tax breaks, it is claimed the poorest will be badly hit… knowing sod all about economics, I’m not going to try to analyse it further.

Rod Dungate – Labour Candidate in Edgbaston Ward

In Birmingham, Birmingham politics, Labour Party on 4 March, 2008 at 10:00 am

Rod Dungate our candidate in Edgbaston for this May’s local elections has started his own blog which I thought I’d share with you.

Edgbaston Ward is held by the Conservatives but I really think we can give them a run for their money this May and we wish Rod the best of luck.  Happy reading!

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John crosses yet another line

In Birmingham politics, Brigid Jones's Diary, Far right, Immigration on 23 February, 2008 at 5:58 pm

Flicking through the Birmingham Post today, I came across some colourful quotes from one of BULS’s more blogged-about councillors, John Lines.

 Of asylum seekers, he remarked:

“Some scallywag, some scumbag can jump on the back of a lorry, come over under the tunnel and never expect to do a day’s work in his (expletive deleted) life. And if he’s been here for a time waiting for a decision we give him automatic British citizenship. The world’s gone (expletive deleted) mad.”

 The local government Standards Board is investigating the statement, for councillors are expected to keep to a code of conduct, which involves having respect for other people. Apparently Lines was later to issue an apology of sorts, saying that the word “scumbag” was perhaps a bit strong. Does that mean that these asylum seekers, who have fled some of the worst horrors imaginable to get here, are still “scallywags”, then?


Dick Knowles

In Birmingham, Birmingham politics, Labour Party, Local news on 18 February, 2008 at 3:15 pm

Sir Dick Knowles, former Labour leader of Birmingham City Council, died yesterday at the age of 90.
 
Dick was leader of the Labour Group from 1984 to 1993, and brought in many of the changes which saw Birmingham get back on its feet and feel the sense of pride in itself that many regarded as lacking throughout the country but especially in Birmingham during the mid 1980s.  Dick took over the leadership of the council at a time when much of the country and especially areas like Birmingham were on their knees, with average unemployment throughout the city of 25%, rising to 50% in some wards.  Despite a lack of support from the Thatcher government, the Labour administration, under Dick’s leadership, pushed forward plans for the ICC, undoubtedly planting the seed for the vast regeneration that Birmingham City Centre has enjoyed over the last 10-15 years.
 
Dick lived with his wife, Anne, in Bartley Green, the Birmingham City Council ward for which I was candidate last year.  Even at the age of 90, Dick’s drive and enthusiasm never ceased to amaze me.  He and Anne embodied what it means to me to be a member of the Labour Party – the true spirit of comradeship, and the tremendous will to fight against the nasty side of politics that we see all too often in Birmingham.  Even at the age of 90, Dick could still stuff envelopes faster than I could deliver them.
 
As a true comrade (who would address you as such, and never flinch when you returned the compliment, as so many of today’s Labour Party members might), Dick will be sadly missed, and Birmingham University Labour Students conveys its most deepest sympathies to Anne and the family.

Did John cross the Line?

In Birmingham politics, Immigration on 13 February, 2008 at 2:25 pm

Mr Lines, the esteemed Birmingham Cabinet member for housing, made some interesting remarks recently.


Byrne of many talents

In Birmingham politics, Brigid Jones's Diary on 28 January, 2008 at 12:56 am

In all the commotion over Hain and Watson, we forgot to mention on the blog local MP Liam Byrne, who this weekend received his third ministerial portfolio. As well as a constituency MP, Minister for immigration and the West Midlands, he will now be a Minister of the Treasury too.

The Tories were already upset about him having more than one role and are predictably miffed at him gaining a third, although Byrne insists he can cope- and that “it is good news for the Midlands to have a Minister with a hotline to the Chancellor”.

Clearly he is highly thought of and a hard worker- It sounds like hell to me, but if he can cope with all those roles then congratulations and good luck to him!

New Year Push

In Birmingham, Birmingham politics, Campaigns on 12 January, 2008 at 6:04 pm

One of the essential parts of BULS is campaigning throughout Birmingham.  We’ve got some very important local elections coming up this May so what better time to start grinding the campaign gears than at the start of the New Year.  Today, comrades travelled to Kings Heath to help Labour candidates Nathan Matthew and David Williams in their respective seats of Bournville and Selly Oak.  We primarily did telephone canvassing making over 80 brand new contacts.  Afterwards we were invited back to Steve McCabe’s house for some bloody nice food and a few beers. 

We had a great chat with Steve and his wife, Fiona (who incidentally is the Director of the Political Office at Number 10), talking about a number of issues like neighbourhood regeneration, the race for the White House in America and how to get students involved with the political process in Selly Oak.  Due to boundary changes Steve will become the new MP for Selly Oak, at the next General Election.

Stay tuned for more news from the campaign trail across Birmingham and in other key areas in the country.


Desperate Times…

In Birmingham politics, Brigid Jones's Diary on 5 January, 2008 at 7:39 pm

The Birmingham Post reported today that a Birmingham Lib Dem council candidate has admitted to changing his name so as to appear above a Labour candidate on the ballot paper.

Saeed Aehmed was Saeed Ahmed, until he changed used deed poll to insert an extra “e” into his surname, pushing him alphabetically above Councillor Muhamed Afzal on the May 2007 local elections, and has admitted that this was the reason for the change.

Oh dear.

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Not a quiet week for Birmingham

In Birmingham, Birmingham politics, Brigid Jones's Diary, Women on 9 November, 2007 at 4:48 pm

The Birmingham Post has carried two headlines this week that prompted me to shell out 70p for it. The first, on Monday, was in the fall out of the Enoch Powell Tory row… like the Post correspondant, I had already googled the speech, only to be led straight to the National Front website which carried it in its entirety. Reading it left me feeling cold and unsettled, particuarly the anecdote about the “only white woman left in a street”. Yesterday it was suggested Hastilow could still be asked to return by local party activists…

Later in the week it was reported that the pay cuts for Birmingham Council workers could disproportionately affect women. While many female workers will indeed recieve rises, an awful lot of traditionally feminine jobs will be devalued… as if the pay gap wasn’t bad enough. The council has defended itself, saying that the new pay system was meant to make things more fair and equal. I’d be very interested to see who is right- did the council get it badly wrong or is the headline misleading?

On the equal pay front, it was also reported this week that women with degrees earn less than men right from their first jobs after graduation. What a bright hopeful future I have ahead of me.

Labour romp home in Brandwood!

In Birmingham politics on 21 September, 2007 at 4:29 pm

Mike Leddy was returned to Birmingham City Council for Brandwood in a shocker by-election victory for Labour.

Winning with a majority of 335 Labour had been on the attack from the start. In the local elections in Brandwood last May the Conservatives had won with a 400 majority. With leaflets going out every weekend and door knocking most nights this is a victory which the Labour campaigners can be proud of.

The result means that the Tories and Labour are now neck and neck in the Council Chamber, both with 43 seats.

The full results were as follows:

Ken Axford, Conservative Party Candidate 1663 – LOST
Keith Axon, New Nationalist Party 25
Frank Chance, Independent 157
Francois William Teissier Jones, UKIP 64
Michael Patrick Leddy, Labour Party 1998 – ELECTED
Anna Lucille Masters, The Green Party 193
Brian Alec Peace, Liberal Democrat 285
Robert Purcell, British National Party 290

When campaigning ended and with turnout looking quite low many thought their efforts had been in vain. Instead Selly Oak MP, Steve McCabe has at least one councillor behind him and the fightback that the leader of the Labour group on the council has been talking about can start here.

Anyone got spare time this week?

In Birmingham politics, Brigid Jones's Diary, Campaigns on 16 September, 2007 at 8:58 pm

… Because there’s a by-election going on in Brandwood! Brandwood is a ward in the South of Birmingham, which is facing a council election this Thursday following the sad death of Cllr Ken Hardeman. Labour’s Mike Leddy has been doing some fantastic work in the area and BULS will be out campaigning for his election all this week.

If you’re around in Birmingham this week and can spare some time after 5:30 Mon-Weds (or any time Thurs!) come along for some pre-term fun! We’ll be sticking leaflets through letterboxes and knocking on doors to remind the electorate to get out and vote and who knows, we might even find time for the pub afterwards…

 Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned pro, if you fancy catching up or meeting people, drop us an email on labour@guild.bham.ac.uk and we’ll get in touch with details :)

By-election in Brandwood

In Birmingham politics on 2 August, 2007 at 3:32 pm

In case people didn’t know there is a by-election in the Brandwood ward of the Selly Oak consitutuency. Ken Hardeman, the Tory councillor, recently passed away and the election is set to take place in mid September. Brandwood run from Kings Heath out to Druids Heath and towards Kings Norton so really ought to be winnable for the Labour Party. 

You can find out more about the Brandwood ward here.

The election results for 2007 can be found here.

The Tories won last time with a majority of 415. With a bit of work that can be overturned.

There will be doorstep voter ID every evening this week and a leaflet will be going out on Sunday morning from 10.30. If you want to get involved email chriswilkinson2000@yahoo.co.uk.


Brigid Jones’s Diary – Thinking along the wrong Lines…

In Birmingham politics, Brigid Jones's Diary on 29 May, 2007 at 8:11 am

On May 3rd, John Lines was re-elected to his Bartley Green seat on Birmingham Council. This made me rather angry.

Why do I pick out this particular Tory? Is it because I spent months of phone canvassing and weeks of leafleting for John Ritchie, his Labour challenger (culminating in an insane 5am-10pm stint of campaigning on election day, and us all falling asleep at 5am the next morning in my lounge, post-count while the BBC coverage blared on the telly and the pizza grew cold)?, is it because after all that I’m bitter we didn’t win? Nope – I’m delighted by our result, we bucked the national trend and increased our share of the vote. I’m angry because I know what John Lines is really like. This man, I am afraid, is no ordinary Tory.

Shortly after his first election in the early 80s, Lines was convicted of assault. Following a dispute with a neighbour over a greenhouse, it appears he battered his neighbour’s son-in-law with a wooden plank, before throttling him to the ground. A Birmingham Mail article describes how “his victim suffered a bruised shoulder, headaches and dizziness for a week after the attack.” Now I believe we can all redeem ourselves, but astonishingly, a full 20 years later, Lines was showing no remorse, stating of the incident that “I was just defending my property. I think everyone in Birmingham has the right to do that.” Furthermore, it appears he did it again! In 2004, on the evening of his last election win, Lines attacked a barman in a pub car park, because he had refused to serve him after licensing hours finished. Yep, read all about it here.

It appears Lines can be something of a “Neighbour from hell”. While promising to crack down on antisocial behaviour, it was alleged that he had made life more than miserable for former neighbours, going beyond initial name calling to posting rubbish through letter boxes. One woman left saying she was “frightened to even leave the house”. It’s all here.

I’m not finished. Lines believes that providing the same housing services for asylum seekers as for ordinary council tenants is a “waste of money”. Does this man have any comprehension of why people seek asylum, of the horrors and often certain death they are fleeing? I hope not, because if he did and still kept to this policy the man would have no heart to speak of. Lines was nominated to be Birmingham’s mayor a few years back, but fellow councillors rejected him, citing him as “unsuitable for a multicultural city like Birmingham.” Is that a polite way of saying racist? Perhaps- 255 of Bartley Green’s former BNP voters found Lines quite to their tastes, and gave him the majority of his swing vote. He has been quoted urging people to vote against local MP Giesela Stewart because she was a “kraut,” and suggested we should “vote British, not for a German”. While we were out campaigning, we noticed that Lines failed to mention that he was Conservative on the majority of his election material… why not? Our campaign material was Labour and proud. Oh, and for more anti-asylum reading, it would appear that asylum seeker support groups are having trouble securing funds from him…

I bet a fair few of the people of Bartley Green weren’t aware of the above, which is fair enough, since his criminal record and BNP-esque policies didn’t quite make it onto his campaign material. I said I believe we can all change, so I’ll leave you with this hope, that after 20 years of questionable behaviour he’ll clean up his act and start acting responsibly and compassionately in this coming term in office… you never know, eh?

The Bede by-election – a victory for who?

In Birmingham politics on 14 February, 2007 at 8:40 pm

Last week’s dismal weather meant many people took Thursday as a welcome day off work. The returning officer in the Bede ward of Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council was not quite so generous to her staff, however, and I spent most of the afternoon and evening with a few other BULS diehards campaigning in the Bede by-election.

Bede was won by Labour in the last local elections by a tight margin in a straight-fight between Labour and the Tories. This time, however, seven candidates stood nominated, including Labour, Conservatives, LibDems, UKIP and the BNP. I must admit that I thought this looked quite troublesome for us – whereas in the past, the only protest vote against Labour was for the Conservatives, electors in Bede had another 5 boxes in which to put their cross this time. The most worrying of those was the extreme-right and fascist BNP. Despite the absolute polarisation in policy, increases in the BNP vote are often associated with disaffected Labour voters. I have often found this notion quite upsetting – to imagine that anyone who once may have believed in the principles of progressive and democratic socialism would subscribe to the BNP’s abhorrent principles of hate is quite honestly beyond me.

Thankfully, however, it was beyond the comprehension of most of the electorate in Bede. Labour won by a similar margin to the 2006 local elections, but this time with the BNP in 2nd place. The Conservatives came a very poor 3rd. This had to make me wonder about the electoral dynamics in the current political climate. The major swing in this election was not from Labour, but from the Conservatives – a huge 29.5% swing from Conservative to BNP.

Which begs the question, how much of the recent (though thankfully, limited) success of the BNP is really down to disaffected Labour voters, and how much of it is down to the neo-fascists who previously felt very comfortable in the Conservatives, beginning to doubt Cameron’s ability to represent their abhorrent views? I do wonder whether Cameron’s attempt to mimic Blair and occupy the centre-ground will annihilate the Conservatives’ grassroots right-wing vote.

The results of the Bede by-election can be found here.

 John Ritchie is BULS Chair

Birmingham City Council debate costs £588 million per minute

In Birmingham politics, International Politics, National Politics on 10 January, 2007 at 1:08 am

Leader of the Labour Group on Birmingham City Council led a massive walkout of last night’s Birmingham City Council meeting, The Stirrer reports today. Sir Albert Bore (pictured right) led a walkout of all opposition members after a debate calling for the withdrawal of British troops in Iraq was limited to a mere eight and a half minutes.

The exiting Labour group was joined by Respect councillor, Salma Yaqoob, who commented that she had never seen debate stopped in such a way. The councillor for Sparkbrook went on to say “we have discussions that just go on and on about far less serious subjects when they go into all the minutiae, but with this one they missed the chance to send out a powerful message on behalf of all the people of Birmingham.”

Birmingham City Council is currently run by a Tory-Lib Dem coalition.

Council Deputy Leader, Lib Dem Paul Tilsley later blamed Labour members for dragging out a previous debate on post offices (proudly advertised on Conservative councillor Deirdre Alden’s blog as being proposed by her), and explained “it’s our duty to protect the interests of the people of Birmingham and so far £5bn has been spent on the war. That’s £50 for every man, woman and child in the city.” I can’t work out Cllr Tilsley’s arithmetic, but I’ve got a simple bit of my own – if the war has cost £5bn and Birmingham City Council cannot spend more than 8½ minutes discussing it, that values the time of our good councillors at £588 million a minute… it’s no wonder Brummies don’t think they’re getting value for money out of the council.

The Deputy Leader went on to state his disgust at the people of Birmingham being left to pay for an “illegal war” based on a “bogus agenda…” yet objected to any more than 8½ minutes being allocated. You’d be forgiven for thinking that the Tory-Lib Dem pact at Birmingham don’t want to engage in a debate over Iraq – I sincerely hope the electors of Birmingham won’t be so forgiving when they try to re-open the debate with some one-sided propaganda against Birmingham’s Labour Group in the run-up to the May elections.

John Ritchie is Chair of BULS

How about a fairly simple new year’s resolution?

In Birmingham politics, Tories' Porkies on 3 January, 2007 at 12:53 pm

Someone once said “there are three kinds of lie – lies, damned lies, and statistics,” and I considered this theme at some length in my last blog, highlighting the Tories selective use (or even simple complete creation) of crime figures. Now, although I don’t intend to use all of my articles on this blog to respond to articles by the Tories, it seems they have failed to learn very much from my last piece.

Today’s BUCF blog congratulates the councillor for Edgbaston, Deirdre Alden, for being named one of “three West Midlands Politicians of the Year” on the political news website “The Stirrer.” Clicking on one of the links supplied leads one through to Deirdre Alden’s own site, where Deirdre congratulates herself at great length for being named, apparently alongside Tom Watson MP and John Hemming MP, as “West Midlands Politicians of the Year.”

However, a quick click through to the Stirrer article tells a completely different story, where Deirdre indeed earns a special mention along with three Labour MPs and one Liberal Democrat MP. The only award, however, goes to the Lib Dem MP, John Hemming, for his fight for parents wrongly accused of harming their children – a very deserving campaign, I’m sure. Mr Hemming, in fact, is the only “Politician of the Year,” Deirdre gets “praise where it’s due,” from which she has apparently managed to crown herself.

This does make me wonder whether someone is clutching at straws for political accolades. Not doubting the integrity or editorial judgement of “The Stirrer” for a moment, I do have to wonder whether the prospective parliamentary candidate for Edgbaston is really so desperate to be sitting on the green benches that she needs to make up stories in order to reach the lofty heights of John Hemming. I wish Deirdre all the best in matching Mr Hemming’s unenviable reputation, although I’m thinking that having to proclaim oneself winner of a website award that has not even been given to you, and in this grandiose fashion, might not be behaviour so becoming of a Member of Parliament.

Having said that, I recall being told that the Tory PPC for Edgbaston is a prolific writer of fiction.

John Ritchie is Chair of BULS