Conference Call

Posted by David Sudworth on September 28, 2007 1:28 PM

IT'S once in a blue moon that Mrs Sudworth asks me a question about politics.

But last week she had occasion to while we were watching coverage of the Lib Dem and Labour conferences.

Just as I was about to get up to make a cuppa, she piped up: "David, why do they have party conferences?"

A moot question indeed.

I explained that many years ago, deep in the midsts of time, conference was the place where party policy was formulated after hours of debate and a few pints of blood (and beer) had been spilled.

Howadays, it's just some kind of political beauty contest for leadership plotters/contenders and a chance for media types to escape from their offices for a week.

Back in the day (much longer ago than I can remember), conferences I'm told were always a hive of excitement. Maggie's 'the lady is not for turning', Kinnock's lambasting of Derek Hatton's Militant group in Liverpool... these were moments to treasure. Nowadays, many MPs try to emulate previous conference triumphs but always seem to fail dismally.

Perhaps it's because the main parties have - to the general public at least - become clones of each other. They don't see any differences and that must be a turn off.

Maybe parties being polar opposites politically isn't necessarily the best thing for the country, but it sure does make for some electric speeches.

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Don't Hug a Hoodie - Shoot Them Instead

Posted by David Sudworth on September 27, 2007 3:31 PM

CONSERVATIVE councillor Paul Greenall's calls for the reinstatement of the death penalty for people who kill with guns is , to use his own party leader's reaction, "a bit radical" to say the least.

The sentiments are hardly radical, as they are held by many people in this country, but it is radical in that a politician is prepared to stick his head above the parapet on such a controversial issue.

There's nothing worse than someone getting elected and then not hearing a peep out of them for four years. At least the people of Derby Ward knows what Cllr Greenall believes in, for better of worse.

Privately, many politicians - and no doubt some local councillors - would agree with him but they wouldn't dare admit it publically, least of all to the likes of me.

Leaving all that to one side, his comment will undoubtably be seized on by the opposition who are keen to caricature the Tories as the 'nasty party' stuffed full of hang 'em and flog 'em types.

'Call Me Dave' has gone out of his way to move the Conservatives away from the right towards the centre ground of British politics. Maybe local Tory Associations are out of touch with the party HQ. However, I rather suspect it's the other way round when it comes to the national agenda.

Labour can afford to get themselves in such a position as they are in government. The wilderness of opposition is a much lonelier place...

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District or County - Who's Calling the Shots?

Posted by David Sudworth on September 3, 2007 3:16 PM

I'M a little confused as to who is actually top dog in the Ormskirk Bypass scheme.

Lancs County Council bosses have certainly been getting out there and making sure we know what's going on and where.

But the district council? Well, apart from a small section on their website, not a lot has been emananting from the corridors of power at Derby Street.

Fair enough you might think, especially as technically speaking this is the County's baby and WLDC is basically just waiting for the planning application.

But I do hope that behind the scenes, Bill Taylor's men are having some input. Afterall, I'm pretty certain some part of the newly-built bypass will fall under the council's 'Street Scene' remit, or whatever it's called in 10 years time (probably Department of Routes, Accesses and Recyling Enablement or something equally as daft).

Even if it doesn't, it's still going to have a massive impact on West Lancashire and I'm sure the planners would have something to say on it.

But in a scheme such as this, who really calls the shots? West Lancs could, if its councillors were minded, scupper the whole thing by blocking the planning application.

Back in the real world though, such a decision is bound to get overturned by the government and the mischief makers would get a nasty rap on the knuckles.

On a slightlty different note though, it's interesting to note that up to now there's been no official party line and whip on this issue. There's pro and anti bypass sentiments in both the Tory and Labour ranks.

Personally, I think it would be a foolish party leader who tried to whip this issue. It's far too important to be dominated by party politics and so far it appears that this hasn't happened.

Long may that continue...

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